Search Documents

By J. A. Botin, K. H. Singh

INTRODUCTION The Alfredo underground mine is one of the three mining operations of Rio Tinto Minera, S.A., all near the community of Rio Tinto in Huelva province of southwest Spain. The other two operations are Corta Atalaya open pit (Pyrite ore) and Cerro Colorado open pit (Copper ore 1. Underground mining of Alfredo Mine for pyrites started in the nineteenth century and continued without interruption until 1979 when it was discontinued due to economical reasons. In 1972, a new project was started for the mining of copper bearing ores on the footwall of the pyrite deposit. This copper ore is locally named “Cloritas” and it forms a nearly vertical and tabular shaped orebody which forms an envelope at the footwall of the San Dionisio pyrite orebody. Mining of the Cloritas commenced in 1975 using cut and fill stoping. In 1977, the original project was completely revised which led to the introduction of a bulk mining system to achieve a planned production of 3,000 tonnes of ore per day. This paper covers the economic and planning aspects of the mine and discusses the evolution of the mining method for the Cloritas orebody. A GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF THE CLORITAS OREBODY The “Masa San Dionisio” (figure 1 ) is a massive sulphide orebody located in the town of Rio Tinto, about 90 kilometres west of Sevilla, Spain. Extensive vein-type sulphide mineralization exists in the volcanic host rocks of the Masa San Dionisio. Within this area of stockwork veins, there is a higher concentration of copper in the form of chalcopyrite in a zone adjacent to and paralleling the contact with the massive sulphides. This copper envelope is locally referred to as the "Cloritas Orebody” and the ore within it is called "Cloritas”. The main zone of the Cloritas orebody, (figure 11, is tabular and nearly vertical having a length of 375-400 m east-west, a thickness of 20-50 m north-south, and a vertical extension of 500 m from the surface. In addition to this area, there is a second less important low grade area called zone 2A located to the north of the main zone below 26 Level which, in some sections, is not fully separated from the main zone. MINING METHODS Mining in Rio Tinto area can be traced back to the Phoenecians and the Romans. Modern day mining started with the demand for sulphuric acid during the last half of the nineteenth century. By 1971, more than 33 million tonnes of pyrite had been mined out of Alfredo Mine, (San Dionisio Orebody), using labor intensive drift and fill methods and also by open pit method. During the last decade, underground mining of the pyrite had become uneconomic due to lower prices and a slackening demand for pyrite, and the underground mining operations for pyrite were finally stopped in 1979. In 1971, a major change in the long range mining plans for Masa San Dionisio was established. Between 1971 and 1975, underground mining of pyrites was progressively reduced while open pit extraction was increased in

Jan 1, 1981

By Alec M. Crowell, J. W. Sanders

While the production of crude oil and condensate in South Arkansas increased only 1.7 per cent over the 1940 figure, complete utilization of gas produced with the oil and condensate, and heretofore wasted, was beginning to be evidenced. There were 26,229,264 bbl. of oil and condensate produced in South Arkansas during 1941, as against 25,790,380 bbl. for the year 1940. (Fig. I.) Since 1936, deep producing sands have been discovered in 18 fields and during that period only 40 per cent of the total state production has come from Upper Cretaceous formations while 60 per cent came from the Lower Cretaceous and Jurassic formations. The gas produced with crude oil and condensate from the latter formation contains large quantities of hydrogen sulphide, the maximum being 6900 grains per 100 cu. ft. in the Patton pool of Lafayette County. Gas Utilization During the latter part of 1940 and the early part of 1941, pilot plants were placed in operation to determine whether the hydrogen sulphide and deleterious material in South Arkansas gases could be removed economically. The Federal Government desired to build a large aluminum plant in the Ouachita Valley and was seeking cheap fuel for the generation of electricity. The fact that the gases were produced with appreciable quantities of crude oil and condensate made it available at a very low price, since the state's conservation law prohibits the flaring of any gas. As a result of these experiments the first large-scale unit for the processing of gases containing hydrogen sulphide was placed in operation on Sept. I, 1941. The plant is in the Magnolia oil field, Columbia County. It processes residue gas from the Shell Oil Company's gasoline plant in that field and also raw gas from the Village field, 6 miles east of the Magnolia field. The gas entering the desulphuri-zation unit is laden with approximately 1400 grains of hydrogen sulphide per 100 cu. ft. and is stripped to a content of 4 grains per 100 cu. ft. The capacity of the plant is 15 million cu. ft. of gas treated daily under a pressure of 160 lb. per sq. in. The cost of treatment, exclusive of depreciation, is appreciably less than I per 1000 cubic feet. Two other plants of much greater capacity have been announced and priorities have been granted, which should bring the total amount of gas treated to 150 million cu. ft. daily. The gas to be treated will have a maximum hydrogen sulphide content of 4500 grains per 100 cu. ft. and will be processed under a pressure of 600 lb. per sq. in. These developments are something entirely new in field practice for the industry. The fact that this heretofore wasted gas is available at very low cost has led to the location of some eight war industries within the state, in addition to the alu-minum plant. Recovery OF Sulphur The Susearch Corporation and the Southern Acid and Sulphur Co. placed in operation during 1941 pilot plants to de-

Jan 1, 1942

By Alec M. Crowell, J. W. Sanders

While the production of crude oil and condensate in South Arkansas increased only 1.7 per cent over the 1940 figure, complete utilization of gas produced with the oil and condensate, and heretofore wasted, was beginning to be evidenced. There were 26,229,264 bbl. of oil and condensate produced in South Arkansas during 1941, as against 25,790,380 bbl. for the year 1940. (Fig. I.) Since 1936, deep producing sands have been discovered in 18 fields and during that period only 40 per cent of the total state production has come from Upper Cretaceous formations while 60 per cent came from the Lower Cretaceous and Jurassic formations. The gas produced with crude oil and condensate from the latter formation contains large quantities of hydrogen sulphide, the maximum being 6900 grains per 100 cu. ft. in the Patton pool of Lafayette County. Gas Utilization During the latter part of 1940 and the early part of 1941, pilot plants were placed in operation to determine whether the hydrogen sulphide and deleterious material in South Arkansas gases could be removed economically. The Federal Government desired to build a large aluminum plant in the Ouachita Valley and was seeking cheap fuel for the generation of electricity. The fact that the gases were produced with appreciable quantities of crude oil and condensate made it available at a very low price, since the state's conservation law prohibits the flaring of any gas. As a result of these experiments the first large-scale unit for the processing of gases containing hydrogen sulphide was placed in operation on Sept. I, 1941. The plant is in the Magnolia oil field, Columbia County. It processes residue gas from the Shell Oil Company's gasoline plant in that field and also raw gas from the Village field, 6 miles east of the Magnolia field. The gas entering the desulphuri-zation unit is laden with approximately 1400 grains of hydrogen sulphide per 100 cu. ft. and is stripped to a content of 4 grains per 100 cu. ft. The capacity of the plant is 15 million cu. ft. of gas treated daily under a pressure of 160 lb. per sq. in. The cost of treatment, exclusive of depreciation, is appreciably less than I per 1000 cubic feet. Two other plants of much greater capacity have been announced and priorities have been granted, which should bring the total amount of gas treated to 150 million cu. ft. daily. The gas to be treated will have a maximum hydrogen sulphide content of 4500 grains per 100 cu. ft. and will be processed under a pressure of 600 lb. per sq. in. These developments are something entirely new in field practice for the industry. The fact that this heretofore wasted gas is available at very low cost has led to the location of some eight war industries within the state, in addition to the alu-minum plant. Recovery OF Sulphur The Susearch Corporation and the Southern Acid and Sulphur Co. placed in operation during 1941 pilot plants to de-

Jan 1, 1942

By E. R. Johnson

THE copper concentrator of the Braden Copper Co. is at Sewell, Chile, on the western flank of the main Cordillera of the Andes, at an air distance of approximately 50 miles southeast of Santiago, the capital of Chile. The region is mountainous and space is at a premium because of the rough terrain and the danger of snowslides. The ore, a porphyry copper, is mined by a block-caving method in the El Teniente mine. It is hauled to the crushing plant, a distance of 2.6 miles, through a tunnel because of the severe climatic conditions. The usual large, coarsely set, primary reduction machines found in many ore-treating plants are not required because of the mining method employed and the limiting 12-in. spacing of the grizzlies at the head of each ore pass in the mine. It is the purpose of this paper to describe the numerous improvements made in the crushing section of this large flotation concentrator during the past 15 years to increase the efficiency of the plant and to raise the daily output from around 20,000 to 30,000 tons. The reader should keep in mind that all changes were made within the existing building because of the limited space and the high cost of the heavy mill construction required to withstand the snow loads. The present plant, as well as the former, operates on a 24-hr, 7 days a week basis. FORMER PLANT The crushing plant commenced operations at its present site in 1921, the main equipment being No. 7 1/2 gyratories, followed by 48-in. horizontal Symons disk crushers. Fines were removed by 1-in. stationary grizzlies ahead of each unit. In 1924 a third stage of crushing was provided by the addition of 55 1/2-in. rolls in open circuit. During 1925, the Symons disks were replaced by 73 1/2-in. rolls. All the rolls were changed to closed circuit, with elevators and screens to give a final product of 9 pct plus 3-mesh. The flowsheet of a typical crushing section of this period is shown in Fig I. The ore was withdrawn from a common bin serving the five crushing sections in the plant by means of any number up to six 36-in. wide-apron feeders, which discharged onto a common conveyor belt. This conveyor was equipped with a magnetic head pulley and the crusher attendant was stationed near the discharge end to pick out pieces of mine timber that might be in the ore. The ore was discharged over a 1 3/4-in. spaced bar grizzly and the oversize of this grizzly was crushed by a No. 7 1/2 McCully gyratory crusher set at 1 3/4-in. opening on the closed side. The grizzly undersize joined the gyratory discharge and was conveyed to a set of 73 1/2 by 20-in. Garfield rolls set at I in. These rolls operated in closed circuit with a bucket elevator and two vibrating screens placed in parallel.

Jan 1, 1947

By Robert S. Dewey

Drilling in West Texas during 1942 was substantially less than in the previous year. In all. 1267 Wells were drilled, as compared with 2325 wells in 1941. Of these 1267 wells, 1052 oil wells, 10 gas wells and 69 dry holes were drilled in proven fields and 36 oil wells, one gas well and 99 dry holes were wildcat operations. Of the 36 wildcat wells completed as oil producers, 16 led to new field discoveries, three found new productive horizons in old fields, and 17 extended the productive limits of established fields. Where semiwildcat drilling took place along established productive trends, there was often no sharp demarcation between wildcat wells that extend field limits and normal development to fulfil lease obligations, other than the arbitrary classification of a well as a wildcat if it was drilled at a distance of 2 miles from a producing oil well. The dry hole drilled on the edge of a field may have proved a more hazardous operation than a semiwildcat drilled several miles from production but favorably located on structure. The percentage of successful wildcatting ranges from 26.5 down to 14 per cent, dependent upon the degree of inclusion of the semiwildcat operations. Irrespective of which figure was used, the West Texas area maintained its better than average exploratory position. No doubt a number of factors may have influenced the extent of the 1942 development. Among those arising from the economic dislocation attendant on the war effort, the following are worthy of note. Owing to inductions into the armed forces and shipyard competition for mechanically trained men, experienced drilling personnel was sharply reduced, thereby increasing drilling costs and well-completion hazards. Replacement labor has not met the same standard of responsibility or workmanship to which the oil industry has grown accustomed. Increased military consumption of aviation gasoline and other crude products, coupled with decreased domestic consumption of lower-octane gasoline, has stimulated the market demand for the types of sweet crude most readily processed with available refinery equipment to meet war requirements, and has depressed the market demand for the sour West Texas crudes. As a majority of the purchasers of West Texas crude normally ship a substantial portion of sour crude to the refineries on the Atlantic seaboard, the loss and diversion of tanker service between Gulf Coast and north Atlantic ports have further curtailed the market demand for this type of crude oil. As some purchasers of crude oil were able to move by pipe line their West Texas trunk-line capacity to Midwestern refining centers, they were not impelled to curtail purchases of West Texas crude. The varying ability of the purchasers of crude oil to market West Texas crude was reflected back to various fields to which they were connected, causing an unequal distribution of production as among fields and operators. The pipe-line runs from the West Texas-New Mexico area decreased from approximately 354,000 bbl. Per day in January to about 265,000 bbl. in December 1942. .Approximately 2,991,000 bbl. of West

Jan 1, 1943

By Robert S. Dewey

Drilling in West Texas during 1942 was substantially less than in the previous year. In all. 1267 Wells were drilled, as compared with 2325 wells in 1941. Of these 1267 wells, 1052 oil wells, 10 gas wells and 69 dry holes were drilled in proven fields and 36 oil wells, one gas well and 99 dry holes were wildcat operations. Of the 36 wildcat wells completed as oil producers, 16 led to new field discoveries, three found new productive horizons in old fields, and 17 extended the productive limits of established fields. Where semiwildcat drilling took place along established productive trends, there was often no sharp demarcation between wildcat wells that extend field limits and normal development to fulfil lease obligations, other than the arbitrary classification of a well as a wildcat if it was drilled at a distance of 2 miles from a producing oil well. The dry hole drilled on the edge of a field may have proved a more hazardous operation than a semiwildcat drilled several miles from production but favorably located on structure. The percentage of successful wildcatting ranges from 26.5 down to 14 per cent, dependent upon the degree of inclusion of the semiwildcat operations. Irrespective of which figure was used, the West Texas area maintained its better than average exploratory position. No doubt a number of factors may have influenced the extent of the 1942 development. Among those arising from the economic dislocation attendant on the war effort, the following are worthy of note. Owing to inductions into the armed forces and shipyard competition for mechanically trained men, experienced drilling personnel was sharply reduced, thereby increasing drilling costs and well-completion hazards. Replacement labor has not met the same standard of responsibility or workmanship to which the oil industry has grown accustomed. Increased military consumption of aviation gasoline and other crude products, coupled with decreased domestic consumption of lower-octane gasoline, has stimulated the market demand for the types of sweet crude most readily processed with available refinery equipment to meet war requirements, and has depressed the market demand for the sour West Texas crudes. As a majority of the purchasers of West Texas crude normally ship a substantial portion of sour crude to the refineries on the Atlantic seaboard, the loss and diversion of tanker service between Gulf Coast and north Atlantic ports have further curtailed the market demand for this type of crude oil. As some purchasers of crude oil were able to move by pipe line their West Texas trunk-line capacity to Midwestern refining centers, they were not impelled to curtail purchases of West Texas crude. The varying ability of the purchasers of crude oil to market West Texas crude was reflected back to various fields to which they were connected, causing an unequal distribution of production as among fields and operators. The pipe-line runs from the West Texas-New Mexico area decreased from approximately 354,000 bbl. Per day in January to about 265,000 bbl. in December 1942. .Approximately 2,991,000 bbl. of West

Jan 1, 1943

By E. J. Whittenberger

OVER the past two decades, the Cr-Ni stainless steels, popularly termed 18-8 steels, have been used in ever increasing amounts in the aircraft, automotive, chemical, transportation, and building industries.' The contribution of nickel to these steels is associated with its strong austenite forming tendencies which assure good hot and cold forming characteristics, and with its beneficial influence upon corrosion resistance, especially in oxidizing acids. The adjustment of the chromium and nickel contents has been used advantageously in controlling the rollability and the response of the mechanical properties of these steels to cold reduction. With the advent of the jet age and the government stockpiling of nickel, considerable emphasis has been placed upon the development of satisfactory low nickel or nickel-free substitute austenitic stainless steels, especially for nonmilitary applications.2 Fer-ritic 17 pct Cr (AISI Type 430) stainless steel has been effectively substituted for the austenitic grades in applications with mildly corrosive exposure. However, the limited formability and ferromagnetic behavior of this grade do not permit its satisfactory use for many applications. To achieve better formability in a nenmagnetic steel and conserve nickel, a number of low nickel substitute austenitic grades of stainless steel have been developed in recent years. In most of these steels, manganese and nitrogen have been substituted for a portion of the nickel content, for example, 17 pct Cr-4 pct Ni-6 pct Mn (AISI Type 201), 18 pct Cr-5 pct Ni-8 pct Mn (AISI Type 202), and 16 pct Cr-1 pct Ni-17 pct Mn, all of which contain approximately 0.15 pct N.1 The precipitation of ferrite when large ingots of these Cr-Ni-Mn-N steels are heated to temperatures high enough for conversion to slabs on conventional universal slabbing mills has seriously affected the hot workability of these steels. This has been especially true in the case of the 16 pct Cr-1 pct Ni-17 pct Mn (sometimes referred to as 15 pct Cr-1 pct Ni-15 pct Mn) composition." Because it is possible that little, if any, nickel will be available for nonmilitary stainless steel applications in the event of a national emergency, a need has existed for a nickel-free austenitic stainless steel containing hot and cold forming characteristics similar to 18-8 steels and corrosion resistance at least comparable to the 17 pct Cr ferritic steel. The aforementioned deleterious effect of ferrite upon the hot working characteristics of the 16 pct Cr-1 pct Ni-17 pct Mn, steel indicates the importance of establishing the austenite-austenite plus ferrite phase boundaries as the first step in the development of nickel-free or low nickel substitute steels. This paper presents the data collected in an elevated temperature constitutional study of the Cr-Ni-Mn-N system at the South Works of the United States Steel Corp. Experimental Procedure The 300 compositions used in the investigation were melted in a 26 Ib induction furnace and cast in 3 14 in. diam by 18 in tall hot-tcpped ingot mo1ds.

Jan 1, 1958

By W. Tempelaar Lietz

The Ten Section oil field is located in the San Joaquin Valley in Kern County, California. about 12 miles southwest of Bakersfield in Township 30 South, Ranges 25 and 26 East. The accumulation is in a low relief anticlinal dome and has a productive area of approximately 2,200 acres. Discovered in 1936 as a result of seismic work, it was the first field on the floor of the Valley to obtain production. It had a small primary gas cap, and since its inception has been produced by depletion with controlled withdrawal from the gas cap to minimize blowthrough. STRUCTURE AND STRATIGRAPHY The Ten Section structure is an elongated anticlinal dome with flank dips of only about 7 degrees. A map of the field, now fully developed, and a composite log are shown in Figs. 1 and 2. Contours shown on the map are on the top of the first zone, or Marker XA as indicated on the composite log. As shown, the field has a productive closure of only some 350 feet, and there apparently is no faulting in the reservoir. The productive measures in Ten Section are of Upper Miocene age and are known as the Stevens sand. They contain thin, irregular shale or siltstone streaks which vary considerably in stratigraphic position and thickness and apparently are rather discontinuous. As a result, individual sands and shales cannot be correlated over any appreciable area, which makes it difficult to subdivide the sand body into separate zones which are distinct throughout the field. However, there are two fairly persistent siltstone bodies that at the time of development were considered to divide the productive measures into three - zones. The first, or uppermost zone is productive over the entire field and has an average thickness of 180 feet, of which some 65 per cent is sand. It had a primary. gas cap in the crestal area with an areal extent of 930 acres. The second zone has a productive area somewhat smaller than the first zone, but it did not have any original gas cap. It has an average thickness of about 360 feet, of which 55 per cent is sand. The third zone has a very limited areal extent and a maximum productive thickness of 100 feet, of which 80 per cent is sand. Recently, a deeper oil accumulation, termed the "53" sand, was discovered, but it is not discussed in this analysis. In the first and second zones the water table was at 7,980 feet subsea, while in the third zone it was at 8,080 feet subsea. RESERVOIR CHARACTERISTICS Sand Characteristics The Stevens sand in Ten Section is hard and well consolidated, and numerous wells were cored for core analysis. Core data on four representative wells are shown, plotted beside the electric logs in Figs. 3 to 6. The average porosity is 20 per cent, with porosities ranging from 15 to 30 per cent. It is estimated, from cores taken with oil base muds, that the interstitial water content is about 40 per cent. The average weighted permeability is approximately 140, with measured permeabilities ranging from 10 to 3,000 md. As might be expected with practically no correlation of individual sand

Jan 1, 1949

By W. Tempelaar Lietz

The Ten Section oil field is located in the San Joaquin Valley in Kern County, California. about 12 miles southwest of Bakersfield in Township 30 South, Ranges 25 and 26 East. The accumulation is in a low relief anticlinal dome and has a productive area of approximately 2,200 acres. Discovered in 1936 as a result of seismic work, it was the first field on the floor of the Valley to obtain production. It had a small primary gas cap, and since its inception has been produced by depletion with controlled withdrawal from the gas cap to minimize blowthrough. STRUCTURE AND STRATIGRAPHY The Ten Section structure is an elongated anticlinal dome with flank dips of only about 7 degrees. A map of the field, now fully developed, and a composite log are shown in Figs. 1 and 2. Contours shown on the map are on the top of the first zone, or Marker XA as indicated on the composite log. As shown, the field has a productive closure of only some 350 feet, and there apparently is no faulting in the reservoir. The productive measures in Ten Section are of Upper Miocene age and are known as the Stevens sand. They contain thin, irregular shale or siltstone streaks which vary considerably in stratigraphic position and thickness and apparently are rather discontinuous. As a result, individual sands and shales cannot be correlated over any appreciable area, which makes it difficult to subdivide the sand body into separate zones which are distinct throughout the field. However, there are two fairly persistent siltstone bodies that at the time of development were considered to divide the productive measures into three - zones. The first, or uppermost zone is productive over the entire field and has an average thickness of 180 feet, of which some 65 per cent is sand. It had a primary. gas cap in the crestal area with an areal extent of 930 acres. The second zone has a productive area somewhat smaller than the first zone, but it did not have any original gas cap. It has an average thickness of about 360 feet, of which 55 per cent is sand. The third zone has a very limited areal extent and a maximum productive thickness of 100 feet, of which 80 per cent is sand. Recently, a deeper oil accumulation, termed the "53" sand, was discovered, but it is not discussed in this analysis. In the first and second zones the water table was at 7,980 feet subsea, while in the third zone it was at 8,080 feet subsea. RESERVOIR CHARACTERISTICS Sand Characteristics The Stevens sand in Ten Section is hard and well consolidated, and numerous wells were cored for core analysis. Core data on four representative wells are shown, plotted beside the electric logs in Figs. 3 to 6. The average porosity is 20 per cent, with porosities ranging from 15 to 30 per cent. It is estimated, from cores taken with oil base muds, that the interstitial water content is about 40 per cent. The average weighted permeability is approximately 140, with measured permeabilities ranging from 10 to 3,000 md. As might be expected with practically no correlation of individual sand

Jan 1, 1949

By Oliver Bowles

AMONG mining men as well as in the popular mind the conviction has held sway that mining is pre-eminently a western industry. True it is that gold, silver, copper and other metals have made the States of California, Colorado, Montana, Utah. Nevada and Arizona famous. The prominence attained by these States as mineral producers is, however, not measured alone by the money value of the products of their mines. While the metals are without doubt indispensable in industry, the glamour of the precious metals, and the lure of copper, lead and zinc have given to their ore deposits a sentimental interest that often quite out-weighs their commercial importance. Today a great group of more commonplace minerals are finding a place in commerce and industry rivaling that of the metals, but there is little sentiment attached to them, and,. therefore, they attain relatively little publicity. This is the great group of the non-metallic minerals, exclusive of fuels and oils, including stone, sand and gravel, cement, lime, gypsum, asbestos, mica, phos-phate rock and many others. Almost unnoticed they have grown in production to almost unbelievable pro-portions. The estimated value of metal production for 1925 is given as $1,380,000,000, of the non-metals (ex-cluding fuels) $1,294,000,000. The non-metallic industries are not new, many of them date back almost to pre-historic times; but, as the greatest of them (on a tonnage basis) provides raw materials for the construction industries, it required the activities of the present age of construction to bring about their enormous development. Many of them enter manufacturing as well as con-struction. Non-metallic minerals constitute the back-bone of our great chemical industries. While construction and manufacture reach to all parts of the country their widest development has been in the great industrial centers of the eastern Seaboard and the middle West. Consequently the raw materials of mineral origin required for these great industries have attained a remarkable growth in the eastern half of the- United States. In compiling figures of mineral production for 1924, for which more complete data are available than for later years, the surprising fact is brought to light that the non-metallic mineral produc-tion alone of some of the eastern and middle-western States exceeds by a substantial margin the total min-eral production of some of the western States that have been classed as essentially mining States. Thus the non-metallic mineral production, exclusive of coal and petroleum, of the State of Ohio, was approximately $150,000,000; of Pennsylvania $175,000,000; and of New York $107,000,000. For the same year, 1924, the total mineral production of Utah was $84,357,000; of Montana $70,632,000; of Colorado $61,488,000; and of Nevada only $26,226,000. Even Minnesota, with its enormous iron ore production, reached only $107,845,-000, or a sum about equivalent to the non-metallic min-eral production of the State of New York.

Jan 8, 1927

By R. S. Kinasevich, D. D. Crabtree, D. W. Fuerstenau, T. P. Meloy, A. L. Mular

The effect of such variables as feed size, particle shape, cleavage, and hardness on the relative proportion of impact, abrasion, and chipping events in a tumbling mill is demonstrated. The concept of an average event, which is a combination of the three comminution mechanisms, is introduced. It is postulated that the average event in a particular mill determines not only the size distribution but also the energy-size reduction relationship for the comminution process. Fragmentation of particles in tumbling mills appears to result from a combination of impact, abrasion, and chipping grinding.' The relative rates of size reduction attributable to any of the basic grinding mechanisms must depend upon a number of variables, such as feed size, particle shape, hardness, and the number and kind of particles in the mill. The purpose of this paper is to show experimentally how these variables in the properties of materials affect the size distributions obtained by grinding the material's in a laboratory tumbling mill. The resulting size distributions will be intetpreted in terms of a combination of three comminution mechanisms. METHODS AND MATERIALS In this study, minerals of widely differing properties were ground either separately or as mixtures in laboratory mills using rods or balls for grinding media. The materials used include quartz, Tuolomne, limestone (99.8% CaCO3), barite, corundum, galena, pyrite, glass beads, and crushed glass. The mill used was 8 in. in diam. and 9-1/4 in. long. For the ball milling tests, 17.6 kg of steel balls (36: 7/8 in. balls, 178: 1 in. balls, and 44: 1-1/8 to 1-1/4 in. balls) were used. For the rod milling experiments, 17.6 kg of steel rods 9-1/16 in. long (25: 5/8 in., 10: 3/4 in., and 5: 7/8 in. in diam.) were used. In each test, 1 kg of solids were ground wet at 60% solids at 77 rpm. In all cases except where otherwise specified, the feed to the mill was 4 x 8 mesh material. Size distributions of the ground products were determined by a wet-dry sieving procedure with Tyler series sieves. Size distributions of mixed products containing limestone were determined by dissolving the limestone with acid and sizing the residue. EXPERIMENTAL RESULTS AND DISCUSSION If the size distribution of the product from a tumbling mill depends upon the relative proportion of impact and attrition (abrasion and chipping) events, altering the grinding conditions may change these proportions and consequently alter the size distribution of the product. Data to illustrate this point can be taken from Gaudin's classic 1926 paper.2 In one series of experiments, Gaudin ground quartz of different initial sizes for four hours in a laboratory ball mill with 7/8-in. balls. In Fig. 1, his data are reproduced as the cumulative fraction finer than the stated size for the following initial feed sizes: 13.3 x 9.4 mm, 6.7 x 4.7 mm, 2.6 x 1.6 mm, and 0.83 x 0.59 mm. As the feed size was decreased, a dramatic change in the shape of the size distribution curves took place, even though the amount of minus 100-mesh

Jan 1, 1964

James W. Malcolmson died suddenly on Dec. 26, 1917, at Kansas City, Mo., where he had made his home for the past ten years. He was born at Dover, Kent, England, on Oct. 6, 1866. He graduated from the Royal School of Science, London, England, in 1889, and almost immediately after graduation came to Mexico, accepting a position with the Michoacan Railway and Mining Co., as mining and mechanical engineer. His work in the mining profession was carried on principally in Msxiac and the United States. • In 1888, he married Katherine Haden Krause, of Woolwich, Kent, England, and leaves, besides his wife, five sons and one daughter. During Mr. Malcolmson's long and successful career as a mining engineer, he was connected with the following companies: from 1889 to 1893, with the Michoacan Railway and Mining Co., as mining and mechanical engineer; from 1893 to 1898, in various capacities with the Kansas City Smelting & Refining Co.; after the consolidation of the Kansas City Smelting & Refining Co. with the American Smelting & Refining Co., he remained as manager of the mining department in Mexico of the American Smelting & Refining Co. until 1902. In 1902, he located in El Paso, and took up the practice of his profession as a consulting engineer. While there, he was consulting engineer for the famous and rich Pedrazzini mines at Chispas, in the State of Sonora. He was instrumental in organizing the La Republics mine in Chihuahua, and for a time acted as consulting engineer for the property. He remained in El Paso until 1907 and then moved to Kansas City and became associated with the United States & Mexican Trust Co., as consulting engineer. In 1909, he became connected with The Lucky Tiger Combination Gold Mining Co., as its consulting engineer, and continued in this connection and in the general practice of his profession as consulting engineer until his death.. His general policy in connection with the Lucky Tiger company was always a progressive one and the success of the enterprise can be largely attributed to him and his good judgment. Mr. Malcolmson contributed several articles to the Institute at different times, one of them being on the ore deposits of the Sierra Mojada Mining District, in 1901. Much of his work was in Mexico, and during his long residence in that country he acquired a very thorough knowledge of the Mexican people and their customs. During the revolution, from 1910 to 1916, this knowledge was of great value in connection with his work for the Lucky Tiger company, and often assisted greatly in keeping the property going. Mr. Malcolmson was one of the very widely known men in his profession; he was everywhere held in the very highest regard, and his position among men in the mining profession was an enviable and honorable one. At the time of his death, besides being consulting engineer for the Lucky Tiger company, he was interested in mines in the Miami zinc fields and was acting as consulting engineer for two of the operating properties there. He invested to quite an extent in real estate when he moved to Kansas City in 1907 and his investments in this line proved successful.

Jan 1, 1920

By Ralph E. Esarey, George V. Cohee

In Indiana, 349 wells were drilled for oil and gas in the year 1942. Of this number, 125 oil wells and 21 gas wells were successfully completed and 203 were dry holes. Drilling activity declined 37 per cent as compared with that of the year 1941. This reduction was brought about largely by Federal Conservation Order M-68, restricting drilling to one well on 40 acres, in order to save steel. This Order was later supplemented to permit closer spacing of wells drilled to sandstone formations in southwestern Indiana. Most of the drilling in 1942 was in the southwestern part of the state. Posey County ranked first, with 94 completions and 44 producers; Gibson County, second, with 77 completions and 38 producing oil wells and 2 gas wells. There were 58 drilling operations in the state at the end of the year. During 1942 a total of 589,734 ft. of hole was drilled, of which 231,702 ft. was wildcat footage. The total initial production of the oil wells completed was 9974 bbl. and of the gas wells, 11,148,000 cu. ft. (Table 2). Of the 349 wells completed, 122 were wildcat wells (Table 3); 26 were completed as oil wells; 17 were extensions to proven fields and 9 discovered new pools. Posey County was foremost in wildcat drilling, with 37 wells completed (Table 6). Thirty-five per cent of the wells drilled in 1942 were wildcat, as compared with 25.5 per cent in 1941. It is anticipated that the percentage of wildcat wells drilled in 1943 will be greater, although the total number ol ,wells drilled in the state will probably be less. The new discoveries in Indiana in I942 were, for the most part, one-well pools in the southwestern part—in Posey, Gibson and Spencer Counties (Table 4). Most of the development in pools took place in the . Hazelton and Kirksville pools in Gibson County, Mr. Vernon pool in Posey County and the Vernon Heights pool in Vander-burgh County. Deeper production was obtained from the Osage limestone in the Hazelton pool at a depth of 2402 ft., 650 ft. below the productive McClosky limestone. The well had an initial production of 140 barrels. Extensions to 17 pools in the southwestern part of the state were successfully completed (Table 5). An interesting development during 1942 was new production from the Devonian limestone in the Dodds Bridge pool, Sullivan County. The Ohio Oil Co. deepened one of its wells, which had been producing from a shallow sand, to the,Devonian, and it was completed for an initial production of 77 bbl. Five other Devonian producing wells were completed in that area. Crude-oil production in Indiana in 1942 was 6,609,000 bbl. (Table I). The Griffin field, Gibson and Posey Counties, which produced approximately 3,550,000 bbl., accounted for more than half of the state's production. The Mt, Vernon and New Harmony fields were next in importance of production, with 684,000 and 523,000 bbl., respectively. The price of crude oil was $1.22 a barrel for the old

Jan 1, 1943

By George V. Cohee, Ralph E. Esarey

In Indiana, 349 wells were drilled for oil and gas in the year 1942. Of this number, 125 oil wells and 21 gas wells were successfully completed and 203 were dry holes. Drilling activity declined 37 per cent as compared with that of the year 1941. This reduction was brought about largely by Federal Conservation Order M-68, restricting drilling to one well on 40 acres, in order to save steel. This Order was later supplemented to permit closer spacing of wells drilled to sandstone formations in southwestern Indiana. Most of the drilling in 1942 was in the southwestern part of the state. Posey County ranked first, with 94 completions and 44 producers; Gibson County, second, with 77 completions and 38 producing oil wells and 2 gas wells. There were 58 drilling operations in the state at the end of the year. During 1942 a total of 589,734 ft. of hole was drilled, of which 231,702 ft. was wildcat footage. The total initial production of the oil wells completed was 9974 bbl. and of the gas wells, 11,148,000 cu. ft. (Table 2). Of the 349 wells completed, 122 were wildcat wells (Table 3); 26 were completed as oil wells; 17 were extensions to proven fields and 9 discovered new pools. Posey County was foremost in wildcat drilling, with 37 wells completed (Table 6). Thirty-five per cent of the wells drilled in 1942 were wildcat, as compared with 25.5 per cent in 1941. It is anticipated that the percentage of wildcat wells drilled in 1943 will be greater, although the total number ol ,wells drilled in the state will probably be less. The new discoveries in Indiana in I942 were, for the most part, one-well pools in the southwestern part—in Posey, Gibson and Spencer Counties (Table 4). Most of the development in pools took place in the . Hazelton and Kirksville pools in Gibson County, Mr. Vernon pool in Posey County and the Vernon Heights pool in Vander-burgh County. Deeper production was obtained from the Osage limestone in the Hazelton pool at a depth of 2402 ft., 650 ft. below the productive McClosky limestone. The well had an initial production of 140 barrels. Extensions to 17 pools in the southwestern part of the state were successfully completed (Table 5). An interesting development during 1942 was new production from the Devonian limestone in the Dodds Bridge pool, Sullivan County. The Ohio Oil Co. deepened one of its wells, which had been producing from a shallow sand, to the,Devonian, and it was completed for an initial production of 77 bbl. Five other Devonian producing wells were completed in that area. Crude-oil production in Indiana in 1942 was 6,609,000 bbl. (Table I). The Griffin field, Gibson and Posey Counties, which produced approximately 3,550,000 bbl., accounted for more than half of the state's production. The Mt, Vernon and New Harmony fields were next in importance of production, with 684,000 and 523,000 bbl., respectively. The price of crude oil was $1.22 a barrel for the old

Jan 1, 1943

By J. C. Fisher, J. H. Hollomon

The fundamental problem concerning the fracture of both crystalline and noncrystalline solids is the divergence between the actua1 and the theorcticallY computed fracture stresses; the stress required for fracture, computed from the forces between atoms, is many times that actually observed with commcrcinlly available materials. Computatiolls have been made,,2 indicating that the theoretical fracture stress should be from 100 to 1000 times that actually observed. There are other incidental problems that have arisen, perhaps the most importallt of which is the problem of size effect often observed in the measurement of the fracture stress of non-metallic solids, such as glass. Another effect conccrns the relation between deformation and the stress required for fracture, Experiments recently made with pearlitic steels indicate that the tensile fracture stress increases with increasing tensile deformation and decreases with increasing prior com-pressive deformation, This marked ani-sotropy of the effect of deformation on the fracture stress is in contrast with the essential isotropy of the flow stress. Early experiments on rock salt crystals by Joffe, et al.3 have illustrated the effect of tensile strain in increasing the tensile stress required for fracture. A consistent theory must be constructed that will explain not only the divergence, of the measured fracture stress from the theoretical value, the size effect, and the ergence of deformation; but will also explain and predict the effects of combined stress, of temperature, of strain rate, and of metallurgical structure. With respect to this last variable, it has now been relatively well established that the carbide particle is the clement of structure controlling the fracture of steels. In steels carbide particles vary in shape from plates to spheroids. It has been found that not only docs the magnitude Of the Fracture stress depend upon the size and shape of these particles. but also its dcpendencc upon strain is affected by changes in 'hap' an' size Or the particles. The precipitate resulting from the age hardening Of duralumin also modifies the fracture stress of this alloy. Nonmetallic inclusions greatly lower the fracture stress of all metals. The magnitude of the lowering depends 0' the size and shape of the included particles. In glass, the major source of the low fracture stress has been fairly conclusively demonstrate' by Griffith4 '0 arise from real flaws or cracks present in the material. He showed that the stress concentration at the end of a defect was of suficient magnitude to raise the stress at this location to a value comparable with the theoretical strength Of the material. If the cracks were reduced in size, Griffith showed that the observed fracture slrength the by virtue Of the decrease in stress concentration. He also pointed out that cracks disposed perpendicularly to the applied tensile stress would be more effective in lowering the fracture

Jan 1, 1947

By J. H. Hollomon, J. C. Fisher

The fundamental problem concerning the fracture of both crystalline and noncrystalline solids is the divergence between the actua1 and the theorcticallY computed fracture stresses; the stress required for fracture, computed from the forces between atoms, is many times that actually observed with commcrcinlly available materials. Computatiolls have been made,,2 indicating that the theoretical fracture stress should be from 100 to 1000 times that actually observed. There are other incidental problems that have arisen, perhaps the most importallt of which is the problem of size effect often observed in the measurement of the fracture stress of non-metallic solids, such as glass. Another effect conccrns the relation between deformation and the stress required for fracture, Experiments recently made with pearlitic steels indicate that the tensile fracture stress increases with increasing tensile deformation and decreases with increasing prior com-pressive deformation, This marked ani-sotropy of the effect of deformation on the fracture stress is in contrast with the essential isotropy of the flow stress. Early experiments on rock salt crystals by Joffe, et al.3 have illustrated the effect of tensile strain in increasing the tensile stress required for fracture. A consistent theory must be constructed that will explain not only the divergence, of the measured fracture stress from the theoretical value, the size effect, and the ergence of deformation; but will also explain and predict the effects of combined stress, of temperature, of strain rate, and of metallurgical structure. With respect to this last variable, it has now been relatively well established that the carbide particle is the clement of structure controlling the fracture of steels. In steels carbide particles vary in shape from plates to spheroids. It has been found that not only docs the magnitude Of the Fracture stress depend upon the size and shape of these particles. but also its dcpendencc upon strain is affected by changes in 'hap' an' size Or the particles. The precipitate resulting from the age hardening Of duralumin also modifies the fracture stress of this alloy. Nonmetallic inclusions greatly lower the fracture stress of all metals. The magnitude of the lowering depends 0' the size and shape of the included particles. In glass, the major source of the low fracture stress has been fairly conclusively demonstrate' by Griffith4 '0 arise from real flaws or cracks present in the material. He showed that the stress concentration at the end of a defect was of suficient magnitude to raise the stress at this location to a value comparable with the theoretical strength Of the material. If the cracks were reduced in size, Griffith showed that the observed fracture slrength the by virtue Of the decrease in stress concentration. He also pointed out that cracks disposed perpendicularly to the applied tensile stress would be more effective in lowering the fracture

Jan 1, 1947

By Rebecca Mae Summer

Increasing urbanization and industrial activity require increased supplies of sand and gravel. This means expanded surface mining and despoiled land near population centers. Highly competitive land use demands justify serious consideration of premining planning for multiple land use and reclamation concurrent with mining. 1-5 Formulating solutions to environmentally and economically sound uses requires a comprehensive approach based on properties of the natural resource base--geology, soils, and water. A study of sand and gravel mining within Pleistocene-Holocene fluvial deposits in Colorado County. Texas [(Fig. 1)] illustrates how physical limitations imposed by the resource base are determined.6,7 Data from drillers, logs of water wells, test boreholes, field observations, and laboratory analyses are used to evaluate these physical controls. Knowledge of the thickness and composition of overburden aids in developing optimum reclamation and revegetation plans. Most of the overburden in the study area [(Fig. 2, 3)] is a clayey mud with variable amounts of silt and fine sand. A comparative textural analysis of overburden and native soil is used to assess changes incurred by mining and for evaluating other physical characteristics, e.g., ability to support crops, permeability. and shrink-swell potential. Textures are correlated with soil types found in the area [(Table 1)] to get an approximation of probable surface properties expected from these mined materials. Results of textural analyses [(Table 2)] indicate that separating topsoils from overburden during mining is not necessary because the range of overburden textures is about that of native soils. However, more data is needed on nutrient deficiencies to evaluate fertilizer requirements for successful revegetation.*6

Jan 1, 1979

By J. P. Zannaras

If we assume that testing of the model started at time C, that time t2 was the instant at which the elastic limit of the material was passed at the points of the maximum stress, and that at time t3 the failure of the model was completed as shown in the typical photograph (Fig. 1), then actually the photograph shows the final results of what took place between time t2 and t3. By the principle of similitude all conclusions drawn from the behavior of the model were applicable and valid for actual mine roofs up to the time t, after time t, motions and friction came into play during the destruction of the model. The events between t2 and t3 and the photograph itself are not representative of the events expected in an actual mine roof unless corrections imposed by the principle of similitude are made.

Dec 1, 1956

By R. Ruka, E. A. Gulbransen

ONE of the interesting questions in the understanding of the reaction of iron with oxygen is the kinetics and the mechanism of the crystal structure changes occurring in the formation and breakdown of the oxide film. In a recent work' the electron diffraction method was applied to the study of the solid phase reactions occurring internally in the oxide film on iron above 570°C and under vacuum conditions. The higher oxides which form under oxidizing conditions are reduced internally by the diffusion of iron into the oxide leaving the bulk of the oxide FeO (wüstite). This paper will ask and consider three questions. These are: (1) What is the nature of the depressed transformation temperature for the Fe3O4 + Fe ? 4Fe0 reaction in very thin oxide films?; (2) What is the mechanism of the forward transformation of Fe3O4 to FeO at or near 570°C?; and (3) What is the nature and mechanism of the slow reverse transformation of FeO to Fe3O4 and Fe below 570°C?. The composition of the oxide as well as its electrical, magnetic, mechanical, and chemical properties depends upon the kinetics of these reactions. Literature Survey The composition of the oxide film on pure iron at temperatures up to 570°C has been studied extensively by the electron diffraction method. Nelson,' Jackson and Quarrell,3 and Gulbransen and Hick-man4 have shown that Fe3O4 and a-Fe2O8 are formed in the temperature range of 225" to 570°C, while y-Fe,O, is most likely formed below 225°C for long oxidation times. In very thin films FeO (wüstite) is found to form at temperatures as low as 400°C, and its existence depends essentially upon the extent of initial oxidation. FeO is not found in the formation of thick films below 570°C. On the other hand X-ray5 and micrographic8 studies show that Fe3O4 may exist as the main com-ponent in thick films up to 650°C, well above the equilibrium temperature for the reaction Fe3O4 + Fe ? 4FeO. The kinetics of the forward and reverse trans-formations of the reaction Fe3O4 + Fe ? 4FeO have not been studied in oxide films. However, analysis of the data of Gulbransen and Hickman4 on the heat-ing and cooling of iron oxide films of known thick-nesses in high vacua shows that the forward reac-tion proceeds rapidly even for a 4000 A film at temperatures of 575" to 600°C. The reverse reaction or decomposition of wüstite (FeO) occurs at tem-peratures below 450°C. Thus, there appears to be a slow process in the decomposition which is in marked contrast to the rapid forward reaction. The decomposition of a bulk sample of FeO free from the metal has been studied extensively by Chaudron, Benard and coworkers using the micro-graphic, X-ray diffraction, and thermomagnetic methods. Chaudron7,8 first observed that the de-composition of FeO (wüstite) below 570°C occurs by the reaction 4FeO ? Fe3O4 + Fe. Later work by Chaudron and Forestier5 showed that the rate of de-

Jan 1, 1951

By H. M. Morse

Tinsley Oil Field.—Mississippi joined the oil-producing states when on Sept. 13, 1939, the Union Producing Company's G. C. Woodruff well No. 1, sec. 13, T. 10 N., R. 3 W., Yazoo County, was completed after drilling plug at 4540 ft. in the Woodruff sand of the Eutaw formation of Cretaceous, producing 300 bbl. per day of 34.4" gravity oil through a ¼-in. choke, with a gas-oil ratio of 80 to 1 and bottom-hole pressure of 2045 lb. This was the discovery well in the Tinsley oil field. The well was drilled to a total depth of 4567 ft. and no salt water was encountered. The sand underlies the Selma chalk formation. Nine producing oil wells and one dry hole were drilled and completed by the end of 1939. Two producing sands have been found in the Eutaw and a third sand in the top of the Tuscaloosa formation, called the Woodbine sand in Louisiana and Texas. Faulting is an important factor in the Tinsley field. Total oil production has been approximately 250,000 bbl. from the nine flowing wells. Total depth to top of productive zone was 4540 ft.; to bottoms of productive wells, 4580 ft. Net thickness of the producing formation is 20 to 40 ft., and its porosity is 24 per cent. The deepest zone tested was the Tuscaloosa, in which the depth of hole was 6112 feet. Six hundred and forty acres has been proved for oil production. Jackson Gas Field.—The Jackson gas field has shown a steady decline in the number of wells but the pressure has been maintained. This field is a perfect example of a water-driven field and the time of wells going to salt water is predictable. Five wells were drilled in the Jackson field, of which only one produced. Amory Gas Field.—Interest was renewed in the Amory gas field, where a new well was started in the fall of 1939. Geological Formations.—The deepest well drilled in 1939 was the Willmut Gas and Oil Company's Cleve Love S. F. Johnson No. 1, sec. 29, T. 6 N., R. 1 W., Hinds County. This well encountered the Lower Cretaceous, Trinity series from 3770 to 6422 ft.; Lower Mesozoic from 6422 to 6484 ft. The geological correlations and nomenclature of the formations in Mississippi are shown in the accompanying strati-graphic section.

Jan 1, 1940