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By Jerry M. Thornton, Richard W. Cannon, Don C. Rotherham

This paper attempts to show the role of induced polarization (IP) and resistivity surveys in the discovery of the ore bodies of Gibraltar Mines Ltd. (N.P.L.) and the importance of conducting large enough surveys to properly evaluate the results. The first IP survey was conducted in the area in 1963. This survey was extended and other IP surveys were added to it for the next seven years. The data from these surveys was finally combined to produce four large scale plan maps of resistivity and percent frequency effect (PFE) results (N = 1 and 3). A halo-type anomalous zone 6000 ft wide and 14,000 ft long was thus outlined in the PFE maps. The four ore bodies of Gibraltar Mines were found to occur along the inside rim of this IP halo.

Jan 1, 1973

INTERNAL The year 1976 was another outstanding year in the operation of the Institute and in the success of its varied activities. Total AIME membership reached 59,773 for a gain of. 6.4 percent. Total revenue increased to $5,111,2 10, up 22.4 percent, and balance sheet assets increased to $8,479,612, up 12.2 percent from the previous year. AIME and its constituent units conducted 30 technical meetings during the year, and attendance was up at most of them. Publications issued by the Constituent Societies continued a healthy growth. During the year 9 new local Sections were established, and at the end of the year the Institute had 150 Sections, with 19 of them overseas. Details on all of these operations are on pages 2 and 3 of this report.

Jan 4, 1977

By Nathaniel Herz

The use of zinc dust for precipitating the pecious metals from cyanide solutions is well established now in many places, and has many advantages over the shavings method of precipitation. Although much work has been done o,n methods of testing zinc dust, as yet. no absolutely positive test has been devised to determine the value of the material. Certain facts are known, but often it happens that results on a working scale are not as expected from the laboratory tests. The purpose of this paper is to record some obscrvations made while testing a large variety of zinc-dust samples in the laboratory. W. J. Sharwoodl has described standard analytical methods, which have been followed, with the changes noted. The regular determinations include zinc oxide, by solution in ammonia and ammonium chloride, lead, and precipitating efficiency. In some cases cadmium was determined by a method similar to that described by J E Clennell.2 I will discuss the precipitating-efficiency test in detail. The procedure is as follows: "A solution of potassium silver cyanide is prepared by dissolving 10 grams of silver cyanide (AgCN) and 5 grams of 99 %' potassium cyanide in a little water and diluting up to 1000 cc. It is then adjusted by addition of a little more XCN or AgCN until the solution indicates from 0.12% to 0.15% free KCN by titration with standard silver nitrate. The titration is best made by using a 10-cc. or 20-cc. sample, adding 1 CC. of 2 % potassium iodide, and a slight excess of ammonia, as the end point is then sharper. Or 15 grams of pure crystallized XAg(CN)2 may be dissolved in a liter of water and 1.5 grams XCN added. " Weigh out 0.5 gram zinc dust into a 300-cc. beaker. Add a few cubic centimeters of watcr and stir until zinc is well mixed, then pour in 250 cc. of the prepared solution, stirring vigorously. See that all lumps are broken up, and continue stirring for fully five minutes. Stir occasionally (at least every 10 minutes) until the end of two hours from the addition of the solution. Then filter upon an 11-cm. filter, wash precipitate thoroughly, sprinkle with test lead, wrap it carefully in the paper, place in a scarifier with about 20 grams test lead, burn paper cautiously in muffle, scorify five minutes, cupel at low temperature and weigh silver. Milligrams silver obtained from 0.5 gram zinc X 0.0606 = percentage precipitating efflciency."³

Jan 1, 1916

By T. C. Desollar

THE group of iron-ore mines known as the Red Ore Mines, owned and operated by the Woodward Iron Co., is on Red Mountain approximately ten miles southwest of Birmingham, Ala. At the, present time No. 1 and No. 3 mines are active, No. 2 mines having been abandoned in 1928. Ore from this group of mines was first mined in 1882, and originally came from open cuts along the outcrop, but, when the "soft ore" (weathered hematite) was mined out and the harder ore was encountered, it became necessary to develop the orebody by means of slopes driven in the ore formation. The three mines to date have produced more than 22,000,000 tons, and the two operating mines now have a capacity of over 1,000,000 tons per year.

Jan 1, 1933

By A. E. Back, W. Wyman, K. E. Tame, S. F. Ravitz

In 1940, when it appeared that the United States soon might be cut off from foreign sources of high-grade manganese ore, the Bureau of Mines began an extensive series of investigations on the production of ferro-grade products from low-grade domestic ores by ore-dressing, pyrometal-lurgical, and hydrometallurgical methods. Among the hydrometallurgical processes for oxide ores investigated was a sulphur dioxide process in which the manganese was recovered from solution by precipitation with lime;' this process is essentially as follows: The ground ore is suspended in water and leached with SO2 gas to extract the manganese as manganese sulphate. Calcium chloride is then added to the slurry to precipitate calcium sulphate and form manganous chloride solution, and the resultant slurry is filtered to remove the calcium sulphate together with the insoluble portion of the ore. Calcium hydroxide is added to the filtrate and the mixture is agitated with air to precipitate hydrated oxides of manganese and regenerate calcium chloride. The precipitate is calcined, and the calcium chloride is recycled. To determine manganese extraction, reagent consumption, grade of product, and similar data for this process, a labora- tory investigation was started. Two minor modifications in the process were soon made: (I) the ore was suspended in calcium chloride solution instead of in water in order to extract the manganese and precipitate the calcium sulphate in one step, and (2) the agitation with air after the addition of slaked lime to the filtrate was omitted because manganese hydroxide is readily precipitated without air agitation and can be nodulized or sintered to a satisfactory product. When the process was carried through a series of cyclic tests, it was noted that the concentration of dithionate ion (which is one of the products of oxidation of SO2 by MnO2) in the cycled solution gradually increased; at the same time the chloride content of the solution gradually decreased, owing to soluble losses in the leach residue and in the precipitate. After a number of cycles, the calcium chloride became virtually completely replaced by calcium dithionate, the quantity of dithionate ion formed during the leach being more than enough to make up for the losses of dithionate in filtering. The calcium chloride process thus developed into a calcium dithionate process. Since the latter eliminated the need for make-up calcium chloride, and the dithionate solutions appeared much less corrosive than the chloride solutions, work on the calcium chloride process was dropped in favor of the calcium dithionate process. Acknowledgments The dithionate process was developed by the Bureau of Mines as part of a

Jan 1, 1949

By B. J. Scheiner, A. G. Smelley

The Bureau of Mines, US Department of the Interior, is conducting research on a dewatering technique for fine particles generated during the mineral beneficiation process that will recover a portion of the water now being lost using conventional waste disposal methods and significantly reduce the time required for land reclamation. The technique utilizes a flocculant, polyethylene oxide (PEO), that forms strong stable flocs that can be dewatered rapidly on static and/or rotary screens. Infield tests, phosphate clay waste has been dewatered from a nominal 2.5% solids to greater than 20% solids. In other field tests, coal-clay waste has been dewatered from a nominal 3% solids to greater than 55% solids. In addition, small-scale continuous tests have shown that bentonitic clays can be dewatered from 12% solids to 40% solids.

Jan 1, 1985

By D. W. Frommer, M. M. Fine

Early in 1957 St. Joseph Lead Co. announced discovery of three new centers of iron ore deposition in east central Missouri.1 The discovery resulted from exploratory drilling in the vicinity of a magnetic anomaly or high. A deep hole, drilled into the Pre-Cambrian porphyry to determine the cause of anomaly, penetrated a magnetite-rich deposit.2 The magnetic surveys that revealed the anomalies were begun by the Missouri Geological Survey in 1929 and were continued into the 1930's 3. At that time an area in Crawford County known as the Bourbon magnetic high was located. A second anomaly, similar in size and intensity, was discovered about six miles to the northeast in Franklin County in the vicinity of Sullivan. This area was not studied in detail until the early 1940's.

Jan 3, 1959

By Lawrence Adler

The authors are to be complimented on using a novel and potentially helpful technique to analyze the effects of mine roof trusses. However, some criticisms of their application and analysis seem appropriate to further its acceptance. This discussion will deal with the normal structural analysis format covering: 1) material. 2) load, 3) structure, and 4) analysis. It will then briefly review the testing procedures and finally cover miscellaneous items. That the analytical and testing results admittedly disagreed by several orders of magnitude, indicates a need for improved understanding. The introduction of data determined previously was not assisted by references to "Interim" or "Preliminary" reports. This material should have been concisely reformulated for the open discussions that Transactions encourage. In addition, many important simplifying assumptions are tacitly made without recognition, and much less, an attempted justification.

Jan 1, 1979

By F. Weston Starratt

The opening of a new large-scale beneficiation plant is always news, but the start-up of Cleveland-Cliffs Iron Co.'s Eagle Mills near Ishpeming in Michigan's Upper Peninsula early in October is of particular interest because of the completely different type of operation being carried on at this plant. The ore boat which left Marquette, Mich. on the 3rd of October bound for the plant of Wisconsin Steel Division of International Harvester, not only carried the first output of this new mill, but also carried the first agglomerate made from the Upper Peninsula's jasper ore, the first commercial output from an updraft traveling-grate furnace, and the first large-scale commercial application of the balling disk, also called the flying saucer, to the agglomeration of an iron flotation concentrate.

Nov 1, 1956

By G. Richards Gwinn

Graphite is one .of the so-called minor nonmetals that have become of major importance during the present conflict. Requirements of the domestic industry for graphite are relatively small and uses have changed so greatly in the past 25 years that different types, with few exceptions, are more nearly interchangeable in use. However, the quality of the graphite required for crucibles is exacting and under present manufacturing practices only a small part of the world production can be utilized economically by this industry. Graphite, for the domestic crucible industry, was supplied almost entirely by imports from Madagascar and Ceylon before the present war. The quantity required has been increased by the war and the greatest demand is for Madagascar flake. The fall of France to Germany in 1941 and the Japanese expansion southward threatened our supply of crucible-grade graphite, therefore the domestic industry was revived to supplement imports and to act as insurance in the event of complete stoppage of imports. Two plants were constructed for the Government, one at Ashland, Alabama, called the Crucible Flake Graphite Co., operated by Haile Mines, Inc., and one near West Chester, Pennsylvania, operated by the Benjamin Franklin Flake Graphite Co. Loans were made by the Reconstruction Finance Corporation to the Alabama Flake Graphite Co. at Ashland, the Ceylon Graphite Co., at Goodwater, Ala., and the Southwestern Graphite Co., at Burnet, Texas. However, by the end of 1943 the import situation had improved and it was no longer necessary to continue Government assistance to mine and stock-pile the high-cost domestic material. Graphite is found in virtually every country of the world. Most occurrences are of no economic importance because of their poor quality, prohibitive mining and milling costs, inaccessibility, and poor location with reference to the industrial centers where graphite is used. The principal commercial deposits are found in Ceylon, Madagascar, Chosen (Korea), United States, U. S. S. R., Canada, Germany, and Mexico. Graphite is a typical international mineral in that it is utilized mainly in countries noted for industrial activities, whereas the two islands, Ceylon and Madagascar, which produce the major part of the world's high-grade graphite, are virtually devoid of any manufacturing establishments requiring its use. The industry thus is violently disturbed by wars. Types oF Graphite Used in Crucibles Graphite of various kinds and from many countries has been used for making crucibles. Passau (Bohemian) flake was first used in Europe, but by the middle of the seventeenth century crucible formulas were established largely on Ceylon graphite and German Klingenberg clay. Ceylon graphite is granular and the grains are subdivided into more or less

Jan 1, 1948

By G. Richards Gwinn

Graphite is one .of the so-called minor nonmetals that have become of major importance during the present conflict. Requirements of the domestic industry for graphite are relatively small and uses have changed so greatly in the past 25 years that different types, with few exceptions, are more nearly interchangeable in use. However, the quality of the graphite required for crucibles is exacting and under present manufacturing practices only a small part of the world production can be utilized economically by this industry. Graphite, for the domestic crucible industry, was supplied almost entirely by imports from Madagascar and Ceylon before the present war. The quantity required has been increased by the war and the greatest demand is for Madagascar flake. The fall of France to Germany in 1941 and the Japanese expansion southward threatened our supply of crucible-grade graphite, therefore the domestic industry was revived to supplement imports and to act as insurance in the event of complete stoppage of imports. Two plants were constructed for the Government, one at Ashland, Alabama, called the Crucible Flake Graphite Co., operated by Haile Mines, Inc., and one near West Chester, Pennsylvania, operated by the Benjamin Franklin Flake Graphite Co. Loans were made by the Reconstruction Finance Corporation to the Alabama Flake Graphite Co. at Ashland, the Ceylon Graphite Co., at Goodwater, Ala., and the Southwestern Graphite Co., at Burnet, Texas. However, by the end of 1943 the import situation had improved and it was no longer necessary to continue Government assistance to mine and stock-pile the high-cost domestic material. Graphite is found in virtually every country of the world. Most occurrences are of no economic importance because of their poor quality, prohibitive mining and milling costs, inaccessibility, and poor location with reference to the industrial centers where graphite is used. The principal commercial deposits are found in Ceylon, Madagascar, Chosen (Korea), United States, U. S. S. R., Canada, Germany, and Mexico. Graphite is a typical international mineral in that it is utilized mainly in countries noted for industrial activities, whereas the two islands, Ceylon and Madagascar, which produce the major part of the world's high-grade graphite, are virtually devoid of any manufacturing establishments requiring its use. The industry thus is violently disturbed by wars. Types oF Graphite Used in Crucibles Graphite of various kinds and from many countries has been used for making crucibles. Passau (Bohemian) flake was first used in Europe, but by the middle of the seventeenth century crucible formulas were established largely on Ceylon graphite and German Klingenberg clay. Ceylon graphite is granular and the grains are subdivided into more or less

Jan 1, 1948

By James F. McConnell, Charles W. Statler

Pennsylvania's existing large coal-fired units are limited to 2.0, 1.8, or 0.6 lb of sulfur per million Btu fired, depending on site location. Multi-stream coal preparation can be employed on system basis to extract the highest quality fraction of coal for use in units requiring the lowest sulfur. The middling fraction can be directed to units permitted higher sulfur. General Public Utilities Corp. has concluded that it is feasible to advance the state-of-the-art of heavy media coal preparation to produce an intensively cleaned primary product of 1.3 sp gr of less than 0.6 lb of sulfur per million Btu for the new unit and a middling product of 2.0 lb of sulfur per million Btu for existing units.

Jan 1, 1977

By C. A. Rowland, R. C. Nealey

Wet grinding rod mills have been used for 50 years to grind ores and to make specification sand. The application of wet grinding rod mills is well understood. Until recently, there have been very few installations of dry grinding rod mills. The selection of dry grinding rod mills follows the basic principles established for the selection of wet grinding rod mills. The basic Bond Formulae1 [ ] is used to select mills when using grindability test results as the basis for selection. W is multi- plied by the 1.3 wet to dry grinding factor established from wet and dry ball milling experience, and then by any other applicable inefficiency factors.1 Dry grinding rod mills have also been selected by scaling up bench scale continuous rod mill tests and pilot plant tests.

Jan 12, 1968

By J. Henry Harden

I DESIRE to call the attention of the Institute to a new form of drawing-board trestle. With the ordinary four-legged trestle, commonly used, one has not the means of adjusting the height of the board to the draughtsman. To obviate this inconvenience, and at the same time to enable one to incline the board, I have devised an arrangement of curved and straight slots and thumb-screws, by means of which the board can be raised three or more inches, and placed at any desired angle of inclination on either side. Figures 2, 3 (Plate I) show side and end elevations of the trestle for a single board, and Figure 4 for two boards. The latter form is adapted for use in schools, or where it is desired to economize space.

Jan 1, 1874

By F. C. Oliphant, George H. Fancher

Two samples of drilling mud from the Hastings oil field, Texas, were tested, and the solids in each were separated into small fractions of a limited range in particle size. The mineral composition of each fraction by X-ray analysis is reported, and the results are interpreted in relation to other measured quantities, such as the physical properties of the original samples and the density of the various fractions. It was found that only 7 to 8 per cent by weight of the solids was of colloidal dimensions and that neither of the samples contained montmorillonite but did contain illite. Considerable calcite was also found. These data should be useful to the geologist interested in the origin and history of sedimentary strata as well as to the petroleum engineer. Introduction The questions, What is good drilling mud? What constitutes bad drilling mud? are pertinent, because the proper use and control of drilling fluids has been a factor of great importance in the successful drilling and completion of oil wells since the days of Captain Lucas. Adequate control of the characteristics of drilling fluids has assumed greater significance comparatively recently because of the problems introduced by caving formations in deep wells, costly blowouts and impressive mud bills. Much is known about the solution of some of the problems but, despite extensive research directed toward a better understanding of the physical and chemical properties of clay suspensions, it is difficult to define precisely a drilling mud, and much more difficult to say what constitutes a good mud. It is generally believed that the smaller particles of a drilling mud greatly affect its physical properties. In fact, it is customary to blame the colloids in a mud for nearly everything that goes amiss, because colloidal properties have effects out of all usual proportion on viscosity, filtration rate and reaction to electrolytes. It is germane to know whether drilling muds possess colloids and if so, the quantity and kind. Source oF Samples Two drilling muds from the Hastings oil field, Brazoria County, Texas, were selected because it is generally agreed that in this oil field good natural muds made solely from formations penetrated by the drill can be used until the well is nearly ready for completion. Customary drilling procedure in this field is to spud in with water, set a protective string of pipe, drill to 2500 ft. and set the surface casing. Drilling is continued to 5500 ft. with no treatment of the drilling fluid other than addition of water to

Jan 1, 1943

By F. C. Oliphant, George H. Fancher

Two samples of drilling mud from the Hastings oil field, Texas, were tested, and the solids in each were separated into small fractions of a limited range in particle size. The mineral composition of each fraction by X-ray analysis is reported, and the results are interpreted in relation to other measured quantities, such as the physical properties of the original samples and the density of the various fractions. It was found that only 7 to 8 per cent by weight of the solids was of colloidal dimensions and that neither of the samples contained montmorillonite but did contain illite. Considerable calcite was also found. These data should be useful to the geologist interested in the origin and history of sedimentary strata as well as to the petroleum engineer. Introduction The questions, What is good drilling mud? What constitutes bad drilling mud? are pertinent, because the proper use and control of drilling fluids has been a factor of great importance in the successful drilling and completion of oil wells since the days of Captain Lucas. Adequate control of the characteristics of drilling fluids has assumed greater significance comparatively recently because of the problems introduced by caving formations in deep wells, costly blowouts and impressive mud bills. Much is known about the solution of some of the problems but, despite extensive research directed toward a better understanding of the physical and chemical properties of clay suspensions, it is difficult to define precisely a drilling mud, and much more difficult to say what constitutes a good mud. It is generally believed that the smaller particles of a drilling mud greatly affect its physical properties. In fact, it is customary to blame the colloids in a mud for nearly everything that goes amiss, because colloidal properties have effects out of all usual proportion on viscosity, filtration rate and reaction to electrolytes. It is germane to know whether drilling muds possess colloids and if so, the quantity and kind. Source oF Samples Two drilling muds from the Hastings oil field, Brazoria County, Texas, were selected because it is generally agreed that in this oil field good natural muds made solely from formations penetrated by the drill can be used until the well is nearly ready for completion. Customary drilling procedure in this field is to spud in with water, set a protective string of pipe, drill to 2500 ft. and set the surface casing. Drilling is continued to 5500 ft. with no treatment of the drilling fluid other than addition of water to

Jan 1, 1943

By E. P. Miesch, P. B. Crawford

A study was made of the effect of permeable and impermeable lenses in a reservoir on the production capacity of a well. Both steady-state and unsteady-state data were obtained. An electrical resistivity model was used to obtain the steady-state data and thermal models. were constructed to obtain the unsteady-state data. The productivity of a well is affected very greatly only when the lenses are close to the well. The effect of circular lenses on the productivity ratio can be correlated with the distance from the center of the lens to the center of the well divided by the radius of the lens. When this dimensionless distance is equal to six or greater, the effect of the lenses on production capacity will be negligible. The pseudo steady-state productivity of a heterogeneous reservoir can be predicted using steady-state data. INTRODUCTION Many analytical solutions of reservoir behavior assume that reservoir rock is uniform and homogeneous. Although this assumption is used, all of the data from core analyses and well logging indicate that the reservoirs are heterogeneous. Very little work has been done on the performance of heterogeneous reservoirs. The work of Landrum,l et al. showed that transient phenomena in oil reservoirs could be studied with thermal models. Pickering and Cotman2 used thermal models to study flow in stratified reservoirs and investigated the effect of inhomo-geneities in oil reservoirs on transient flow performance. Loucks3 made a mathematical study of the pressure build-up in a system composed of two concentric regions of different permeability. Root, Silberberg and Pirson4 studied the effect of the growth of the flooded region on water influx predictions using a thermal model consisting of three concentric cylindrical regions of different thermal properties which simulated the aquifer, the flooded region and the unflooded portion of the original hydrocarbon region. Tomme, et a1.5 made a mathematical study of vertical fractures. The object of this investigation was to study the effect of highly permeable and impermeable lenses in the vicinity of the wellbore on the pressure depletion history of the well. Steady-state data were obtained for both conductive and nonconductive lenses that completely penetrated the formation. The lenses were symmetrically located at various distances from the wellbore. The unsteady-state data were obtained on seven thermal models. EXPERIMENTAL EQUIPMENT AND PROCEDURE STEADY-STATE DATA The steady-state data were obtained from an electrical resistivity model 30 in. in diameter and approximately 11/2 in. deep. The outside of the model was lined with a 30-in. diameter copper strip, which served as the outer boundary of the reservoir. The bottom was covered with a sheet of plexiglass so that it would be nonconductive. The model was filled with a slightly saline solution. The well size was varied from an 0.064-in. diameter copper wire to a 10-in. diameter copper cylinder. Readings were taken with an impedance bridge using AC current to prevent polarization at the contacts. Copper and wax lenses were used to represent infinitely conductive and nonconductive lenses, respectively. The resistance was first measured for each well diameter with no lenses in the reservoir. Then the conductive and nonconductive lenses were spaced symmetrically at various distances from the well and the resistance read from each lens location. The diameters of the conductive lenses were 3, 1.022 and 0.624 in., and those of the nonconductive lenses were 3, 2.25 and 1.563 in. The ratio of each resistance reading to the resistance reading with no lenses in the reservoir

Jan 1, 1965

By J. Jay Jacobsen

A dynamic regional coal development model is constructed for the Eastern Powder River Basin of Wyoming. Using this model, alternative development schedules from a recent environmental impact statement submitted to the Department of the Interior are simulated (Ref. 1). These alternatives include different mixes of export capacity, different coal conversion techniques within the region, as well as various levels of coal production. Exportation of 70 to 80 percent of an ultimate coal production of 180 million tons (163.3 x l09 kg) per year and the careful phasing of additional public services with population growth effectively reduce the social and environmental impacts of coal development. The alternative involving the addition of 43,000 megawatts of electrical generation capacity has very significant adverse social and environmental impacts on the region.

Jan 1, 1977

By William B. Plank

PRESENT enrollment of 182,361 students in the engineering schools of the United States and Canada represents an increase of 6.6 pct over the enrollment in these schools in 1951-52. Thus is brought to a halt the steady decrease in engineering enrollment that began with the close of the 1947-48 academic year, five years ago. The mineral engineering student picture is similarly encouraging. In the United States schools, 9453 students are preparing themselves for positions in the Mineral Industry. This is an increase of 8.3 pct over last year as compared with an increase of 6.6 pct in the total United States engineering enrollment. The rate of recovery for the mineral engineering group is thus more rapid than for the engineers as a whole.

Jan 4, 1953

By D. L. Murphy

As the world's demand for iron ore increases and available sources are depleted, increasing attention will be centered on deposits in the Quebec and Labrador portions of the Labrador Trough. Improvements in the beneficiation of low grade iron ore stimulate exploration for deposits amenable to concentration. This study is centered on the Mt. Wright-Lake Carheil area, lying between Wabush Lake and Mt. Reed in Quebec. Described in detail are the general lithology, structural and economic geology, and mineralogy of the iron-formation. The iron ore province of Quebec and Baffin Island extends from the southern shore of Baffin Island southeasterly through the Labrador Trough to Matonipi Lake, approximately 185 miles northwest of Seven Islands. (See Fig. 1.) Future geologic field studies will very likely extend the limits of the province to include the ferruginous and associated rocks of the Lake Mistassini area. At present, only the deposits near Knob Lake and Lake Jeannine (Mt. Reed) have been brought into production although in the near future several other properties including those at Wabush Lake will commence operations. Within the next decade or so, as the world's demand for iron ore increases and available sources are depleted, this region will undoubtedly become a major mining district. Initial reports of iron-rich rocks in Labrador date back to the investigations undertaken by A. P. Low near the turn of the century. During the ensuing years the country was prospected chiefly for precious and nonferrous base metals because of its inaccessibility and the low tenor of the iron ore. In 1945 an evaluation of the direct shipping ores near Knob Lake indicated that sufficient reserves were present to justify the enormous capital expenditure required to bring the deposits into production. Initial open-pit mining began in 1954 following the construction of a townsite, a 360-mile long railway to Seven Islands, and an elaborate loading dock. Recent improvements in the beneficiation of low-grade iron ore have stimulated widespread exploration for deposits amenable to concentration, particularly along the southwest extension of the Trough. The Mt. Wright-Lake Carheil area, bounded by longitudes 66O45' and 67 30' west and latitudes 52 30' and 52 45' north, is a nearly rectangular tract of slightly less than 500 sq miles. It is in Saguenay County, 174 miles north-northwest of Seven Islands (see Fig. 1). Except for the periods of the spring breakup and the fall freeze up, the area is readily accessible by air.

Jan 1, 1962