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By Dave Marsh, John Goode, Niels Verbaan, Kevin Bradley, Henrie Notzl

The mineralogy of the Avalon Nechalacho deposit is complex with significant fractions of HREEs, Zr, and Nb found in refractory minerals such as zircon and fergusonite. Sulphuric acid baking followed by water leaching can be used to extract REEs from flotation concentrates, but acid baking does not completely "crack" the zircon and fergusonite, so the extractions of Zr, Nb, and HREEs are not high. An alternative flowsheet has been developed that is able to obtain significantly improved extractions of HREEs, Zr, and Nb from flotation concentrates or acid bake residues. This is accomplished by cracking the zircon and fergusonite minerals with caustic soda at high temperatures, followed by water washing to recover excess caustic soda and soluble sodium silicates and phosphates. REEs, Zr, and Nb in the solid residue can then be solubilized with HCl or H2SO4. This paper highlights some of the findings from an extensive laboratory program and discusses several flowsheet implications.

Jan 1, 2014

By N. O. Lotter

Evaluation errors and value frequency distribution models of the gold ore bodies in the Witwatersrand and Free State systems are reviewed. It is found that the low-grade sections of the data are prone to the largest evaluation errors, and that an understanding of the shape of the value frequency distribution is essential to the calculation of mean grade. The evaluation of a mineral process for a particular ore requires attention to mil-feed sampling, sample processing, and monitoring. In particular, the calculation of a representative mass of mill-feed sample (Ms) should take account of size-by-size value variance. Alternative Ms models are discussed.

Jan 1, 1995

By L Strezov, J Herbertson

Conversion of industrial waste materials to valuable resources would essentially take part in an ecologically sustainable future. There are still large amounts of undervalued biomass wastes generated from a diverse range of industries that are disposed in landfields. They have potential to produce valuable materials and fuels, such as charcoal, bio-oils and bio-gas through thermal upgrading. In order to enhance the efficiency of the thermal upgrading process, comprehensive characterisation of the raw biomass materials is essential. We have developed a novel thermal characterisation method that utilises computer aided thermal analysis incorporated with a gas analyser. The method was applied on two biomass materials, wood sawdust and bagasse. The paper discusses the results obtained with the novel thermal characterisation technique.

Jan 1, 2006

By Duk-Won Park

Since geologic anomalies are one of the governing factors of instability of underground openings, it is extremely important to know in advance the locations and extent of these anomalies such as faults and weak zones. At an underground coal mine in the Black Warrior Basin, core drilling was conducted to find a fault in an area where they were planning to locate longwall panels and possibly a shaft. Core logging did not provide sufficient information to delineate the exact location, strike, and dip of the fault. However, a high resolution reflection seismic study successfully solved this problem. This experience proved the seismic exploration technique could be used for premining coal exploration by reducing drilling costs and providing more accurate and detailed information about geologic anomalies.

Jan 1, 1988

By J. P. Rider

Along with increased production from longwall units has come the likelihood of increased worker noise exposures. In recent years, equipment has become larger, more powerful, and noisier than its predecessors. For these reasons, the Mining Division of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) is investigating worker noise exposure on longwall faces and researching possible solutions to reduce this exposure. Part of this research effort involves studying the effect of covering the underside of longwall shields with acoustical material to reduce reverberating noise along the face. Experiments using acoustical absorptive insulation to cover the undersides of the shields, shearer body, and the shield supports were conducted at the full scale simulated longwall test facility located at the Pittsburgh Research Center. Sound levels were recorded every l.5 m [5 ft] along a 15.2 m [50 ft] section of the simulated face for all of the conditions tested. The analysis of the data indicated that a 2.0-3.0 dBA noise reduction was achieved between the shearer drums and a 4.0-5.5 dBA attenuation was attained upwind of the headgate drum.

Jan 1, 1997

By T. J. Rohrbacher

This report presents a U.S. Bureau of Mines methodology developed to incorporate factors of coal production (mining and cleaning methods, recoveries, economics, etc.) into the definition of recover-ability of a coal resource. Project procedures and computer models that were developed to include mine and preparation plant production rates, recoveries, and costs are explained. The results of these procedures and models are reviewed and compared to the Energy Information Administration estimate of U.S. coal resources-the "demonstrated reserve base." The Matewan 7-1/2-minute quadrangle in eastern Kentucky was selected to demonstrate the methodology.

Jan 1, 1993

By W. Evans, C. E. Ells

The agglomeration of hydrogen in pure aluminum and A1-Mg alloys has been studied through use of hydrogen introduced into the metal by cyclotron proton irradiation. Both the growth and dispersal of the agglomerates have been followed by metal-lographic techniques. During the cyclotron irradiation, agglomeration occurs at temperatures i 100°C for hydrogen concentrations as low as 1 ppm. On heating at elevated temperatures, 300°C to 600°C, intragranular agglomerates first coarsen and then disperse. The agglomerates formed at grain boundaries are much larger than the intragranular agglomerates; with hydrogen concentra- tions > 10 PPm, heating for 1 hr at 500°C results in extensive grain-boundary cracking. The hydrogen agglomerates have been shown to inhibit grain growth, but no inhibition of recrystallization has been observed. The ability of hydrogen to enter aluminum at a free surface, combined with its high-diffusion rate at elevated temperatures, accounts both for growth and dispersal of the agglomerates. Irradiations at elevated temperatures give results consistent with the explanation proposed for agglomerate behavior on post-irradiation heating. 1 HE formation of hydrogen-filled bubbles, or blisters. in aluminum and its alloys has been studied for over' thirty years. The work up to 1952 has been reviewed by Kostron' and since then Ransley and

Jan 1, 1963

By Heiko Schiemann, Christoph Beyer, Thomas Pretz

"Due to multiple experiences in the field of planning and engineering of processing plants for secondary materials the Chair for Processing and Recycling of Solid Waste Materials decided to develop a software tool that supports the engineering and the planning of the basic layout of processing plants for secondary material flows. The detailed description of the material flow and its characteristic parameters is one of the main tasks to be worked out and should be considered as the basis for representative simulation results.The description of the material flow and its characteristic parameters is based on a fraction vector containing 12 material fractions. This is a compromise between a detailed material flow description and a compact and therefore time-extensive calculation model. Each material fraction is characterized by 15 parameters, which can be edited with the help of an easily accessible user-interface. In addition to basic parameters like ignition loss, water content and calorific value more parameters like the material fraction-specific particle-size distribution are contained. Using the model library SimuRec, the processing success and the recovery of complex processing plants for secondary materials can be predicted."

Jan 1, 2003

By S. P. Marsh, D. Banerjee

"Casting processes involve phenomena that occur on widely disparate length-scales. Simulation of macroscopic effects, such as heat transfer and convection, are generally addressed by solving the appropriate equations in discretized form on a finite-element mesh. Microscopic phenomena are described by micromodels that may be empirical or analytical in form. Coupling of phenomena in these two regimes is a critical issue in predicting microstructure and defect formation resulting from macroscopic process conditions. A formalism has been developed for expressing micromodels in a consistent manner using stereological parameters to quantify the geometric characteristics of the developing microstructure. This approach provides a robust and physically consistent method for coupling local micromodels with the macroscopic fields. The macroscopic state variables at each node serve as global constraints on the micromodels that are applied to a local unit volume. An outline of an equiaxed solidification model based on this approach is presented, along with preliminary simulation results. Coupling of convection and enthalpy effects between the micro and macro regimes is also discussed. IntroductionThe primary goal of casting simulations is to improve the reliability of cast parts while minimizing cost and development time. Effective simulations can speed up the mold design process and reduce the likelihood of defective parts by refining a particular casting process on a computer, reducing the dependence on cost- and time-intensive prototype castings. The challenge in developing effective simulations stems from the need to address physical processes that occur over a wide range of length-scales, from microscopic (atomic) and mesoscopic (microstructural) scales to macroscopic distances comparable to the size of the casting itself. Overviews of the various thermophysical phenomena and computational factors that are important in solidification modeling are provided in the literature by Rappaz [1] and Tseng et al. [2].Macroscopically, the solidification process is largely governed by the rate of heat flow from the alloy through the mold wall. Another important effect that occurs on the scale of the casting size is convective flow of the melt, which is driven by density-variations in the melt. Macroscopic calculations employ finite-element or finite-difference methods to solve the sets of equations that govern these effects, and the spatial resolution is determined by the grid spacings used for the calculations. Typical spatial resolutions are on the order of 10-2 to 10-3"" meters. This represents a compromise between the resolution required to simulate the continuum transport processes accurately, and the computational time required to model the entire solidification and cooling process."

Jan 1, 1994

By Robert King

Splicing portable trailing cables used in underground coal mines is usually less expensive in terms of capital outlay and production time lost than replacing them. However, handling trailing cables may result in electrical arcs, shocks , and burns. Also, destructive forces encountered during a mining operation may shorten the effective life of a cable splice. This report gives the results of an analysis of cable splice defects in an effort to establish cable splice performance criteria, determine testing standards for cable splices, establish guidelines for training programs in cable splicing, and indicate areas for improvement.

Jan 1, 1975

By G. B. Pryde

IN laying out a new mine, provision should be made for the ultimate recovery of as much coal in any given bed as is consistent with safety and economic mining. Though each mining district, if not each individual mine, has problems that make the adoption of any hard and fast rule impossible, certain basic principles are adapted to practically all conditions. One of the most vital is the provision for barrier pillars of ample dimensions to protect all haulage and permanent airways during the life of the property. Where conditions permit, room or butt entries should be driven on the strike or slightly to the raise and rooms turned at right angles to said entries. The width of rooms and room pillars is governed by conditions prevailing in the mines under consideration. A safe rule is: In advancing, extract not more than 25 to 35 per cent. of the entire seam; in exceptionally thick seams, considerably less than 25 per cent. should be taken. Rooms usually vary in length from 250 to 350 ft. (76 to 106 m.) with a barrier pillar of not less than 80 ft. between the last crosscut in rooms, and entry and room crosscuts should be driven on sights; room crosscuts should be driven at right angles to the direction of the rooms. In mines under excessively heavy cover or where roof conditions are bad, rooms should be driven narrow and a barrier pillar left at every fifth to tenth room. This barrier should be of such dimensions that one or more rooms, with pillars of usual dimensions, may be turned through it when the barrier is no longer required. Two of the advantages of such a barrier are the protection of the panel against peaking of roof load during pillar extraction and the easy closing of the entry in case of fire.

Jan 2, 1921

By Wayne I. van Drunick

"Energy balance modeling has recently been shown to be a competent tool in the estimation of SAG mill discharge rheology. Work performed by van Drunick and Moys (2001) validated the ability of an energybalance filter to estimate the slurry density from an operating SAG mill. The importance of rheological data is highlighted by several authors who show the effects on load behaviour and thus mill performance. Energy balance models were developed to account for the dynamic energies in the mill discharge sump. The models then made it possible to infer the mill discharge density. A sampling campaign was performed and the errors from the sump energy balance were within tolerable limits.Since the initial results were published, it has been decided to further develop the modeling techniques in order to focus on balancing the energies around the entire mill. The critical measurements for the energy balance will be the temperatures of all the streams entering and leaving the mill, including energy losses to the environment. Metso’s OCS© (Optimising Control System) currently controls the 3 SAG mills at Anglogold’s Mponeng Gold Plant (South Africa). The OCS has built-in Kalman filtering tools to effectively handle variances and noise in the models and the mill circuit data respectively. The new models are therefore constructed in the OCS platform, and will be run in parallel with Metso’s current modeling and filtering systems. The work is a collaborative effort between Anglogold, the University of the Witwatersrand and Metso. The benefits of energy modeling, compared to mass modeling, are that energy data are more accurately measurable than mass data. The inferred mill parameters can therefore be improved provided that a competent set of models is produced to process the (accurate) thermal measurements."

Jan 1, 2003

By Gerald J. Anderson

The Marquette District of Central Northern Michigan is the oldest of the Lake Superior iron districts with a mining history dating from 1852 up to the present. The total production of all types of ore through 1965 was 338,120, 146 long tons. Emphasis up to the 1950's was on mining the direct shipping ores; however, demands for higher-grade and better-structured ores in the last decade has resulted in a complete shift in emphasis to beneficiating the lowgrade Negaunee Iron-formation to produce high-grade iron ore pellets. The Precambrian sediments of the Marquette Range have been correlated with the Animikie Series of the Thunder Bay District, Ontario, and are contained in a westward plunging synclinorium that is approximately 3 3 miles in length and 3 to 6 miles in width. -The rock unit of major economic importance is the Negaunee Iron-formation that reaches a thickness of 2500 feet near the City of Negaunee. The primary iron content of the Negaunee Iron-formation averages 26 per cent, whereas the altered iron-formation approximates 31 per cent. The Negaunee Iron-formation has been divided into three principal types: diagenetic, oxidized, and metamorphic. The ores produced to date fall into four categories: high-grade soft ores, high-grade hard ores, siliceous ores, and concentrates and agglomerates (pellets). The soft ores generally are found in synclines and in fault-trough structures, bounded by mafic dikes along at least one side, and are mainly found in the basal portion of the Negaunee. In contrast, the hard ores occur in the uppermost portion of the Negaunee and are controlled by structural features such as folds, faults, and dikes. Iron-formation that has undergone diagenetic and metamorphic alteration makes up the main beneficiating ore types. Studies on the Negaunee Iron-formation have played an important role in the formulation of many of the theories on the origin of the Precambrian iron-formations.

Jan 1, 1968

By Andrew Cushing, Joe Carvalho, Jon Hurt

"INTRODUCTIONThe shales of the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) have been known to experience time-dependent deformations (TDD); those initiated by excavation-induced stress relief which progress with time as a function of rock porewater salinity, access to freshwater (or air) of lower salinity, clay and calcite content, and the buildup of swelling pressures within the rock mass. These deformations can induce long-term pressures on shaft walls and tunnel linings, especially if the permanent works are constructed soon after excavation, with very little time delay. This paper presents measurements of time dependent deformation of recent shaft and tunnel projects constructed in the GTA, and draws conclusions regarding the main influences on the TDD. The key input parameters for the numerical predictive model are critically assessed. Projects which are discussed include the Billy Bishop Airport Pedestrian Tunnel, Hydro One Midtown Tunnel and Hanlan Feedermain (Contract 3).MECHANISM OF TIME DEPENDENT DEFORMATIONExplanation of MechanismThe Georgian Bay Shale unit consists of typically moderately weathered to fresh, grey to dark grey, fine to very fine grained fissile shale interbedded with slightly weathered to fresh grey, fine grained calcareous siltstone and limestone interbeds. There are two distinctive features of the shale in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA). One is a high horizontal stress regime, and the second is long-term time dependent swelling behavior which develops when the following factors occur (Lo and Micic, 2010):• Stress relief of the rock mass• Outward salt concentration gradient from pore fluid of the rock to the ambient fluid• Availability of fresh waterThe swelling is a consequence of the reduction in confined stress in the rock which occurs upon excavation in combination with a differential gradient in salinity between the saline rock porewater and freshwater or even humid air. Osmotic and diffusive processes result in a decrease in the salinity of the rock porewater achieved by an overall increase in the water content, resulting in volumetric expansion of the shale rock over time. The development of this time dependent deformation (TDD) relative to the time"

Jan 1, 2016

By W. A. Jr. Slippy, E. P. Dahlberg, R. B. Reed-Hill

A large room-temperature mechanical-hysteresis effect under cyclic tensile loading was observed in zivconium specimens prestrained at 77°K so as to form large numbers of (1121) twins. The observed hysteresis loss was a maximum when the prestrain was just under 1 pct It also depended strongly on the maximum applied cyclic stress, but only moderately on loading rate and temperature (-72°to 100°C). The phenotnena have also been studied in terms of the elastic aftereffect where the data has been found to cotlforln closely to the functional relationship between strain and time, c = -RT/a In tank ft. t to)/Zr, for strains cts large as about 10-4 This eyication can be derived directly from the strain-rate equation There may be important commercial implications to the present discovery since it appears that within rather wide limits it may be possible to obtain any desired magnitude of damping capacity in zirconium melal. The damping propevties may also be given directional characteristics. It is shown that the observed anelaslic phenomena can he explained on the assumiplion that they are the resuilt of stress-induced twin-boundary movements in which the average twin increases its thickness by only a few percent. In polycrystalline zirconium, a grain is least favorably oriented for slip when its basal plane, containing the (1130) slip directions, lies nearly perpendicular to the principle normal stress. Mechanical twinning is favored by this orientation and under simple tensile deformation at room temperature the primary twinning mode is {1012).' The (1012) twinning shear is small (0.17) so that, during deformation, twin growth does not greatly enhance ductility. At 77°K, on the other hand, the predominant twinning mode shifts to {1121), and many thin (1121) twins can form at small strains.' Twins thus nucleated can grow readily during subsequent room-temperature deformation and permit easy deformation in unfavorably oriented grains. In addition, the (1131) twinning shear is large: 0.63. These facts have lead to a process' for greatly improving the room-temperature ductility of zirconium when it contains a sizable fraction of grains with basal planes nearly normal to the stress axis. Optimum results are obtained by slightly less than 1 pct prestrain. The effect is large so that a 50 pct elongation increase is readily attained. A large room-temperature mechanical-hysteresis effect has also been observed in zirconium specimens prestrained at 77°K. The present paper is concerned with some aspects of this effect which the experimental observations strongly indicate is primarily the result of strain-induced {1121) twin-boundary movements. This clearly suggests that mechanical twins formed by plastic deformation can cause anelastic effects similar to those previously observed2 for annealing twins and twins associated with phase transformations. EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDURES All specimens were prepared from arc-melted sponge zirconium plate stock as previously described,3 which has a preferred orientation with basal planes aligned parallel to and uniformly distributed around the rolling direction. Both lonti-tudinal and transverse tensile specimens, with axes parallel and transverse, respectively, to the plate rolling direction, were cut from this plate. In a longitudinal specimen most grains are favorably oriented for slip, while in a transverse specimen a large fraction are unfavorably oriented. Prestraining at 77°K was performed in two ways. In one, annealed zirconium plate stock was cooled in liquid nitrogen and then rolled in the transverse plate direction to strains varying from 0.5 to 12 pct. Cylindrical 1/8-in.-diameter by 1-1/4-in.-gage-length tensile specimens were machined from this material. In the other, previously machined tensile specimens were prestrained in tension at 77°K between 0.2 and 3.8 pct. Type FA 25-12 SR4 strain gages were cemented to all specimen gage sections. All tests were performed on an Instron testing machine of 10,000-lb capacity. EXPERIMENTAL RESULTS Fig. 1 shows a typical two-cycle room-temperature stress-strain diagram for a specimen prestrained 0.65 pct by rolling at 77°K. The maximum stress in both cycles was 14,500 psi. Note that in the first cycle the loading and unloading curves are unsymmetrical so that a residual strain, er, remains after unloading. In the second cycle the stress-strain curves form a nearly symmetrical hystere-

Jan 1, 1965

By Michael Wieland

Smoke/fume measurements from rapid transitory charge reactions are not wholly comparable with thermodynamic reaction code (TDRC) results, since quenched chemical reactions yield nonequilibrium concentrations. Though the work output and major reaction products are usually rendered with minor deviations, the toxic fumes and other minor concentrations reveal some major discrepancies. Work output for charge formulations in underwater or fixture tests were theoretically resolved with work-principal models that form a rough thermodynamic trajectory. Stalled nonequilibrium concentrations are rationalized by finding the underlying quenched reaction(s). The wide relevance of the Zeldovich radical-chain mechanism that transforms nitrogen oxide was previously recognized. The work-principal model (WPM) represents reaction quenching with off-trajectory constraints to render the fumes, without noticeably readjusting the work process. When restraints that characterize the confinement are WPM tractable, the resolution of critical reaction mechanisms is worthwhile, since they remain useful, regardless of the rich, neutral or lean stoichiometry of the charge formulation.

Jan 1, 2012

By W. S. McCain, B. A. Wilcox, A. H. Clauer

The creep and creep-fracture behavior of a Ni-200-2Th0, alloy has been studied over the temperature range 816° to 1038°C and stress range 4000 to 19,000 psi Specimens having their axes either parallel or transverse to the final sheet-rolling direction were tested in air, and the apparent activation energy for creep was found to be 92 kcal per mole, regardless of specinien orientation. The stress dependence 01- the steady-state creep rate, was satisfied by where n depended on orientation; n = 9.7 for rrzaterial transverse to the rolling direction and n = 24.3 for material parallel to the rolling direction. In the latter case, the relation was also valid. The rupture strength of material parallel to the rolling direction was -1.5 times gveater than the transverse rupture strength. Several tests in vacuum revealed that here the creep rate was higher and rupture life lower than for comparable tests in air. THERE is an increased interest today in producing improved dispersion-hardened alloys for high-temperature structural applications. This had led various materials designers to modify existing alloys, such as thoriated nickel. One system that has received considerable attention is based on chromium additions to Ni-ThO2, with the obvious motive of improving the oxidation resistance. Another effect of chromium is that of lowering the stacking-fault energy, y, of nickel. For example, the addition of 30 wt pct Cr decreases y from -225 erg per sq cm for pure nickel1 to -70 erg per sq cm.' This decrease in y could have several effects on the deformation behavior. There is some evidence that cross slip of dislocations around Tho2 particles is a mechanism of tensile3 and creep4 deformation in TD Nickel (Ni + 2 vol pct ThO2) at temperatures below 0.5 the absolute melting point of nickel, T,. A decrease in ? by chromium additions should increase the difficulty of cross slip. Also it has been suggested that the high-temperature (T > 0.5Tm) rate-controlling creep process in "recrystallized" Ni-Tho2 alloys is the climb of edge dislocations over Tho2 particles.5 According to weertman6 a decrease in the stacking-fault energy should decrease the dislocation climb velocity resulting in a decreased steady-state creep rate. Thus, chromium additions to recrystallized Ni-Tho2 alloys would be expected to decrease the creep rate, all other conditions being constant. However, a difficulty arises when the stacking-fault concept is applied to high-temperature creep of dispersion-strengthened metals which are produced on a commercial or semicommercial scale. This occurs because the materials are processed so that they have a high-stored energy of cold work, and the other substructural effects could obscure any influence of stacking-fault energy per se. An example of an alloy with a high stored energy of cold work is TD Nickel bar. This material has a fibrous grain structure (1 I diam by 10 to 15 p long), and the structure is stabilized by the ThO2 particles. Annealing at high temperatures, e.g., 3 hr at 1300°C, causes no recrystallization or grain growth.4 Previous work by the authors4 showed that the high -temperature creep behavior of TD Nickel could not be related to any simple dislocation theory of creep, and this probably was associated with the complex initial structure of the material.

Jan 1, 1968

By J. B. Gilliatt

The discovery of ore at Wabana was quickly followed by the mining of the ore beds where they outcropped in the land areas. The third phase, as at present carried out, consists of extensive submarine operations, which were commenced in 1908, by driving a pair of slopes out under Conception bay, opening. the mine for a distance of a mile and a half from the shore. Two other slopes, now driven just beyond the shore line, are being sunk to the submarine territory where, it is generally recognized, huge reserves of ore lie under the bay. The process of erosion of the land, the solution and re-disposition of its iron-bearing minerals in thick beds of ore have been considered elsewhere, but these bear small relation to the physical forces which have acted upon the ore-beds since the deposition of the strata. These physical changes are made manifest by jointing and cleavage and faulting. The discussion of these, the relation they bear to each other, and to the folding of the strata, is the purpose of this article. For the benefit of those who may not be familiar with the formation in which the ore occurs, I include a general summary of the geology of Be!! island and its environs; also a description of conditions that prevailed during the period of deposition, so that the reader may appreciate some of the later changes that took place during or subsequent to its emergence from the sea, and the folding or tilting of the strata to the position it now occupies.

Jan 1, 1924

By C. B. Kenahan

A summary of Bureau of Mines research on recycling, reuse, and disposal of mineral-, metal-, and energy-based wastes is presented, accompanied by an extensive bibliography of related publications. The Bureau's waste recycling and disposal program is directed toward the following four main areas of research and development: (1) extraction of mineral, metal, and energy values from urban refuse; (2) upgrading and recycling of automotive and related ferrous and nonferrous scrap; (3) recovery, utilization, and stabilization of mine and mill processing wastes, and (4) recovery and reuse of values from industrial waste products. This publication updates Bureau of Mines Information Circular 8529, which was issued August 1971.

Jan 1, 1973

By Henry C. Meeve

This report describes work done in the Creede Mining district, Mineral County, Colo., in 1965-66 as a part of a Bureau of Mines study of the silver production potential of the United States. The ruining history of the district is briefly covered, and representative former and current mining operations are described. Mining and milling costs of the Emperius Mining Company's operation are given in some detail as being representative of the cost of mining typical Creede ore bodies under current technology. An estimate of the silver reserves and resources of the district is presented, subject to many uncertainties stemming from inaccessibility of old workings, lack of mining records, and low level exploration activity, all of which limit the opportunity to accurately evaluate ore potential. The report concludes with an analysis of future silver production trends in the Creede district. An increase of silver production to as much as I million ounces yearly is projected, possibly starting in 1969. As long as ore bodies in the zone of enrichment, in which silver is a major constituent, contribute a substantial part of Creede production, silver price will affect overall production rates appreciably. As the richer are bodies become depleted, an increasing portion of production again will be coming from primary sulfide ores in which silver is a byproduct of lead and zinc. When this occurs, the level of silver production will be governed chiefly by lead and zinc production and prices and can be expected to decline to the 1960-66 level, which amounts to an average of 240,000 ounces per year.

Jan 1, 1968