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Alaska Miners Association Phone: 907-563-9229 Fax: 907-563-9225 ama@alaskaminers.org www.alaskaminers.org ELKO / Mining Expo Phone: 775-738-4091 Fax: 775-738-2420 jennifer@elkocva.com www.exploreelko.com WorldWide Drilling Resource ® is proud to be a member of these mining associations. Northwest Mining Association Phone: 509-624-1158 Fax: 509-623-1241 nwma_info@nwma.org Women in Mining 866-537-9694 wim@womeninmining.org 53 WorldWide Drilling Resource ® MARCH 2014 My Favorite Mining Story by Harry W. Short Engineering Geologist I had an interesting experience in the early 1970s when traveling in West Virginia evaluating potential precon- struction hazardous conditions on trans- mission tower line sites. One evening after work I stopped at a dinner club in Huntington, West Virginia, for some libations and a meal. I met a man in his early fifties. We had a great visit since our occupations were related, and we both lived on airplanes for much of our professional lives. Frank was a mining engineer and had worked at several mining projects in South America. He related a story to me of a mining inci- dent in Peru that nearly ended his life. He had spent five years mapping, surveying, analyzing ore samples, and exploring a gold-bearing ore body he found for his client, the Peruvian gov- ernment. The project came together. The gold-bearing ore veins were locat- ed and mine drifts and vertical shafts were excavated for access, ventilation, and removing ore for processing. The project provided millions of dollars for the government. Frank became a nation- al hero and was hosted at a wild five- day party before leaving Peru. Frank returned to West Virginia and went back to work on coal mining proj- ects. One day three years later he re- ceived a telegram from the Peruvian government asking him to return. “Wow,” he thought. “What a great invitation to be going back to the old project.” His joy and happy anticipation was short-lived. On stepping off the airplane, he was arrested, handcuffed, and taken to prison by the local constabulary. He learned in prison the gold veins had run out and he was accused of not doing a good job previously. Frank said it took six months to convince the government to release him so he could go back to the mine and find out what was wrong. Back at work he discovered the gold- bearing ore body had been displaced downward about 98 feet on a normal fault, and shifted laterally over 300 feet by horizontal fault movement. His past site exploration did not reach the depth of the lower faulting. When the geolog- ic structural details of the heretofore unknown fault zone were worked out, the mine went back into production and Frank was once again a national hero. He enjoyed another five-day party and an apology from the Peruvian President. Frank told me he would never go back to Peru again unless he was extra- dited, kidnapped, or dead. Harry Harry Short may be contacted via e-mail at admin@ worldwidedrillingresource.com Mining in the USA Part 20 Compiled by Amy White, Associate Editor WorldWide Drilling Resource ® Production of minerals has always been a crucial part of Oklahoma’s econ- omy and still represents a vital reserve of future wealth. To this day, minerals are mined in all 77 counties. Limestone, gran- ite, sand and gravel, coal, gypsum, and salt are among the most important natu- ral resources in the state. Historically in Oklahoma, limestone has been mined for crushed stone, lime and cement production, and build- ing stone. Most of the state’s limestone Mining in the USA cont’d on page 54.