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By Larman J. Heath

Preliminary results of an explosive fracturing-solvent injection heavy oil recovery experiment conducted by the Bureau of Mines at a shallow oil reservoir near Bartlett, Kans., are given. Three wells 35 to 50 feet apart were drilled to a depth of 360 feet, and an open hole interval from 300 to 350 feet in the Bartlesville Sandstone Formation was explosively fractured with 3,000 pounds of pelletized TNT in each well. Laboratory tests were made on cores obtained from these wells to confirm the suitability of using an aromatic-type solvent. Injection of a 74-percent aromatic solvent was begun into one well and continued intermittently for approximately 2 months. Crude oil production amounted to 29.6 bbl, or 11.7 percent of the total oil con¬tained within the three-well interwell zone.

Jan 1, 1972

By F. P. Haver

The purpose of this investigation was to determine the effect of common impurities, that is, oxygen, nitrogen, carbon, and iron, on the Brinell hardness of electrolytic titanium. On a weight basis, nitrogen had the greatest hardening effect, followed by oxygen, carbon, and iron in order. The hardening effects of oxygen and carbon were almost identical up to a concentration of approximately 0.1 percent by weight. Above this concentration, the relative hardening effect of carbon decreased rapidly, possibly because of its limited solid solubility in a-titanium. Hardness vs. composition curves for both oxygen and nitrogen were essentially straight lines over the range of Brinell hardness numbers (B.h.n.) covered in the investigation. The hardness of titanium was also determined as a function of the percentage of impurity atoms. On this basis, iron in concentrations up to 0.17 atomic percent had a greater hardening effect than either oxygen or carbon. INTRODUCTION Determination of the as-cast hardness of arc-melted titanium is a method of quality control widely used in industry. Numerous studies4/ have been made of the effect of impurities on the hardness obtained by this method. However, most of them have been based on the use of either iodide titanium or commercially pure Kroll sponge (B.h.n. >90), as a starting material.

Jan 1, 1959

Construction workers may be exposed to hazardous dust containing silica when working in enclosed cabs during construction activities. The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) found that equipment operator exposure could be reduced by retrofitting air pressurization and filtration systems on existing cabs, using sweeping compounds on soiled floors, and implementing a dust control program.

Jan 1, 2009

By B. W. Naugle

The Bureau of Mines investigated the changes that occur in decomposition products when coal is carbonized in a fluidized bed with steam as the fluidizing medium and the vapors are subsequently cracked without condensation in a fluidized bed of high-temperature coke. The coal used was from the High Splint bed, High Splint mine, Harlan County, Ky. Since this coal is agglomerating, it was blended with char. The integrated unit used in this investigation consisted of a 3-inch-diameter fluidized coal carbonizer, a 3.5-inch-diameter cracker containing a bed of high-temperature coke fluidized by the tar vapors and steam from the carbonizer, and gas-cleaning and product-recovery systems. The carbonizer was operated at 485° C and the cracker at 600°, 700°, and 800° C. The process variables investigated were temperature, residence time, and concentration (pound of tar vapors per pound of steam to the cracker) of tar vapors in the cracker. The total tar yields decreased as the temperature of the cracker increased, and at a constant cracker temperature of 600° C the yield of paraffins, acids, aromatics, and olefins in the distillate increased directly with the tar vapor concentration in the cracker. At 700° and 800° C only the acids and aromatics increased with increased concentration. Bases remained essentially constant regardless of the temperature and concentration. Similar results were obtained when the tar from the carbonizer was condensed prior to feeding to the cracker.

Jan 1, 1965

By R. Lindsay Mundell

In the first half of 1990, lessening of cold war tensions was welcome. But Iraq's invasion of Kuwait in August led to the Persian Gulf War in January and February 1991. The subsequent oil shock contributed to a dampening of the U.S. economy, and the U.S. gross national product rose only 0.9 % to $5,463 billion (U.S. billion = 109). The buildup of military forces in the Persian Gulf area focused greater attention not only on petroleum but also on other strategic materials. The U.S. Department of Defense continued to review stockpile goals and upgrade several mineral materials. In addition, the U.S. Bureau of Mines continued to maintain the standby Emergency Minerals Administration. After the Defense Production Act, which authorizes priorities, allocations, and supply expansion, lapsed on October 20, 1990, the Selective Service Act of 1967 became the authority to ensure that orders of the Armed Forces and defense atomic energy programs were given priority treatment.

Jan 1, 1993

By O. C. Blade

This report on the properties of aviation gasolines and aviation jet fuels produced in the United States during 1954 was made under a co-operative agreement between the American Petroleum Institute and the Bureau of Mines of the United States Department of the Interior. Analytical data are presented for 101 samples of aviation gasoline. Data also are given for 30 samples of aviation jet fuel. The analyses were made on samples typical of the manufacturers I 1954 production in their laboratories and the results submitted to the Bureau of Mines for compilation. The products of 19 manufacturers of aviation gasolines and of 15 producers of aviation jet fuels are represented.

Jan 1, 1955

By W. C. Holliman

This report is one of a series of reports on the characteristics of commercial aviation gasolines, It presents compilations of inspection test data on their products furnished by 16 manufacturers of commercial grades of aviation and special date obtained in Bureau of Mines laboratories on 66 samples of these gasolines, Data are presented for 19 samples of grade SO, 17 of grade 91/98, 22 of grade 100/130, and 8 of grade 115/145 aviation fuels. These gasolines are designated July 1948 production, although some of the samples may have been produced a month earlier or later.

Jan 1, 1948

By D. J. Parker

Before the various States began to enact workman's compensation laws accidents were considered inherent in many industries, and little or no effort was made to prevent or reduce them. The hazard was accepted by the employee with the job, and the avoidance of accidents by mental alertness or physical agility was largely his responsibility. After the employee had given evidence of enough skill inn performing his allotted task efficiently the responsibility of the employer apparently ceased with respect to the personal safety of the employee. However, following the enactment of workmen's compensation laws, at least two facts that had not before been fully appreciated soon became apparent: (1) The majority of accidents can be prevented if the management firmly determines to prevent them; (2) frog a monetary point of view alone accidents are decidedly expensive, both to employer and to employee. It is now evident that savings effected by conscientious safety effort add substantially to net profits of operation.

Jan 1, 1934

By D. Harrington

The prevention of accidents to children from blasting cans is of vital importance not only to everyone using commercial explosives but to the country at large. The manufacturers of explosives have realized this danger for years and have attempted to publicize the hazards of allowing blasting caps to fall into the hands of children. Unfortunately, many of tie users of explosives have failed to realize the danger or have ignored their responsibilities in the matter. Investigations of accidents to children from blasting caps (and scores of them occur annually) reveal that most of them are caused by blasting caps picked up or made easily accessible to the victims. The children who are blinded, maimed for life, or killed are in large part the innocent victims of the carelessness, thoughtlessness, or negligence of their elders, by whom blasting caps are left lying about, carried in the pockets, dropped or lost around blasting operations, stored away and forgotten, or left in places where trey can be found or are accessible to children. Many such accidents occur to children under 12 years of age, when they are still curious or inquisitive. One of the first reactions of a child upon finding a blasting cap is to investigate and "see" how it is made or how it "works." A blasting cap in itself, with one end open, invites a child to poke it with a nail, piece of wire, or some other object to see what is inside; or he may attempt to break it open with a rock or hammer. A lighted match could be thrust into the open end, and there are numerous other approaches, may of which can result in serious accidents.

Jan 1, 1944

By H. C. Hamontre

The liquid-level gage described in this report is an instrument designed to locate liquid levels in wells rapidly and accurately and, with auxiliary equipment described, to follow moving liquid levels automatically. The depth at which the instrument makes contact with the liquid in a well is indicated at the surface by a depth meter on the cable to which the instrument is attached. When the gage is used to follow a surging moving level, the liquid depth is indicated continuously at the surface. This report contains a description and illustrations of the gage and outlines the operating procedures. The instrument is 1-3/4 inches in diameter and approximately 6 feet in length and may be operated through 2-inch tubing. The gage consists essentially of a float that moves upward with respect to the rest of the assembly, causing a change in the flow of electric current from the surface when the liquid level is reached. The instrument has been tested under a variety of conditions and has been found to be sensitive to changes in liquid level of 1/2 inch. Its accuracy is limited principally by the accuracy of the wire-line depth indicator used. It is not affected by pressure or temperature, and it can be run in open hole or under pressure through a lubricator. It employs only one electric circuit and can be run on an Amergraph single-conductor cable (type 1-H-0) ,

Jan 1, 1954

The Bureau of Mines, U.S. Department of the Interior, devised a flotation technique for upgrading chromite in chromium ores and gravity concentrates. The technique consisted of cationic flotation of chromite from a slime-free pulp acidified to pH 2.5 or lower using H2S04 modifier. Flotation results showed that ore containing serpentine as the primary gangue mineral was more amenable to concentration by this technique than ore containing the readily floatable olivine as the primary gangue mineral. Rougher flotation of a chromite ore containing abundant serpertine increased the grade form 19 to 41 percent Cra03 at a chromite recovery of 89.6 percent. Rougher flotation of ore containing abundant olivine upgraded the chromite from 23.4 to 29.6 percent Cr203 at a recovery of 89.4 percent. The technique was also applied to chromite gravity concentrates to further upgrade chromite and to reject silicates. Flotation of a gravity concentrate containing 40.9 percent Cr203 and 4.4 percent SiO2 recovered 90 percent of the chromite in cleaner products containing 44.9 percent Cr203 and 0.63 percent Si02. The combined recovery by gravity and flotation was 87 percent. An economic evaluation of this technique will be undertaken to deter-mine its feasibility for commercial use.

Jan 1, 1980

By A. C. Fieldner, G. W. Jones

Tests were made at the Government Fuel Yard , operated at Washington , D. C. by the Bureau of Mines , Department of the Interior , in order to determine and improve the adjustment of the carburetors on the trucks used for transporting coal from the Fuel Yard to the different Government buildings in Washington . The tests were made possible through the hearty cooperation of G , S. Pope , engineer in charge of the Fuel Yard . Joseph Burrows and A. E. Foote of the garage department assisted during all the tests and supplied information on the mileage obtained by the trucks for the months preceding and succeding the time the tests were made . The Mack trucks used range in capacity from 2-1/2 to 7-1/2 ttoonnss .. The majority of the carburetors were Stromberg G- 3 type , as shown in Table 2. During the winter months , when the demand for coal is heavy , from 30 to 35 trucks are used . At the time the tests were made , only about ten of the trucks were in daily use , owing to the small demand for coal during the summer months , and scarcity due to labor conditions . Samples of the exhaust gas were taken on the trucks kept in service for summer hauling in order to determine the carburetor adjustment as used . Changes were then made to a more economical adjustment wherever possible , without sacrificing flexibility of operation and power . In every case the adjustments were maintained for maximum power , but were adjusted to the leanest position to give that power . In all but one case the carburetors were found to be adjusted too rich for maximum power and economy . These results are considered in detail in a later part of this report .

Jun 1, 1923

By E. L. Litchfield

Four short-term studies of practical ignition problems were undertaken and completed during the course of the Bureau of Mines project "Development of Specifications for Intrinsically Safe Equipment." Conclusions were as follows: (1) the most easily ignitible mixture of propane-air in a PTB break flash apparatus is approximately 5.2 percent propane; (2) miniature lamp bulbs to be used in intrinsically safe circuits are about as incendive to coal dust-air as to methane-air and should be tested in gas mixtures containing about 7.0 to 7.5 percent methane; (3) the sodium amalgam contained in high-pressure sodium lamps does not present an ignition hazard for coal dust or methane, where the lamps contain no more than 30 milligrams of amal-gam; (4) the maximum allowable surface temperature of permissible electrical enclosures should remain at 150° C despite efforts by industry groups to raise the value to 200° C.

Jan 1, 1980

By W. H. Eddy

The Bureau of Mines made small-scale continuous tests and large-scale commercial plant tests of a calcareous fluorspar ore near Cave-In-Rock, Ill., to determine if the application of the lignin-fluoride process of fluorspar flotation would be industrially feasible for treatment of fluorspar ores, and also to compare the lignin-fluoride process with the quebracho process, which is the method currently used for concentrating calcareous fluorspar ores. The small-scale continuous tests yielded fluorspar concentrates analyzing 93.6 percent CaF2 with a recovery of 87.6 percent of the total fluorspar in the ore. In large-scale commercial plant tests, a fluorspar concentrate analyzing 93.3 percent CaF2 with a recovery of 78.0 percent was produced by the quebracho method. About 86.0 percent of the fluorspar was recovered in a metallurgical-grade fluorspar concentrate from the lignin-fluoride circuit which analyzed 89.9 percent CaF2? with a much simpler flowsheet than that in the current commercial application.

Jan 1, 1967

By F. D. Cannon

"In metal and nonmetallic mineral mines during the 15-year period 1911 to 1925, 30.17 per cent of all fatalities and 16.57 per cent of all injuries were caused by falls of rock or ore from the back or roof or from the wail; 1.24 per cent of the fatalities and 11.05 per cent of the injuries were caused by rock or ore while loading at the working face; 6.66 per cent of the .fatalities and 2.49 per cent of the injuries resulted from men falling down 3 chute, winze, raise, or stope; and run of ore from chute or pocket caused 1.48 per cent of the fatalities and 1.93 per cent of the injuries.3 Hence, accidents due to falls of men and material caused. 39.55 per cent of the fatalities and 34.05 per cent of the injuries in these mines. Accident prevention can best be assisted by each company's preserving complete records of accidents classified according to cause and rate per thousand or 10,000 shifts. A systematic method of recording accidents and the employment of graphs or charts will be helpful to the company safety department in analyzing the cruses of accidents. The purpose of this publication is to analyze data on accidents caused by falls of men and material in metal -mines of the United States, and to suggest methods of preventing or reducing such accidents."

Jun 1, 1929

By D. W. Butner

This Information Circular , one of a series published by the Bureau of Mines , reports on the methods and costs of mining and concentrating zinclead ore at the Highland Surprise mine in the Pine Creek area of the Coeur d'Alene region of Idaho . The mine is owned and operated by the Highland Surprise Consolidated Mining Co. , which supervises operations of the Nevada Stewart group of claims , which is adjacent on the northwest . These properties are at the extreme eastern end of a zone of fracturing that strikes northwest across the Pine Creek area . In fractures along this zone are the principal Pine Creek mines ; these are the Highland Surprise , Nevada Stewart , Sidney , Denver , V and Idaho , Liberal King , and Northern Light . Country rock at the Highland Surprise is argillite of the Prichard formation (Belt series ) . Fracturing has permitted the movement of mineral- izing agents that have replaced adjacent walls and crushed country rock with sulfides . Ore minerals are sphalerite and galena with accessory pyrite , chalcopyrite , pyrrhotite , and siderite . Three principal ore shoots were found on the Highland Surprise property . The Highland ore shoot was mined from outcrop to the 400 level . The Surprise ore body has been developed to a depth of 1,400 feet on the dip of the vein . The outcrop of the Surprise ore shoot was 150 feet long and 2 to 4 feet thick ; on the 1,150 ( lowest ) level , the ore shoot is 320 feet long and 10 to 17 feet thick , with good zinc content . Surprise ore shoot No. 2 occurs 250 feet west of No. 1 and has been mined from the 500 to the 1,000 level . From 353,000 tons of ore mined between 1910 and 1948 , the property has a recorded production of 256,000 ounces of silver , 7,500 tons of lead , 24,000 tons of zinc , and 412 tons of copper . Both shrinkage and cut and fill stoping methods are used at the Highland Surprise , but shrinkage is unsuitable for mining below the 700 level , because faulting has weakened the walls . Development of the Surprise ore , as well as exploration laterally and along the strike , is prosecuted steadily . A prospect heading is being pushed westward toward Nevada Stewart ground from the 700 level . The mill has a rated capacity of 275 tons per day and operates near capacity . Selective flotation makes zinc concentrate that is shipped to the Anaconda smelter and lead concentrate that is trucked to the Bunker Hill smelter at Kellogg .

Mar 1, 1950

By Richard L. Sayrs

The Eve Mills deposit is in Monroe County, Tenn., near the southeastern corner of the State. The deposit was examined in February 1943 by a Bureau of Mines engineer, and drilling the property was recommended to increase the on: reserves enough to justify mining should war needs require it. The deposits were explored, by 32 diamond-drill holes totaling 11,649 feet during the periods from July 1943 to November 7, 1945, and from April 1944 to August 17, 1944. The drilling campaign disclosed a large area of mineralization. The ore, however, is apparently confined to long, narrow sheets. The indicated grade of the ore bodies blocked cut by the Bureau of Mines is 4.o8 percent zinc and 2.10 percent iron.

Jan 1, 1949

By W. H. Oppelt

Two exploratory gasification tests of limited duration were made at Dorsten, Germany, with strongly coking Pittsburgh-bed coal in a fixed-bed pressure gasifier. To reduce the coking potential of the Arkwright coal, ash refuse from the gasification of Dorsten (Leopold) coal was added to pre-pare coal-ash mixtures which contained nominal 20 and 30 percent ash. Major adjustments in principal process variables at the beginning of the tests resulted in wide fluctuations in the rate of gas production, gas offtake temperature, and carbon dioxide concentration in the gas. Because a higher steam-to-oxygen ratio was used in the tests than was customarily employed for routine operation, gas production was lower, and steam and oxygen consumption was higher. After operating conditions had been improved, the results of a 12~-hour-long test with addition of sufficient ash refuse to obtain a nominal 30 percent ash concentration indicated that operation is feasible with this coal mixture using a fixed-bed pressure gasifier equipped with a rotating coal distributor and stirrer.

Jan 1, 1966

By Jr. Reistle

The tests reported in this paper were made in the East Texas field in the summer and fall of 1932 as a part of the Bureau of Mines study of the operation of flowing wells and reservoir performance; and to determine, if possible, the minimum reservoir pressure necessary to produce the wells in this field by natural flow through different sizes of flow strings. The minimum reservoir pressure that would be required to Maintain natural flow through 2 1/2-inch tubing was determined experimentally for the existing energy conditions in the East Texas field. With the present available data, however, it is impossible to predict accurately or to determine by calculation the necessary energy requirements for maintaining the vertical flow of oil and gas mixtures under all conditions. Although some valuable data were obtained which seem to have application to the solution of problems involving vertical flow, this important research of the petroleum industry is so involved that more study of the complicating factors influencing the flow of oil-gas mixtures through vertical pipes is required.

Jan 1, 1933

By O. M. Schaus

This paper is one of a series, prepared by the Bureau of Mines and deals with the Montreal mine, one of only two active properties in Wisconsin on the Penokee-Gogebic range. The purpose of this paper is to describe the conditions of occurrence of iron ore in a particular property and to present sufficient details of equipment and production methods to convey to the unacquainted operator a correct idea of the mining practice.

Jan 1, 1930