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By Bill Linville

During fiscal years 1967-68, the Bureau of Mines produced 185 technical papers and reports about petroleum and oil-shale research, which were published either by the Bureau or by others as referable scientific literature. Numerous other reports were prepared for Government agencies, State agencies, and organizations of the petroleum and natural gas industry engaged in cooperative research programs with the Bureau. Research performed during the reporting period by the Bureau on petroleum, natural gas, and oil shale was classified by 71 active projects. A basic appropriation of $3,575,000 was supplemented by $1,300,000 in fiscal year 1967, and that of $4,043,000 by $1,402,000 in fiscal year 1968, making the appropriated-to-supplemental fund ratios about 2.8 to 1 for fiscal year 1967 and 2.9 to 1 for fiscal year 1968. In fulfillment of the mission of the Bureau, through planned research programs, methods for producing and utilizing petroleum were improved. The continued conservation of this natural resource of petroleum, including crude oil, natural gas, and oil shale, was pursued through research performed by some 350 personnel at two petroleum research centers and two petroleum research laboratories supervised and supported by administrative personnel of the Bureau and the Department of the Interior.

Jan 1, 1970

By R. Michael Digman

Few efforts have been undertaken to date to assess the quality of mandated coal mine health and safety training for new miners and for experienced miners. This study was concerned with the quality and effectiveness of existing classroom health and safety training programs. The study involved field data collection through pre- and posttesting of trainees, audio-taping class sessions, and administering short feedback forms with trainers and trainees at 14 sites in West Virginia, Maryland, Kentucky, and Pennsylvania. Results indicate that goals, methods, materials, and outcomes of existing training programs vary widely among trainers and sites. The report provides less by way of solution to problems, than it highlights the breadth of issues that relate to the question of training effectiveness and quality. The report concludes that additional work by industry, labor, government, and academia is necessary in order to improve health and safety training programs. Recommended steps are: (a) to develop performance standards and measurable criteria in each of the types of mandated training, (b) to develop better training of trainers, (c) to develop expanded training support services. and (d) to undertake further research and development in health and safety training in the mining industry

Jan 1, 1982

By L. C. George, J. W. Jensen

A new system for precisely counterbalancing and measuring vapor pressure operates by servomechanical principles . It was developed with the objective of determining the vapor - pressure equations of metal halides . The system is isolated from the vapor - pressure bulb by a diaphragm transducer that signals a pressure regulator to null any pressure difference that is detected . Pressure measurement and readout are continuously performed by a servomanometer , accurate to ±0.003 cm Hg for the range of 0.1 to 200 cm Hg . High response rate and sensitivity are obtained . Methods of use are described , and results for CdC1 and PbC1 , in agreement with data of other investigators , are given as examples .

Jan 1, 1964

By Robert E. Barieau

In the design of plants to separate helium from natural gas , it is necessary to estimate the enthalpies of the various streams at various positions in the process . This Bureau of Mines report surveys the various methods that have been used to determine enthalpies and gives information on the organizations with such capabilities . The minimum information required for developing an enthalpy diagram is presented , and the relative merits of the various methods are discussed . It is concluded that methods that require no mass flow rate or energy measurements are to be preferred .

Jan 1, 1965

By Slavoljub D. Maksimovic

The Bureau of Mines, through a memorandum of agreement with the State of Ohio, tested a method of constructing seals in abandoned mine openings in Ohio by means of pneumatic stowing of crushed limestone and gravel with sand. A total of five openings and one shaft were back-filled. Pneumatic stowing uses compressed air to convey material through a pipeline and into the mine opening. The stowing equipment consists of a power supply, a blower, a feeder to inject the material into the pipeline through an airlock, and a nozzle for directing the placement. Material is ejected from the nozzle at high velocity, creating a high-compaction fill upon impact. Well-graded aggregate up to 2 inches in diameter and having sufficient fines is used as fill. The stowing method is safer and faster than conventional methods, is cost competitive, prevents trespass into abandoned mine openings, and eliminates or reduces the exposure of workers to possible hazards since the discharge nozzle can be kept at the mouth of the opening. The equipment is mobile, and, with some modification, the technique could be widely used for sealing abandoned and active mine openings, even in remote locations and during severe weather conditions.

Jan 1, 1982

By Max J. Spendlove

This Bureau of Mines publication reviews current recycling trends in the United States. Although near-term prospects are poor for recycling most present wastes, urban refuse is an important exception. Such wastes comprise a mine above ground, and much less processing energy is normally required to recycle the constituents of urban ore than to obtain them in equal amounts from natural raw materials.

Jan 1, 1976

By R. W. Stahl, H. E. Sanford, J. B. Benson

Immediately following the capitulation of Germany in World War II, the German State was occupied by various allied forces, who supervised all indus- trial activities in the area. Coal production is vital to the industrial life of Germany, and most of the coal is mined in the American- and British- occupied zones of western Germany. The British-occupied zones include the Aachen and Ruhr districts, from which approximately 90 percent of the coal is obtained. Figure 1 is a map of the Ruhr district. Because of the magni- tude of the task of insuring an adequate supply of coal and the necessity for united action, it was deemed best to reorganize the coal-producing facilities in the British zone undor the joint supervision of American and British authorities. As a result, the UK/US Coal Control Group was established accord- ing to the organization plan indicated in figure 2. Headquarters for the group was established at Essen, in Villa Huegol, the prewar home of the Krupp family (fig. 3). One of the many problems recognized immediately by the UK/US Coal Control Group was the necessity of preventing disasters and reducing accidents to work- men in mines undor military-governmont control. Consequently, the United States Bureau of Mines was requested to furnish the services of qualified men to search for the hazards incident to coal mining and to prepare comprehensive reports on the results of their investigations. The authors, who wore selected for this task, spont about a year in Germany and visited all except a few of the smaller mince. Whereas their principal purpose was to investi- gate safety conditions, somo of the operating conditions and practices also wore studied. The results of the studies and investigations are embodied in this circular with the hope that some useful information will be disseminated to the mining industry of the United States, including supervisory officials, safety directors, engineers, and mine workmon.

Feb 1, 1950

By R. W. Stahl

A survey of firefighting facilities and practices in coal mines conducted by the Bureau of Mines3/ showed such variations in equipment and apparent attitude toward fire protection that a comparison with other industry seemed advisable. Although other industry is confined generally to surface operations and the hazards probably are not as great, the same general methods of extinguishment are employed, so that the cost and protection at least should be comparable. An investigation of industry other than mines revealed a generally greater emphasis placed on fire-combating equipment, fire-brigade training, fire-fighting facility inspection, and fire-hazard elimination, as well as a greater average expenditure for fire protection.

Jan 1, 1959

In 1960, the Secretary of the Interior, acting under the provisions of Public Law 454, 80th Congress, appointed a Lignite Advisory Committee to aid in programming research on coal (lignite) of the north-central area. The chairman of this committee is the Secretary of the Interior or his delegated representative, and in all meetings held during 1960 and 1961, the Director of the Bureau of Mines, Marling J. Ankeny, has presided. The members of this committee were R. W. Rovelstad, President, Baukol-Noonan, Inc., Noonan, N. Dak. W. E. Keller, Vice President, Northwest Division, Truax-Traer Coal Co., Minneapolis, Minn. A. M. Cooley, Professor of Chemical Engineering, University of North Dakota, Grand Forks; N. Dak.

Jan 1, 1963

By E. D. Gardner

The American petroleum industry is supplying the present domestic demand for liquid fuels. Known reserves of petroleum in the ground, however, are limited, and the .cost per barrel of finding new oil pools is increasing. Any deficiencies of domestic production in the near future doubtlessly could be made up by imports: Dependence upon foreign oil for part of our industrial requirements is not necessarily cause for alarm, but in time of war an adequate, dependable, domestic source of liquid fuels is vital to the defense of the country. As a national defense measure, and to insure a future continuous oil supply for our economic machine, it would appear logical to take steps now to develop methods for producing petroleum substitutes within our own borders. This undoubtedly was in the mind of Congress when it passed the Synthetic Liquid Fuels Act (58 stat.190; 30 U. S. C. Sup. Secs. 321-325), Approved April 5, 1944.The title' of the Law reads: An Act authorizing the construction and operation of demonstration plants to produce synthetic liquid fuels from coal, oil shales, agricultural and forestry products, and other substances, in order to aid the prosecution of the war, to conserve and increase the oil resources of the Nation, and for other purposes. Congress authorized $30,000,000 for a 5-year program and directed the Bureau of Mines to carry it out. The part of the program pertaining to oil shale is being conducted on Naval Oil-Shale Reserves Nos. 1 and 3 (fig. 1) at Anvil Points, near Rifle, Colo.

Jan 1, 1948

By Dana C. Reinke, David K. I Ingram

Researchers at the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health partnered with the water well industry to develop engi­neering control technologies and training products to address noise exposure at the job site. Noise­induced hearing loss continues to be a problem in the well drilling industry. Research con­ducted by NIOSH found that air rotary drill rigs produce sound levels more than 90 dB(A) over the course of an eight­hour workday. Sounds levels above 90 dB(A), identified during hammer drilling and the hammering of casing, exposes workers to levels that can damage hearing. A typical air rotary drill rig provides no barrier, for noise and dust pro­tection, between the drill’s control panel and the drill stem. The development of a partial cab is the clearest example of NIOSH’s research partnership with the water well industry. NIOSH researchers determined that an engineering noise control to protect the oper­ator at the rig’s control panel would be effective, based on typical work site conditions. Many surface rigs do not have full cabs as a result of the original equipment manufacturer design or the high cost of aftermarket products. Developed as a partial cab, the NIOSH engineer­ing noise control design addressed stakeholders’ needs associated with cost, transport, and worker usage (Figure 1). Field tests found the partial cab effective in reducing sound levels at the rig’s control panel, a typical location for a drill rig operator. Sound levels at the control panel were reduced from 104 to 96 dB(A) (Figure 2). Coupled with continued use of personal protective equipment, such as hear­ing protection devices, the partial cab can help to reduce noise exposure. NIOSH researchers created a CD with informa­tion about noise exposure and the partial cab. Most important to well drilling companies is information on how to construct and attach the partial cab to drill rigs. The CD can be viewed on a standard computer and includes a video of the partial cab in use on a work site. Computer­aided design drawings are included on the CD and provide detail of the cab design as well as information on construction mate­rials and design details. Additionally, the CD provides background infor­mation on noise­induced hearing loss and hearing protection devices to increase knowledge about this occupational health concern. This information can be viewed by all company employees to help promote the partial cab’s importance to workers using the cab. More information on the partial cab noise control technology can be downloaded from www.cdc.gov/ niosh/mining NIOSH researchers also examined the health and safety training needs of workers in the ground water industry. It was quickly realized that most workers learn health and safety on the job and do not attend any sort of formal training. In addition, there is not a lot of time for daily “tailgate talks” or “shop talks” on health and safety issues. As a small business industry, the owner is often operating a drill rig along with his other employees. In general, new employees learn the job in an apprentice style sys­tem. As a result, workers and owners have few opportunities to access uniform health and safety information based upon the job — an outdoor work environment with daily change in work sites. With this information, NIOSH researchers devel­oped two products that deliver health and safety information to fit into the daily work of well drillers. Both are information circulars and are available through download at www.cdc.gov/niosh/mining and the NGWA Web site at www.ngwa.org/publication/ publications.cfm. These circulars are: Water Well Safety Bits. This booklet provides information in a “quick bites” style. It is pre­sented in a magazine format and can be left on

By H. B. Brunot, L. C. IlsLey, E. J. Gleim

"INTRODUCTION To supply inspectors, safety engineers, and others with detailed information as to the safety features of the various electrically operated machines that have been approved as permissible by the Bureau of Mines, three bulletins and five reports of investigations have been published dealing with the various classes of approved machines:Bull. 313, Permissible Storage-Battery Locomotives and Power Trucks.Bull, 343, Permissible Coal-Handling Equipment Approved from January 1926 to December 1930, inclusive.Bull. 382, Permissible Coal-Cutting Equipment Approved Prior to July 1, 1932.Rep. of Investigations 3309, Permissible Electrically Operated. Air Compressors.Rep. of Investigations 3326, Permissible Electrically Operated Room Hoists.Rep. of Investigations 3345, Permissible Electrically Operated Rock-Dust Distributors.Rep. of Investigations 3363, Permissible Electrically Operated Hand-Held Coal Drills.Rep. of Investigations 3391, Permissible Electrically Operated Post Drills and Drilling Machines.The present paper gives similar information relative to the mine pumps approved before October 1, 1939."

Mar 1, 1940

By G. S. Scott, G. W. Jones

Trichloroethylene (CHC1CC12) is an important solvent for fats , resins , bitumens, rubber , sulfur , and phosphorus . It is used extensively in drycleaning because of its low order of combustibility and has recently been proposed as an inhalation anaesthetic . Its physical properties have been described by Carlisle and Levine . It is usually considered a noninflammable material ; however , substances that are noninflammable when mixed with air are not necessarily noninflammable when mixed with oxygen . Thus , Hewer's statement that " Trichloroethylene*** is not inflammable under any circumstances , nor will its vapor explode when mixed in any proportion with air , oxygen, or nitrous oxide , " requires qualification , especially in anesthesia, where pure oxygen may at times be substituted for air , This report gives the results of tests made to determine the inflammability of trichloroethylene in various mixtures of oxygen and nitrogen . The trichloroethylene used was Eastman's No. 1300. The boiling point was given as 86 ° to 87 °C . The specific gravity and refractive index of the sample measured in this laboratory were , respectively, 1.45 and 1.4759 at 25 °C .

Nov 1, 1942

By H. A. Schrecengost, H. R. Gil, Alfred Clarkson, E. H. McCleary

Much has been written and many discussions have been held concerning the prevention of accidents in coal mines , and considerable progress has been made in eliminating hazards to the health and safety of underground workmen . Although much progress has been made in the reduction of injury rates in the Pennsylvania anthracite field , the injury rates for the anthracite mines of Pennsylvania are generally higher than the average for coal mines in the United States as a whole , because the mining conditions , including the safety problems , in the Pennsylvania anthracite fields are more complex than in other coal fields of the United States . Several factors contribute to this extremely difficult problem , among which are : Multiple - vein mining , steeply pitching measures , folds or faults , hard smooth floors underneath the veins , and the remining or reclaiming of pillars in severely crushed , broken ground . In the early days of the Pennsylvania anthracite industry , only the more productive veins were mined , and this resulted in bypassing those veins that were relatively thin and those containing considerable proportions of impurities . However , the development of modern coal - preparation equipment , improved marketing conditions , and the adoption of mechanical equipment , such as the various types of conveyors and scraper loaders , have made possible the recovery of the thinner and poorer veins . Furthermore , in the early days , little or no attempt was made to recover the coal pillars , usually owing to the great amount of virgin coal available . Consequently , much of the anthracite produced within the last few years has been recovered by second and third mining and frequently by fourth mining - in areas where operations had been suspended for many years . In such areas , the coal veins and intervening strata are usually crushed as the result of gradual subsidence , which intensifies the hazards incidental to roof control , haulage , ventilation , and mine gases . Moreover , the use of coal - cutting equipment is not practicable in most anthracite mines because of. the inclination of the veins and because , in crushed -ground areas , the faces must be advanced slowly and for short distances at a time to permit the erection of timber sets and the placing of forepoles to support the roof and sides . Thus , the slow process of mining brought about by these conditions has resulted in the production of only 0.424 ton of anthracite for each man- hour worked , as compared with 0.753 ton? for each man - hour worked at other coal mines in the United States . A summary contained in Bulletin 462,8/ a publication of the Federal Bureau of Mines , reveals that the rate of fatal injuries in the Pennsylvania anthracite industry was improved from 13.47 deaths per million tons produced in 1870 to 3.88 deaths per million tons mined in 1942. During the period March 16 , 1942 to January 1 , 1947 , the fatality rate was reduced from 3.88 to 2.87 deaths for each million tons mined . On the million man-hour basis , the rate of fatal injuries was reduced from 1.643 to 1.130 and the nonfatalinjury rate was lowered from 119.01 to 83.12 during the same period . The improvements made in both the fatal- and nonfatal - injury rates have required the cooperation of the workmen , the mining companies , and the State and Federal inspection departments . Many individual mines and companies have achieved commendable safety records which contributed greatly to the over - all average for the industry , particularly during the 1942-47 period . One of the most outstanding of these is the Continental mine of the Continental -Archbald Coal Co. , a member of the Moffat Co. Interests .

Jun 1, 1948

Greater mining productivity requires a more efficient cutting process. The cutting force available from today?s mining machines has been optimized with respect to machine size and weight. Researchers have shown that when employing water-jet-assisted cutting, bit forces and drum torques can be reduced significantly, which may allow mining machines to become lighter and more efficient. The Bureau of Mines has initiated a program to develop a water- jet-assisted rotary cutting system using the conventional bit assisted by a directed water jet operating at moderate pressures (3,000 to 10,000 psi). This water-jet-assisted cutting system has the potential to improve cutting efficiency without increasing machine horsepower or water usage (beyond what is presently used for dust control) or requiring fundamental changes in mining practice. IR addition to improvements in productivity, other anticipated benefits of water-jet cutting include reduced generation of respirable dust, elimination of frictional ignitions, increased bit life, reduced fines, and fewer machine vibrations. The papers presented at this open industry meeting discuss the development of water-jet-assisted cutting technology and future application of this technology to a variety of mining techniques including roof drilling and longwall mining.

Jan 1, 1985

By Mark L. Chatman

The U.S. Bureau of Mines studied mineral resources of the Dragoon Mountains Unit, Coronado National Forest (54,264 ac), Cochise County, AZ. This study involves literature and field investigations with a focus on mine and prospect sites, which were inventoried and mapped; maps are contained in this report. Rock-chip samples were taken from mineralized zones and from some mine dumps; assays of the 477 samples are in appendixes. Mineral deposits are genetically and spatially related to Tertiary-age granitic intrusive activity. Most metallic mineral deposits are also strongly fault-controlled. Colored marble resources (270,000 st) are valued at approximately $6.5 million, if all were to be developed and sold as landscaping material in the form of-marble chips. However, with current demand, it is unlikely that regional markets could absorb all this material. Economic modeling of copper-zinc-silver skarns suggests none would be profitable to mine and capitalize at early 1993 commodity prices, mainly due to the small estimated size of the deposits (30,000 st to 40,000 st maximum). In the entire Unit, 140,000 st of inferred subeconomic skarn resources were estimated by USBM on five different skarn trends; measured subeconomic resources are negligible. Exploration by industry, 1992, was small-scale (on 2 skarn trends and 1 auriferous fault zone).

Jan 1, 1993

By K. O. Bennington

Thermodynamic properties were determined by the Federal Bureau of Mines for lithium metasilicate (Li2Si03) and lithium disilicate (Li2Si205). Their enthalpies of formation were investigated by hydrofluoric acid solution calorimetry. The standard values are ?Hf°298 -393.8 ± 0.8 kcal/mole for Li2Si03, and ?Hf°298 -611.8 ± 1.0 kcal/mole for LiSi205. Enthalpy increments above 298 K were measured by copper-block drop calorimetry from 298 to 1,404 K for Li2Si03, and from 298 to 1,281 K for Li2Si205. Low-temperature heat capacities were determined adiabatically from 6 to 305 K for Li2Si205 only. The derived standard entropy is S°298 = 29.20 ± 0.10 cal/deg-mole. The various experimental data were combined with other data from the literature, and resulting properties of ?Hf°, ?Gf°, and log Kf were tabulated as a function of temperature.

Jan 1, 1976

By Clinton C. Knox

To demonstrate the feasibility of unwatering ore reserves previously indicated in the virgin Melrose zinc-lead field in Kansas and Oklahoma, the Bureau of Mines .carried through a pumping project on the Park Walton farm in 1943. Due to success of the undertaking, attention was turned to exploration of other indicated ore deposits and promising areas within that part of the field benefited by .the drainage project, By the middle of 1946, four private mining companies were active in the field; and a considerable output of lead and zinc concentrate had been obtained from the new Park Walton mine and mill. The Park Walton Ore deposit was unwatered by installing deep-well pumps in three holes previously drilled by the lessee. Pumping was continued by the Bureau of Mines at a rate of 2,500 to 1,000 g.p.m. for about 6 months; during this time the local static artesian water-level, originally averaging 108 feet below the surface in the old drill holes was lowered to the 316-foot level, which justified beginning the initial shaft sinking and mine developments. In all, about 750,000,000 gallons of water was pumped by the Bureau of Mines at an operating cost averaging $0.024 per 1,000 gallons.

Jan 1, 1948

By Richard D. Miller

This Bureau of Mines publication contains analyses and related source data for 271 natural gas samples from 22 States collected during calendar year 1982. All samples were obtained and analyzed as part of Bureau of Mines investigations of the occurrences of helium in natural gases of countries with free market economies. This survey has been conducted since 1917. The analyses published herein were made by the mass spectrometer and chromatograph. The results of the investigation of the occurrences of helium are published annually to make the information available to the petroleum industry and the general public. Twenty-six publications have presented the results of 13,051 gas analyses vide prior to 1982. The first 3 bulletins (1-3)3 contain analyses and related source data on 5,218 gas samples collected from 1917 through 1960; these bulletins have been supplemented annually by information circulars (4-17, 19-24, 26) containing 7,833 analyses of samples collected since 1960.

Jan 1, 1983

This report is the 24th in a series summarizing research on coal and related investigations3 by the Bureau of Mines. The coal programs of the Bureau of Mines include a wide range of theoretical and applied studies--such as fundamental studies of coal structure and properties, the development and evaluation of new mining techniques, and work toward more effective processing and utilization of coal. The scope of these programs is indicated, in topical outline, by the table of contents. These investigations are integrated into a broad but coordinated effort to develop information on coal that will benefit the coal mining industry and the coal consumer while promoting the wise conservation and utilization of our national coal resources. Any attempt to summarize in one volume the progress in all of the program areas indicated must necessarily be limited to a brief review of developments, without detailed reporting of the data. However, while the brief discussion in each section will present only the highlights of the Bureau's work during the year, details of many of the operations or investigations described here can be found in the publications cited throughout the text. Other work, reported here for the first time, will be covered in greater detail in later publications.

Jan 1, 1962