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By Theron Wasson

Michigan reports another record year. Its production of 18,605,000 bbl. exceeds any previous year's total and is 2,000,000 bbl. over 1937, the previous record year. Production in 1938 brings the accumulated total for the state to a little over 100,000,000 bbl. It has taken 14 years to reach this accumulative figure, which would meet the needs of our country for about one month. Twelve new oil and gas fields were opened in 1938 and 978 tests for oil and gas were completed, of which 566 were oil wells, 25 gas wells and 387 dry holes. The new oil discovered is probably about equal to the oil produced during the year. Activities in 1938 The Temple field, Clare County, was the discovery of the year. Since July, 46 wells have been completed, and although not yet outlined it appears that more than 2000 acres have been proved for production from the Monroe of Devonian age, at a depth of 3900 ft. This discovery is the result of a wildcat test along a trend northwestward from the older fields of the central basin. The Edenville pool, Midland County, ranks second among the new fields. Thirty-five producing wells have been drilled to the Dundee at 3800 feet. The surprise development was in southwestern Alichigan, Allegan and Van Buren Counties, where six new Traverse lime pools were opened with a daily production of about 8000 bbl. at the end of the year. This is the first consistent Traverse production in the state and is about 100 miles southwest of the producing areas of the central basin. These fields have had a rapid development because of the shallow depths, which range from 900 to 1500 ft. Bloomingdale, Van Buren County, had a town-lot boom, and 72 wells have been drilled there since August 1938. Small operators from many states have been attracted to this shallow territory, and the coming year will see much drilling in these and surrounding counties. The Buckeye field, Gladwin County, led the state in amount of oil produced. Its total of over 7,000,000 bbl. was far ahead of that of any other pool.

Jan 1, 1939

By Theron Wasson

Michigan reports another record year. Its production of 18,605,000 bbl. exceeds any previous year's total and is 2,000,000 bbl. over 1937, the previous record year. Production in 1938 brings the accumulated total for the state to a little over 100,000,000 bbl. It has taken 14 years to reach this accumulative figure, which would meet the needs of our country for about one month. Twelve new oil and gas fields were opened in 1938 and 978 tests for oil and gas were completed, of which 566 were oil wells, 25 gas wells and 387 dry holes. The new oil discovered is probably about equal to the oil produced during the year. Activities in 1938 The Temple field, Clare County, was the discovery of the year. Since July, 46 wells have been completed, and although not yet outlined it appears that more than 2000 acres have been proved for production from the Monroe of Devonian age, at a depth of 3900 ft. This discovery is the result of a wildcat test along a trend northwestward from the older fields of the central basin. The Edenville pool, Midland County, ranks second among the new fields. Thirty-five producing wells have been drilled to the Dundee at 3800 feet. The surprise development was in southwestern Alichigan, Allegan and Van Buren Counties, where six new Traverse lime pools were opened with a daily production of about 8000 bbl. at the end of the year. This is the first consistent Traverse production in the state and is about 100 miles southwest of the producing areas of the central basin. These fields have had a rapid development because of the shallow depths, which range from 900 to 1500 ft. Bloomingdale, Van Buren County, had a town-lot boom, and 72 wells have been drilled there since August 1938. Small operators from many states have been attracted to this shallow territory, and the coming year will see much drilling in these and surrounding counties. The Buckeye field, Gladwin County, led the state in amount of oil produced. Its total of over 7,000,000 bbl. was far ahead of that of any other pool.

Jan 1, 1939

By N. W. Ratliff, P. J. Closmann

Production of oil by expansion from a cylindrical reservoir composed of two concentric regions of different properties has been determined as a function of time for a reservoir producing at constant terminal pressure. The parameters involved are permeability, porosity, compressibility and oil viscosity. Results agree with those of a generally accepted method for uniform reservoirs when all parameters are taken as uniform. Cumulative production at any given time is reduced below that of the uniform reservoir when a region of considerably lower permeability adjoins the well; cumulative production increases when a high-permeability region adjoins the well. Curves are presented illustrating quantitative effects of these variations. INTRODUCTION Most petroleum reservoirs can be exploited by release of pressure and consequent expansion of underground fluid. During part of the production history of certain reservoirs by this mechanism, fluid compressibility can be considered small and constant. Cumulative fluid produced by this means as a function of time was calculated for a uniform reservoir by van Everdingen and Hurst.l For certain cases where a production well has been damaged or where an acid treatment has been used, a zone of properties different from those of the reservoir may be created around the production well. In such a case, expansion of the reservoir fluid takes place in a system composed of two concentric cylindrica1 regions of different reservoir properties. Such composite systems were studied in connection with heat flow by Jaeger2 who presented a solution for temperature distribution in a radial system with an infinitely large outer radius. Similar heat flow problems have been studied by other authors Oil production from composite reservoirs was studied for constant production rate by Hurst,4 Loucks and Guerrero,5 and Carter.6 THEORY This work considers constant terminal pressure. Cumulative flow is calculated for a composite bounded system in which no flow takes place across the outer boundary (Fig. 1). Since the flow is considered to be purely radial, the problem involves only one space dimension and time. It is convenient to define the following dimen-sionless pressure drops (Fig. 1).

By O. H. Hahn Eureka

I HAVE lately had occasion to conduct a campaign at the works of the Empire City Company, in Railroad District, Elko County, Nevada, which, if not highly satisfactory, was at least very interesting in a technical point of view, and which I therefore think worthy of communication to the Institute. The lead ores in this district occur in lenticular masses along and near the contact of crystalline limestone with a dioritic porphyry, and consist of argentiferous carbonate of lead and galena, the latter occurring in solid blocks, or in ribbons running through the limestone. Associated with these are silicate, carbonate, and suboxide of copper, and brown and calc-spar. Adding to this, that the proportion of galena in the ore is small, and that no iron pyrites exists in the district, it is at once evident that the ore-mixture is difficult to treat. For a successful reduction by smelting, it would be necessary to introduce into the charge : 1. The proper quantities of sulphur-bearing ingredients, to effect a complete separation of copper and lead ; and, 2. Sufficient silica and iron oxide, to form with the lime and magnesia of the ore, a slag of the required fluidity. The first condition could be fulfilled only very imperfectly, there being no iron pyrites in Railroad, nor in the surrounding districts. The nearest occurrence is in Battle Mountain, whence a supply could not be procured in time. The second condition, i. e., the addition of iron ore and quartz, was easily complied with, there being an abundance of these materials in the vicinity. The furnace of the Empire City Company, is a small shaft¬furnace, with an area of hearth of six square feet, and is supplied with blast by a No. 4 Root blower. In spite of this small size the furnace smelted during this campaign, which lasted 31 days, an average of 28 tons of ore, and 13 tons of fluxes, together 41 tons of charge, per twenty-four hours. The following tables give the complete data in regard to the smelting process, and the results obtained

Jan 1, 1875

By W. L. Phillips

Aluminum and copper single crystals were strained in shear, unloaded and rotated 60, 120, and 180 deg. The magnitude of the Bauschinger strain increased rapidly during the easy glide region and became constant as the easy glide limit was reached. An increment in stress was not required to continue slip in any close-packed plane or in the reverse direction during easy glide. A qualitative theory is proposed to explain the present results. FOLLOWING the initial work on tin by Bausch,' there have been several investigatorsB7 who have employed the shear test to study the deformation of aluminum. In all cases the shear technique was employed in an attempt to obtain a more homogeneous shear than in the conventional tension test The direct shear technique has the obvious advantage, relative to the tension test, that a crystal may be stressed in any predetermined plane and direction, including the reversal of strain sense. In the present investigation the shear technique was employed with aluminum and copper single crystals and their behavior was studied with respect to deformation in all close-packed directions in the octahedral plane. In contrast to previous investigations, the shear technique was used in an attempt to obtain a stress-strain curve in shear which is identical with the corresponding tension curve and then to use the additional degree of freedom of the shear test to study the mechanical behavior of crystals in all close-packed directions in the octahedral plane. PREPARATION OF CRYSTALS Single crystals 1/2 in. in diam and 6 to 7 in. long, were prepared from aluminum containing 0.001 pct Si, 0.001 pct Fe, and 0.001 pct Zn, by spectro-graphic ana1ysis and from OFHC copper. Crystals were grown from the melt in graphite at a rate of 1 5 in. per hr. The copper crystals were grown under an argon atmosphere. No lineage structure was observed in Laue patterns, though small angle boundaries were present in the crystals. The aluminum and copper crystals were annealed at 640" and 900°C, respectively, for 24 hr and furnace-

Jan 1, 1962

By AIME AIME

PRESIDENT OF THE COUNCIL. D. W. BRUNTON DENVER, COLO. (Term expires February, 1911.) VICE-PRESIDENTS OF THE COUNCIL. W. C. RALSTON SAN FRANCISCO, CAL. W. L. SAUNDERS NEW YORK, N. Y. H. V. WINCHELL MINNEAPOLIS, MINN. (Term expires February, 1911.) BENJAMIN B. LAWRENCE NEW YORK, N. Y. JOSEPH W. RICHARDS SOUTH BETHLEHEM, PA. ALBERT SAUVEUR CAMBRIDGE, MASS. (Term expires February, 1912.)

Nov 1, 1910

By Oliver B. Hopkins

Peruvian production for the year 1935 amounted to 17,064,879 bbl., a record amount for any year, bringing the cumulative production of the country up to 188 million barrels. The 1935 figure is an increase of 785,769 bbl. over the 1934 total. The property of the International Petroleum Co. contributed 636,812 bbl. of this increase, and the Lobitos property 158,625 barrels. Exploration work in the country was again active, with attention focused on three areas, the Huallaga River, Lake Titicaca and the Coastal Zone of the Province of Tumbes. It is reported that in the Huallaga River area the Selden Breck Construction Co. has completed geological and engineering studies on its Pachitea River concessions and has ordered a drilling rig. In the Lake Titicaca region further studies in the vicinity of Pusi were made by Government geologists. During the period from 1906 to 1915, the Pirin anticline in this area produced 285,936 bbl. of low-grade crude. The Government holds 120,000 hectares of reserved lands in this area. In the Coastal Zone of the Province of Tumbes explorations by the Government were continued on the National Reserve, and a test location has been selected in the Quebrada Zapotal about 10 miles from the Port of Zorritos. An order has been placed in the United States for drilling equipment. LaBrea-Parinas Estate.—Production on the LeBrea-Parinas Estate reached an all-time high in 1935 of 14,756,914 bbl., an increase of 636,812 bbl. over the 1934 record. The total production from 1890 to 1935 was 148,541,523 bbl. During 1935 a total of 63,021 ft. was drilled in new wells and 5449 ft. in deepening existing wells; 23 wells were deepened and 29 new wells were completed, of which 27 were producers and 2 were dry holes. At the end of the year 2873 wells had been drilled on the Estate, of which 1838 were still productive. The remaining 1035 wells represent abandoned producers or dry holes. Practically all the drilling on the property has been done with cable tools, but during 1934 three strings of rotary tools were introduced. Experience with these outfits has shown that rotary equipment can

Jan 1, 1936

By Oliver B. Hopkins

Peruvian production for the year 1935 amounted to 17,064,879 bbl., a record amount for any year, bringing the cumulative production of the country up to 188 million barrels. The 1935 figure is an increase of 785,769 bbl. over the 1934 total. The property of the International Petroleum Co. contributed 636,812 bbl. of this increase, and the Lobitos property 158,625 barrels. Exploration work in the country was again active, with attention focused on three areas, the Huallaga River, Lake Titicaca and the Coastal Zone of the Province of Tumbes. It is reported that in the Huallaga River area the Selden Breck Construction Co. has completed geological and engineering studies on its Pachitea River concessions and has ordered a drilling rig. In the Lake Titicaca region further studies in the vicinity of Pusi were made by Government geologists. During the period from 1906 to 1915, the Pirin anticline in this area produced 285,936 bbl. of low-grade crude. The Government holds 120,000 hectares of reserved lands in this area. In the Coastal Zone of the Province of Tumbes explorations by the Government were continued on the National Reserve, and a test location has been selected in the Quebrada Zapotal about 10 miles from the Port of Zorritos. An order has been placed in the United States for drilling equipment. LaBrea-Parinas Estate.—Production on the LeBrea-Parinas Estate reached an all-time high in 1935 of 14,756,914 bbl., an increase of 636,812 bbl. over the 1934 record. The total production from 1890 to 1935 was 148,541,523 bbl. During 1935 a total of 63,021 ft. was drilled in new wells and 5449 ft. in deepening existing wells; 23 wells were deepened and 29 new wells were completed, of which 27 were producers and 2 were dry holes. At the end of the year 2873 wells had been drilled on the Estate, of which 1838 were still productive. The remaining 1035 wells represent abandoned producers or dry holes. Practically all the drilling on the property has been done with cable tools, but during 1934 three strings of rotary tools were introduced. Experience with these outfits has shown that rotary equipment can

Jan 1, 1936

By Frank R. Hunter

Introduction Scope of Work This paper represents the results of an investigation of the presence, amounts, and degree of concentration of heavy minerals found in the pulp of the phosphate flotation plant at Peace Valley, Fla., which is operated by the International Minerals and chemical Corporation of Chicago. In this paper, heavy minerals are those, excepting collophane, that sink in acetylene tetrabromide with a specific gravity of 2.95. Percentages of heavy minerals at several points of the flowsheet and the species of minerals have been determined. Some information as to the screen size of the minerals has been acquired. Previous Work All previous published reports or investigations of the deposits of heavy minerals in Florida have been limited to present beach sands. The mining operations conducted by the Humphreys Gold Corp. about seven miles east of Jacksonville along an ancient shore line have been described in trade journals, but descriptions of the minerals have been lacking. Commercial grades of ilmenite, zircon, and rutile are produced on a large scale. Papers have been published on heavy minerals found on the Florida beaches.1-6 Location "International's" Peace Valley flotation plant is in south-central Polk County, Fla. about eight miles south of Bartow and along the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad. The mine surrounds the plant and includes about 1500 acres of the phosphatic lands in this area. Geology General Setting All of the rock underlying the area is almost horizontal. The oldest bed exposed is part of the Hawthorn phosphatic limestone of Miocene age. This outcrops in the stream bed of the Peace River about one mile east of the plant. Elsewhere the Hawthorn is covered except where it has been exposed by mining operations. The Bone Valley formation of Pliocene age, which is the phosphatic stratum extensively mined in this area, unconforma-bly overlies the Hawthorn. Resting unconformably upon the Bone Valley formation are Pleistocene (?) terrace deposits of unconsolidated quartz sand which comprise the overburden of the phosphate ore. Stratigraphy Hawthorn formation: "Bedrock" of the pebble phosphate deposits is a cream to white colored, sandy, dense limestone containing varying amounts of small grains and nodules of collophane. The upper surface of the formation is undulating and irregular showing evidence of former

Jan 1, 1949

By R. M. Caitlin

QUITE a number of years ago in looking for basic facts, it seemed obvious, in view of an unquestion-able supply of raw material and an extensive requirement probable in the near future, that the funda-mental requirement of any shale-oil industry was mass production 'by a continuous process. This decision greatly simplified matters, as it eliminated all considera-tion of externally-heated retorts, and all batch processes, which only utilize a part of the capacity of the interior space because, unless the ashes are removed as rapidly as formed, the space occupied by them is dead, instead of being occupied either by shale in active distillation or in drying out and heating up preparatory thereto. A second imperative and basic necessity soon appeared as a natural sequence, namely, the fixed carbon of the spent shale must be utilized to supply the heat for the eduction of the oil. PRODUCTION OF THE CRUDE As the production of the crude oil is the first and most important step in the utilization of oil-shale, being the only source from which the multitude of possible by-products can come, each by a special treatment of the crude oil, I will devote the time allotted to me to the subject of crude oil production-its cost expressed in terms of tons treated per man per shift. The costs of mining the shale and refining the crude shale oil vary with local conditions and are not specially influenced by the source of the crude. But the cost of distilling the shale in terms of tons per man shift seems to be the basis of any proper comparison of costs. After considerable experimenting, ranging from laboratory tests up to and including quantities of fifteen to twenty tons, it was evident that a plant might be made up of an indefinite number of units operating in concert. The economic size of the units, however, would .have to be determined by experiment. The general theory of our process contemplates a regulated combus-tion of the fixed carbon in the spent shale, in its incan-descent condition after all the oil has been driven out of it; and a transfer of the resultant heat to the mass of raw shale above.

Jan 1, 1927

By Valentin Garfias

ALTHOUGH Mexico still ranks second in importance as produce for petroleum, the output in 1924 was 7 ½ per cent. less than in 1923 and 30 per cent. less than the peak production of 1921. The decrease may be partly accounted for by labor troubles and revolutionary activities early in the year, although undoubtedly the main factor was the continuous rise of the salt-water level in the South Fields, causing a decline of 24,000,000 bbl. in the production of light oil. Since the middle of 1923, the production of heavy crude has been greater than that of the lighter grade and, in 1924, the output of heavy crude was 2 ½ times that-of the light oil. DEVELOPMENT Drilling operations in the Mexican fields were probably more active in 1924 than in any other year, the greatest activity taking place in the Cacalilao and neighboring fields; toward the end of the year there was an added number of wells drilling in wildcat areas. The number of wells drilled in proved territory was almost twice that of the previous year, the increase taking place in the heavy-oil fields north of Panuco, as only 78 of the 710 wells completed were drilled in the Southern Fields. The percentage of successful completions decreased from 45 per cent., during 1923, to about 38 per cent., during 1924; there was also a noticeable decrease in the average flush production of the new wells. It is interesting to note that notwithstanding the increased drilling activity, the total production declined over 10,000,000 barrels. In the heavy-oil district, 632 wells were completed but only 231, or 36 ½ per cent., were commercially productive. The develop-ment in the Cacalilao area reached its peak in April and May, or about the time the first serious salt-water encroachments took place. Development in the old Panuco and Topila fields was more active than during the previous year, although the salt-water level continued to rise, the high price of crude making such development advisable especially for companies having to protect large-investments.

Jan 3, 1925

By J. M. Vetter, W. F. Bowman

The Gulf Coast area of Texas and Louisiana produced a total of 47,070,650 bbl. of oil during 1928, a decrease of 7,401,173 bbl. from the previous year. Of this amount Texas produced 39,353,950 bbl., or a decrease of 9,689,296 bbl. from the 1927 output. The Louisiana Gulf Coast produced 7,716,700 bbl., which is an increase of 2,288,123 bbl. over 1927. The decrease in the Texas Coastal area is due principally to the decline at Spindletop. Production at the beginning of the year in this field averaged 53,400 bbl. daily. At the end it had declined to 35,850 bbl. The increase in Louisiana was due to development in new fields at Kelso Bayou (East Hackberry), Sulphur, Sweet Lake, Bayou Boullion and Sorrento. This production was maintained by the drilling of 984 wells. Of this number 736 were located in Texas and 248 in Louisiana. Of the 984 wells drilled, 571 were reported as producers. Distribution of the various completions is listed in the accompanying tables compiled by Oil Weekly. New Developments New developments of particular importance in Texas were the finding of a 5000-bbl. well in formations of Cook Mountain age in the Clay Creek field located in northern Washington County by the Sun Oil Co. ; the discovery of oil at Dewalt in Fort Bend County by the Humble Oil & Refining Co.; the development of commercial production at Raccoon Bend in Austin County by the same company; and the finding of oil in formations of Oligocene age in the Refugio gas field of Refugio County. The most important development in Louisiana was the finding of oil at Sorrento, east of the Mississippi River, by the Gulf Production Co. The importance connected with these finds is not so great in that they opened up new fields, but in the new territories which they open as possibly productive of oil. Eastern Louisiana has been looked upon with considerable doubt on account of the theory which has prevailed among most geologists that the nature of the formations was not such as to produce oil. The actual finding of oil in that area upsets this theory and

Jan 1, 1929

By Hans Haalck

PRACTICAL or applied geophysics-as we designate the border region between physics and geophysics on one hand and practical geology on the other-has as its object the application of physical or geophysical methods of investigation to problems of practical geology. Its field of operation comprises all methods of physical measurement that are used in the problem of determining, from the geophysical influences of the subsoil that can be measured at the surface of the earth, the special characteristics of the association of strata, faults, etc., to detect the presence of deposits and to investigate underground structures. It therefore represents an aid, a physical method of research in practical geology, and is inseparably connected with geological studies; for this reason, it is also called geophysical prospecting. Formerly research methods of practical geology were based on observation exclusively: first, on the observation of the strata and formations at accessible parts of the surface of the earth, especially in shafts, borings and mines if such were available; then on the observation of the tectonic conditions in so far as these were already known at places directly visible; and finally, by estimation of the importance of formations of the terrane. Later, there were added in special cases, analytical chemical crystallo-graphical, petrographical and similar investigations of rock samples which were taken from the places under consideration. The knowledge thus obtained is of value and is expanded by hypotheses and constructions that are supported by geological theories of origin and by laws of the sequence of formations and rock systems, which are based on long experience.

Jan 1, 1928

By James Humes

THE active mines in the Park City district at the present time are the Silver King Coalition, Daly-Judge, Daly West, and Silver King Consoli¬dated. Several other companies, such as the Daly, American Flag, Ontario, etc., are doing considerable development work. In the Silver King Coalition mines the ore is a replacement of a dark siliceous limestone bed, varying in thickness from 18 in. to several feet. In places the ore has reached a thickness of 25 ft. This limestone bed lies within 100 ft. of the underlying Weber quartzite. There are other lime beds, similar in appearance to this one, in the Park City formation, which is approximately 700 ft. thick; but not one of them has been found to contain any traces of ore. Directly under and in contact with the ore-bearing bed is another, composed of gray lime well studded with dark concretionary nodules; and this one is an unfailing indication of the proximity of the ore-bearing bed. These ore deposits make out from or have connection with some one of the ore-bearing fissures, which were undoubtedly the channels for the circulation of mineral-bearing solutions. It is therefore proper to run prospecting drifts in the fissures, although they seldom contain much ore. As a general rule, drifting in the fissures is not costly. Mining and mucking cost from $2.50 to $4 per foot, and very little timber is required. There are instances, as in the Daly fissure in the Daly-Judge mine, where the expense of keeping drifts open in the fissure is so great that it has proved economical to make the drifts in the foot-wall rock and run crosscuts into the fissure at short intervals. In the Park City mines it is not easy to determine beforehand the best method for extracting the ore from a newly discovered ore shoot in the bedded deposits. While we may get one dimension from the drift run in the fissure, that will not give us a correct idea as to the other dimensions of the orebody. The fissures here referred to have a N. 35° E.

Jan 2, 1915

ASSETS Working Fund Assets Cash-unappropriated $62,41294 Members' 1951 dues receivable 14,336 98 Accounts receivable Advertising, publications and miscellaneous $43,22055 Less-Reserve for delinquent accounts 12,775 76 $30,44479 Petroleum Branch-Special Projects Fund¬ Advances re Petroleum Conservation Volume 5,37085 35,81564

Jan 1, 1952

Jan 1, 1934

By John B. Mertie

MONAZITE formerly was described as moribund, but, in the light of recent developments, it is no longer so. It is the common source of the rare earths and thorium, both of which are becoming progressively important in industrial and other applications. Moreover, by the action of foreign governments, the sources on which the United States has depended for its supply are now either restricted or cut off entirely. Monazite has thus become a scarce mineral and processors in this country are endeavoring to acquire it from all available sources. RARE EARTHS AND THORIUM The rare earths proper, as defined by spectroscopists, are the oxides of cerium, praseodymium, neodymium, prometheum, samarium, europium, gadolinium, terbium, dysprosium, holmium, erbium, thulium, ytterbium and lutecium, with atomic numbers ranging respectively from 58 to 71. Chemists include with the rare earths scandium, yttrium, and lanthanum, with atomic numbers respectively of 21, 39, and 57. Thorium, with an atomic number of 90, is analogous to lanthanum, in that it precedes a second group of elements, whose oxides constitute the "rare earths of higher order." These are protactinium, uranium, neptunium, plutonium, americium and curium, with atomic numbers ranging respectively from 91 to 96. The last four mentioned are artificially prepared elements that so far have not been detected in nature. The rare earths with odd atomic numbers, except europium and lutecium, have no natural isotopes; and the two exceptions have only two isotopic forms. Those with even atomic numbers have from 4 to 7 natural isotopes. Samarium148 is radioactive, disintegrating over a half- life of 1.4 X 10 11 years with the emission of alpha rays. Lutecium176 is weakly radioactive, disintegrating over a half-life of 2.4 X 1010 years, with the emission of beta and gamma rays. At least 64 radioactive isotopes of the rare earths proper have been artificially prepared. Thorium is a strongly radioactive element, with a half-life of 1.39 x 1O10 years, which disintegrates through a series of 14 isotopes of 10 elements. The two longest lived and most important of these are

Jan 1, 1949

By Julian Glasser, Arthur Fleischer

THIS country was faced with the possible necessity of utilizing nonbauxitic ores for producing aluminum during World War 11. Construction of four experimental plants to treat such ores by four different processes was authorized1-4 including one at Salt Lake City, for the conversion of Marysvale alunite to metal-grade alumina and potassium sulphate by the Kalunite process.' An aluminum reduction plant in Tacoma, Wash., with a capacity of 50 tons of aluminum per day, was constructed to handle the Kalunite alumina produced at the Salt Lake City plant. The alumina and aluminum plants were Defense Plant Corp. projects operated by Kalunite, Inc. and Olin Industries, Inc., respectively. Kalunite alumina differs from Bayer alumina in several respects, particularly in that the former contains potash instead of soda. The presence of potassium in the alumina feed to the cryolite bath was stated by aluminum technologists to be undesirable under the usual operating conditions of aluminum furnaces. In 1940, about 20 tons of Kalunite alumina produced in the Kalunite pilot plant, were reduced electrolytically in a 10,000 amp furnace at Battelle Memorial Institute and at the aluminum reduction plant at Neuhausen, Switzerland. These relatively small scale tests indicated that satisfactory commercial aluminum could be produced in a practical manner. The Tacoma plant reduced about 2,500,000 lb of Kalunite alumina to produce more than 1,200,000 lb of aluminum, in accordance with the accepted gractice for reducing Bayer alumina. It was desired to determine whether commercial aluminum could be produced on a large scale and to establish the technological differences in commercial reduction practice between Kalunite and Bayer alumina. In the course of collecting data, the effects of the abnormal chemical composition and physical properties of Kalunite alumina were observed wherever possible. Tacoma Reduction Plant The reduction plant had two pot lines, each with 120 cells in series, operated at approximately 32,000 amp. Each cell was provided with a single rectangular Soederberg continuous anode, with side-pin electrical contacts. Each cell was hooded and ventilated through a stack connected to 14 other cells, with 25,000 cfm blower. When the plant started operation in 1942, all of the cathode linings were of block construction. Rebuilt cells were of rammed paste construction.

Jan 1, 1952

By Fred Wise

THE Getchell mine, a comparatively recent gold discovery, is in the old Potosi mining district, Humboldt County, Nevada. All ore is mined from open pits using Diesel shovels and gasoline trucks. Two types of ore are mined, oxide and sulphide. Oxide ores are siliceous or shaly; sulphide ores either gougy, siliceous or shaly. In mining, the sulphide ore is segregated into hard and gougy ore, because the gouge must be dried before it can be crushed, The oxide ore is not segregated. GENERAL METALLURGY The oxide ore is the leached outcrop that overlies the sulphide ore body. All of the iron and arsenic sulphides found in the sulphide ores have been thoroughly oxi-dized, The sulphur and arsenic have been leached out while the iron is present as hematite and limonite. The oxide ore is amenable to direct cyanidation, and although no visible free gold is present it is released at a comparatively coarse grind. The sulphide ore is more refractory, since the gold is all of micron size and some of it is locked in fine sulphides. It has been established microscopically that the free gold is coated with an impervious shell, which is probably some form of iron compound. The sulphide ores contain from 1.5 to 2 per cent of arsenic, which is present as orpiment and realgar with minor amounts of arsenopyrite. The orpiment and realgar are of a later mineralization than the gold and are barren. Roasting and washing of the sulphide ore prior to cyanidation is necessary to eliminate the arsenic, to alter the gold coating from an insoluble form to a soluble form, and to release the gold associated with the fine sulphides. Washing the ground calcine in weak sulphuric acid, trona, or hot water are beneficial in the order named, but to date the water is the best from an economic standpoint. Metallurgical tests as well as plant practice indicate that a certain amount of gold cannot be recovered even by going beyond economic practices, On this basis metallurgical results are viewed in the light of an optimum tailing rather than a per-centage of extraction.

Jan 1, 1940

By Ralph Nichols

The mines are near the town of Gilmore, in the Texas mining district. This district was organized in 1880. The present producing mines are near the terminus of the Gilmore & Pittsburg railroad. This railroad connects with the main line of the Oregon Short Line at Armstead, Mont. The distance from Gilmore to Armstead is 70 miles. The town of Gilmore is near the head of the Lemhi river at an elevation of 7,000 ft., while the mines are from 400 to 1,300 ft. higher. The range of mountains upon which the mines are situated forms the water shed for the Little Lost river on the west and the Lemhi river on the east. The winters are severe and the snow fall is heavy, but the mines ship right through the year. There is an abundance of timber suitable for all mining purposes in the immediate vicinity. Water is piped into the camp from a lake about 2.5 miles distant. This lake is about 1,400 ft. above the town of Gilmore. The water is exceptionally good for boiler and domestic purposes. The mining companies now producing are the Pittsburg Idaho Co., Ltd.; the Latest Out Mining & Smelting Co., Ltd.; and the Oilmore Mining Co., Ltd. Besides the above propertiea, there are a number of prospects in different stages of development. The producing mines of the district are fissures in limestone, with a general northeast-southwest course and a dip to the west of from 40' to 70°. These fissures are at about right angles to the bedding of the limestones. The veins are regular and the ore shoots strong, both laterally and in depth, so far as developed. The ore shoots have a rake or pitch to the south. The character of the formation is shown in Fig. 1, a section of the Latest Out mine. Character of Ore. The ores of the district are oxidized, carrying an excess of iron over the silica (insoluble matter). The vein filling is a mixture of limonite and hematite, which is replaced by shoots of lead-silver ores. The lead minerals consist of carbonate of lead principally, but with small quantities of sulphide, sulphate, and other lead minerals.

Jan 1, 1914