Show K KM M plant output to be increased during 1955 0 output u t p u t of the kerr mcgee uranium processing mill at shiprock k new mexico opened late last year is expected to be stepped up during 1955 say officials of the company kerr mcgee oil industries inc had the plant constructed near the shiprock ore buying station the station stockpiled stock piled ore from the lukachukai Lukach ukal mountain area of northeastern arizona and other areas on the navajo indian reservation ger for over two years kerr mcgee has taken over operation of the ore buying station and is running it in conjunction with the new processing plant W western lern knapp engineering co apo of f san g fr francisco sc california was the builder of the mill mw which is the first of its kind built exclusively to treat uranium ore according to the builder the structure is to in the shape of a rough T and has some square q feet t of floor space at its highest point the building 1 to Is 48 feet tall structural steel was used exclusively in the construction 11 and the exterior to is made of cinder block and sheet iron very little wood was used in the building A conveyor belt carries the ore fr from the b buying u ying station to the mill where v vanadium and uranium are removed and concentrated for over two years the american smelting smelling Sm elting and refining company operated the buying station for fw the government ore brought in if is dried and broken up in the buying station after thorough mixing a representative sample is taken and on the basis of its ore content the miner is paid for the ore after taking the sample the ore Is then placed la in the stockpile just how much ore has been collected by the station during 1953 and 54 is a closely guarded secret american 9 smelling smelting Sm mel elting ting has been oper operating aUng the plant plan t with the government paying M the e expenses and a slight dividend to t the f firm haw raw much ore is taken in aad and Us its value is lis never any concern of the me private company in addition to the sample sent to the company one on goes zoe s to the me miner and two are set aside for impartial um m pires la in the event the miner protests V J tame buying station man ager says employees of american smelting smelling Sm elting and refining are staying IM ft for awhile to io train kerr mc me gee employees after that sat kerr mcgee will operate both plants it to in understood that kerr mc me gee win will b buy the ore fr from the government and then resell re sell the concentrate back to the atomic energy commission thirteen men were employed at th the buying station under the me old setu set u nop details on present employ employment mezA numbers have been released |