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By T. Shellhammer, A. Park

Among all pure metals, copper has the second highest thermal and electrical conductivity, next to silver. These properties coupled with a reasonable cost, make copper ideal for use in metallurgical vessels as a conductor of electrical current, as well as a lining material and protector of refractories and steel superstructures. Treatments of copper to address it’s softness and low melting point, specifically hard surfacing and calorizing, will be discussed. This paper will cover the evolution of copper to its current form, offer comparisons to other materials, and theoretical and empirical evidence on its superior performance in metallurgical vessels such as blast furnaces, basic oxygen converters and electric arc furnaces. Some case studies will be provided and finally a brief summary.

Jan 1, 2015

By Jagdish C. Agarwal

Although copper ranks very low in the order of abundance of elements in the crust of the earth, it has been one of the first metals utilized by mar, at his emergence from the Stone Age, about 10,000 years ago. Use of copper for weapons, tools, utensils and ornaments dates back to the twilight of history, 6,000-5,000 B.C. Native copper outcrops and the malleability of the metal explain its very early use by the cave-dwellers. The working, melting and extraction of copper from its minerals are among the oldest metallurgical achievements of the human race. The oldest complete smelting installations for the extraction of copper from its minerals, dated about the fourth millenium B.C., were recently discovered in the Timna Valley, Wadi Arabah, Israel. (1) The history of the developments of the extractive metallurgy of copper has been adequately reviewed recently. (2,3) The center of copper production migrated from the Eastern Mediterranean to Northern Europe (Mansfeld, Germany, Swansea, Wales) towards the end of the Middle Ages (1500 A.D.). The production of the metal was boosted tremendously in North America since the end of the nineteenth century (Fig. 1).

Jan 1, 1976

By Clinton H. Crane

WHEN I agreed to accept your Committee's suggestion that I talk to you at this meeting on the future of copper, lead and zinc mining, I could not help wondering why I had been chosen to be a prophet. Knowing the pious nature of your committee, I thought I had better look up and see what the Bible says about being a prophet, and what the dictionary definition of a prophet is. The word "prophet" comes from the Greek and is defined as "one who speaks through a divine inspiration." Also, in the Gospel of Saint Matthew, Christ tells us that a prophet is "not without honor save in his own country and in his own house." That gave me pause until I remembered that after all, I had started my professional career as a Naval Architect, not as a Mining Engineer, and consequently, this might be a clue to the fact that the eminent geologists of this society, who know infinitely more about the world's crust than I do, were passed over in this assignment. In thinking back, I then remembered that the first really successful prophet was Noah and that Noah was a Naval Architect. Here then was the answer. One more quotation from the Bible I shall take as my text: In Ecclesiastes, chapter I, verse 9: "The thing that hath been is that which shall be." Now, with this preamble, and not being bound by anything save inspiration, I will proceed to prophesy: As far as the next 15 to 25 years are concerned, from the studies made by

Jan 1, 1947

By Tomas Astorga

APEC, the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation is the forum of 21 countries having approximately 56% of the total world income, and over 45% of global trade. In 1997, APEC economies produced 67% of the world copper output, 55% of gold, and over 45% of other base metals. Mining in APEC captures more than 60% of the total mining investment in the world. New and emerging economies are now appearing in the demand scenery, such as China. New trends in the international environmental regulations are posing questions related to the use of copper in different industrial and consumption applications. These may have a strong impact on future trade of copper. New applications are also appearing based in new technology fields. The paper examines the growth potential of the copper market in main consumer ad highly populated economies of APEC, incorporating analysis of various interrelated factors. It also analyses the outlook of the copper supply. Its conclusions point to the need to implement demand outlook models. Finance and economic reforms will open important avenues for trade growth in basic metals, particularly copper. Changes in the consumption patterns of highly populated countries will add to better perspectives of copper demands. The recovery of a fast pace of economic growth in the APEC region will bring new demands for copper, especially as a consequence of high tech applications. More extended policies focused in the need for developing energy efficiency programs and schemes will add to this picture.

Jan 1, 1999

By A. Block-Bolten

Copper concentrates from northern Peru contain large amounts of arsenic and antimony in the form of sulfosalts like enargite, tennantite and tetrahedrite. These impurities affect up to 30% of Peruvian copper production. Under the sponsorship of the Instituto Geologico Minero y Metalurgico in Lima a project to separate copper from arsenic without pollution of the environment is being carried out at the National University of Trujillo in Peru. The U.N.T. process is unique in the respect of using .low melting salts as solvents, and sulfides of metals with high cation potential as destructors of the complex sulfosalt molecules. Laboratory scale experiments have given encouraging results but interesting and difficult problems developed on scale-up. The process is pyro-hydrometal-lurgical and under certain circumstances its economics are promising.

Jan 1, 1981

By Dachun Liu, Baoqiang Xu, Bin Yang, Yong Deng, Heng Xiong, Xiumin Chen

"In this paper, vacuum distillation technology has been employed to study the possibility and regularity of separating copper and enriching lead, silver and other valuable metals from copper- based multi component alloys. The result of experiment indicated the practicability of vacuum distillation dealing with copper base complex multi-component alloy to separating lead and silver, when the vacuum distillation temperature was 1637K, distillation time was 60min; residual gas pressure was 20-30Pa, the removal rate of silver was 95.86%, of lead was 99.63%; the evaporation rate of copper was 0.745%. The removal rate of arsenic, antimony and tin respectively were 83.09%, 48.12% and 24.54%. Vacuum distillation method is applicable for dealing with the copper-based multi component alloys, silver and lead can realize effective recovery.IntroductionCopper generally go with lead mineral, therefore, to remove copper from lead becomes an inevitable link in lead smelting. Dross from removed copper usually contains lead, arsenic, antimony, tin and noble metal silver. In abroad, soda ash-iron dust is adopted to process copper dross of this kind. The outcomes of this process are lead matte, wet lead, scoria smoke dust etc[1~5] The dominant components of all the outcomes are copper and lead. Moreover, in the process of tin smelting, copper contained by-products are produced, such as, crude tin alloy, tin lead electrolytic anode slime and so on. Copper content of all the products are ranging from few percentages to several tens percentage. Those products, no matter merge into main producing process, or separate treatment cost losses of valuable metal. For one hand, the containing of copper of outcomes from pyrogenic attack is less than 50%, for the other hand, a lot of valuable metal need to be processed, which increase the cost of retrieve."

Jan 1, 2013

By J. Kent Smith

THE object of this investigation was to ascertain the effect of varying percentages of beryllium upon pure copper and the properties of the resultant alloys in their softest condition, the effect of heat hardening on them, and the extents to which these properties could be augmented by different combinations of heat hardening and cold rolling. The data compiled in this paper represent partial results of continuing work done by the writer during the years 1930 and 1931, which was a continuation of the unpublished ground work incepted in the laboratory of the Beryllium Corporation of America by H. B. Pulsifer in the year 1926. A short bibliography on beryllium alloys is appended to this paper. It has, of course, long been known that copper subjected to cold work is hardened and strengthened to a considerable extent, furthermore it had been qualitatively noted in previous experiments that copper-beryllium alloys seemed to take on hardness and strength as the result of cold work at a greater rate even than does plain copper. It was decided therefore to endeavor quantitatively to determine such rate of increase, as also the relative increases by combinations of cold working and heat hardening. The results are summarized in Tables 3, 4 and 5. A preliminary series of experiments had indicated that by an exposure to the heat of 575° F. for 2 1/2 hr. age-hardening of a 2.50 per cent beryllium-copper alloy took place. Slab ingots of nine different beryllium-copper alloys were prepared under identical conditions by means of the addition of a previously prepared 12.5 per cent beryllium-copper alloy to well melted and deoxidized pure copper. The ingots were then reduced by hot rolling to 12 gage (about 0.080 in.). These strips were heated to 1450° F. and quenched in cold water, and thus brought to their softest condition. (See Table 1.) Strips were next "precipitation-hardened" by reheating to a definite temperature. Similar strips to those itemized in Table 1 (which had been quenched from 1450° F.) were reheated for varying periods of time at 575° F. The hardness figures show that a metastable condition, of which the range of stability is dependent entirely upon time at the given temperature, begins to be noted in copper samples containing as little as 0.85 per cent beryllium. It is extremely noticeable in samples containing

Jan 1, 1932

By Zay Jeffries

AN acute current shortage of copper, with the prospect that conditions may become worse, indicated by Office of Production Management information. Present estimates of copper requirement for defense indicate that nearly all the available metal will be required in the future for this purpose. Severe dislocations are, expected, but the objective is to distribute the copper available for civilian use in such a manner as to minimize these dislocations. The advisory committee on metals and minerals has been asked for a suggestions which may be helpful in meeting this situation.\

Jan 1, 1941

By W. H. (Bill) Jay

The destruction of cyanide creates a significant impost on the financial returns of gold mines. These losses increase substantially when ores containing cyanide-soluble copper are treated. Failure to remove or destroy free or WAD cyanide before it is discharged into tailings dams has, on a number of occasions, led to significant fish, bird and animal deaths. Thus, the retention of cyanide within the leach circuit and the recovery or removal of stable metal cyanide complexes needs to become standard practice for all gold mining operations. Furthermore, reducing cyanide purchases will minimise the quantity of cyanide transported to the mine site thereby reducing the opportunity for spillage of this chemical. Many different physical and chemical methods have been investigated for the removal of cyanide from process solutions. All cyanide destruction methods create a financial impost on the economic viability of the gold mine. To reduce these costs, the recycle of cyanide and the economic recovery of the metals solubilised by cyanide is of prime importance. The alternative methods currently in use, or under consideration for the treatment of copper cyanide, entail high reagent costs, produce the recovered metal in a contaminated form and require the safe handling of hydrogen cyanide. These processes will be briefly discussed within this report Environmental and financial benefits are enhanced by recent laboratory and pilot plant studies conducted by Oretek Limited. The Oretek CPC process for the recovery of copper and the recycle of cyanide from copper cyanide-containing solutions does not require pH adjustment to the alkaline cyanide leach conditions. Copper ions are coordinated to a water-soluble and/or an organic soluble polychelating agent under alkaline conditions and the cyanide ions are displaced Membrane separation, or phase separation of the polychelated copper from the cyanide ions enables the cyanide ions to be recycled and the copper to be directly electrowon from the polychelating polymer. The polychelating polymer is then recycled. Ion exchange resins and solvent extraction systems which may be incorporated into the above process will also be discussed in detail.

Jan 1, 1998

By W. S. Fyfe, G. V. Albino, Ekawat Sitthithaworn

The mineralisation is associated with a composite diorite to quartz monzonite stock of Permian to Triassic age that intrudes Devonian carbonate strata. In the intrusive rocks it is associated with potassic alteration and in the carbonate wall rocks it is hosted by prograde garnet-rich and retrograde epidote-rich skarn. Both porphyry and skarn mineralisation include disseminated and fracture-controlled mineralisation, the latter probably accounting for the major part of the contained minerals. Copper, gold, silver and zinc are strongly positively correlated within the mineralised zones, although there are small differences in metal ratios between the different ore types; molybdenum appears to be negatively correlated with copper and gold. Ore minerals include chalcopyrite, magnetite and pyrite in porphyry-type mineralisation and bornite, chalcopyrite, pyrite, magnetite and lesser haematite in skarn.

Jan 12, 1993

By J. R. Long, T. R. Graham, R. S. Dean

FOLLOWING the development of elec¬trolytic manganese production by the Bureau of Mines, an extensive program was planned to study the character of this high-purity product and its possible utilization in various alloy combinations. Previous work reported in the literature concerning alloys containing substantial amounts of manganese dealt largely with material prepared from relatively impure grades of the metal, and in many instances the impurities thus introduced did not permit true evaluation of manganese as an alloying element. One phase of the Bureau's program included a general review of the system and the establishment of the physical properties of copper-manganese-zinc alloys, using electrolytic manganese, and with particular emphasis directed to com¬positions within the alpha solid solution area. A number of reports of the work on alloys in this system, giving specific data concerning the equilibrium system and some of its alloys, have already been published. One study1 established the alpha solid solution area at various temperature levels and composition ranges up to 50 pct manganese. Other investigation reports presented the properties of selected alloys; namely, a 65 pct copper, 10 pct manganese, 25 pct zinc alloys' a sensibly white manganese brass composed of 70 pct copper, 20 pct manganese, 10 pct zinc,3 and a series of alloys with a constant copper content of 60 pct and 5 to 25 pct manganese, balance zinc.4 In these reports tensile properties as influenced by cold-working and subsequent annealing were given in detail. Additional data are now available on other alloys of the alpha region up to 50 pct manganese, and these, together with previously published information, are sufficiently complete to establish the relationship between properties and composition for this portion of the ternary system. The present report is a summary of the tensile properties of wrought alloys in the form of sheet and rod stock. The summary is necessarily limited to data for only one condition of cold-work and a single annealing temperature, since a complete exposition of all the data available would be too extensive for this presentation. Nevertheless, it is possible to make a reasonable approximation of the tensile properties in other conditions of cold-working and annealing by a correlation of the data previously presented on specific alloys and the data given here.

Jan 1, 1947

By P Thompson, D Rose, S Yu, W Baum, R Zahn, D Meadows, G Hall

Opportunities to improve mill operations are often cited by mining companies and recognised in many concentrators spread throughout the world but are not always followed through. Copper-molybdenum concentrator operations are challenged by a continuously increasing list of detrimental factors. They include deteriorating ore characteristics and poor mineralogical information on deeper ores, water quality and availability, steel wear and increasing power costs. Rapidly declining productivity, sustainability and environmental factors, new taxes, mining industry global skill set shortages, to name but a few, must also be considered. The days of maximising value by just increasing production or simple cost cutting are fading and will not be sufficient for the future of more complex mineral processing operations and larger plants. As a result, FLSmidth’s Global Process Technology Group has launched a plant and process optimisation program based on mineralogical and metallurgical surveys.Copper-molybdenum concentrators of the future need a paradigm shift. Modelling and simulation tools alone are not the answer to complex mineralogical associations and larger scale equipment and operations. Detailed area by area review aimed at identifying process constraints in terms of equipment and operating practice in conjunction with robust diagnostic work, ie mineralogical and metallurgical characterisation, are mandatory for process optimisation. The navigational beacon, for all operations who want to remain competitive, will be ‘process efficiency’. Since the use of automated mineral analysers has become more readily available and reliable, mineralogical-metallurgical plant surveys have proven themselves as the most efficient tool for optimising plant performance.The following paper will illustrate how operations can move toward eliminating under-performing flow sheets, fixing run-away flotation conditions, maximising individual process equipment performance, preventing shortcuts in Bond work index testing which may cause the failure of comminution models and minimising costly and time-consuming ‘debottlenecking’. As previous plant surveys have shown, the net project cash flow can be increased by 50 to 200 per cent if a combination of robust ore characterisation and plant process mineralogy is performed. The combined plant survey approach has been demonstrated successfully in a multitude of operations. This includes the use of key ore types in concert with statistically sampled process streams, bench-scale metallurgical tests and automated mineral analysis on a size-by-size basis.CITATION:Meadows, D, Hall, G, Rose, D, Thompson, P, Baum, W, Zahn, R and Yu, S, 2014. Copper-molybdenum concentrator surveys using mineralogy and process benchmarking tools to improve overall plant performance, in Proceedings 12th AusIMM Mill Operators’ Conference 2014 , pp 315–322 (The Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy: Melbourne).

Sep 1, 2014

By R. C. Wallace

Introduction At a time when the mineral-bearing areas in Manitoba are being fi very keenly explored because of the major developments which are now taking place in that Province, it may be timely to give an analysis of the mineralization in the two major types of deposits, with a view particularly to assist in the intensive prospecting to which the mineral-bearing areas in the Province are now to be subjected. As is already well known, there are two principal types of mineral deposits in the territory- copper-zinc and gold; and attention will be confined almost exclusively in this paper to these two types, with some indication of such modifications of the main types as may be found to be of economic value. The details of the paper are drawn from what is yet a small part of the area of the Province available for prospecting. Enough is now known of the types of mineral deposits which are described in the following pages to justify the expectation that these types may serve as criteria in the search in the newer districts. Doubtless new types will also be found as investigations proceed.

Jan 1, 1928

By C. E. Julihn

Technology concerns the ways of doing things; mineral technology the ways of performing operations required for obtaining minerals from the earth and extracting their valuable constituents for man's use. At any particular time, technology is relatively fixed, as everyone tries to adopt the way of doing things that has proved most profitable; but improvements evolve from minor changes here and there, and occasion- ally entirely new methods are discovered. Technologic improvement thus characterizes any long-time view of the mineral industries. Its test lies always in reduction of costs; there is no other incentive for the adoption of new methods. Reduction in cost of producing metal from ore decreases, in turn, the amount of metal that must be obtained from ore in order to pay for its production. An advancing technology thus is characterized by utilization of ores of lower and lower grade. A very important result of this is an increase in the gross quantity of metal obtainable at any price level, since the earth's crust contains vast amounts of very low-grade ores and relatively insignificant amounts of very high-grade ores. Technologic advances have, therefore, been the means of rendering the metals both cheap and abundant. Though concern as to possible exhaustion of the world's ore deposits is warranted, it is conceivable that a transcendent technology of the future might supply metal requirements from what we

Jan 1, 1932

By A. Sutherland Brown

"The Red Rose Mine is in the Rocher Deboule Range, 8 miles south of Hazelton. The mill camp (elevation 4,000 feet) is on Red Rose Creek, 11 miles by road from Skeena Crossing. The mine camp is one mile northeast and 1,600 feet above the mill camp on a spur of Red Rose Peak.The Red Rose mine was described in the Jubilee Volume, Structural Geology of Canadian Ore Deposits (Davis, pp. 129-131), but regional geology and mine development have progressed to a stage at which a more complete description is possible.The property was first located in 1912, and for the next 7 years was prospected actively for gold and copper on the southern extension of the Red Rose shear. Scheelite was first discovered in the vein in the northern part of the shear in 1923. The Consolidated Mining and Smelting Company of Canada, Limited optioned the property in 1939, and after a drilling program in 1940 the present mine development was initiated in the vein in the northern part of the shear. A 75-ton-per-day mill started operating early in 1942 and continued until 1943. The property was inactive until 195 l, when Western Tungsten Copper Mines Limited leased the property from The Consolidated Mining and Smelting Company of Canada, Limited. A mill, which later was enlarged to 140 tons per day, started operations at the end of 1951. The mine and mill were closed in December, 1954.The mine has twelve levels and sub1evels, and most of the workings are in the plane of the vein (see Figure 2a). The level interval is not constant, but between the lower four levels is 87 feet (100 feet in the plane of the vein). Access is provided by four adits; the 800 (elevation 5,659 feet), 600 (5,920 feet), 300 (6, 133 feet) and 200 levels (6,237 feet). The 600 level is the main haulage, and from it the ore is transported to the mill by aerial tram. From this level an inclined shaft extends in the vein to the lowest level (I, 100)."

Jan 1, 1949

By Frank C. Kelton

A method is outlined for the analysis of large cores, developed primarily for the purpose of obtaining reliable data on fractured or vugular limestones. Porosity and fluid saturations are determined by a modified Dean-Stark extraction after initially bringing the samples to 100 per cent liquid saturation by a vacuum-pressure method. Horizontal permeabilities on the whole samples are determined in two directions, parallel and perpendicular to the di-rection of principal fracturing. Results are presented for various types of formations. A comparison is made between data obtained by this special method and the method of conventional analysis, and discussion is given of the relative advantages and limitations of each. In view of this comparison a modified method for the analysis of fractured and vugular formations is proposed, which method retains the advantages of the previously outlined techniques but gives promise of speeding up the analysis. INTRODUCTION For many years the greater part of the production in the Permian Basin was from formations of Permian and Pennsylvanian age. While production from these formations is still the predominant production. deeper prospecting has brought to light older formations with oil productive characteristics. Attempts to core these deeper horizons were at first usually characterized by poor recovery. The old rule of thumb, "good core recovery — poor well" was originated and remained in effect until recently. With the advent of diamond coring and the increased efficiency in drilling and coring operations. the old adage has lost its significance. Formations of Devonian. Silurian and Ordo-vician ages were successfully cored with varying degrees of recovery. The cores thus obtained were surprising and in some case; disappointing. Good recovery from these formations led to speculation as to the feasibility of analysis and the meaning of data obtained from conventional analysis. Commercial laboratories were engaged to analyze these cores. and their results indicated that data obtained by conventional methods would be of little value. From visual inspection it was apparent that in many cases the effective porosity for storage of hydrocarbons. and permeability. were contained largely in fractures and solution cavities rather than in the primary crystalline structure of the formation. In other cases the solution cavities augmented the effective porosity of the primary crystalline structure, or fractures enhanced the permeabiilty of the latter so that the formation might respond favorably to acidization and become commercially productive. Since the spacing of the cavities and fractures was often comparable to the core diameter, it was evident that the entire core should he analyzed instead of small fragments. On the basis of these observations, commercial laboratories were requested to devise a system of analysis which would yield data of practical value. Pro- cedures have accordingly been developed which seem to meet this requirement, and to date nearly 12,000 large core samples have been analyzed. It is the purpose of this paper to describe the methods used, to present typical results for several fractured formations and to compare the data obtained by this special analysis with that obtained by conventional analysis. Certain modifications and alternative procedures are finally suggested to speed up the analysis. CORE ANALYSIS PROCEDURE Fluid Saturations and Porosity The core sample, in segments up to 15 in. in length. is marked, weighed and examined under ultra-violet light to determine the presence of oil saturation. If present, the approximate quantity of oil and its location on intercrystalline, fracture or vugular surfaces is noted. This information is carefully recorded. The degree of fracturing and/or vugular development is also noted. The sample is then placed in a pressure cell and the air evacuated with a high speed vacuum pump. This evacuation is continued only long enough to reduce the pressure to approximately the vapor pressure of water in order not to remove excessive amounts of water. Water is admitted to the cell and allowed to penetrate the sample under atmospheric pressure, filling the pore space initially occupied by air and replacing the small amount of water removed by evacuation. Pressure up to 200 psi is applied to force water into the smaller capillaries, and the sample is left sub-

Jan 1, 1950

By S. H. Ash

THE information obtained by examining and analyzing the core drillings from 15 diamond-drill holes shows that with the proper equipment little difficulty should be experienced while sinking the shafts at the 15 selected sites. Although a number of holes penetrated formations containing a high percentage of silica,, the health hazard from dust can be removed by using proper dust-control equipment. Methane was detected in small amounts in only one (hole 5) of the boreholes. The methane hazard should present no difficulty if adequate ventilation is employed while sinking the shafts.

Jan 1, 1952

By Lees M. G, Vitnell B. W

The post-war need to increase coal production promoted an intensive drilling campaign. Ineffectiveness in core recovery inclined the coal industry towards percussion drilling rather than diamond drilling. The Joint Coal Board, recognising the greater potential of core drilling, has actively encouraged improvement in techniques and equipment. One outstanding need was a barrel which, over and above other improvements being achieved, would permit recovered core to be examined before it had been subjected to the increased fragmentation and displacement which to date has been inevitable except in core which has been drilled in solid sticks û as New South Wales coal rarely can be drilled. In conjunction with Triefus Pty Ltd a barrel with a split inner tube has now been evolved, as a result of which, core can be more accurately logged, division in to lengths for analysis more aptly made, any core loss more reasonably allocated to appropriate plies, and a greater percentage of core recovered û of the order 95 per cent and more. The one half of the split inner tube is lifted from the other and the logging completed before the core is disturbed.

Jan 1, 1957

Recent developments in diamond drilling practice have been chiefly 'concerned with modifications in drill design and 'operating technique whereby an increase in daily footage rates and reduced footage costs have been achieved without any marked improvements in the recovery of core. This trend is perhaps due to the general acceptance by the mining and drilling engineer alike of the belief that diamond drilling has definite limitations in exploratory work on mineral deposits characterized by irregularities in continuity and grade, such a belief arising from the fact that drilling technique has not yet evolved coring devices to ensure the full recovery of the rock and mineral formations penetrated.Current diamond drilling operations at Moonta and Wallaroo Mines, carried out by the South Australian Department of Mines, have attained remarkable results in completely eliminating core-loss by the use of a special double-tube core barreI.It is considered that assays of borehole samples taken with this special barrel have a reliability comparable, if not superior to that of similarly situated mine samples and, provided they are spaced satisfactorily, can be used as, a basis for calculating tonnage and grade. Formerly, with only partial core-recoveries, positive borehole results on narrow irregular lodes, such as those in the Moonta and Wallaroo Mines, could be accepted mainly as indications of the presence of mineralization, and could have only a limited bearing on estimates of ore reserves.The value of this special double-tube core-barrel lies In the fact that it guarantees good core recovery and, therefore, good samples, and eliminates the need for sludge-sampling, which is prone to give unreliable assay results from several causes, such as gravity concentration in the bottom of the hole and return water losses which cannot be overcome.In view of the increasing demand for minerals and the probability that the search for them will be carried on largely by boring, it is felt that it would be of interest and value to direct the attention of mining engineers to core-recovery results obtained by diamond drilling plants in South Australia and the features of the special core-barrel, designed by the writer, which has made this possible. Also, the writer is desirous of placing on record two other core-recovery devices designed to extract accurate samples in relatively soft or unconsolidated formations. The latter are used with percussion and calyx plants, respectively and their value has been proven on phosphate rock and coal deposits in South Australia.

Jan 1, 1943

By GERALD A. WARING

ALASKA'S coal consumption is now about 130,000 tons annually. About one-quarter of this amount is used in the southeastern part of the territory and in settlements on the western coast and comes from Seattle and from British Columbia mines. About 60,000 tons is sub-bituminous coal from the Healy River mine in central Alaska, and is used mainly at Fairbanks, sixty miles to the north, for heating and the development of electric energy, for the city and the gold-dredging operations of the Fairbanks Exploration Co. The remaining 40,000 or 50,000 tons is bituminous coal from Matanuska Valley, in the south-central part of the territory. These coal deposits extend intermittently for about forty miles along the valley, which trends eastward from the upper end of Cook Inlet.

Jan 1, 1934