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By Kenneth M. Earl

In its investigation of deposits of strategic minerals, the Bureau of Mines did some development drilling at the New Galena Deposit in an endeavor to find an additional source of supply of lead. In Bucks County, lead and zinc minerals have been found in shales over a largo area west and northwest of Doylestown. Considerable mining has been done in the vicinity of New Galena on the North Branch of Noshaminy Creek, 3 miles northwest of Doylestown. It has not been possible to obtain a satisfactory history of the New Galena mine, as there is much disagreement in statements. Most of the mining was done in open pits. Two shafts were sunk to shallow depth; one of these became part of the main pit' which is 256 foot long, 50 to 75 feet wide, and 20 to 44 feet deep. Small pits 8 to 10 foot square wore sunk on the ore zone, which extends some 1450 feet to the southwest. The rock containing the minerals is either black or gray shale. The gray material closely resembles limestone. The following minerals have been reported from the mine: quartz, ankerite, calcite, galena, sphalerite, pyrite, chalcopyrite, and bornite. Some of the galena has yielded 10 to 15 ounces of silver and 10 cents in gold per ton. The average grade of the ore as mined is not known. To investigate the downward extension of the ore shoot, the Bureau drilled two holes aggregating 373.9 feet, No additional ore was developed by this work.

Jan 1, 1950

By Jr. Reed

Cassiterite was discovered in Coosa County, Ala. in 1880 by Judge John S. Bentley. Since that time intensive surface prospecting has revealed the presence of cassiterite in pegmatite bodies that occur in a zone about 20 miles long and 3 miles wide. Numerous trenches and test pits and several shafts were sunk, and one attempt was made to nine and concentrate the cassiterite commercially. The problem of a domestic tin industry and the question of the extent of the Alabama tin deposits have long been of public interest and concern. The deposits have been examined by numerous geologists and several governmental agencies, including the Geological Survey of Alabama, the Geological Survey and the Bureau of, Mines. of the Department of Interior, and others. The Bureau of Mines and the owners of the properties, Charles A. Dean and Robert A. Russell, investigated the Coosa County tin deposits under a cooperative agreement from October 1, 1948, to June 10, 1949. Sixteen hand trenches totaling 527 linear feet and 33 machine trenches totaling 6,780 linear feet were dug. Two shafts wore sunk for a total of 72 feet, and 44.4 feet of drifting was done. Thirty-one diamond-drill holes totaling 2,776 feet were drilled.. Four hundred thirty samples, representing 1,192.6 linear feet, were taken for assay and wore analyzed by the Southern Experiment Station at Tuscaloosa, Ala.

Jan 1, 1950

By T. M. Romslo

The Lake Shore property, located in the early 1880's, contains copper-bearing deposits that have been developed by surface excavations, underground workings, and churn-drill holes. Operation of the property ended in 1929 with a total recorded production of 280,000 pounds of copper. The property is near the foot of the Slate Mountains, which are made up mainly of probably the Pinal formation of pre-Cambrian age. In the mine area there are a few outcrops of granite, which is exposed over a large area east of the property. Other outcropping rocks on the property are limestone, quartzite, and diabase. The limestone and quartzite probably are the Mescal and Troy formations of pre-Cambrian and Cambrian age, respectively. The predominant copper mineral is chrysocolla, a hydrous silicate that occurs mainly as fracture filling in bedded schist. It is also, the principal copper mineral in the shear zone at the schist-granite contact and in limestone southeast of the main workings. Investigation of the Lake Shore property by the Bureau of Mines included both topographic and geologic mapping, exploratory drilling, and metallurgical test work. One diamond-drill, hole and five churn-drill holes were completed for a total of 2,872.5 feet. Drilling started January 19 and was completed May 13, 1949.

Jan 1, 1950

By B. W. Gandrud

In July 1948, the Bureau of Mines, United States Department of the Interior, in cooperation with the University of Alabama and mine operators, published Report of Investigations 4306, "A Combination Cleaning and Dewatering Process for Treating Fine 'Sizes of Coal, Preliminary Report In this report a new process, referred to as kerosene flotation; was described, and results of experimental work with the process Previous to the fall of 1947 were given, The contents of the report. were summarized on pages 19 and 20' as follows: In coal-preparation plants using wet methods of cleaning, the most difficult problem is the cleaning and dewatering of the "fines" from about 10-Mesh to 0. A combination proceed is now under investigation that shows promise of practically and feasibly solving this problem. The process is similar to froth flotation, but a generous quantity of kerosene is used as one of the reagents, and the feed is from approximately 10-mesh to 0 considerably coarser than the usual froth flotation feed. The kerosene and the coarseness of the reed result in a floated product that, under certain circumstances, can be dewatered satisfactorily by a simple process of mechanical squeezing, Squeezing is accomplished by means of an ordinary conveying' Auger-and trough assembly with a section of pipe easing at the outer end of the trough. The bottom of the trough and. casing is fitted with wedge-wire sections to permit escape of the water freed by the squeezing action of the auger. On account of the important role of the kerosene, the process has been referred to in this report as kerosene flotation. Up to now, the investigative work has been divided about evenly between the laboratory and commercial plants. Nearly all of the work has been done on sludges containing the solids from the underflow of dewatering screens. A few runs have been made on 10-mesh to 0: fines from raw coal, but in some of those runs the dewatering mechanism, failed to function.

Jan 1, 1950

By P. R. Tisot

This report discusses the waxes made from shale-oil wax distillate, a specific fraction obtained- from crude shale oil. The plate wax crystals Were exceptionally well suited to solvent extraction. Methyl ethyl ketone was the preferred dewaxing solvent.' The quantity of wax recovered at 32°F was 18.8 percent of the wax distillate, or 6.6 percent of the crude shale oil. The laboratory batch processes used for separating the wax from the distillate and subsequent refining were based .upon conventional petroleum methods. Three grades of shale-oil waxes were made and designated as crude, semirefined, and fully refined. The solvent-extracted wax consisted mainly of paraffin and olefin hydrocarbons. The physical Properties of the fully refined shale-oil wax were the same as er corresponded closely to those of Billy refined petroleum paraffin wax. Inasmuch as the crude and semirefined shale-oil waxes can be separated and refined in much the same manner as petroleum waxes, the cest of manufacture should be about equal to that for making petroleum paraffin wax. The cast of making a fully refined shale oil wax will be somewhat greater than for making .a fully refined petroleum paraffin, due to the loss of the oleofinic material from the shale-oil wax by acid treatment and the increased quantity of acid required for its removal. An analytical method for the determination of wax in shale-oil dietillates, a list of the physical properties that wore determined for the waxes, and the method for testing those properties are given in the appendix to this report

Jan 1, 1950

By H. W. St. Clair

This study of the rate of evaporation of zinc was undertaken as a part, of a general investigation on refining mixtures of metals resulting from melting reclaimed scrap. One of the methods by which the more volatile metals, such as zinc, magnesium, and cadmium, may be separated is by distillation. Distillation may be carried out at lower temperatures if it is done in an evacuated enclosure. The immediate purpose of the present investigation was to determine accurately the effect of temperature, pressure, and other factors on the rate of evaporation of zinc.

Jan 1, 1950

By William H. King

The Fannie Ryan deposit is situated about 9 miles northwest of Boulder City, Clark County, Nev. at an altitude of about 2,000 feet on the north side of the River Mountains. The deposit is covered by several unpatented claims owned by Fannie B. Gulick of Las Vegas, Nev. The Boulder City deposit is within the Hoover Dan National Recreational Area. It is situated about 3 miles southeast of Boulder City in sec. 23,T. 23 S., R. 64 E., Clark County, Nev. The Deposit was covered by several unpatented mining claims owned by S. R. Whitehead of Las Vegas. The deposits occur in sedimentary beds of the Muddy Creek formation that overlie older volcanic extrusive. The manganese minerals occur as soft oxides of the wad type. The exploration was conducted by the Bureau of Nines in cooperation with the Federal Geological Survey and comprised a study of the geology, mapping of the areas, and development by shaft sinking; diamond drilling, and sampling. On the Fannie Ryan Gulick property the work consisted of cleaning and sampling seven old trenches on the outcrop and diamond drilling seven holes totaling 1,482 foot. At the Boulder City deposit 188 feet of drilling was done in two holes. A 4- by 6-foot shaft was sunk to a depth of 44.5 feet, and the north and south sides of the shaft were sampled.

Jan 1, 1950

By A. B. Needham

In November 1940, the Bureau of Mines started exploration of the Three Blacks manganese properties - Black Diablo. in Pershing County and Black Eagle and Black .Rook in Lander County. The purpose was to determine possible reserves of manganese in the deposits. It is reported that a small amount of manganese was mined from the Black Diablo during World. War 1. No mining except that necessary for assessment work had been done on the Black Eagle. Shipments were being made from the Black Rock deposit to a concentrator at Vain, Nev., while the Bureau's development work was progressing. The Black Diablo deposit consists of one patented claim owned by the Charleston. Hill National Manes Co. Mary L. Clough of Winnemicca, Nev., president. The deposit is about 20 miles by a gravel and dirt road southwest of Golconda, a town on U. S. Highway 40 and the Southern Pacific Railway, Pershing County, Nev. The deposit lies at an elevation of about 5,600 feet on the east flank of the north-south trending Sonoma Range. The property was leased by Messrs. Hollis Chatwin, T. E. Chatwin, and R. H. Richards of Salt Lake City and Mammoth, Utah. The lessees installed a crusher and erected an ore bin below the open cut on the deposit and mined and, shipped about 5,000 tons of about 30 to 52 percent manganese ore to the Columbia Steel Co., Provo, Utah.

Jan 1, 1950

By Bruce F. Grant

This report discusses research being done by the Petroleum and Natural Gas Branch und the Applied Physics Branch of the Bureau of Mines to deter-mine the most effective uses of explosives in shooting oil and gas wells, as measured in terms of rates of production from the wells. An experimental investigation of the effects of detonating explosives in shallow holes drilled in rocks, chosen to be similar to those forming oil and gas reservoirs, forms the basis of this study. Records obtained from strain gages placed in the rock around the experimental shots permit determination of the generation and propagation characteristics of the strain wave. Water-injection tests made on the test holes before and after shooting allow the increase in fluid conductivity resulting from the shot to be determined. By rotating these data to the physical properties of the rock, and by conducting shooting experiments over the range of rock types common to oil and gas reservoirs, it is expected that relationships between the fluid conductivity and the properties of the explosive and rock can be developed and used for designing efficient shots for oil and gas wells. Four series of experiment.al tests were completed during the summer of 1949 and are described herein. The results of these tests confirmed the feasibility of the experimental approach and permitted outlining the plans for future research discussed in this report. This report is presented to acquaint industry with this research program and the progress to date, so that the Bureau may have the benefit of suggestions from interested readers.

Jan 1, 1950

By Jr. Frost

Helium used as a tracer gas in petroleum reservoirs continues to show great promise as a new tool for the oil and gas industry, according to tests conducted jointly by the Bureau of Nines and The Pure Oil Co. in-the Cabin Creek field, Boone and Kanawha Counties, W. Va. Helium, when used as a, tracer gas, is mixed with natural gas being injected into a reservoir for secondary recovery of oil, recycling, pressure-maintenance, or other purposes. Three separate experimental helium tracer-gas tests were run in the Cabin Creek, W. Va., field, wherein helium was added as a tracer to the natural gas that was being injected into the oil-bearing Berea sandstone. The results obtained in each test permitted determining the direction and rate of travel of the injected gas, calculating the volume of injected gas in the gas produced at the various wells, and determining the nature of the transition from natural gas to injected gas during a gas-injection program. Data were obtained on the effects obtained from waves of injected gab containing 1 percent and containing 5 percent helium and from a wave of essentially pure helium injected into the formation.

Jan 1, 1950

By George L. Gates

It is generally recognized that if the lose and contamination of the fluid content of a core specimen from an oil- and gas-bearing formation in a well were eliminated, the value of core analysis would be increased greatly. In an effort to obtain uncontaminated cores, extensive field tests were carried out in the Mercy field, San Jacinto County, Tex., with the Carter pressure core barrel and an oil-base drilling fluid having very low rates of filtration as measured by the standard A.P.I. drilling-fluid filter teat. A tracer was added to the drilling fluid filter test. A tracer was added to the drilling fluid to provide a means for quantitatively measuring the volume of oil filtrate in the cores. Unfortunately, as stated in the report on the Mercy tests, very little oil nand was penetrated in coring the well; and because the performance of the pressure core barrel was not entirely satisfactory, the tests did not provide a complete answer to the question: Does a filtrate from an oil-base drilling fluid enter cores., and how does it affect the results of the core analyses?

Jan 1, 1950

By F. A. Rutledge

Mercury deposits were discovered in 1941 in the sedimentary rocks of the Cinnabar Crook area, near the head of the Holitna River drainage in southwestern Alaska, by Russell Schaefer and Harvey Wincholl of Sloitmut, Alaska. High-grade float was found in both Canary Gulch and Cinnabar Gulch, and indications of other deposits wore found in Aldor and Broken Shovel Gulches. Schaefer and Winchell's exploration in 1942 and 1943 revealed placer deposits of cinnabar along Canary Gulch. During prospecting on Canary Gulch, 3,600 pounds of ore was recovered from the detrital material on the Lucky Day lode at the head of the gulch. When retorted, this ore was reported by the owners to have produced 26 flacks of quicksilver. During the summer of 1943, Wallace M. Cady and Charles A. Hickcox, of the U. S. Geological Survey, spent 4 weeks mapping and investigating the area. Bruce I. Thomas and Harold C. Pierce, mining engineers of the Bureau of Mines, examined and sampled several deposits in September 1943. Following their preliminary examination, in view of the exceptionally high-grade cinnabar present, additional investigation by the Bureau of Mines was recommended. A program of trenching, test pitting, and sampling to delimit the deposits was completed during the summer of 1947 under the direction of the author.

Jan 1, 1950

By L. R. Burdick

Anthracite barley is considerably cheaper than rice. Its use, therefore, is attractive from a cost standpoint, - but its smaller size (through 3/16 inch over 3/32 inch round-mesh screen) makes it more difficult to use on some equipment when fairly high combustion rates are necessary to carry plant loads. Tests wore made in one plant to determine the performance of rice and various types of barley on a chain-grate stoker in a two-arch refractory furnace. In general, the efficiency and capacity increased with increased fuel size and volatile content. This performance is presented in tabular and curve form, together with a short review of the ignition and burning process on chain-grate stokers and a discussion of the operating procedures and limitations during the tests. In this particular installation, higher combustion rates and efficiencies could have been obtained with barley if the grate links had been designed for more uniform air flow through the grate surface. Careful maintenance and operation are particularly necessary for satisfactory results with barley on equipment not especially designed for its use.

Jan 1, 1950

By A. J. Kauffman Jr.

The Petrographic Section of the Bureau of Mines, Northwest Electrodevelopment Laboratory, Albany, Oreg., annually examines thousands of minerals and rocks. Samples are received from mining, engineers, prospectors, and government agencies, both State and Federal. During the past 2 years certain uncommon minerals have been identified in the samples submitted. Eleven occurrences have been selected for reporting in detail. These selections were made because in most cases a new locality is involved. The data reported are the result of application of the latest techniques, and widely disseminated references concerning each mineral have been added for completeness. Several occurrences have been described by other investigators; in those cases new data have been supplied to supplement the already published information on these occurrences. No uranium-bearing minerals have been included; they will be treated in another paper. The Bureau of Mines does not make chemical analyses or assays for individuals or firms In direct competition with private laboratories. Mineral¬ogical examinations, however, are made for prospectors and the general public. Such examinations a call surface to determine whether the sample in question has possible commercial value. If it has apparent value, the sender is so informed, and suggestions as to its .Arc, development and marketing are offered. The latest scientific apparatus is available to aid in identification. The apparatus includes microscopes, both wide-field and polarizing, a Bunsen-type spectroscope for visual observation of the Zinc and band spectra of many elements, differential thermal apparatus for the examination of hydrous material, apparatus for cutting and mounting either thin sections for study in transmitted or polished surfaces for reflected-light studies, and a high-intensity magnetic separator for concentrating minerals according to their magnetic susceptibility. Also, available, but not an integral part of the Section, are several laboratory-type Geiger counters, a grating spectrograph, and X-ray diffraction apparatus. If need be, all of these tools may be employed to identify a mineral or rock.

Jan 1, 1950

By S. H. Lorain

Shortly after the Strategic Minerals Act of 1939 we passed by Congress, the Bureau of Mines was authorized to begin a program of investigation of domestic sources of strategic minerals. Since World War I, the Philipsburg district had been virtually the only one in the United States that was producing manganese on a commercial scale. Consequently, the district was among the first to he investigated. During the summer of 1939, the Geological Survey mapped the geology and ore deposits of the district. In late July 1939 the writer examined the district for the Bureau of Mines. On the basis of this examination and of the work performed by the Geological Survey, the Bureau of Mines diamond-drilled at several properties in the district during the summer of 1940. This report reviews the mining history and geology of the district, and presents the factual data obtained by diamond drilling.

Jan 1, 1950

By Jack O. Jones

The Furnish mine, Caharrus County, W. C., was operated intermittently until 1905 as a gold mine. Scheelite was discovered by A. L. Mash in the mine dumps of the Furniss and Phoenix mines, and he later informed the Bureau of Mines of his discovery. The Bureau of Mines, in two projects at the deposit in 1948 and in drilled 12 holes totaling 1,706.6 feet, examined and sampled the underground workings, excavated by bulldozer and hand, 3,155 linear feet of trenches and collected numerous samples for assay. The best scheelite shown; was found in the underground exposure of the Furniss mine.

Jan 1, 1950

By Floyd D. Everett

The J. B. fluorite deposit is in the Washington mining district, southwestern Beaver County, Utah (fig. 1). Fluorite outcrops were found during 1942, and three lode claims wore located. Little work was done on the property until October 1943, at which time the Bureau of Mines started development to determine the subsurface extent of the fluorite mineralization exposed at the surface. The most prominent rocks in the J. B. mine area are porphyries, which vary considerably in composition. Dacite porphyry appears to be the most common host rock for the fluorite-quartz-calcite lenticular masses. The dacite porphyry in the area is highly brecciated over a strike length of more than 1 mile. Fluorite deposits in the brecciated zone cover a strike length of approximately 400 foot. The fluorite lenses range in length from 40 to 200 feet and in width from 4 to 10 feet (fig. 2). The Bureau of Mines work on the J. B. property was started in October 1943 and completed in October a year later. The work consisted of surface trenching by bulldozer and hand methods, shaft sinking, drifting, and crosscutting. Eleven trenches totaling 1,800 linear feet were excavated. An inclined shaft was sunk to a depth of 105 feet, and from thin shaft 577 feet of drifts and crosscuts were driven to outline the extent of the mineral deposit (fig. 3). Two hundred ninety-seven samples were taken in the surface trenches and underground workings. The locations of the samples and analyses arc shown in accompanying figures and tables. Results of metallurgical tests comprise the concluding section of this report.

Jan 1, 1950

By S. L. Windes

This report presents physical and petrographic properties of approximately 60 types of rock from operating mines or mineral-investigation projects and supplements Repot of Investigations 4459, Physical Properties of Mine Rock (hereinafter referred to as Part I). The physical properties evaluated include the following: Apparent specific gravity Apparent porosity Compressive strength Flexural strength (modulus of rupture) Impact touchiness Abrasion hardness Scleroscope hardness Modulus of elasticity (Yourg?s modulus) Modulus of rigidity Specific damping capacity Longitudinal bar velocity

Jan 1, 1950

By R. D. Van Zant

The method for smelting zinc in horizontal retorts developed several centuries ago is still in use. This process consists essentially of the reduction of zinc oxide by carbon at 1,200° to 1,400° C. in a fire-clay retort. The reaction is highly endothermic, and a high radiation loss occurs in transferring the heat of reaction through the fire-clay walls. In recent years, silicon carbide retorts with much better heat-transfer characteristics than fire clay have been supplanting the old retorts. The practical impossibility of recovering the carbon monoxide formed in the reduction causes a large loss of fuel. Intermittent smelting is done in small retorts that are manually charged and discharged, and the furnace crews must be specially trained if efficient results are to be obtained. During the past 20 years several processes have been introduced that have substantially improved the horizontal-retort process. One of these, developed by the New Jersey Zinc Co., consists of a continuous process in which a briquetted mixture of zinc sinter, reducing agent, and binder is coked at 750° to 900° C. and charged into a vertical silicon carbide retort. A supply of displacement air or exhaust combustion gas is introduced at the base of the retort at an appropriate pressure in order to keep the zinc vapor from condensing on the cooled residue in the lower part of the retort. Any .oxidizing constituents in the displacement gas are converted to carbon monoxide by reaction with the carbon in the charge. The spent residue is continuously removed at the bottom of tl1e retort. The chief advantages of this process are said to be increased output per man-day, improved working conditions, high recovery of zinc, increased thermal efficiency, and long retort life.

Jan 1, 1950

By George W. Heim

Before and during World War II, the Bureau of Mines investigated a large number of ore deposits in the United States and Alaska in a search for domestic sources of strategic minerals. Deposits chosen for development included those expected to contain metals of importance in the successful prosecution of the war. This report describes the work performed and results obtained in developing the Daggett Chief manganese deposit near Manila, Daggett County, Utah (fig. 1), during 1941. The work comprised mapping and a study of the geology by the Federal Geological Survey, and bulldozer and hand trenching, sinking of two shafts, and sampling by the Bureau of Mines. Work was started April 17, 1941, and was completed June 28, 1941. Two bulk samples for metallurgical testing were taken.

Jan 1, 1950