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In one of the largest dredging projects of its kind, Lake Asbestos of Quebec Ltd. is stripping overlying mud and sand from the bed of a lake to reach asbestos orebodies 70 to 200 ft below surface. Black Lake, about two miles long by half a mile wide, was almost overlooked in the search for asbestos in Quebec's ore-rich eastern townships-a search that has been underway there ever since the first asbestos was mined in 1877. Not until 1948 was the Black Lake mineral discovered. Four years later careful exploration was carried out by American Smelting & Refining Co., parent firm of Lake Asbestos. The search involved more than 75,000 ft of diamond drilling and about 5000 ft of underground work. ASARCO, in its first asbestos mining project, decided to proceed with a dredging and draining program to prepare for open pit mining.

Oct 1, 1956

By Howard L. Hartman, Burke O. Trafton

There is a fruitful area of computer competence which has gone virtually unnoticed by the mining industry. This is in the solution of its numerous fluid-flow distribution problems, involving the circulation of air, water and other fluids in conduits through mines. Typical of these is the mine ventilation system, which circulates air through mine openings to the working faces. The networks of interconnected airways in large mines-often resembling a tortuous maze or labyrinth defying representation by schematic, let alone solution-must somehow be resolved and analyzed, if effective and safe control of the ventilation is to be maintained. These are admirably suited to programming for solution by high-speed electronic computer. Not only can direction of flow be determined but quantity and head loss as well. EARLIER EFFORTS AT NETWORK SOLUTION The only prior attempt to solve mine ventilation networks by digital computer methods was made by a Japanese investigator1 in 1958 whose work went unpublished. Unfortunately, he employed a method of network analysis little used in the United States and one which could accommodate a maximum of only 30 airways. While his analysis seems unnecessarily cumbersome and involved, it did suggest that a digital computer approach was feasible.

Jan 9, 1963

By V. N. Burnhart

After eight years of testing and development, the E. J. Longyear Co. has adapted the wire- line core barrel to small diameter drillholes. Field performance indicates that the apparatus for the BX hole will be an important supplement to the conventional techniques used in the diamond core drilling industry. Higher core recovery, faster drilling progress, and reduced diamond costs will provide substantial savings to the user of coring equipment. The wire-line principle is not new, having been successfully applied to the large-diameter holes of the petroleum industry. But scaling the practices of core recovery in oil well drilling down to the small BX hole presented a number of problems. The technique, difficult even for large holes, was complicated by the exacting limitations of the small diameter in which durable and foolproof mechanisms would be required to operate. Since the maximum benefits could be realized from this sys- tem in holes 1000 ft and deeper or in holes in badly fractured ground, the drill string would have to be able to withstand heavy stresses. Most vital to the success of the idea was the development of a positive latching mechanism to assure proper positioning of the inner tube of the core barrel when the tube is dropped into place. Lastly, little was to be gained from the wire-line method without diamond bits that would give optimum penetration rates and a long service life in the drillhole.

Jun 1, 1955

By C. E. Beecher

IN the course of the experimental and development work of Henry L. Doherty in an endeavor to obtain an increased yield of oil from oil-bearing sands, it was Mr. Doherty's claim and contention that oil in an undisturbed pool was different in character and behavior than, the same oil when raised to the surface of the earth, and that the gas dissolved in the oil caused a marked reduction in its viscosity and surface tension. Prior to 1924 no information to support this contention could be found in the literature or by a discussion of the subject with technical men in Government and private laboratories. So far as could be ascertained no experimental work had been carried on to indicate that Mr. Doherty's claim was either right or wrong. All parties consulted agreed that the viscosity of the oil would be affected by gas dissolved therein to the extent that natural gasoline was present in the gas, but so far as could be determined any additional effect of the natural gas was unknown. Accordingly, it was necessary to devise equipment and carry on experiments which would either prove or disprove Mr. Doherty's contention or claim. Such apparatus was built under Mr. Doherty's direction and experiments were carried on to determine definitely the viscosity and the surface tension of the crude oils which contain dissolved gases under different pressures. The results of the experimental work carried on have proved that the claim and contention of Mr. Doherty were correct in every particular, as will be seen from the discussion of the subject and the data contained in this paper.

Jan 12, 1926

ON the face of it, the American Mining Congress meeting was a big success, as witness the smiles on the AIME members, pictured here, who attended. The grins were captured at Booth 232, where caricaturist Lenn Redman held forth for the Independent Pneumatic Tool Co., sketching 114 subjects in one week.

Jan 10, 1950

By Frank Firmstone

(Ottawa Meeting, October, 1889. Substituted for the briefer note on the same subject. pre sented at the meeting and subsequently distributed in preliminary pamphlet edition.) Prof. H. Hoefer's theory of blasting was published in the Oesterr. Zeitschrift, xxviii., 1880, and xxix., 1881; and Part 111. in Nos. 15, 16 and 17, xxx., 1882, and subsequent numbers of that

Jan 1, 1890

By Herbert C. Hoover

While the importance of the superficial alteration of golddeposits is recognized in pure science, it seems often to be singularly disregarded among engineers in practice. Its great practical bearing lies in the exploitation of new regions; and nowhere are the disastrous results of ignoring it more vividly shown than in Western Australia, where the impoverishment of the ores, and their frequent transition from free-milling' to refractory character in depth (things, as a rule, neither anticipated nor ascertained by exploration beforehand), have brought many companies to ruin, or caused the loss of much money squandered on machinery adapted only to temporary conditions.

Jan 1, 1899

By Robert H. Richards

VERY little has been published recently on this subject in the mining journals or proceedings of societies. The attention of experts has been diverted perhaps by the demands for pan amalgamation of refractory ores. Yet free milling ores occur in many localities, and it may be interesting to have on record some data as to details of running a small test-mill, especially as details of results do not seem to be accessible to students and investigators. Küstel, in 1863, under battery amalgamation, dismisses the subject by stating that "amalgamation on copper-plated platforms, troughs, and other copper fixings" is " very imperfect, and mostly abandoned." J. Arthur Phillips says, in 1867, under placer mining : A well-amalgamated copper plate is considered as effective for

Jan 1, 1880

By R. H. King

This paper describes the results of an underground coal mine trial installation of a shielded trailing cable. The cable was a three conductor, round, type SHC-GC and was installed on a shuttle car in a conventional room-and-pillar mining section. The purpose of the study was to evaluate proposed legislation that would require shielding on low-voltage trailing cables. Such legislation would require machine modifications to cable reels, packing glands, and couplers; increase cable splicing complexity; and necessitate additional splicing materials and training. Furthermore, fault location might be more difficult. Even though shielding will cause some problems for the mine operator, it can reduce electrical shock hazard to mine workers. This paper presents information that mine operators can use to solve most of the problems encountered if they are required to install shielded cables. The in-mine evaluation was funded by the US Bureau of Mines; however, the views and conclusions in this paper are those of the author and should not be interpreted as necessarily representing official policies of the US government.

Jan 1, 1982

By Joseph Jensen, F. W. Hertel

Many fields have been zoned by nature with shales and intermediate waters between oil zones. Limitations thus imposed have been the basis on which a field was developed. In contrast thereto, in the Ventura Avenue field, nature proved more generous. Always expecting to find such similar limitations, operators drilled deeper and deeper into the oil zone without finding any distinctive shale bodies other than the Gosnell shale and only one intermediate water, which became the point below which the final water shut-off of each well was made. Thus, on top of the structure, about 3300 it. of oil-bearing zone has been penetrated below this intermediate water—a distance of 4000 ft. below the Gosnell shale. At first it seemed that the greater penetration in the zone, the better the well. The error of this assumption became evident as time passed. Other pressing attendant problems requiring consideration also developed. In the spring of 1929, the Associated Oil Co., still having a large undrilled area, adopted a method for developing this land by dividing the oil formation into zones, so as to drill two classes of wells and to prepare for others, if conditions in the future justified or required such action. Wells now completed are considered as permanent completions in the zone or class for which they are drilled, and are not looked on as a ready means for deepening or accepted as a temptation for deepening to get some flush production quickly. Provision has also been made to avoid future water problems. The most striking demonstration resulting from such work is the fact that the top of the structure is far from being the point at which the largest oil recovery is made. Wells on the flank of the structure invariably produce with lower gas-oil ratios and secure much larger oil production. Zoning of Oil Sands The Gosnell shale separates the upper light 50 gravity oil from the lower 30 gravity oil below. As the light oil zone is of practically no importance at present, it is not being exploited. The development pro-

Jan 1, 1931

By AIME

TITANIUM-RICH ilmenite deposits, situated in the Allard Lake area in Quebec some 400 miles down the St. Lawrence River from Quebec City and 28 miles north of Havre St. Pierre on the north shore of the Gulf of St. Lawrence, are undergoing an intensive development program by the joint efforts of the Kennecott Copper Corp. and The New Jersey Zinc Co. Easily accessible ore, amounting to about 125 million long tons and carrying from thirty to forty per cent titanium oxide, has been delimited. Plans are being made for construction of an electric smelter at Sorel, on the south bank of the St. Lawrence midway beween Montreal and Three Rivers, which will produce 650 long tons of high-grade titanium slag and 500 long tons of iron per day from 1500 long tons of ore. Occurrence of ilmenite ore in this area has been known since J. A. Retty reported his geological work in the lower Romaine River area for the Quebec Bureau of Mines in 1941. In this report Dr. Retty mentions the presence of anorthosite rocks, some of which were rich in ilmenite. Claims were staked by several interests but the small showings and complex metallurgy were too formidable for any organization not adequately equipped with capital, metallurgical knowhow, and market outlets. However, Kennecott became interested and through a newly formed Canadian subsidiary, Kennco Explorations Ltd., options were taken up under the direction of A. H. Robertson. An area of 300 square miles was traversed in the summers of 1945 and 1946. During 1946 and 1947 geophysical and diamond-drill prospecting disclosed a num-

Jan 1, 1948

By Dennis E. Stover

Grade control for in situ uranium leaching is maintaining, at desired levels, the uranium concentration in the pregnant lixiviant which feeds the extraction (ion exchange) circuit. This differs from grade control in conventional mining in that in situ grade control is imposed subsequent to rather than prior to leaching without the direct observation and control possible in conventional mining and milling. Grade control is a necessary engineering task through the entire project life, beginning with preliminary evaluation and design and ending only when the final wells are shut in. More specifically, this task is associated with designing the initial well field, maintaining productivity during well field operations, and planning well field expansions to compensate for the depletion of existing wells. Our aim during each of these phases is to maximize uranium productivity while ensuring that we are developing information necessary for future phases. Throughout this task, we remain cognizant of the fact that uranium productivity is a function of both the complex geologic and operational parameters of the project. A minimum list of significant geological factors must include the following: . Host formation mineralogy . Uranium mineralogy . Permeability . Ore quality (grade and thickness) Our concerns are not limited to average or general descriptions of these factors. The interactions among the factors as well as localized variations among them are far more important in obtaining high productivity from a deposit. For example, an ore body may display an average permeability of one darcy but have its high grade ore confined to regions with permeabilities less than 500 millidarcies. This relationship between ore grade and permeability must be understood early in the project life if the operation is to be successful. Similarly, the fundamental operating parameters for the well field include those items which enable us to distribute the lixiviant within the ore as well as the chemistry which will dissolve the uranium minerals. A minimum list of such factors will include: . Well design . Well efficiency . Well bore damage . Pattern size and shape . Oxidant type and concentration . Complexing agent concentration - pH The interactions between these variables and the complex geological variations create a situation which often defies quantitative analysis. Hence, we have adopted a statistical approach when correlating production history with these parameters and the quality of the correlations improves as the number of wells operated increases. However, the correlations are often specific to an ore body. We find that we must tailor the process to meet the unique geologic parameters of each ore body. PHASE 1: INITIAL WELL FIELD DESIGN Designing the initial well field is perhaps the most difficult phase because we have the smallest data base from which to predict performance. We will have conducted numerous laboratory tests and, perhaps, field pilot tests to select the lixiviant system and to characterize the geologic parameters. However, we will learn a great deal more about the deposit and its productivity during actual commercial scale operation. Fully acknowledging its limitations, we will, as a starting point, assume that uranium productivity will be directly proportional to the quality and quantity of recoverable reserves. Future deviations from this assumption will be plentiful and result from our limited understanding of the aforementioned interactions between and among the operational and geological factors. However, in planning the initial field, estimation of the quantity of leachable uranium present at levels above the economic grade and grade-thickness limitations is a priority task. (The concentration of uranium in the ore, the ore grade, is expressed in units of weight percent. The grade-thickness of the ore is the product of the average grade and ore thickness expressed in units of percent-feet.) These parameters provide a direct indication of the quality and quantity of ore. They are determined from gamma logging of closely spaced drill holes (50 to 100 foot centers being typical) accompanied by uranium core analysis or direct uranium assay logging. Gamma- logging measures gross gamma radiation which emanates from uranium decay products and indicates only the possible presence of uranium. Direct uranium assays are necessary to confirm this presence and the true location and quality of the reserve. From this information, an estimate of the in-place uranium reserve is formulated. Utilizing the above data, we begin to assess the quantity and quality of the leachable reserve. Analysis of self-potential and resistivity logs in conjunction with uranium logs will identify those zones which contain uranium and display apparent high permeabilities. Similarly, zones with extensive calcite cementation or dense clay sedimentation are located and uranium within such zones is excluded. (Interpretation of these logs should be confirmed

Jan 1, 1980

By Harold M. Mooney

RESISTIVITY measurements for determining depth to bedrock, water table, and other geologic discontinuities have had only limited success. Many of the difficulties can be attributed to complex geology and to basic limitations of the method; current flow through a continuous medium is a diffusion phenomenon, emphasizing irregularities near the source and smoothing out those at a distance. Some of the failures, however, are due to careless field work and incompetent interpretation. A forthcoming publication1 may help to reduce difficulties of this sort. The writer here attempts to bring order into the multiplicity of interpretation methods and, to a limited extent, to evaluate them. For all methods, the field data to be interpreted consist of apparent resistivity values plotted against electrode separation, Fig. 1. The interpretation should give depths to one or more geologic horizons. Direct currents and the Wenner four-electrode configuration will be assumed, since these are widely used, although the interpretation problems remain essentially the same for other electrode configurations. Alternating currents higher than, say, 20 cycles per second introduce complications beyond the scope of this paper. Three approaches to the interpretation problem have been used. These may be called empirical, theoretical curve matching, and direct. Many techniques have been proposed, but each can be reduced to one of these approaches and to a single geologic idealization. This idealization rests on the following assumption: the earth in the limited volume of interest can be approximated by a horizontal sequence of layers, each homogeneous and isotropic in its electrical properties. This seemingly restrictive assumption has proved to have practical value, although future work should aim at removing some

Jan 1, 1955

By H. F. Dawes

In China all minerals are, theoretically at least, the property of the Emperor, and the Imperial permission must be got from him for the privilege of working them. A direct tax is levied on this privilege, and by simple command, the Emperor can close a mine at any time. Occult geomantic influences are a large factor in determining the opening or the arbitrary closing of a mine. The location with reference to points of the compass, graves and natural objects, may be really or professedly considered as indicating that those influences are favorable or unfavorable. The consequence, is, of course, that for the authorization and encouragement of any considerable enterprise, friends' at court, practical politics, and more or less bribery, are required. As a result, most Chinese mining is illicit, and is carried on in a small way only. Often along a single vein, or over a small section of mining country, a few individuals obtain rights over all the openings, most probably by loaning money to the head-men of the operators and holding the mines as security for the debt. In such cases, perhaps, for better security, all the ore is reduced in the works established by the creditors, who also handle all silver produced..As the head-men are, for the most part, improvident, and the laws and customs for the collection of' debts are stringent and peculiar, the " officemen" or creditors acquire in time what is practically an ownership of

Jan 1, 1892

By G. C. Wallick, W. R. Foster, J. G. Savins

Inasmuch as the differentiation and integration methods represent different modes of rheological analyses, a dual scheme of analysis using both methods should lead to a generalized method of data analysis. A dual differentiation-integmtion method of analysis is applied here to the Poiseuille flow of a variety of ideal Generalized Newtonian and viscoplastic models. Using machine-processing techniques, the result is a spectrum of response patterns which are expressed in terms of certain derivative functions. It is shown that these characteristic functions form the basis of a highly-sensitive analytic technique for optimizing the selection of the most appropriate functional relationship between shear rate and shearing stress. INTRODUCTION In the first paper of this series, Savins, Wallick and Foster1 presented an historical review of the salient features of the differentiation method of rheological analysis in Poiseuille flow, and also indicated how the method could be applied to problems involving plane Poiseuille flow. It was shown that the differentiation and integration methods, although basically not incompatible, do represent different modes of rheological analysis. This suggests that valuable background information regarding the probable response characteristics of real data obtained with the differentiation method can be obtained from an integration method-differentiation method analysis of the response of a variety of ideal rheological models. The present paper describes how this dual method of analysis has been applied to suites of idealized models representing a wide variety of Generalized Newtonian and viscoplastic behavior which have received attention at various places in the literature.

By Gerald, Sherman

INCREASED production and con¬sumption of all metals, indicate the progress of industry toward that condition formerly thought to be normal. With no market limitations on silver and gold the two new precious-metal mines, the Silver Queen (now the Golden Queen), in southern California, and the Sunshine, at Kellogg in northern Idaho have made progress toward a high routine production. The Golden Queen 300-ton mill is finished and ready. The Sunshine mill has been enlarged and production is now at the rate of 500 tons per day of high-grade silver ore. The Hecla Mining Co. is developing the Polaris vein, which should be the extension of the Sunshine to the east. Some rich ore is reported. The developments of the' East African Gold Fields, Ltd., in the Lupa gold field of Tanganyika Territory, have made good progress, but operation in an isolated locality is not rapid and a large plant will be required. There have been no other discoveries reported that can be compared with the three mentioned, but production has increased, with greater capacity in dredging equipment and underground mines more adequately prepared for production.

Jan 1, 1936

By M. Tanaka, S. Kita, Y. Jinnouchi, Y. Sawada

This paper generalizes the results of the recent theoretical and experimental investigations on the air-pulsated jigs in Japan. The pulsating mechanism is analyzed as a special vibratory system, and the jigging mechanism as a mass system subjected to the law of hindered settling. The results of investigations on the following items are reviewed: dynamics of the pulsating mechanism; pulsation in a practical TACUB jig development of a new type of air valve; uniform pulsation in a large Baum jig; motion and mobility of bed particles; separating speed in hindered conditions; and standard deviation in practical jigs.

Jan 1, 1985

By Oscar Kuchs

IN January and February of the current year, at the Tooele plant of the International Smelting Co., Tooele, Utah, a modification of the usual method of converting, for the treatment of copper-lead matte from lead blast- furnaces, was developed and put into successful operation. In brief, the method consists in blowing molten matte direct from the blast furnaces in basic-lined converters, without the addition of siliceous fluxing ores, to the almost complete elimination of the lead contained, and to the production of copper bullion, the resulting lead fume being recovered by the filtration of the converter gases through woolen fume bags. The process is carried out in conjunction with the converting of reverberatory copper matte, the heavy iron slag, together with the copper precipitated, being transferred to converters blowing copper matte. The purpose of this transfer is to reduce the copper oxide formed, due to the necessary overblowing of the lead-matte charge, and to utilize, as far as possible, the value of iron from the lead matte, for the fluxing of siliceous dry ores. The final slag from the copper converters is then skimmed off and transferred molten to a reverberatory smelting furnace treating copper ores. This variation from general converting practice was the outgrowth of results obtained during 1913 when it was endeavored to convert copper-lead matte in the usual manner, with the direct addition of siliceous fluxing ores. To make clear the reasons lying back of the process it is necessary to recount at some length the results of operations during that year. In the design of the lead plant it was planned to treat the copper-lead matte from the furnaces by direct converting without reconcentration and thereby to recover the copper, silver, and gold as quickly as possible. A converter plant of ample capacity, treating copper matte, already being in operation, it was only necessary: to install a bag house, a fan, and the necessary flues to complete the equipment.

Jan 7, 1914

By J. A. Holmes

As the Appalachian mountains reach their maximum development in western North Carolina, we find also in that region indications of extensive dynamic disturbances and alterations undergone by the rocks in' connection with these mountain uplifts. Among the minor results of these changes have been the formation of numerous dikes or a veins " of exceedingly coarse granitic materials, which in some places are mined for the mica which they contain, and in other places are quarried for kaolin. These dikes are filled with quartz, feldspar, and mica, in varying proportions, very coarsely crystallized. Sometimes the mica (generally muscovite), sometimes the feldspar (generally albite or orthoclase) predominates. When the mica is present in considerable quantity, and in large crystals, the dike is usually spoken of as a mica-vein, and is often worked for mica. Sometimes these crystals of mica occur on one side or the other; sometimes on both sides; and sometimes they are largely concentrated toward the middle of the vein, or, it may be, distributed throughout the dike with a considerable degree of uniformity. In many cases the crystals of mica are too small and few to permit the working of the vein as a micamine ; in other cases, very little mica is present, and the feldspar constitutes the larger part of the material. This feldspar of the dikes undergoes, through the weathering action of the atmosphere, certain chemical changes, resulting in its alteration from feldspar into kaolinite—the kaolin of commerce. These dikes vary considerably in size, ranging from a few inches to several hundred feet in thickness, and up to many hundred yards in length. They are generally parallel to the schistosity of the crystalline rocks, which, however, in some cases, they cross at varying angles. The kaolin in those dikes which occur in the Unaka or

Jan 1, 1896

By William Fink

APPROXIMATELY two years ago the authors obtained data that indi-cated that initial precipitation could not be detected by change of lattice parameter in the aluminum-rich aluminum-magnesium alloys. Some of these data were first published in a brief note in MINING AND METAL-LURGY1. Cast specimens were used at that time and they showed initial precipitation relatively sooner than sheet material of the sane composi-tion. For this reason a more thorough investigation has been carried out using a homogenized aluminum-magnesium sheet containing approxi-mately 10 per cent magnesium. Materials.-The aluminum used in the preparation of the aluminum-magnesium alloy was of high purity, containing less than 0.01 per cent each of iron, silicon and copper. The magnesium was high-purity sub-limed magnesium. Preparation of Alloy.-Approximately 4 kg. of the aluminum was melted in a plumbago crucible in an electric furnace and the magnesium was added. The melt was thoroughly stirred with a graphite rod and fluxed with chlorine gas before casting. The alloy was cast in the form of a sheet ingot in a cold iron tilting mold (approximately 200 by 165 by 40 min.) and into small chill-cast, slabs for chemical analysis (75 by 40 by 5 mm.). The chemical analyses were made upon drillings from the analysis slabs. The analytical methods were those described in "Chemical Analysis of Aluminum," published by the Aluminum Company of Amer-ica. The composition of the alloy was found to be: magnesium 10.30, silicon 0.013, iron 0.008 and copper 0.005 per cent.

Jan 1, 1936