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By Thomas Brownfield

Development and production activity in Oklahoma during the year 1940 was of routine nature. Production, according to the Corporation Commission's figures, averaged 409,100 bbl. daily as compared with 421,000 bbl. for the year 1939. Discoveries were of minor importance except for the Cumberland pool in Marshall and Bryan Counties, in the southern part of the state. Maintenance of a relatively stable producing rate is attributable to the drilling of new wells and the recompletion of many old wells in the previously established producing areas. During the year 1785 new wells were drilled, a decline of approximately 10 per cent as compared with the previous year. Of the wells drilled, 962 were oil wells with a combined initial production of 241,000 bbl. daily, 172 were gas wells having aggregate capacities of 1205 million cu. ft., and 651 were dry holes. Wildcat activity increased 20 per cent over 1939 and 227 such wells were completed during the year; that isl 43 oil wells, 16 gas wells, and 168 dry holes. In addition to the new work completed, 603 wells were recorded as having been drilled deeper or plugged back to test new horizons; included were 334 producing wells with total initial production of 65,000 bbl. daily, 37 gas wells with initial aggregating 305 million cu. ft., and 232 abandonments. Footage drilled amounted to 4,730,000 ft., an average of 2650 ft. per well as com-pared with an average depth of 2600 ft. recorded the previous year. The principal new pools discovered as a result of the exploratory drilling were Cumberland; East Cromwell, in Okfuskee County, and Prague, in Lincoln County. At the end of the year Cumberland had 13 completed wells, which averaged 700 bbl. initial through tubing from the Simpson Bromide formation (Ordovician) at 4750 ft. East Cromwell had 10 wells with average initial of 435 bbl. in the Cromwell sand (Pennsylvanian) at 3460 ft. Prague had II wells with an initial average of 220 bbl. from the Senora sand (Pennsylvanian) at 3260 ft. There were notable extensions to the Dill pool, Okfuskee County, and to the Hewitt pool, Carter County. At the end of the year, 19 producing wells had been drilled in the former, with initials averaging 1000 bbl., and 63 wells averaging 150 bbl. daily in the latter. There were no notable changes in the policy of State conservation authorities with respect to proration. The Bureau of Mines recommendations for the year averaged 413,000 bbl. daily; the State author-ities fixed allowables at an average of 406,000 bbl. daily, while, as noted above, production averaged 409,100 barrels. The most important development in the older areas occurred in the following pools: Billings.—Seven oil wells with an average initial production of 2500 bbl. and two dry holes were completed during the year. Production from the Simpson horizon averaged 6025 bbl. daily as compared with 5950 the previous year. Production from this field has been almost steady since reaching its peak early in 1937. The major portion of the pool is efficiently operated as

Jan 1, 1941

By Thomas Brownfield

Development and production activity in Oklahoma during the year 1940 was of routine nature. Production, according to the Corporation Commission's figures, averaged 409,100 bbl. daily as compared with 421,000 bbl. for the year 1939. Discoveries were of minor importance except for the Cumberland pool in Marshall and Bryan Counties, in the southern part of the state. Maintenance of a relatively stable producing rate is attributable to the drilling of new wells and the recompletion of many old wells in the previously established producing areas. During the year 1785 new wells were drilled, a decline of approximately 10 per cent as compared with the previous year. Of the wells drilled, 962 were oil wells with a combined initial production of 241,000 bbl. daily, 172 were gas wells having aggregate capacities of 1205 million cu. ft., and 651 were dry holes. Wildcat activity increased 20 per cent over 1939 and 227 such wells were completed during the year; that isl 43 oil wells, 16 gas wells, and 168 dry holes. In addition to the new work completed, 603 wells were recorded as having been drilled deeper or plugged back to test new horizons; included were 334 producing wells with total initial production of 65,000 bbl. daily, 37 gas wells with initial aggregating 305 million cu. ft., and 232 abandonments. Footage drilled amounted to 4,730,000 ft., an average of 2650 ft. per well as com-pared with an average depth of 2600 ft. recorded the previous year. The principal new pools discovered as a result of the exploratory drilling were Cumberland; East Cromwell, in Okfuskee County, and Prague, in Lincoln County. At the end of the year Cumberland had 13 completed wells, which averaged 700 bbl. initial through tubing from the Simpson Bromide formation (Ordovician) at 4750 ft. East Cromwell had 10 wells with average initial of 435 bbl. in the Cromwell sand (Pennsylvanian) at 3460 ft. Prague had II wells with an initial average of 220 bbl. from the Senora sand (Pennsylvanian) at 3260 ft. There were notable extensions to the Dill pool, Okfuskee County, and to the Hewitt pool, Carter County. At the end of the year, 19 producing wells had been drilled in the former, with initials averaging 1000 bbl., and 63 wells averaging 150 bbl. daily in the latter. There were no notable changes in the policy of State conservation authorities with respect to proration. The Bureau of Mines recommendations for the year averaged 413,000 bbl. daily; the State author-ities fixed allowables at an average of 406,000 bbl. daily, while, as noted above, production averaged 409,100 barrels. The most important development in the older areas occurred in the following pools: Billings.—Seven oil wells with an average initial production of 2500 bbl. and two dry holes were completed during the year. Production from the Simpson horizon averaged 6025 bbl. daily as compared with 5950 the previous year. Production from this field has been almost steady since reaching its peak early in 1937. The major portion of the pool is efficiently operated as

Jan 1, 1941

DAVID THOMAS 1871 R.W. RAYMOND 1872-1874 A.L. HOLLEY 1875 ABRAM S. HEWITT 1876 T. STERRY HUNT 1877 ECKLEY B. COXE 1878-1879 WILLIAM P. SHINN 1880 RICHARD P. ROTHWELL 1881

Jan 1, 1932

By George R. St. Pierre, John Chipman

METALLURGISTS have been studying the chem-ical behavior of sulfur in steelmaking for many years in order to have a better control of the sulfur content of finished steel. During the refining period in the open hearth, molten steel is separated from a gas phase by molten slag. Chemical reactions occur principally at the slag-metal interface and at the slag-gas interface. A need for physical-chemical investigations of reactions between sulfur-bearing gases and steelmaking slags was recognized some time ago.'.' From the early work, it can be qualitatively concluded that increased sulfur content and low partial pressure of oxygen in the gas phase favor the passage of sulfur from gas to slag. Using radioactive sulfur S Koch and Fink' have demonstrated the rapid rate of exchange of sulfur between gas and slag in an open hearth furnace. Gurry and Darken and Darken and Shields (as reported by Derge and Marshall') have equilibrated lime-iron oxide slags with SO—O2 gas mixtures. The major conclusion from the reported results is that sulfur content increases with increasing lime content in lime-iron oxide slags equilibrated with a gas of high oxygen pressure (10-2). The data were interpreted as indicating the presence of SO, and S,O, ions. Richardson and Fincham' have conducted the most extensive experimental study of sulfur equilibria between gas and slag. Their results confirmed many of the conclusions drawn from calculations of Richardson" and Withers. Richardson and Fincham's data fitted very well into the sulfur scheme represented by the reactions 1/2 s2 (g) + (0) melt - 1/202(g)+ (S) melt [II 1/2 S, (g) + 3/2 O (g) + (0) melt - (SO,) melt. [2] At oxygen pressures greater than 10 to 10 they found that reaction Eq. 2 was predominant while reaction Eq. 1 was controlling at oxygen pressures less than 10." to 10.". The slag compositions and gas mixtures used in their investigations were different from those used in the present study. Wherever possible, comparison has been made between their results and these, and agreement is excellent. It is evident that the distribution of sulfur between slag and gas depends upon the oxygen pressure of the gas. In FeO slags, a change in oxygen pressure produces a change in ferric oxide content, and a knowledge of this equilibrium is a prerequisite to studies of sulfur distribution. The data are found in the work of Darken and Gurry" on the FeO system and the more recent experiments of Gurry and Darken" and of Larson and Chipman" on FeO slags containing lime and silica. The effect of oxygen pressure on the ratio Fe /(Fe" + Fe ), the so-called j-ratio, reported by these investigators will be used in interpreting the results which follow. Experimental Method The purpose of the experimental program was to determine the equilibrium sulfur content in slags exposed to gases of known oxygen and sulfur pres- sures. The slag compositions selected for study were from the lime-silica-iron oxide system. Additions of magnesia were made to some of the slags. Apparatus—The apparatus used by Larson and Chipman was modified slightly to accommodate the addition of SO2 to the gas mixtures. As in their work, slag samples of 0.5 to 2.0 g were held at temperature (lcc) in platinum crucibles under a steady stream of gas, 100 to 200 ml per min, for several hours and then rapidly lowered to the bottom of the furnace where they were quenched in mercury. Preparation and Analysis of Gas Mixtures—Mixtures of SO,-CO were prepared from Virginia Smelting Co. Extra Dry liquid SO, and Pure Co. CO,. After removing traces of water vapor with an-hydrone, the CO, was passed over graphite at 1200°C, at which temperature the conversion to

Jan 1, 1957

Edward K. Landis, Philadelphia, Pa.: In studying Mr. Thackray's paper it seemed that a critical comparison of the results from different methods therein reported would he of interest. For this purpose Table I. was constructed by grouping all determinations made by the same method, and the probable errors were calculated. In this table all chemists titrating with permanganate (A1, E, F, G and 0 of Mr. Thackray's paper) are classed under "Emmerton;" those titrating with nitric acid (C, J, S and Y) under " Handy; " those re Probable error of result: a, ±0.0008996; b, ±0.000694; c, ±0.00107; d, ±0.00115; e, ±0.000674; f, ±0.000473; g, ±0.003675; h, ±20.0007959; i,0.000.5098; k, ±0.0008303. Probable error of single determination: a, ±0.001989; b, ±0.001547; c, ±0.00214; d, ±0.0023;e, ±0.00116;f, ±0.000818;g, ±0.0019;h, ±0.00224; i, 40.00143; k, ±0.00234. The formula for calculating the probable error is 0.6745, where N (N— 1)' S is the sum of the squares of the differences from the mean and N is the number of determinations.

Jan 1, 1897

By AIME AIME

THIS year's Chairman of the Mineral industry Education Division is, like his predecessors, no novice in that field, having been in 1928 Chairman of the Engineering Education Committee which labored so well that it was enlarged into a Division of the Institute's activities . For almost a quarter of a century lie has been a dean in mining and engineering schools, with considerable experience before that as a teacher. A native-born New Englander (June 23, 1881), he naturally went to Massachusetts Institute of Technology where he received the Bachelor's degree in mining in 1904. Just why a Fitchburg. Massachusetts boy yearned to he a mining engineer he has never explained, but why should any boy ever have to explain why lie wants t? be a mining engineer? Like the old rhyme about the reasons why a man should drink, "any other reason why" is adequate..

Jan 1, 1945

By T. Suganuma

Mitsubishi-Cominco Smelting Co. is a joint venture of Mitsubishi Metal Mining Co. Ltd. (M.M.M.) of Japan and Cominco Ltd. of Canada. The smelter, which is located alongside M.M.M.'s Naoshima copper smelter, was completed in May, 1966 and has a capacity of 36 000 metric tons per year of refined lead. The concentrate feed for the smelter from Pine Point Mines Ltd. is high grade with low impurities; particularly silver, bismuth, antimony, and arsenic, which facilitated a simple plant layout and operation. Concentrate, fluxes, recycle granulated slag and return sinter are drawn from bins by automatic control over weigh belt feeders, sintering is carried out on a 20 m2 Lurgi updraught sintering machine, furnacing in a 3.0 m x 1 ½ m water jacketed blast furnace equipped with an Asarco continuous tapper, refining in four 120 metric ton kettles and casting on a 25 metric ton/hour automatic casting machine. The S@ gas from sintering is cleaned in a high temperature baghouse utilizing glass bags and is then delivered to the M.M.M. copper smelter acid plants. The furnace gases after cleaning in a low temperature baghouse are vented to atmosphere.

Jan 1, 1970

The International Mining Convention held in Nelson, B; C., May 17 , to 19, was attended by nearly 500 delegates, of whom about 100 were from Spokane, 150 from the Slocan district, and the others from different points in Canada and the United States. Arrangements were in charge of the Nelson, Slocan and Eastern British Columbia Mining Men's Club, under the direction of Secretary Fred A. Starkey, assisted by the City of Nelson, Associated Boards of Trade of Eastern British Columbia and Nelson Board of Trade. The Columbia Section of the American Institute of Mining Engineers; cooperating with the Western Branch of the Canadian Mining Institute, provided the technical program, under the management of Secretary E. Jacobs, of Victoria, and Secretary L. K. Armstrong, of Spokane. Three technical sessions were held, at which the following were read: Difficulties of the Electrolytic Zinc Process, by Thomas French. Sketch of the Geology and Ore Deposits of Nelson and Kootenay Region, by Arthur Lake's. Advantages of Local Organization of National Societies, by W. H. Linney. Review of Kootenay Mining, by Bruce White. Milling of Partially Oxidized Ores, by S. S. Fowler.

Jan 7, 1917

IN the footnote on the first page of Prof. Stoek's paper, as printed in vol. xxviii. of the Transactions, I alluded to him, under an erroneous impression, for which he was in no way responsible, as " the present Director of the Scranton Schools." This incorrect statement placed him in a false position, as possibly having authorized the use of a title to which he had no claim. In fact, Prof. Stoek has never had any official connec-

Jan 1, 1900

By Harrison R. Cooper

Computer process analysis and control techniques are overcoming major hurdles to acceptance in the mineral industry. With the growing list of new advances characteristic of a rapidly maturing discipline, management of the companies on the leading edge are keenly aware of the advantages of using computer methods in process applications. Significant advancement is already evident in such technical areas as operations research, mathematical modeling, statistical methods, and computer-based procedural techniques. The early advances during the past decade are already documented in prior symposium proceedings of this series. Thus, the currently active areas of the advancing technology are emphasized here. This section deals with applications in pyrometallurgical and kiln processes. The two sections which follow deal with concentrating operations from two points of view: 1) mathematical modeling, and 2) on-line control. In the metallurgical field, emphasis on developing effective process computer applications for the steel industry began in the late 1950's. Simulation techniques also received substantial attention. The steel industry was soon joined by the cement industry in the development of computer methods for process applications. Computers were in use for feed-material blending and kiln control in the early 1960's. Computer development in other pyro processes, such as aluminum reduction and glass-making, also marked significant advances by the mid 1960's. Aluminum smelter potline control is a nearly universal application at this point, and the development of glass furnace computer process control represented a recent important technical advance in digital control techniques. Steel Hot strip rolling was the earliest significant process computer application in the metallurgical industry. Computer control of rolling mill operations is now a steel mill standard component, particularly in plants newly placed into production. 1, 2 Initial computer installations principally carried out procedural routines in setting mill clearances for production lot control. Recent developments are leading toward feedback control based on mathematical model techniques. 3

Jan 1, 1969

University of Alabama University, Alabama Mining and Metallurgical Society WILLIAM S. SPRINGER, President ROBERT E. MEAD, Secretary J. R. CUDWORTH, Faculty Sponsor MILTON H. FIES, Counselor University of Arizona Tucson, Arizona Miners' Society PERCY E. COE, President W. JAMES THOMAS, Secretary E. P. MATHEWSON, Faculty Sponsor B. R. HATCHER, Counselor

Jan 1, 1937

By R. W. Raymond

Recent literary labors have led me to the compilation of the following tables and estimates, which may possess interest for my colleagues in the Institute, and which are here submitted without comment.

By Francis T. Christy

One aspect of ocean mining that is frequently overlooked in discussions is the problem of establishing some form of legal control over the seas. Much of the discussion centers on mining in territorial waters, which are controlled by the various countries according to the Geneva Convention on the Continental Shelf, and perhaps by political subdivisions of countries such as the individual states of the U.S. But as technology improves and the mining of deeper waters becomes feasible, the problem of rights outside the continental shelf and territorial waters becomes a significant factor for anyone expending the time and capital for development. Several schemes are possible for regulating ocean mining but as yet none have been instituted, except what might be termed the "wait and see" approach. Even some of the coastal states in the U.S. have no regulations governing mining in the territorial waters under their jurisdiction. Until some regulation is formulated, there may well be little development in ocean mining due to the high risk of capital involved, both with respect to companies wishing to invest their own funds and financial institutions funding a venture to develop offshore mineral deposits.

Jan 7, 1968

By Howard S. Strouth

SINCE the days of the Conquistadores, people have told exaggerated tales of the wealth and possibilities of Mexico and Central and South America, and the mining fraternity has never been known to exaggerate any less than any other professional group known to man or beast. However, during a short stay in Mexico one can probably hear more whoppers than at any other time, when dozens of mining propositions are thrust across the desk, and it is not necessary to remind anyone that a listing of the do's and don't's for Mexico requires special mention of the fact that most mining propositions offered south of the border eventually turn out to be a beautiful fairy tale. The following is not suposed to be either an exact description of Standard Mining Corp.'s operations in Mexico by its mining associate, the Corporacion Minera y Beneficiadora Anahuac, S.A., or the last word as to the most economical way to start such an operation. But rather it is the sum total of the recent experiences of the writer while commencing such an operation in 1951-52 with the help of many qualified gentlemen.

Jan 6, 1953

By Geo. H. Eldridge

This sketch of the Florence oil-field, presented to the Institute by permission of the Director of the U. S. Geological Survey, is accompanied with a map, Fig. 1, the topography of which has been taken from a field-manuscript of the Survey. The scale of the map and

Jan 1, 1892

By Frank Firmstone

By AIME AIME

THIS journal is fully indexed-every issue, as soon as published-in a set of card?, which thus brings ready to your hand any article on any subject in this journal or in any one of 1700 other journals in all languages. This Engineering Index Service, instituted in January, 1928, is to be found in the Public Libraries of Newark, Cleveland, Bridgeport, Baltimore and the John Crerar Library, Chicago. Engineers in any field who live or work in New Jersey will find this mammoth index to the latest engineering literature in the Public Library of Newark, N. J.

Jan 1, 1929

By M. Shelef, A. W. Fletcher

The effect of alkali sulfates in promoting the sul-fation of nickel and copper in a bulk sulfide flota -tion concentrate by fluidized bed roasting has been studied in the laboratory, and it was shown that the various alkali sulfates promote sulfation to approximately the same extent. The sulfation of a mixture of synthetically prepared iron and nickel oxide and of nickel ferrite has also been studied. Nickel sulfation was promoted by high ratios of Fe:Ni and by the presence of sodium sulfate. THE work described in this paper was a continuation of earlier studies into the role of alkali sulfates in promoting the sulfation roasting of nickel sulfides1,2 in an endeavor to determine how the system was affected by the presence of compounds of iron and copper. The earlier work1 showed that, in the sulfation of NiO at 680°C, the reaction was limited by the formation of an impermeable film of nickel sulfate on the oxide surface. The relative effect of the various alkali sulfates in promoting nickel sulfation varied in the order: Li > Na >Cs > Rb > K A study of alkali sulfate/ nickel sulfate interactions at high temperatures showed that the promoting action was due to the fact that the nickel sulfate product layer sintered and agglomerated only when the more active additives were present. This resulted in the formation of discontinuities in the nickel sulfate layer so that diffusion of the sulfating gases to the NiO surface was no longer impeded and the reaction could proceed to completion. A similar explanation was used for the observation that sodium and lithium sulfates promote the oxidation of NiS to NiO at temperatures below 750°C since small amounts of nickel sulfate were formed during oxidation.2 It was of interest to study the effect of alkali sulfates on the sulfate roasting of a sulfide flotation concentrate which is typical of material treated commercially. In order to control temperature it is essential to roast sulfides in a fluidized bed and this technique was therefore used, although the batchwise operation of a small-scale laboratory reactor does not reproduce all conditions which prevail in full-scale continuous plant. The results obtained are therefore only comparative, and cannot be used for predicting the optimum conditions for metal extraction. The sulfation of synthetically prepared mixed oxides of nickel + copper and nickel + iron and of nickel ferrite was also studied to evaluate the relative effects of alkali sulfates with more complex systems. SULFATION ROASTING OF A SULFIDE FLOTATION CONCENTRATE The bulk sulfide flotation concentrate used in this work contained 7.92 pct Ni, 1.74 pct Cu, 35.66 pct Fe, and 31.28 pct S. The sulfide minerals present in order of abundance were pyrrhotite FeS, pyrite FeS2, pentlandite (FeNi)S, and chalcopyrite CuFeS2. Two samples described as coarse and fine were used. The coarse sample, which was a flotation concentrate (58 pct plus 300 mesh), was ground to 100 pct minus 350 mesh to produce the fine sample. Before roasting, the sample of sulfide concentrate was agglomerated by wetting witli a solution of the alkali sulfate (or water), thoroughly mixing, and drying at 110°C. This gave a cake which was gently crushed and screened, the -18 +100 mesh fraction being used for fluidized bed roasting. A similar-size fraction had been used by the authors in pilot plant work with a 4-in.-diam fluidized bed reactor.' In this work it was found that the molar ratio of additive to the total iron + nickel + copper content of the sulfide sample should be adjusted to a value of approximately 0.06, as this was the optimum amount necessary for nickel sulfation. Experimental. The fluidized bed reactor consisted of a quartz tube approximately 60 cm long and 30 mm in diameter resting in a vertical tube furnace. The sulfide bed (30 g) was supported on a bed of -4 +12 mesh quartz particles 3 cm high, which rested on a sintered quartz disc welded to the tube. The temperature of the furnace was controlled with a variable transformer to give a final bed temperature of 680°C. The bed was fluidized with air or mixtures of air + 10 pct v/v SO2, at a total apparent gas velocity of 60 to 65 cm per sec at 680°C. The SO2 was introduced into the fluidizing air stream only when the oxidation of the sulfides was completed. At the end of the roasting period the calcine was leached with boiling water and the

Jan 1, 1964

By R. E. Crockett

MAGNETITE mining and milling in the Eastern States was at capacity during 1940, owing to the heavy industrial, defense, and war demand, coupled temporarily with the almost total stoppage of imports of foreign ores other than those under American ownership. In New York State the active mines were those operated by the Republic Steel Corp. at Mineville and Lyon Mountain. Republic's new concentrating mill at Port Henry, handling the Mineville ores, went into production about the first of April. Other large magnetite deposits in New York are currently being prospected and studied and may be under development in the near future. In New Jersey the Mt. Hope and

Jan 1, 1941

In 1934 the Southern Experiment Station of the U.S. Bureau of Mines in. cooperation with the University of Alabama began an investiga-tion of the availability of kyanite ores as a source of raw material for the manufacture of refractories. Under this program, gravity concentration and flotation tests have been made on two varieties of Georgia kyanite ore, mica schist and massive. Most of the attention has been directed to the mica schist ores, as they are more widely distributed and seem to offer greater economic possibilities than the massive ores. It is evident that the preparation of kyanite for use as a refractory material involves other considerations than the mere elimination of impurities. A concentration process that eliminates impurities satisfactorily may have to be followed by some additional treatment, since the final product must be of a coarse-ness and size ratio that will make it suitable for refractories manufacture. So far in the investigation at the Southern Experiment Station of the U.S. Bureau of Mines only the concentration problem has been considered, and this paper is intended as an interim report.

Jan 1, 1936