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By W. R. Wardner

During 1928 low prices in the East greatly restricted the Atlantic market for California petroleum. The situation was made difficult by only partial control of production. The month of December is estimated in the figures presented here and it is hoped that the differences in the final figures will be immaterial. Daily averages are used throughout. Production Daily average crude production for 1928 was 633,942 bbl., very little more than 1927. Natural gasoline production was 35,453 bbl. daily and the supply (crude and natural gasoline) was 669,395 bbl. However, potential supply was 785,621 bbl. daily, 47,436 more than that of 1927. This is accounted for by more production being shut in so that 116,000 bbl. daily was conserved in 1928 which would otherwise have been produced. Fig. 1 shows production by months for 1928. It will be noticed that while crude production held fairly uniform from January to October, the

Jan 1, 1929

By J. Wes Blakely

In the mid-1950s the importation of foreign oil began to encroach on traditional coal markets such as railroad steam engine fuel, home heating, electrical generating plants, and others. Many of the smaller coal companies with substantial coal reserves subsequently found that they could no longer continue to mine economically and merged in various ways with larger established coal mining concerns. As the seats of top management and authority were removed from the mines to large metro centers such as New York, Pittsburgh, and Chicago, the more personal relationship between mine workers and management that had existed prior to these mergers began to be eroded and replaced by "remote control" mine management. The disappearance of this face-to-face contact of upper management with mine employees tended to create barriers blocking simple effective communications between coal mine management and labor. In examining the human relations aspects of the coal mining industry, many elements, some concerned with work and others not, have depicted the industry as almost devoid of good applied human relations and communications practices, and, in truth, little has been done to alleviate this situation. In past years many coal producing companies, with the exception of one of the largest, failed to adequately define the term "communications ' as it applied to their companies, whether internally or externally. Internally many still place heavy reliance on written communications such as company-wide newspapers to do the job of communicating with their employees which they feel ought to be done. One company puts an inordinate belief in its company "newspaper" as the primary instrument to stimulate its work force into increasing productivity. Primarily aimed at the workers, who greatly outnumber the salaried administrative people, this publication mainly documents the fortunes of individual mine workers who are felt to have achieved something with their lives, e.g., a mine worker who had managed to put four children through universities, the

Jan 1, 1981

By AIME

In Emporia or Claremore, time was when a path was beaten to the door of the local sage. Nowadays, the beginnings of such a path are discernible in Tennessee, as folks of the metallurgical persuasion find it to their pleasure and profit to call upon the Sage of Copperhill. They come, more and more respectfully as the years go by, yet to ever fewer persons is he known as Mr. Myers, but to more, eloquently, as Jack. Find better ways to run your mill, find happier means of co-ordinating your humanities or serving your professional society, and it's just like the man said about the mousetrap. A druggist's son, born in Wisconsin, May 24, 1889, reared on the Bible in Ohio and Indiana, and completing his education in Colorado, this now indisputably 24-carat Tennesseean has had a checkered career. Going West as a laborer at the tail end of the 1907 panic, he did not make his fortune but he did gain an understanding of labor that in later years endeared him to his men. Graduating in 1913 from Colorado School of Mines with the degree of E. Met. and a string of football letters (also earned the hard way, at tackle) he went to work in Butte & Superior, just at the beginning of the Golden Age of flotation.

Jan 1, 1949

By F. J. Longworth

For a number of years an intensive study has been made to improve the blast-furnace practice at Copperhill not only as to costs but to provide a good grade of gas for the acid plants. This study, took us back to the fundamentals of successful pyrite smelting; namely, a blast furnace working on a clean sulfide ore, free from fines, and the use of quartz high in silica as a flux. In 1919, the quality of the flux was improved and its effect on the metallurgy was very marked. To improve the practice further, it was necessary to work out some method of treatment for the sulfide fines and the siliceous and refractory ores, other than in the blast furnace. A series of milling tests indicated that these products could be successfully treated by differential flotation, and in 1922 plans were made and a flotation plant built. It was estimated that the flotation plant would deliver to the smelter 40 to 50 tons of concentrates per day; the problem was what to do with these concentrates. It was out of the question to attempt to smelt them in a blast furnace because of the dust losses and, because our practice demands a charge free from fines for satisfactory operation. There is no custom smelter in the vicinity to which concentrates may be sold, pending the time when the tonnage will be sufficient to warrant roasters and a reverbatory furnace. Sintering and nodulizing were investigated but neither method fitted into our scheme of metallurgy. A close study of the converter practice was then made to see if some method could not be evolved to smelt this tonnage of concentrates in a converter without preliminary treatment. At that time, the converter installation consisted of two 12-ft. Great Falls converters, which were handling 12 to 14 per cent. matte. The heat balance of the converters working with 12 to 14 per cent. matte was more than sufficient to smelt the contemplated tonnage of concentrates but the mechanical difficulties. of feeding fines into the Great Falls converter made the use of this type of converter impractical.

Jan 9, 1924

By Heinrich Ries

The fusion-point of clay has usually been considered to be influenced chiefly by the quantity of fluxing impurities which the clay contained. Those clays which contain a high percentage of fluxes, such as ferric oxide, lirne, magnesia, and alkalies, fuse at a low temperature. Aside from the percentage of fluxing-impurities, the size of the grains exerts an important influence. Yet, while this fact has, no doubt, been recognized by many, practically no attempts have been made to prove it by actual experiment, although in the case of fire-clays, Prof. H. O. Hofman has rather disputed it. To illustrate the point more clearly, suppose a clay to be made up of a mixture of very refractory grains, such as kaolinite, and some fusible ones. If this clay be heated, the more easily fusible grains will melt first on the surface, and the softening under heat will gradually extend from the surface of the grain to its center. The larger, therefore, the size of the grain, the longer the time required for the heat to penetrate it. Now, if two samples of clay contain the same volume of flux, but of unequal size, the one containing the smaller-sized grains should fuse first, because the fluxing materials are more evenly and thoroughly distributed through the clay, so that they will more or less surround the refractory grains, which tend to act as a framework and hold up the clay-mass when heated. In order to demonstrate the effect of fineness of grain on the fusibility of clay, several mixtures were made up, consisting of white clay and other minerals. The white clay used was a very refractory type from Georgia, the fusion-point of which lay about cone 35 of the Seger series. The mixtures were formed into small bars 1* inches long, and set on a narrow surface, so that the ends were free to bend as soon as the mass softened. They were burned in a Seger gas-furnace.

Jan 1, 1904

By W. Mont Ferry

It is impossible to speak in exact terms of the effect that selective flotation has had, is having, and may have on the State of Utah. Its results enter into the economic structure of the state in so many ways and its ramifications are so widespread, that every line of industry is affectcd. Some effects can be definitely determined; others can be reasonably approximated; but the effect as a whole can not be set out in exact figures. Utah is essentially a mining state; mining is its basic industry and always will be. Agriculture, equally a basic industry, and of course, equally vital, can be practiced on only 6 per cent. of the 85,000 square miles of its area. It follows, therefore, that the economic future of this state depends upon a development of its natural resources. About 6 or 7 years ago, the mining industry in Utah was at a low ebb. This condition was caused partly by postwar conditions and other temporary causes, but prevailed also, which was most important, because the direet-smelting ores of the state were being rapidly exhausted and the cost of treatment of complex ores was almost prohibitive. Furthermore, the wet concentration of low-grade ores was unsatisfactory and did not result in producing a good smelting product. On visualizing this situation, one of the large smelting companies in the valley had the courage, ability and faith to develop and expand the principles involved in selective flotation of complex ores. This example has been followrd by other smelting and reduction companirs and the result has changed the entire aspect of the mining industry in Utah. The utilization of the zinc in the low-grade, lead-zinc-silvrr ores was the principal prob1t.m to be solvcd. The average yearly production from the State of Utah for the 10 years beginning 1914 and ending 1923, was something less than 10,000 tons of zinc corlcentrates. This period includes the world war, when abnormal priccs stimulated production. In 1924, selective flotation began to be practiced on a considerable scale, replacing concentration by gravity and bulk flotation which had been used generally until this time. Production and Value of Zinc Concentrates The production of zinc concentrates during 1924 was approximately 24,000 tons, or twice the average yearly production of the previous 10

Jan 1, 1928

By D. W. Fuerstenau, J. H. Brown

The paper by Professors Sun and Mitchell illustrates the value of ultrasonics as a tool for the mineral engineer. In particular, it opens up a number of possibilities to those interested in the field of comminution. The provision of desliming technique, which is thorough as well as rapid, is a distinct contribution, but the data of the paper suggest applications beyond desliming, in that the same treatments may be useful for size determination purposes. Fig. 1 shows that a marked dependence exists between particle size and the height to which it can be elevated by ultrasonic vibrations. While the curves are only extended down to a size of about 100 u, the fact that they appear to be increasing in slope in this range suggests that the separation may be even more marked here. This, we feel, is very strong evidence that a nlethod for fine sizing could be developed to use ultrasonic waves as the separating force. Professors Sun and Mitchell indicate that floccula-ti~n will present no difficulty: "During the investigation it was found that ultrasonic waves were able to dislodge the adhering gangue particles from the min- era1 surfaces and to disintegrate the soft particles into fine sizes." Thus, it appears that the use of ultrasonic waves as the power behind a size separation process may eliminate the problem of flocculation encountered in most wet sizing techniques. It would be interesting to size a fine material under conditions in which particles are known to be flocculated and under conditions where they are known to be dispersed. Use of a sizing technique of this nature may solve several problems that have long persisted in the fine sizing field. The flocculation problem may be overcome; the continuous production of closely sized fractions may be possible with a device similar to the one described; and with photoelectric methods, rapid analyses in the subsieve sizes may be possible. In general, we suggest that this paper be followed by a study of the sizing applications of the apparatus described. We feel that such a study would not only be rewarding in providing a new sizing technique, but also that the present paper almost requires such work to complete the picture of particle motion in a field of ultrasonic waves.

Jan 1, 1958

Alexander N. Winchell, Butte, Mont. (communication to the Secretary): Mr. Spurr calls attention to the fact that an ore-deposit may be due to a succession of concentrations at different geological epochs. He cites an example of such a condition on Napoleon creek, a branch of Forty-Mile creek, Alaska. It will perhaps be of interest to call attention to another example of the same general character, not so remotely situated. The example referred to is located on Pole creek, a tributary of Cherry creek, in the extreme northeastern part of Madison county, Montana. An excellent geological map of this region is to be found in the Three Forks folio (No. 24) of the United States Geological Survey. According to this map, Pole creek, in its upper course, occupies the contact between the " Flathead " formation, which Peale correlates with the Middle and Lower Cambrian, and an area of gneisses and schists supposed

Jan 1, 1903

By George S. Rice

THE wide scope of the causes and effects of ground movement and their interrelation to various kinds of mining and geological conditions are not always understood. Minimizing of roof movement by selection of suitable mining methods is closely allied to the problem of obtaining maximum safety in mining, but there are other questions involved: for example, mechanical developments which increase the production of ore and other minerals per shift or unit of labor but which, though highly ingenious, may increase hazards. More- over, the newer mobile loaders need much space for operation with longer protecting roof spans. Another problem emphasized by mechanization is the incompleteness of extraction of mineral, as there is no governmental requirement (except for limited leases on the public domain) in this country, as in European countries, and loss of coal in pillars is accepted by mine operators rather than risking the loss of an ex- pensive loading machine from a heavy roof fall. The extent to which losses of coal in mining are now being incurred is conjectural, for it has been fifteen years since there has been a comprehensive survey. In that study a loss of slightly over one-third of the coal in both anthracite and bituminous mining was indicated.

Jan 1, 1939

Prof. Henry M Howe, New York: It is extremely probable that this efflorescence of silica is due to the liquation either of silicon or of a silicide, and the subsequent oxidation of the silicon to silica. As Mr. Fackenthal says, it is very hard to see why silicon should liquate from an iron containing so little silicon, and it seems more probable that some silicide of some volatile element has liquated, and has dissociated on reaching the air, and that the volatile element has volatilized, leaving the silicon to oxidize to silica. The volatile elements present which might thus liquate in combination with the silicon are sulphur, zinc, and lead. It is hard to see why sulphide of silicon should have liquated from an iron containing so little of either sulphur or silicon. At first, one naturally thinks that either the zinc or the lead present in this furnace might have liquated as silicide. It is true that they are both volatile at the temperature within the furnace, but then the vapor-tension* of each of them within

Jan 1, 1901

Jan 1, 1908

Jan 1, 1934

New Products Equipment

Jan 3, 1951

It appears that Utah is about to add another mining district to its already impressive roster. This time it is the Great Salt Lake, whose high-mineral content waters are being subjected to intensive study aimed toward the recovery of potassium, magnesium and lithium compounds by solar evaporation techniques. Among the firms conducting such experiments is Lithium Corporation of America, which, in a joint venture with West Germany's Salzdetfurth A.G., is operating evaporating ponds and running engineering tests at a site near Little Mountain, about ten miles west of Ogden. Here, on the clay flats along the northern portion of the lake, LCA holds leases and options totalling about 55,000 acres in the Bear River Basin.

Jan 7, 1966

WHEN one leaves the busy street and enters a library, the closing of the door behind him marks his passage into another world. Outside is the world of phenomena and appearances-of thronging pedestrians bustling about their business, of gregarious sights and sounds, of insistent auto-mobiles. Inside, on dusty shelves, is the stored learning of civilized man-the recorded ideas of countless generations. It is somewhat of a magic world. Here are the theories and secrets for which thousands of men toiled and gave their heart's blood. To produce one book on one phase of an ob-scure-subject may have required the best efforts of a group of men unique in their period. To prove one theory, or es-tablish a single application of a theory, may have taken the devotion of a genius who sacrificed his life to his work. This theory is perhaps stated in one paragraph of unassum-ing type, and the library contains millions of such para-

Jan 11, 1927

By Joseph E. Pogue

There are two methods employed in the development of oil pools. The older and dominant method is one in which the primary object is the protection of the underground deposit from drainage through competing wells, and considerations of efficiency of extraction and cost of production are subordinated thereto. The newer and less prevalent method is one in which maximum efficiency and minimum cost are the first objectives and developments to these ends may proceed undisturbed by the exigencies of competitive drainage. The second method has developed mainly in pools under single ownership and the term "unit operation" has come to be applied to this procedure. A single ownership, however, is not essential to the method, for unity of operation may be achieved by agreement under split ownership, or even by a concert of enlightened purpose. There are examples of unit operation where neither the ownership nor the management is a unit, but merely where unity of procedure has been attained, as in the Yates pool. Throughout this paper "unit operation" is used in its broad sense without implying sole ownership or single management, although unit operation is more conveniently attained where these conditions are present. It is evident, upon reflection, that the second method should yield results far superior to the first, for the work of exploitation can be conducted without extraneous considerations and the natural forces present in the oil reservoir can be utilized to maximum advantage. Experience has amply confirmed this conclusion and were the facts widely known and appreciated, the efforts to extend the applications of the principle of unitization would be greatly intensified. Competitive Development of Oil Pools It has come about that the vast majority of oil pools, or reservoirs, in the United States are subdivided by numerous surface tracts under separate ownerships. This condition arises from the prevalent practice in the oil business of acquiring prospective acreage in checkerboard spreads. Thus the discovery of oil usually reveals a mosaic of overlying ownership. Since oil is a migratory mineral and is subject to lateral

Jan 1, 1931

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Jan 1, 1944

Jan 1, 1955