| Show T TK K- K M K-M Plant Output to Be Increased During 1955 Out Output put of the Kerr McGee uranium processing mill at Shiprock Shiprock Shiprock Ship- Ship rock New Mexico opened late last year is expected to be stepped up during 1955 say officials of the company McGee Kerr Oil Industries Inc Ine had the plant constructed near the Shiprock ore-buying ore station The station stockpiled ore from the Lukachukai Mountain area of northeastern Arizona and other areas on the Navajo Indian reservation reservation reservation re re- for over two years McGee Kerr has taken over operation oper of the ore-buying ore station and andIs andis andis is running it in conjunction with the new processing plant Western-Knapp Western Engineering Co of San Francisco California was the builder of the mill which is the first of its kind built exclusively to treat uranium ore according to the builder The structure is in the shape of ofa ofa ofa a rough T and has some square feet of floor space At its highest point the building is 48 feet tall tail Structural steel was used exclusively in the construction and the exterior is Js made of cinder bl block ck and sheet iron Very little littlewood littlewood wood was used in the building A conveyor belt carries the ore from the buying station to the mill where vanadium and uranium are removed and concentrated For over two years the American Smelting and Refining Company operated the buying station for the government Ore brought in is dried and broken up in the buying station After Alter thorough mixing a representative sample is taken and andon andon andon on the basis of its ore-content ore the miner is Js paid for the ore After taking the sample the ore is then placed in the stockpile Just how much ore has been collected collected collected col col- by the station during 1953 and 54 is a closely guarded sec sec- ret American Smelting has been operating the plant with the government government government gov gov- paying the expenses and anda a slight dividend to the firm How much ore is taken in and its value is Js never any concern of the private company In addition to the sample sent to the company one goes to the miner and two are set aside for impartial umpires umpires um um- umpires pires in the event the miner pro pro- tests V. V J. J Tame buying station statton manager manager man man- ager says employees of American Smelting and Refining are staying are staying on ce for awhile to train Kerr Mc Gee employees After Alter that Kerr- Kerr McGee will operate both plants It is' is understood that Kerr Mc Gee will buy the ore from the government and then sell re the concentrate back to the Atomic Energy Commission Thirteen men were employed at the buying station station station sta sta- tion under the old set u. Nop details on present employment numbers have been released |
