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By O. C. Blade

Sales of diesel fuel in the United States exceeded 150,000,000 barrels during 1953 and 140,000,000 barrels during 1952. Following are some figures on the distribution of this fuel computed from data issued by the Bureau of Mines. 2/ [ ] Deliveries of diesel type fuel from refineries totaled 91,170,000 barrels during the first six months of 1954, 3/ a corresponding figure for 1953 was 86,284,000 barrels.

Jan 1, 1954

By Robert C. Gabler

Three filter cloth fabrics commonly used in drains for coal waste embankments were tested by the Bureau of Mines for clogging behavior and deterioration under simulated field conditions. The objective was to provide guidelines for the mining industry for the proper selection and use of filter cloths to assure safer embankments at mine waste disposal sites. The filter cloths were tested with three coal waste samples in stand-pipes used to simulate coal mine waste disposal environments. Two of the cloths showed a tendency to become clogged with fines from the wastes. One waste caused clogging by precipitating an iron-silicon compound on the test cloths. No apparent cloth deterioration resulted from exposures to the simulated coal waste environments. (The exposures ranged from 2 to 12 months.) In other tests, exposures to waters in the pH range of 2 to 12 and to reagents used in coal-preparation plants resulted in insignificant or no deterioration, as measured by tensile strength. However, long exposures to sunlight (ranging from 4.6 to 6 months) caused major deterioration in two of the cloths (86-and 98-pct losses in tensile strength) and slight deterioration in the third cloth (9-pct loss in strength).

Jan 1, 1984

? CAGER, CAGE RIDER, CAGE TENDER, SHAFT MEN All of the above job titles are variously associated with the handling of men and material at hoist stations. Generally, these classifications of personnel are involved with riding cages with personnel and in hoisting supplies into the mine. Job titles and activity description will be defined in the respective chapters. ? FLOW CHART SYMBOLS [Vertical Transportation Horizontal Transportation Storage Operation Delay ]

Jan 1, 1975

By Leo J. Neill, O&apos

Abrasives are essential to the manufacture of munitions - airplanes, gas, shells, tanks, and in fact every product that involves metal forming or finishing. An indication of the importance of abrasives in the national defense and aid-to-Britain programs is the close peace-time correlation between demand for abrasives and automobile production, which in recent years has consumed more than 35 percent of the total output of abrasives. Unprecedented demands on the abrasives industry are forecast by the rapid expansion in airplane output, tie increased mechanization of all armed forces, and the consequent speeding up not only of the factories where finished munitions are made but also of the steel mills and other factories were additional large quantities of abrasives are needed for snagging or rough-grinding semifinished products before they can be used by the fabricators. A recent survey by the artificial abrasives manufacturers indicates that they can readily increase their output 75 percent compared with the previous peak of 1937 without building new plants. By overhauling production schedules, their maximum production possible could be increased to 182 percent of the 1937 output, and the nature of the industry is such that plant capacity could be increased rapidly if need therefor should arise. No figures on the estimated requirements for abrasives in 1941 or 1942 have as yet been compiled, but the industry feels that it can meet demands as they develop.

Jan 1, 1941

By Frank J. Wiebelt

Work on the Abbott-quicksilver property was part of the general program of th~ Bureau of Mines in its investigation of domestic mineral resources, which are essential to national defense or industry and of which our present or probable future supplies are inadequate. The mine was discovered in 1862, and the intermittent production up to 1947 has totaled around 37,500 flasks of quicksilver. Output has come from ore shoots formed in the vicinity of fault intersections in a narrow zone composed of lenses of silicified serpentine breccia interbedded with shale. Work by the Bureau included the drilling of six diamond-drill holes aggregating 2,845 feet. Several possible ore zones were intersected by the drill holes. Field work was begun in April 1948 and concluded in October of the same year. This report gives detailed results of the diamond drilling and a brief account of the history and description of the ore deposits.

Jan 1, 1949

By H. H. Schrenk

There are several well-recognized procedures for controlling exposure to hazardous atmospheres in industry. They include (a) substitution of less toxic material, (b) enclosure of processes, (c) wet methods, (d) local exhaust, (e) general ventilation, and (f) use of respiratory protective devices. In addition to their employment as a control measure in occupational exposures, respiratory protective devices also are essential in emergencies that may arise from failure or improper use of other control equipment. Respiratory protective devices usually are employed to supplement other methods of control, as temporary expedients, or when other methods are not readily applicable or practicable. It seems reasonable to assume, however, that where respirators are used consideration has been given to the factors involved and that the devices can provide satisfactory protection if used properly. Their use should not be arrived at simply by a process of elimination of other methods that are more difficult to apply.

Jan 1, 1943

By David C. Minton

This paper describes in detail the cost of equipping and developing the Golden Belt mine, Yavapai County, Ariz. These costs should be typical of the average small gold mine in central Arizona which has been equipped with used machinery a, a minimum of capital expenditure. The conditions of remoteness, transportation, water, and power supply are about average for properties in the Bradshaw fountains and that vicinity. There are several mines in the district in the process of development and several dormant properties that might be opened in the future. The Golden Belt group of claims was taken over by the present management in May, 1931. Although some active development has been carried on in recent years, resumption of work at the old property required entire rehabilitation of the equipment and camp. As the water level had not been reached, there was no problem of dewatering. In the presentation of costs in this paper an evaluation of the cost of equipment and development work as taken over by the Golden Belt Mines, Inc., has been made. Enact data, however, on previous exploration and construction costs are lacking. The total cost of equipping and developing the mine to its present stage has been obtained by adding the disbursements of the present management to the above-mentioned evaluation. These costs do not include the cost of replacing camp, equipment destroyed by fires, of unsuccessful milling experiments, management, or obsolete equipment on the property.

Jan 1, 1933

By Frank D. Lamb

"INTRODUCTION The use of beryllium and its alloys has come into prominence in the last 15 years and increased considerably during the war. In contrast to other light metals, such as aluminum and magnesium, beryllium is relatively hard, has a high melting point (1,285° C.), and other properties that make it resemble steel in many respects. It has a specific gravity of 1.85, is only slightly heavier than magnesium (specific gravity 1.74), and is appreciably lighter than aluminum (specific gravity 2.7). Its lack of ductility prevents its use as a structural material, but this difficulty may be overcome in the future by the use of various alloy forms. The only important commercial alloy in which beryllium is used today is with copper. The addition of small percentages (1/2 to 2 percent) of beryllium to copper imparts properties to the alloy that make it desirable for use in springs carrying electrical current, particularly at high temperature. Many other uses of berylliam are known, and new uses are being found constantly that make the metal of increasing interest.Possibly the main factor preventing the use of more beryllium is the lack of a large source of beryllium ore. Many beryllium minerals are found as minor constituents of natural deposits, some of the more common ones being beryl (Be3Al2(Si03)6), chrysoheryl (Be A1204), helvite (3(Mn, Fe) Be Si04. MnS), and phenacite (Be2Si04). Of the known beryllium minerals, beryl is by far the most common and has been found distributed rather widely throughout the world. It usually occurs associated with granitic rocks and is commonly found as a constituent of granitic pegmatite."

Mar 1, 1947

By James R. Boyle

The value of Alabama's nonfuel mineral production in 1985 was $405.9 million, a slight decrease from the record high of 1984. With the exception of clays, output of most nonfuel minerals increased over that of 1984. Alabama was second in the Nation in production of crushed marble and bauxite; third in firre clay; fourth in masonry cement and kaolin; fifth in portland cement and lime; and sixth in ferroalloys and recovered sulfur, Alabama ranked 20th in the Nation in value of nonfuel minerals produced, but ranked 13th in value of industrial minerals. Valuewise, Alabama produced 2.4% of the Nation's industrial minerals.

Jan 1, 1987

By C. J. Walker

The ever-increasing use off natural underground formations for storing natural gas has focused attention on the behavior of such storage formations under varying operating conditions. The need for a means of evaluating in¬dividual wells and groups of wells has become manifest. It is essential that industry and others be able to determine the rates of flow that can be ex¬pected from a given well or group of wells under different conditions and to ascertain whether certain wells are deteriorating. Such questions need more exact answers now than ever before because of the vital role underground gas storage plays in the industrial and domestic consumption of natural gas. The Bureau of Mines--in cooperation with the American Gas Association--has main¬tained an active interest in gas-well testing because of the implications of such test procedures on the consumption and efficient production of natural gas. A basis for testing gas wells was provided by the back-pressure method of Rawlins and Schellhardt (12).4/ They showed that for normal gas wells there is a consistent relationship between rates of delivery of gas and corresponding pressures when the formation pressures are used as the basis of interpretation, The equation for this relationship is as follows: Q = C (Pf2 - Ps2)n where; Q = rate of flow, generally expressed in cubic feet per 24 hours. C = a coefficient.

Jan 1, 1960

By S. J. Aresco

The Bureau of Mines has been active in promoting the purchase of coal for Government use under specifications that define the requirements in terms of heating value of the coal, expressed in British thermal units, and the composition as shown by proximate analyses. To these, when required, are added the ash-softening temperature, the free-swelling index, and the Hardgrove grindability index. Under most of these specification contracts the bidders guarantee the quality of the coal, and that guaranteed by the successful bidder becomes the standard of his contract. The deliveries are sampled in accordance with instructions3 issued by the Bureau of Mines; the samples are analyzed in the Bureau laboratory to determine whether the coal is of the quality guaranteed by the contractor; if it is not, a price adjustment is made. Analyses of the delivered coal and tipple samples (samples collected at mine tipples as coal is being loaded into railroad cars or trucks) provide valuable data for use in evaluating future bids. In addition, the continuous sampling of coal as delivered is a check on the practical results obtained in burning the coal.

Jan 1, 1968

By J. D. McLenegan

The purpose of this investigation was to prepare a market survey of the refractories industry in California and Nevada (referred to in subsequent paragraphs as the region), and to determine the degree of self-sufficiency and the potential capacity for anticipated growth. The report includes estimates of the total annual refractories consumption, the quantity of refractories imported into the region, the tonnage of raw materials required for their manufacture, and the resources of fire clay and high-alumina minerals in the region.

Jan 1, 1956

By Gary A. Kingston

Chromium resources in the United States are estimated at 1.8 million tons of recoverable chromium contained in 22.5 million tons of chromite-bearing material. Additional resource is presumed existent in large, but as yet undetermined, quantities of material containing less than 10 percent Cr203. No domestic resources are being mined presently (1969). Excluding transportation charges to domestic consuming areas, the total 1.8 million tons of chromim is estimated to be available, in ore or concentrate, at costs up to $0.64 per pound; 63 percent of the total is available under $0.11 per pound; and 38 percent under $0.08 per pound. It is judged that transportation from the resource areas to the existing market centers would add nearly $0.05 to the cost of a pound of chromium contained in ore or concentrate. Technically effective beneficiation methods have been developed for much of the known domestic resource, and further development might reduce costs of processing these materials. However, at present, domestic chromium resources are noncompetitive with foreign sources.

Jan 1, 1970

By Frank L. Wideman

This information circular describes methods used in mining inclined beds of phosphate rock in mines operated by San Francisco Chemical Co. in Rich County, Utah. The mines are on the western flank of the Crawford Mountains, a short, narrow range in northern Utah near the Idaho-Wyoming corner (fig. 1). The western front of the range is a conspicuous wall of folded and faulted sedimentary rocks that rises abruptly 300 to 600 feet above the floor of the adjacent Bear River Valley. Rex Peak, highest point in the range, is approximately 8,000 feet above sea level. The area surrounding the mines is sparsely populated. Randolph, the county seat of Rich County, has a population of 650. It is 10 miles southwest of the mines by road and the only town in their vicinity.

Jan 1, 1958

By H. E. Dresch

This report summarizes the work accomplished under Bureau of Mines contract H0188068. The contract required design and construction of a high voltage (7.5 KV) explosion proof cable connector for use on underground coal mine drag cables. A connector was constructed with elastomeric phase insulators that provide insulation shielding throughout the connector length. Connector housing was made of flame resist-ant cast poly urethane with no exposed metal components. Electrical and mechanical testing of the completed coupler resulted in satisfactorily meeting most of the design testing requirements.

Jan 1, 1981

A list of permissible mine equipment approved by the Bureau of Mines before January 1, 1937, was published in Bureau of Mines Information Circular 6942.3/ Information Circular 7007,4/ published as a supplement thereto, listed equipment approved. Burin', the calendar year 1937. The present list includes most of the material liven in these two publications, as well as approvals that have been issued up to January l, 1940. Some equipment formerly listed has been omitted because it has become obsolete or is no longer actively marketed. The list now includes electrically-operated air compressors, coal drills, loading machines and conveyors, mining machine, mine ones, rock-dusting machines, room hoists, storage-battery gathering and haulage locomotives and storage-battery power trucks, mine telephones, junction boxes, electric cap lamps, flame safety lamps, electric hand and trip lamps, electric flood lens, flashlights, methane detectors, and single and multiple-shot blasting units. The appendix at the end of this circular lists trailing, cables that have passed tests prescribed by Schedule 2D. When equipment passes the inspections and tests prescribed by the United Status Department of the interior, Bureau of Mines, in published "schedules" or standards, it is formally approved as "permissible" for use in gassy mines, and the manufacturer is then permitted to mark it with an approval plate that identifies it as having been approved by the Bureau. The inspections and tests are designed to insure that each equipment satisfies the minimum requirements for safety in use. The Bureau's purpose in investigating equipment of this type and listing that

Jan 1, 1940

By E. J. Matson

The Table Mountain copper deposit is in an isolated portion of north-eastern Churchill County, Nev. Although copper-bearing outcrops have been known to exist in the area since 1909, no copper ore has been mined. Development of the property has been hampered by poor roads and rugged topography. Until 1941, the last 4 or 5 miles to the property had to be traveled either by foot or pack animal. As a part of the Bureau of Mines program of investigation and development of domestic mineral deposits, a project was started at the Table Mountain deposit. The Bureau began its field work on July 29, 1947, and completed it on October 18, 1948. Thirteen holes aggregating 2,711 linear feet, were drilled; samples were analyzed - 509 from cores and 143 from sludges. This report contains a brief history of the district and a description of the geology, deposits, and drilling done by the Bureau.

Jan 1, 1949

By John W. Taber

Discovery of these unusual fluorite deposits was brought to the attention of the Bureau of Mines late in 1951, shortly after the first locations were made. A brief investigation of the deposits by the Bureau revealed seven principal outcrops of fluorite in two areas. The smallest outcrop continuously exposes massive fluorite over an area 25 by 55 feet; the largest outcrop is a similar exposure 180 by 240 feet. The deposits appear to be sharp-walled, low-angle-, tabular ore bodies in granite and are at least 10 feet thick. The Bureau investigation of the deposits included bulldozer strip-trenching, drilling and blasting rock cuts, and channel sampling across three of the largest outcrops. This sampling indicated an average grade of 97.2 percent CaF2 and 1.44 percent SiO2. Preliminary metallurgical tests on the ore indicate that it can be concentrated to acid-grade specifications by simple gravity methods. One laboratory test recovered 78.4 percent of the fluorite in a product containing 98.7 percent CaF2, 0.25 percent SiO2, and 0.10 percent Fe2O3.

Jan 1, 1952

By H. C. Miller

For nearly a score of years the American petroleum industry has faced the problem of maintaining its economic structure while oil -producing potentialities greatly exceeded the increasing market demand for oil and its products . However , the combination of maximum civilian demand with rising defense requirements caused an all - time peak in crudeoil production in the latter half of 1941 , with a daily production (as estimated by the Bureau of Mines ) of 4,139,000 barrels in December - an increase of 16 percent over the daily production of 3,573,000 barrels in December 1940. In the event of a long war , a continuing , steady, and adequate supply of petroleum and its products for military and required civilian needs is essential, and the efficiency of recovery of oil from natural underground reservoirs will have to be maximum. Whereas it may not be possible to increase production in some fields , the output from others may have to be drawn at a much faster rate than formerly . More than 10 years ' experience in operating oil fields under proration control has demonstrated to petroleum engineers that some of the efficiency of recovery of oil from reservoir sands and rocks is sacrificed if the oil and gas are withdrawn at too . rapid a rate . As petroleum is an irreplaceable natural resource for which suitable substitutes probably will not be available in desired quantities for many years , any producing method that jeopardizes the quantity of oil that may be recovered from underground reservoirs must be considered at this time of declared war against aggressor nations as conflicting with the best interests of national defense . At best, the efficient recovery of oil is a complex problem . It involves not only a knowledge and application of the fundamentals of fluid flow through porous mediums, but the sources of energy responsible for the movement of oil and gas through reservoir sands and porous rocks to wells must be known to determine the best practices for extracting these hydrocarbons . Reservoir energy is of two kinds - (1 ) water under hydrostatic head underlying the oil in the extraneous parts of the reservoir system and ( 2 ) natural gas under pressure as "free " gas in the reservoir or in solution in the oil . Inasmuch as the efficiency of oil recovery depends largely on the manner in which reservoir energy is used to move oil through reservoir sands and porous rocks to wells , optimum practices for withdrawing the oil cannot be determined until it has been established that the oil in the reservoirs is being forced to wells by an internal gas expansion, by a natural water drive , or by a combination of gas expansion and water drive . There is a fundamental difference in the performance characteristics of gas - expansion and water - drive reservoirs . In a strictly gas - expansion reservoir the energy available to move oil and gas through the porous formations to wells results solely from gas pressure , which is maximum when the reservoir is tapped by the first well . Pressures decline as oil and gas are withdrawn ; consequently, the energy available for moving oil and gas through the oil - bearing formations to wells decreases with production . Curtailing the oil - production rate or shutting in gas - expansion reservoirs entirely will not act to replenish energy previously used in the production of oil and gas ; in their operation , therefore , it is especially important not to waste reservoir energy - the production of oil with high gas : oil ratios will be reflected in lower ultimate recoveries of oil .

Apr 1, 1942

By H. W. Gillett, E. L. Mack

"This report describes the trend of developments in electric brass-furnace practice in the last two years, and supplements Bureau of Mines Bulletin 202, ""Electric Brass-Furnace Practice"", which was published in 1922. In that bulletin it -as pointed out that some of the lines on which electric brass-furnace progress would take place were clear, but others were less so.Developments in foreign countries.Foreign brass-melters have not yet adopted electric melting to an extent comparable to its use in the United States. It is doubtful Whether all foreign countries combined use 100 electric brass furnaces; of these about 35 are of American make (Ajax, Detroit, Baily) and are operating in Canada, Mexico, England, France, Japan, Sweden, Switzerland, Spain, Norway, Germany, Argentina and Czecho-Slovakia.`The Rennerfelt furnace finds some use in Sweden (1)c, notwithstanding its high metal loss on alloys high in zinc, Two German firms are reported(2) to be using the Rochling-Rodenhauser induction furnace on bronze, the average energy consumption being given as 400 kw.-h. per ton. No comment is made on any trouble from the ""pinch effect"", A firm in Switzerland is reported (3) to use three 600-lb., direct-arc furnaces of its own design to melt babbitt, antimonial lead, coinage silver, nickel, copper, and brass. The metal loss on yellow-brass turnings is high. Use Of a direct-arc furnace in England, with precautions aimed to prevent surface overheating, vas abandoned (4) in favor of an Ajax furnace."

Apr 1, 1924