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By J. P. Newell, R. W. Storey

This paper describes the development of a continuous float-and-sink process to produce coal low enough in ash content to be suitable for production of electrodes. The cleaned coal had a combined iron and silicon content of 0.239 pct. The efficiency of recovery was 84 pct. AUGER mining is a form of continuous mining in that it completely replaces with a one-cycle operation the older conventional cut, drill, shoot, and load method of mining. Relatively new, having been utilized only within the last few years, it is even more continuous in its production of coal than some other forms of continuous mining being practiced in this country today. There are at present coal recovery augers in operation working along strip-mined highwalls from the outside. This paper will deal with underground mining, specifically with an experiment which was carried out with a machine developed for this purpose. The location of this experiment was in Pike County in eastern Kentucky in the upper split of the No. 3 Elkhorn seam. Coal height was 32 in. and roof conditions were very bad, with 10 in. of soft draw slate coming down with every cut in conventional mining. The coal is high-grade bituminous, excellent for metallurgical coking. Underground auger mining fills a need for a method of recovering coal in thin seams, under bad roof conditions or in split seams. In many cases it might save money by eliminating the handling of excessive quantities of rock. In fact, if the coal can be recovered, as in the case of this experiment, without mixing with any impurities outside the seam, it may be possible to load or ship a satisfactory product with little or no preparation or cleaning expense. The need for some economical method for recovering coal from thin seams is becoming more pressing as the more profitably mined seams are exhausted. Basic Principles of Auger Mining The principles of the auger, or screw conveyor, have long been used in drilling small diameter holes for blasting and other purposes. These same fundamentals apply to large diameter drilling. However, considerably more attention was given to designing a cutting head that would not pulverize the coal and consequently would require a minimum of power to drive it. The head, as designed for this job, consists of a cylinder 25 in. in diam with steel bits set in 3 positions spaced around the forward rim. A conventional coal drill bit, at the head of a bursting cone in the center of the cylinder, trails the forward rim slightly, see Fig. 1. The bursting cone and auger connections are anchored to the cutter barrel by 3 arms spaced at 120". This head design proved to be very satis-

Jan 1, 1953

By Vernon Read

Among the technical problems in AEC's Project Plowshare is the necessity of determining the precise effects of nuclear blasts in all kinds of ground formations. This calls for extensive in-situ sampling with full core recovery. In the exploration drilling that often precedes a new test detonation, the AEC and its contractors have applied both novel and established sampling techniques in many new ways, giving improved core recovery and reduced costs in all subsurface sampling and testing. Unique among these new techniques is one that achieved full recovery and virtually undisturbed samples from near-surface layers of unconsolidated boulder-strewn alluvium. This approach involves a combination of oilfield and mining core drilling equipment. Oilfield heavy drill collars, rotary stabilizers and thick, vibration-reducing oil emulsion drilling mud were used in combination with the precise hydraulic feed control, fast (over 300 rpm) bit rotation, light drilling weight, hard rock core barrels and multi-step diamond bits that are common in mining industry diamond drilling.

Jan 8, 1963

By Jr. Ensign C. O., J. W. Trammell

The two principal methods of room-and-pillar mining practiced at White Pine make it important to predict variations in the thickness and rock types of a stratum called the upper sandstone. In full column mining, the nearly barren upper sandstone occurs between two ore horizons (called upper shale and parting shale, respectively), and is mined as a part of the ore column. In general, full column mining is not practiced where excessive upper sandstone thickness causes full column ore grade to be substantially lower than parting shale ore. In parting shale mining, the upper sandstone forms the mine roof. Difficulty in predicting upper sandstone character arose because the extent and directions of its variations were not apparent in the property's diamond drilling, in which holes are spaced on 1000-ft centers. A study of sedimentary features, undertaken to improve the predictability of trends in the upper sandstone, led to an interpretation of the sedimentary environment in which the sandstone was deposited. Ripple marks, mud cracks, and cross-bedding, as well as other, less well known features, such as channel casts, flute casts, and current crescent casts, were mapped or recorded. These data, coupled with the knowledge of regional facies changes gained from studying drill core, show that the upper sandstone was deposited by a series of streams flowing northeastward over the underlying parting shale. Deposition of the lowermost bed of the upper sandstone, near the ancient shoreline, was locally preceded by erosion of the parting shale, and the greatest thicknesses of sandstone are found in channels scoured out of the parting shale. Awareness of the rather strong linear trends in the upper sandstone makes it possible to project continuous areas of thick upper sandstone through apparently isolated "highs" in the upper sandstone thickness contour map, which is based on drill-hole information. Since local exceptions to general stratigraphic trends exist, a method was also needed for esti- mating, in detail, the thickness and degree of shali-ness of upper sandstone forming the roof in active parting shale mining areas. Because locally the parting shale was thinned by erosion during the deposition of upper sandstone, parting shale thickness is inversely proportional to upper sandstone thickness. Utilizing information taken from short drill holes into the roof, curves were constructed for the correlation of parting shale thickness (measurable in the mine) with the upper sandstone total thickness, as well as the thickness of its basal member. The White Pine mine is situated in Ontonagon County, approximately 6 miles south of Lake Superior, in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan (Fig. 1). The orebody mined by White Pine Copper Co. occurs in the lowermost 20 to 25 ft of the Nonesuch formation, a series of middle- to upper-Keweenawan shales, siltstones, and sandstones. This paper discusses the solution of problems in ore grade control and mine planning arising from the presence of an essentially barren sandstone stratum within the orebody. THE OREBODY AND MINING TYPES A brief description of the orebody and mining methods is necessary to show how the upper sandstone affects mine planning and grade control. In the mine, the cupriferous zone of the Nonesuch shale is divided into three major portions, as shown in Fig. 2. Lying conformably on top of the Copper Harbor formation (or "lower sandstone") is the lower part of the orebody, the parting shale. The parting shale is overlain by the upper sandstone. On top of the upper sandstone, the basal portion (8 ft) of the upper shale is quite similar to the parting shale. Both the upper shale and parting shale are divided into a number of smaller stratigraphic units, each having a characteristic copper content, as shown by the histogram of Fig. 2. Other authors1'3 have dealt in detail with the stratigraphy and mineralogy of the orebody. However, in this article, we are concerned with the major subdivisions only, and it will suffice to note the low copper content of the upper sandstone, shown in Fig. 2. At present, two types of room-and-pillar openings are created in the orebody. In one type, called parting

Jan 1, 1964

By M. F. Fogler

An attempt to duplicate Rawdon and Mutchler's experiments showing a reversal of hardness with continued rolling gave negative results, indicating that the phenomenon is not general but depends, probably, on local conditions of rolling. IN A recent paper, Rawdon and Mutchler1 gave some exceptionally interesting results on the Brinell and scratch hardness of severely cold-worked metals. In their work, they found that, on continued cold rolling, the metal hardened up to a particular point and then reversed and became softer; this was true for both Brinell and scratch hardness values. The generally reported behavior2 of metals, with respect to Brinell tests on cold-worked material, is that the metals harden up to a certain point and then, on further cold rolling, no change in Brinell hardness occurs. Jeffries and Archer3 state that there is little difference between the scratch hardness of annealed and cold-worked metals; the work of Faust and Tammann4 also indicated no difference between-the hardness of annealed and cold-worked copper. Rawdon and Mutchler found, when they plotted the reduction ratio (initial thickness divided by thickness after rolling) against the hardness value for the cold-rolled material, that the hardness number increased up to a reduction ratio of about 3 and then decreased and became even smaller than that for the annealed metal. This behavior was reported for both scratch and Brinell hardness; Figs. 1 and 2 show their results for Brinell hardness on the metals for which they published data. This is an exceptionally interesting phenomenon, if it occurs under all conditions of rolling, and would have an important bearing on the practice of cold

Jan 1, 1925

NEW MEMBERS The following list comprises the names of those persons who became members during the period May 10 to June 10, 1915: Members ANDREEN, HARRY MAYO, Millman: and Assayer Thane, Alaska. BANKS, HUBERT RAYMOND, Min. Engr., Mill Staff, Consolidated Arizona Smelting Co., Humboldt, Ariz. BASSETT, ARTHUR F., Min. Engr., Care Consolidated Arizona Smelting Co., Humboldt, Ariz. BLACKNER, LESTER A., Slope Engr.... Care Ray Consolidated Copper Co., Ray, Ariz. BUSHNELL, C. E., Draftsman Butte & Superior Copper Co., Butte, Mont. CAVAGNARO, DAVID AMILE, Min. Engr., Genl. Supt., Wisconsin North Fork GravelMines, Forest, Sierra Co.; Cal. COGHILL, WILLIAM HAKES, Met., Ore Testing Laboratory, 3705 Hueco St., - - El Paso, Tex.

Jan 7, 1915

By P Shenon

THE Elk City district is in north-central Idaho about 60 miles east of Grangeville and near the headwaters of the South Fork of the Clearwater River (Fig. 1). At the height of its boom in the early sixties, Elk City had a population of more than 2000 people.1 Published estimates of the placer production from the district range from $10,000,000 to $18,500,000. Although the first quartz-vein location was made as early as 1870, very little gold was extracted from quartz ores until after the completion of the American Eagle mill in 1902. Between 1902 and 1932 a total of from $750,000 to $1,000,000 was taken from about six properties.

Jan 1, 1934

By B. L. Cusack, N. W. Stump

Selected technological developments applicable to lead and zinc mineral processing and changes in Australian concentration practices made since 1770 are reviewed. Laboratory and pilot plant studies of two new ores have been conducted since 1770. These have resulted in final flowsheet proposals which are described. New production capacity since IT0 has been based on plant expansion or the retreatment of oxidised tailings from plants operating pre-1940ts. Major developments in existing plants have come from the application of computer control to crushing, grinding and flotation and the installation of on-stream analysis systems. Flowsheet configurations have been altered in a number of plants. Selected research topics applicable to lead and zinc processing are also reviewed.

Jan 1, 1977

By Andrew B. Crichton

THE oft repeated statements of the United States Geological Survey and the Bureau of Mines that the coal reserves in the United States are sufficient for 3000 yr have given us all a sense of security hard to disturb. If we discount that statement 66 pct, which to the uninformed seems drastic, we would still have 1000 yr supply, and why should mortal man worry about the difference between 1000 and 3000 yr supply of coal. That is exactly the attitude which many who should be better in- formed have taken toward the problem. A recent brochure "How Strong is America," by the New York Herald Tribune, states there is "no end to coal * * The truth is staggering * * U. S. has enough coal to last 4000 years." What the statement actually means is that the calculator got as high as 4000 yr and decided it was pointless to go on. The President's ERP Committee on Natural Resources and others in high places continue to assure the country of our superabundance of coal. In the past few days the “Wall Street Journal" carried an item from Director Boyd of the Bureau of Mines saying that within a hundred years we would need to triple our annual coal production of 6oo,ooo,ooo tons, making it 1,800,000,000 tons annually, and at that rate we had coal reserves sufficient for 1000 yr. In my humble opinion, we cannot now or ever produce 1,800,000,000 tons annually, be- cause we do not have the reserves in the producing districts to do it. Past reckoning in geology may be, as in the Psalms, a thousand years are as yesterday, but the future must be considered more realistically, and "a thousand years" is really a "heck" of a long time. In most developed areas, mining engineers can count the coal reserves in terms of a hundred years or less, and in some important areas now producing large annual tonnages in much under fifty years. They think when they hear of thousands of years coal reserves, reference is made to distant fields and "the fields are always green far away." The estimates of our coal reserves upon which we are relying were made in 1907 under the direction of Marius R. Campbell, Director of the United States Geological Survey. It is apparent this work was not well done. It was necessarily based on rather meager data because of the little development and prospecting as of that date. There were mistakes in the correlation of seams, and they assumed the continuity of thick seams throughout large coal bearing areas where coal often did not exist. The overstatement of coal bearing areas in the Campbell figures are common. The 1907 survey includes all coals over 14 in. in thickness to a depth of 3000 ft. The total coal reserves according to Campbell were 3157.2 billion tons. The production and mining losses that year would amount to -570 million tons and

Jan 1, 1948

By Richard P. Rothwell

IN the pear 1881, I visited San Domingo, in the interest of French capitalists, to examine and report upon certain "concessions" of gold-bearing gravel and quartz veins, on the Isabella and Jaina rivers and their tributaries. This district is periodically reported to he extraordinarily rich, and there is oast around it the glamour of the mysterious shipments of gold, credited, in romance and in more or less romantic history, to Columbus and the Spaniards of the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries. Since considerable sums of money and several valuable lives have been lost in the unsuccessful search for its profitable mines, it seems desirable to place on record Borne of the information collected concerning the value of these famous gold fields, with the hope of facilitating the work of those who may hereafter be called on to investigate these claims, and of preventing the unnecessary waste of capital. It is needless to add that the capitalists for whom my investigations were made abandoned the enterprise they had in view,although no doubt similar schemes will be brought forward many times in the future, as they have been in the past, under the fervent advocacy of too sanguine enthusiasts. Since the time of the Spanish occupation of the Island of San Domingo, in 1497, when Columbus Found the natives wearing ornaments of gold, more or less of the precious metal has been obtained annually by washing the gold-bearing sands of several of its streams. It is said that during the Spanish domination, when the native Indians were held in the most abject servitude, a certain amount of gold was required of each one as the rault of his labor. Uuder this

Jan 1, 1882

By Frank C. Appleyard

Southwest of the town of Saltville in western Virginia is Plasterco, a small village that has been a source of gypsum production since 1815. Boasting the deepest underground gypsum mine in the world, Plasterco has been the site of mining operations by United States Gypsum Co. for more than half a century. And although its own ore supply is dwindling, Plasterco's position as a source of gypsum and gypsum products has been ensured by the recent opening of the nearby Locust Cove mine, one of U.S. Gypsum's newest projects. In the early days, production of gypsum at Plasterco was very small, the primary use of the mineral limited to that of "land plaster"-ground gypsum spread on the land to sweeten the soil. Initial mining was confined to surface outcrops containing gypsum, but the construction of a local plaster-producing calcining plant in the late 1800's coupled with al- most total depletion of the surface rock spurred the start-up of underground operations.

Jan 3, 1965

By W. A. Hoyer

A pulsed high-energy neturon-induced spectral logging tool has been built and field-tested. The reaction of deuterium on tritium is used to generate pulses of 14-Mev neutrons. By detecting only the prompt gamma rays produced by neutron inelastic reactions in the formation, the presence and relative abundance of carbon, oxygen, calcium, silicon and other important elements may be ascertained from a gamma-ray spectrum. Gamma-ray spectra obtained in a shallow test well and in experimental field use show that it is possible to identify formations and their contained fluids. INTRODUCTION The penetrating gamma rays from naturally occurring radioactive elements in subsurface formations have been used for a number of years in well logging as a means of characterizing and distinguishing strata. Still another nuclear logging method which has been employed for some years consists of the bombardment of strata with neutrons and the measurement of the number of gamma rays produced by neutron capture reactions involving elements in subsurface strata.' Since one of the principal elements entering into capture reactions is hydrogen, the latter procedure essentially results in a hydrogen log, whether the hydrogen be in combined form in either oil or water; thus, the log gives an indirect measure of porosity. These methods, with various refinements, have been developed to such an extent that they have become routine procedures in formation evaluation. Neither gamma-ray logging nor conventional neutron logging, however, yields sufficient information to permit unequivocal identification of the mineralogic composition of formations, and neither method gives information which may be used for the positive identification of hydrocarbons in strata. Accordingly, a number of efforts have been made in recent years to gain additional information from nuclear logs. Brannon and Osoba have shown that it is possible to identify naturally occurring radioactive elements in subsurface formations by spectral analysis of gamma rays emanating from these elements. Such an identification is of value in the characterization of strata. A simplified form of spectral analysis of gamma radiation resulting from neutron capture reactions between elements in earth materials and bombarding neutrons has been used with some suc- cess under favorable conditions to differentiate between petroleum and water. This method relies upon the relatively high energy of gamma radiation from neutron capture by chlorine and, in effect, furnishes a chlorine log. In areas in which interstitial water is of sufficiently high salinity, this log can give valuable information on water saturation and, thus, indirectly on hydrocarbon saturation. Still another approach to obtaining more information by nuclear techniques is "activation logging", in which certain elements yield short-lived radioactive isotopes on neutron activation and, thus, can be detected by gamma-ray spectral analysis. From the standpoint of determining by nuclear logging methods the mineralogic composition of strata and the presence or absence of hydrocarbons, it is essential that information be obtained on the presence and relative amounts of several elements such as carbon, oxygen, hydrogen, calcium, silica and others. Some elements, such as hydrogen, chlorine and sulfur, can be determined by spectral analysis of gamma radiation resulting from neutron capture reactions."" Others — carbon and oxygen, for example — do not enter readily into capture reactions but do yield gamma rays of characteristic energies from inelastic scattering reactions with high-energy neutrons. Accordingly, the latter reactions are of particular interest as a means of identifying hydrocarbons in subsurface strata. Several years ago it was recognized that information requisite to the identification of subsurface strata and of contained fluids could be obtained by pulsed operation of a subsurface neutron generator and associated gamma-ray detector. It was contemplated that pulsed operation would be effective in discriminating in time that gamma radiation which results predominantly from inelastic scattering reactions from that gamma radiation arising from neutron capture reactions. Accordingly, research was continued and construction of such a device was initiated. Although many problems were encountered, they were solved successfully. The following sections describe the tool which has evolved, its performance and the results which have been obtained with it to date. THEORY OF OPERATION OF NEUTRON-INDUCED GAMMA-RAY SPECTRAL LOGGING TOOL THEORY OF INDUCED NUCLEAR REACTIONS Of fundamental importance is the fact that an element, when bombarded with neutrons, emits gamma radiation of energy characteristic of that element. In theory, therefore, an element may be identified by

By E. Berl

THIS may be a most unnecessary paper-from what does crude oil come and how was it formed? Many people, inside and outside of the petroleum industry, believe that we have actually enough oil, and that we can easily produce very important products from this extremely valuable raw material. The writer believes, however, that the answer to this question concerning the parent material and the formation of oil is of broader interest, because it may be that from the answer to these problems it would be possible to get answers to other important indus-trial questions. Therefore, a study in this line seems to be justified, and the writer will submit some of the results which he has collected during more than ten years with many very capable collaborators, to whom his thanks may be expressed on this occasion.

Jan 1, 1938

By Thomas J. Pike, Keith G. Kirk, Mark F. Weider, Lawrence E. Welborn

As part of the mine permitting process as delegated by the Surface Mining Reclamation and Control Act of 1977 the regulatory authority must assess the probable hydrologic consequences and cumulative hydrologic impacts of surf ace mining. The U.S. Office of Surface Mining (OSM), in conjunction with Energy & Minerals Technology Assessment and ENCORE Systems Inc., has developed a user friendly groundwater model that is capable of predicting the effects of surface mining on groundwater quality and quantity. The model is a variation of the Prickett-Lonnquist model which has been modified to be specifically applicable to surface mine applications. This model is presently being used by OSM, the states, and industry to determine mining impacts on groundwater resources. The model is designed for use by the hydrologist with minimal computer training. The model accounts for multiple pumping wells, injection wells, multiple mine pits, and mine pit movement through time. This paper presents an example of how the model may be used in permit application review and how the model can be used by industry to simplify permit preparation.

Jan 1, 1983

By J. Howard Boyce

INTRODUCTION The Tsumeb Mine is situated in the northern part of South West Africa, approximately 335 air miles north-east of the port of Walvis Bay on the Atlantic Coast, and 240 air miles north of Windhoek, the capital of South west Africa. The mine came into operation in the early 1900's and has operated continuously since then except during the two world warm and the depression years of the thirties, Tsumeb Corporation purchased the property in 1947, installed a new plat, and ham built a modern tom. In addition to the concentrator which began operations in 1948, a copper smelter was started in 1962 and a lead smelter in 1963, Tonnage of ore treated in the concentrator has varied through the years, reaching a maximum of 70,000 tons per month with a current mined tonnage of approximately 50,000 tons per month. Copper concentrates, lead concentrates and zinc concentrates are produced, and for a number of years the production of a germanium enriched concentrate was an important feature of the operation, Both copper and lead concentrates are smelted in Tsumeb, while the zinc concentrates are shipped overseas. Ore change, and the installation of the smelters in Tsumeb have necessitated modifications in the concentrator operation. This paper will describe current plant practice in some detail and will touch briefly on the techniques used from 1954 to

Jan 1, 1970

By N. T. Burdine

Discussion of the paper of FRANK H. KNEELAND, presented at the New York meeting, February, 1914, and printed in Bulletin No. 97, January, 1915, pp. 61 to 65. B. F. TILLSON, Franklin Furnace, N. J.-I think it may be of interest in respect to the information we have received in regard to the danger of machinery in mining operations, to state that in the particular type of metal miming which the New Jersey Zinc Co. is doing at Franklin, during the past year, although there have been other accidents, that method of miming was free from any accident due to machinery underground. It may give a different light as to the relative degree of the importance of machinery as varying with different types of mining. ARTHUR WILLIAMS, New York, N. Y.-Mr. Kneeland's able presentation of this paper, it seems to me, bears out the suggestion which has been so frequently made that in this country we have a new profession, that of the safety expert or safety engineer, which calling, if properly carried out, would include also questions of sanitation. While Mr. Kneeland was speaking, it occurred to me that perhaps any one, however experi-enced he might be in mining generally, would pass through these mine shafts and these operating rooms, and the things which might cause accidents, which would cause accidents if the right conditions were to occur, would pass by entirely unnoticed by him, but when the safety expert goes into these places he sees these things which he immedi-ately recognizes as being spots of danger and provides means for their elimination.

Jan 5, 1915

By T. H. Janes

NATURAL abrasives of some type are found in all countries of the world. In order of their hardness the principal natural abrasives are diamond, corundum, emery, and garnet, which are termed high grade, and the various forms of silica, including pumice, pumicite, ground feldspar, china clay and, most important, sandstone. The properties qualifying materials for use as abrasives are hardness, toughness, grain shape and size, character of fracture, and purity or uniformity. For manufacture of bonded grain abrasives such as grinding wheels, the stability of the abrasive and its bonding characteristics are also important. No single property is paramount for all uses. Extreme hardness and toughness are needed for some applications, as in diamonds for drill bits, while for other purposes the capacity of the abrasive to break down slowly under use and to develop fresh cutting edges is of greatest importance, as with garnet for sandpaper. In dentifrices, soaps, and metal polishes, of course, hardness and toughness are objectionable.

Jan 10, 1954

By L. A. Morley, W. T. Parry

Laboratory prepared clay-quartz sand samples and fault gouge from an open pit slope undergoing plane-type failure were tested in the laboratory to determine potential mining applications of electroosmotic stabilization and to provide a better understanding of electrochemical hardening. Experiments with very low current densities and free access of electrolytes to both anode and cathode showed an increase in cohesion. Cohesion in a fault gouge increased by 9.3 to 113%, depending on location with respect to the electrodes. For this, power consumption was equivalent to 0.727 watt-hr per cu ft (25.69 watt-hr per cu m). Regions of electrochemical hardening were determined by pH and the anolyte used. Electroosmotic stabilization appears as a reasonable solution to some types of mining problems.

Jan 1, 1975

By M. C. Leverett, W. B. Lewis

The dynamic behavior of a multiple fluid system is completely describable in terms of driving forces and resistances to flow. The latter are proportional to the viscosity of the fluid under consideration and inversely proportional to a property of the system termed the " effective permeability " to that fluid, a property therefore defined by this relation. Since three phases are usually present in oil reservoirs, it is essential to know the effective permeabilities to the several fluid phases, and the relationship between the composition of the fluid in the pore space and that of the flowing stream, in order to handle satisfactorily certain problems of oil production. In this regard, there are many unknown factors and parameters, and many that can be evaluated only indirectly. However, it is expected that work along lines similar to this present undertaking will help materially in solving these problems. .. . . Previous workers in this field have investigated the two-phase systems, water-gas,' water-oil2 in unconsolidated sands, and water-gasg in consolidated sands. The extension of the study of the flow of heterogeneous fluid systems from two to three phases involved only slight changes in technique. The apparatus used in the present work, except for slight changes to be described, was that used by Leverett in his water-oil experiments.~ Correlation and interpretation of data were made by methods analogous to those used in two- phase work. The relative permeability to a phase—the effective permeability divided by the permeability of the system to a homogeneous fluid—was employed throughout in correlating the rate of flow of that phase with the composition of the pore space. Quantitative measurements of two independent physical properties of the system were required to determine the composition of the pore space. As in the two-phase work, the fraction of water was determined electrically, The gas fraction was determined by measuring changes in volume accompanying measured pressure changes. Suitable account was taken of the solubility of the gas in the liquid phases, and of the vapor pressure of the water phase. Since this work was exploratory in nature, no attempt was made to obtain highly accurate numerical results. Reasonable precision and reproducibility were sought. Experimental Procedure variables Considered.—Of the properties of the fluids, the oil viscosity is most likely in practice to vary widely. Variations in oil viscosity were therefore included in this work, but variations in other properties of the fluids are as yet unexplored. It appears unlikely that the normally encountered variations will produce significant changes. ~h~ observations were made at fairly high pressure gradients, no attempt being made to detect a variation of the relative permeabilities with pressure gradient. It should be pointed out also that since most of the data were taken on one sand size only, it call Only be assumed at present that changes in

Jan 1, 1941

By W. B. Lewis, M. C. Leverett

The dynamic behavior of a multiple fluid system is completely describable in terms of driving forces and resistances to flow. The latter are proportional to the viscosity of the fluid under consideration and inversely proportional to a property of the system termed the " effective permeability " to that fluid, a property therefore defined by this relation. Since three phases are usually present in oil reservoirs, it is essential to know the effective permeabilities to the several fluid phases, and the relationship between the composition of the fluid in the pore space and that of the flowing stream, in order to handle satisfactorily certain problems of oil production. In this regard, there are many unknown factors and parameters, and many that can be evaluated only indirectly. However, it is expected that work along lines similar to this present undertaking will help materially in solving these problems. .. . . Previous workers in this field have investigated the two-phase systems, water-gas,' water-oil2 in unconsolidated sands, and water-gasg in consolidated sands. The extension of the study of the flow of heterogeneous fluid systems from two to three phases involved only slight changes in technique. The apparatus used in the present work, except for slight changes to be described, was that used by Leverett in his water-oil experiments.~ Correlation and interpretation of data were made by methods analogous to those used in two- phase work. The relative permeability to a phase—the effective permeability divided by the permeability of the system to a homogeneous fluid—was employed throughout in correlating the rate of flow of that phase with the composition of the pore space. Quantitative measurements of two independent physical properties of the system were required to determine the composition of the pore space. As in the two-phase work, the fraction of water was determined electrically, The gas fraction was determined by measuring changes in volume accompanying measured pressure changes. Suitable account was taken of the solubility of the gas in the liquid phases, and of the vapor pressure of the water phase. Since this work was exploratory in nature, no attempt was made to obtain highly accurate numerical results. Reasonable precision and reproducibility were sought. Experimental Procedure variables Considered.—Of the properties of the fluids, the oil viscosity is most likely in practice to vary widely. Variations in oil viscosity were therefore included in this work, but variations in other properties of the fluids are as yet unexplored. It appears unlikely that the normally encountered variations will produce significant changes. ~h~ observations were made at fairly high pressure gradients, no attempt being made to detect a variation of the relative permeabilities with pressure gradient. It should be pointed out also that since most of the data were taken on one sand size only, it call Only be assumed at present that changes in

Jan 1, 1941