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TO WE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF THE AMERICAN INSTITUTE OF MINING AND METALLURGICAL ENGINEERS Gentlemen:-The following report covers briefly some of the more important activities of the Institute during the year 1923. In my report for the year 1922, I drew attention to the falling off in membership of the Institute due to the depressed condition of the mining industry in several lines and the inability of many of our members to find profitable employment in mining or its associated branches. A number who were unemployed during 1922 established connections during 1923, but a still greater number have been forced to resign or drop their membership during 1923. Fortunately, the number dropped is not so great as in the previous year. The Employment Service conducted by the four Founder Societies bears witness to the trend in business. For the young men just out of college, there are plenty of opportunities at small salaries, there are plenty of opportunities for them as laborers; but for the mature members, those of experience, there are few calls. During the last eighteen months, our Employment Service has been able to place only six of our members out of every hundred engineers for whom it has found work. Another loss which this Society has suffered, but which is not felt so keenly by our sister societies, is in its foreign members. The A. I. M. E. has always had a large foreign membership, but of recent years exchange has been so heavily against many European and South American countries that a large number of members residing abroad have been compelled to relinquish their membership. Almost invariably these members express keen regret because of the necessity that confronts them, and almost invariably the writers express hope that present conditions will not last long and that they will soon be able to ask for reinstatement. Having stated the darkest side of the picture first, it may now be drawn to your attention that in spite of these losses the number of persons applying for membership was decidedly encouraging. From the quality point of view, the membership has not gone backward. The Membership Committee has declined to recommend many

Jan 1, 1925

By E. W. Greene, J. B. Duke

This paper deals with the application of froth flotation techniques to the beneficiation of kaolin clay and phosphate slimes, two very fine particle sized materials. The kaolin problem involves the removal of a small amount of a contaminating mineral (anatase), while the phosphate problem involves the concentration and recovery of a much larger percentage of apatite. Due to these differences, and also different response to flotation, the two problems are discussed in separate parts of the article. An idea of what is meant by "Ultrafine Minerals Or Slimes" as used in the title can be had by an examination of Fig. 1. Particle size distributions are presented for a crude kaolin clay, a coarse fraction and a fine fraction. The crude kaolin as mined was blunged with water, degritted through a 325-mesh Tyler screen, and dispersed with sodium silicate. The dispersed crude was then centrifuged in the laboratory into the coarse and fine fractions shown in the figure. The distribution curves were obtained by the well known sedimentation technique of Casa-grande1 using a long arm centrifuge to obtain equiva- lent spherical diameters down to 0.2 p on the finer fraction. Fig. 1 shows the coarse fraction kaolin to be 50% finer than 3 p, while the crude kaolin is 509 f'lner than 1.4 p, and the fine fraction 50% finer than 0.46~. For comparison 53 p on the horizontal scale would represent Stokesian diameters which would just pass a 325-mesh Tyler screen, taking into consideration the Andreasen sieve correction factor of 1.22 times the screen opening. 2 Another helpful comparison is the surface areas, which in square meters per gram, are 0.044 for 53 p particles, 0.77 for 3p, 1.65 for 1.4 p and 5.0 for 0.46 p particles. Fig. 2 is an electron micrograph of a similar fine fraction kaolin showing the hexagonal plate-like particle shapes.

Jan 1, 1962

By Woolsey McA. Johnson

In metallurgical circles it is known widely, but somewhat vaguely, that the ease of reduction of metallic oxides depends largely on the way they hare been prepared. It is likewise known that different forms of carbon have different and greatly varying reducing powers. It is the purpose of this paper to show somewhat more definitely and scientifically these facts. Some years ago the writer published an account of pyrometric determinations of the reduction temperature of zinc oxides variously prepared and of several kinds.' In said paper it was shown that the temperature at which zinc oxide evolves zinc according to the equa-tion ZnO + C = Zn + CO depends upon the nature of the two reacting bodies. The determina-tions had a range of accuracy of from 2° to 6°C., whereas differences were found to amount to an extreme of 90' C. So the differences are real ones and must have a definite cause. The equation of boiling water, (H2O)4 D 4 (H2O) has a fixed temperature for equilibrium of 100° C. at 760 mm. pressure. In general, all equations reacting in the liquid or the gaseous phase have well-defined constant physical conditions which govern the equilibrium point and reaction velocities. In a reaction where we have one or more solid phases, the tempera ture conditions requisite for the unbalancing of the stable system are found to vary. These variations are due to the fact that in a solid there is a very complex molecule and it is not a question solely of the tearing away of two interlocked atoms, but also of the destruction of a complex molecule containing hundreds, or possibly thousands, of smaller molecules. In other words, there are two forces to be overcome: a certain

Jan 1, 1914

By David B. Reger

Widespread wildcatting for new supplies of natural gas and the beginning of importation from the southwest characterized the petroleum industry of West Virginia during 1944. Within the state, drilling for oil did not increase but. more gas wells were completed than in any previous year since 1937. Out of 40 wildcats drilled there were 25 gas discoveries and 15 dry holes. No commercial oil was found in the 40 wells. The proved limits of several oil pools were slightly extended by marginal drilling, resulting in 1300 acres of new oil territory, although no distinctly new pools were found. At least four new gas pools were assuredly discovered and various successful wildcats indicate future pools or wide extensions. The new proved gas territory, in definite new pools and definite extensions, is about 34,000 acres. A considerable net decline of proved oil has occarred and probably a slight decline of proved gas reserves. The account of operations, as gathered from trade journals and other reporting services, shows that 918 new wells were drilled, resulting in 71 oil wells with 613 bbl. of daily new production; 577 gas wells with 305,372,000 cu. ft. of daily open flow, and 142 dry holes. Also, 107 old wells were drilled to deeper sands, with 22 bbl. and 12,327,000 cu. ft. of added production. On the new wells the oil average was 8.6 bbl. per well per day, and the gas average was 529,241 CU. ft. per well per day. On new wells the ratio of dry holes to completions was 15.47 per cent. On deeper drilling the ratio of failures was 19.63 per cent. Production of oil for the year was estimated by the Oil Weekly as 3,069,000 bbl., as compared with 3,349,000 bbl. in 1943. Production of natural gas for the year is estimated by the author as 200,000, 000,000 cu. ft., as compared with the U. S. Bureau of Mines final figures of 223,789,000,000 cu. ft.t in 1943.

Jan 1, 1945

By Alexander L. Holley

THE 400-ton testing machine, ordered in June, 1875, by the United States Board appointed to test "iron, steel, and other metals," has lately been completed at the Watertown Arsenal, thoroughly proved and accepted by the Board. The excellence of the machine in every respect is more than satisfactory, and its accuracy is at first sight astonishing, although an investigation of its principles must show that if the weighing apparatus will weigh at all, it must do so with perfect accuracy, because all its movements are absolutely without friction. The proof experiments were numerous, and the effects of recoil after sudden ruptures at maximum loads, were watched with great care, but without much anxiety, because the weighing parts affected are by no means delicate in structure, and their motion is almost infinitely small. Among the tests were the following : A forged link of hard, wrought iron, 5 inches in diameter between the eyes, was slowly strained in tension, and broke short off with a loud report at 722,800 pounds. The diameter before breaking at the point of fracture was 5.04 inches; after breaking, 4.98 inches. In order to see if the weighing parts had been disturbed by the recoil, which was obviously near the greatest recoil the machine will ever suffer, a horse-hair was next tested ; it was 7-1000ths of an inch in diameter; it stretched 30 per cent., and broke at 1 pound. Other horse-hairs vary in tenacity between 1 and 2 pounds. Of course, the accuracy of the machine on such delicate specimens, and indeed on specimens having some hundreds of pounds tenacity, has been checked and proved by other weighing machines. A 5-inch round bar, turned down to 3 5/8 inches diameter along the centre, was pulled apart at 430,200 pounds tension. Then some more horse-hairs were tested ; also copper wires 19 1/2-1000ths of an inch in diameter, which averaged 25 pounds tenacity..

Jan 1, 1879

W. E. WRATHER, Wichita Falls, Tex. (written discussion*).-The appearance of Mr. Brokaw?s with-the chemical composition of "paraffin dirt" will be welcomed by oil geologists who have worked in the Gulf Coast district. It is to be hoped that it will lead to a discussion of the subject which will throw some light on the relation this peculiar substance bears to the occurrence of oil deposits. The problem of locating oil pools in advance of drilling is at the best a very intangible matter in the district along the Gulf Coast, and it is therefore desirable to make the most of any clew which may be of the least assistance to this end. Geologists have been familiar with "paraffin dirt" for a number of years, and have informally discussed its value as a surface indication of oil. But doubtless owing largely to the fact that they have been unable to define its exact composition, very little information has appeared in print on the subject. The presence of this baffling and somewhat indeterminate substance is now quite generally accepted as one of the most reliable indications of a gas seepage. The question is whether paraffin dirt necessarily indicates that the escaping gas is an emanation from an oil deposit, or whether it merely indicates that marsh gas (urethane) has here escaped from its source in "the abundant decomposing vegetation entombed in the sediments of the old Mississippi Embayment, and the Gulf Coastal Plain. The presence of this material has been relied upon to a great extent, both by oil producers and geologists, in the location of wildcat wells, since the discovery that it was associated with gas seepages. It is quite true that other surface indications were often present at such localities, but if, in addition, paraffin dirt could be found in the vicinity, this fact was accepted as the final justification for drilling a test well, despite the fact that no one seemed to understand its chemical composition or to know why it should be associated with oil. In fact, for a long time it has generally been accepted that the name is a misnomer, that very little, if any, paraffin is present in it, or, for that matter, any other known fraction of crude oil.

Jan 7, 1918

By L. F. Rooney

In June 1964 the Indiana Geological Survey discovered gypsum beds more than 10 ft thick in rocks of Devonian age in La Porte County, Ind. Although the extension of the Michigan Basin evaporites into northern Indiana has been recognized for some time, the gypsum beds have been regarded as either too thin or too deep for exploitation. Current Survey research, however, indicates that exploration by industry might find commercial deposits of gypsum less than 50 miles from Chicago. In four cores taken by the Survey within 1 sq mile in La Porte County, the maximum thickness of inter-bedded gypsum and anhydrite is 35.8 ft. Both gypsum and anhydrite beds contain irregular masses of limestone and dolomite that average a few inches in cross section and total about 20% of the rock by weight. The maximum thickness of gypsum in one minable unit verified by core is 12.5 ft, and its purity is 81.3%. Chloride content of the gypsum beds is less than 0.005%. Depth to the gypsum in La Porte County is 330 to 500 ft, about the same depth as the gypsum being mined in Martin County, Ind. In June 1964 the Indiana Geological Survey discovered gypsum deposits of probable commercial thickness near La Porte, Ind. (Fig. 1). This article presents preliminary data on the distribution, thickness, depth and chemical composition of the gypsum, the possible causes of gypsification, and economic considerations of immediate interest to industry. Because of the preliminary nature of the work, only a few geologic relationships concerning the genesis of the deposits will be mentioned. DEFINITIONS The following terms used throughout this article have been restricted to the following definitions: evaporites: anyydrite (CaSO4) or gypsum (CaSO4 . 2H2O). minable evaporites: any evaporite unit which may contain more than 80% evaporites, which is more than 10 ft thick, and which in places may be completely gypsified. PREVIOUS WORK The presence of gypsum and anhydrite in the Devonian rocks of northern Indiana has been recognized for at least 70 years1-4 and can be inferred from a number of reports on the geology of Michigan. For example, in a cross section from southwestern to central Michigan, Ells5 indicated the presence of

Jan 1, 1965

By A. B. Tanner

The effects of radon in drillholes on gamma-ray logs have been described by L. S. Hilpert and C. M. Bunker1 Since these effects may cause drastic error in the evaluation of uranium deposits, it is useful to know the conditions under which significant amounts of radon tend to accumulate in drillholes. In the studies described here, atmospheric conditions were found to dominate in the control of the behavior of radon in drillholes in the vicinity of a uranium orebody. The site of the investigation was in McKinley County, New Mexico, about 12 miles north of Grants. Drillholes of 4 1/4-in. diam, on 25-ft and 100-ft centers, penetrate ore in dry rock at a depth of about 100 ft. A geologic log of the drillhole of primary interest is shown in Fig. 1. Gamma-ray logs revealed three zones of ore-grade mineralization in the Todilto limestone. A 6-ft zone, the lowest of the three, assayed 0.20 pct U3O8 by chemical analysis. The limestone ores in this area contain disseminated uraninite and some yellow and orange secondary minerals. Only radon"", a member of the uranium'" series, was measured in this investigation. Radon is one of the chemically inert noble gases and is radioactive by alpha particle emission with a half life of about four days. In this discussion, amounts of radon are expressed in microcuries (1 microcurie equals 37,-000 disintegrations per sec) and concentrations of radon are expressed in microcuries per liter of drillhole air. Samples of air were obtained by lowering a sampling device (Fig. 2) into a drillhole and actuating the device at the desired depth. It was then raised to the surface and the sample was transferred to a storage tube. Within two days the sample was transferred to an ionization chamber, and the activ- ity of radon and its short-lived daughter products was measured at radioactive equilibrium with a vibrating-reed electrometer. The measurements were corrected back to the time of collection and involve errors estimated generally not to exceed + 5 pct to —15 pct. Radon Behavior in a Covered Hole: Fig. 3, a typical log of radon concentration vs depth in the covered drillhole, was made by using values of radon concentration at discrete depths. Continuous logs of alpha-particle radiation in the drillholes showed that such radon logs depict the continuous variation of radon concentration with depth quite accurately. Three features of radon logs were noted: 1) maximum

Jan 1, 1960

By H. Shaw

IT is now generally recognized that the gravitational method of geophysical surveying is a valuable aid in elucidating the geological structure of the subsoil and enables the practical geologist to deduce the presence of useful deposits. The particular suitability of the torsion balance to the location of large and important subterranean structures has given rise to a wide. application of this method by many of the important oil companies in their search for future supplies, and so intense have been these efforts that little has been heard of the method in other connections, with the exception of occasional references to its application in the location of hidden deposits of metallic ores, salt and lignite, and a number of accounts of its use in the elucidation of geological structures. Its success in the location of salt domes is well known, and. establishes it as one of the most important of the geophysical methods, especially for the indirect location of oil. In the British Isles, however, no large occurrence of oil is likely to be revealed, and here the practical application of the gravitational method has been restricted almost entirely to the search for ores. This type of survey possesses well marked characteristics, and presents a gravitational problem that has necessitated the development of a special and probably unusual plan of campaign, full details of which it is hoped will shortly be published. The problems and difficulties encountered in this work are of necessity fundamentally related to those met with in the search for oil by means of the torsion balance, but they also possess several special and distinctive features which undoubtedly differentiate them from the obstacles confronting the oil prospector, and which call for special consideration and treatment.

Jan 1, 1928

By J. W. Littleford

The Roan Antelope Copper Mines Ltd. are situated in the north central part of Northern Rhodesia, at an altitude of 4000 ft. and 13" south of the Equator. The town site (Luanshya) is well situated and enjoys among other things a really temperate climate for 10 months of the year. The two spring and summer months, October and November, while hot and humid, do not bring any great discomforts as compared with many other mining camps. Strictly modern brick homes, with electric lights, purified water, telephone and water-borne sewage, add to the comfort of the employees. A rainfall of approximately 60 in. per year furnishes ample water for both industrial and domestic purposes. The rainy season generally begins in October and lasts through until March. As much as 3 to 4 in. is recorded in 24 hr., but this offers no difficulties because the runoff is very rapid. The property is connected by a 24-mile branch line from Ndola with the main line of the Beira-Mashonaland and Rhodesia Railways Ltd. Practically all supplies from overseas are transported over this line from Beira, 1743 miles distant on the east coast in Portuguese East Africa. The mine output also leaves Africa from this port. Passenger service is principally via Cape Town or Durban, a distance of about 2100 miles to either port. The Imperial Airways maintain a service from Cape Town to Croydon, taking 9 days for the trip. Connections can be made with this service at Broken Hill, 150 miles south of Luanshya, by either rail or automobile. Thus, after several days of travel through virgin bush, a visitor arrives at a typically modern town site in the heart of Africa. Every development in mining, milling and smelting practice is used to advantage. Plan of Mill The practice in the three principal phases of the production of copper from the ores of this company have been published from time to time. Milling practice, however, is continually changing and what may be

Jan 1, 1935

The Black hills rise like a dark island above the far-flung prairie lands of the Dakotas; to their sombre pine-clad slopes they owe the name, Black mountains, by which they were known to the early explorers. Pahasapa, a Sioux word with the same meaning, was the name given to these hills by the Indians, who avoided them, believing them to be mysterious and dangerous. The aborigines entered the hills rarely, to pick berries, hunt the deer, or to cut lodge-poles, the central supports of their huts. The French explorer Pierre de la Veréndrye reached Dakotan soil in October 1738, coming thither from Montreal by way of Lake Superior and the Lake of the Woods.* Five years later his sons, François and Louis Joseph, reached the Black hills, as is recorded on a plate unearthed at Fort Pierre in 1913. The French-Canadian explorers and trappers of that time, however, appear to have been diverted southeastward to the more promising lands of the Mississippi valley, so that we find no mention of the Black hills in the chronicles of the period until Lewis and Clark, on their way to the Pacific coast, in 1805, met a French trader, named Jean Vallé, on the lower Cheyenne river, and from him they heard of the Black mountains in a casual manner. Next, Wilson P. Hunt, who, at the head of an expedition crossed the Rocky Mountains on his way to the Astor trading-post on the Columbia river, in 1811, had a glimpse of the dark hills to the north, but that was all. Then in 1823 Jedediah S. Smith, one of the earliest discoverers of gold in California, crossed the southern part of the Black hills on his way westward. Two trading-posts were established in

Jan 1, 1932

By Byron B. Boatright

The energy which causes oil and gas to flow from a reservoir formation into a well depends upon a differential between the formation pressure and the pressure at the well face. This differential pressure may be the result of any one of at least three forces, or a combination of them. Gas under pressure in an oil-producing formation (part of the gas may be in solution and part in contact with the oil) is the principal source of energy for producing oil in most fields. In some fields, however, hydrostatic pressure due to water in contact with the oil and/or the force of gravity may be important factors in causing oil to flow into a well. Still another force affecting oil movement is suggested by some students of the problem; the force dependent upon the phenomenon of capillarity. Hydrostatic pressure is seldom the only source of energy in an oil sand, but it is commonly an adjunct to the compressed gas in the formation. Where this condition prevails, increased production may be obtained provided the water encroachment is properly controlled. In addition to the water-drive effect, the hydrostatic head may tend to maintain pressure in the formation by progressively reducing the volume of the reservoir as withdrawals to the surface are made through the producing wells. The action of the force of gravity on the oil in a formation is of relatively small importance, from an energy standpoint, until the last stage of the productive life of a well is reached. This force is the only remaining natural source of energy in some of the eastern fields, but in most of the deep wells of the Mid-Continent and California districts the force of gravity can be precluded as a source of energy, because the wells reach their economic limit of production before the force of gravity becomes an important factor in moving oil to the wells. Since the majority of fields produce oil chiefly by reason of the gas pressure in the oil horizons, the following treatment deals mainly with factors that influence gas-energy relationships. Gas-energy Relationships Formation Pressures The gas pressures existing in oil-producing formations may be the result of a combination of several contributing factors. All fluids under

Jan 1, 1932

By M. Gensamer

IN applied mechanics and in metallurgy the transition from elastic to inelastic action is a matter of considerable interest and importance. Often the first inelastic deformation is apparently quite homogeneous; that is, uniformly distributed throughout the specimen. Sometimes this deformation is heterogeneous; that is, localized; inelastic deformation proceeds to some definite amount in restricted regions before adjacent regions of the specimen are inclastically deformed. In such cases the deformation does not become homogeneous until the whole specimen has been deformed the amount corresponding to that for each localized deformation. If the test is stopped before uniform extension sets in, the heterogeneous character of the deformation is apparent on the surface of the specimen through characteristic markings, which have been called "Lüders"' lines, "Hartmann's" lines, the "Piobert effect," or simply "flow figures." These markings are the source of considerable trouble in fabricating operations, particularly in the deep drawing of steel sheet. In many cases where the transition is of this nature, the stress developed at the upper limit of the elastic range is greater than the stress during the period of heterogeneous deformation, giving rise to the familiar "drop of the beam" effect in testing. The amount of the yield-point elongation, as well as the value of the stress at the lower yield point (the value to which the stress drops when yielding begins), are functions of the tempera-ture and the testing speed. Lower temperatures and faster rates of testing increase both the yield-point elongation and the yield-point stress. These matters have been ably discussed in a recent paper by Winlock and Leiter1 though, as brought out by the discussion of that paper, the phenomena are but little understood. The purpose of the present paper is to clarify the problem through the application of a simple principle, and to show that, through the application of this principle, a number of phenomena in the plastic deformation of metals become more read-ily understood.

Jan 1, 1938

By John Chipman

HE lecture on 'Thermodynamic Properties of Blast Furnace Slagso prepared in 1959 and published two years later required revision in one particular before it appeared in print. The activity of SiO, was deter mined through studies of the equilibrium: SiO, (in slag) 2C (graphite) = (in Fe) 2C0 (1 atm) The ratio for each experimental temperature was found from the heat of formation of cris-tobalite, the entropies and heat capacities of the re-actants, by virtue of the third law of thermodynamics. Discrepancies between several kinds of data led to investigations regarding other equilibria involving SiO, on the suspicion that there might be an error in the third-law value of its free energy. In particular the equilibrium: was restudied by Kay and Taylor who Confirmed the earlier results of Baird and Tayloron which their SiO, activities depended. The free energy of Sic was also rechecked4 independently. These and other equilibrium measurements led to the conclusion6 that the free energy of SiO, at high temperatures is in error and requires a correction of about -5 kcal. The exact source of the error is uncertain; it could lie either in the entropy of SiO, or in its heat of formation, but it more probably lies in the latter. Adjustment of this free energy lowers the ratio by a factor of approximately 4. Accordingly it will be necessary to multiply by this factor all of the SiO, activities determined by this method.',B Referring to the lecture cited, this correction should be applied in Figs. 8, 9, 10, 19, and 20. It applies also to the experimental data of Fig. 13, bringing these as well as those on the ternary system into good agreement with the work of Taylor and associates. At the same time it eliminates the discrepancy shown in Fig. 11, lowering both lines until the upper

Jan 1, 1962

By Stephen Taber

JOHN C. BRANNER, Stanford University, Cal. (communication to the Secretary *).-Wideawake teachers of geology are constantly on the lookout for good illustrations of veins, especially where the processes of formation are either clearly shown or suggested. And I long ago found out that one who would learn nature's laws must despise nothing. It thus happened that in 1910, Dr. George J. Peirce of the depart-ment of botany at Stanford University called to my attention a cracked and broken yellow earthenware dish, 8 ½ in. across the top and 2 ½ in. deep, that, to the ordinary observer, seemed to be of no further use, and quite ready for the waste can. The striking thing about this dish was that the thin glaze over much of the outside surface and over the upper margin of the inside surface had been lifted in small scales, varying in. diameter from ½ cm. to 1 cm., and thrust outward and held there by some sort of white fibrous mineral. The process looked very much like one we are familiar with in the Southern States where. we often see in the winter pebbles and soil thrust out from a clay bank or lifted from a clay soil and held there supported by what is popularly known as needle-ice. Upon inquiry I learned the following facts in regard to the history of this particular dish: In the summer of 1910, it had been partly filled with a concentrated salt solution taken from one of the salterns of the Stauffer Chemical Co. at Redwood City, Cal. A qualitative analysis of the original brine showed: Present: iron, magnesium, sodium, potassium, chlorides, sulphates, nitrates (trace), bromides, carbonates, borates (trace), and considerable amounts of organic matter. Absent: calcium, lithium and iodides.

Jan 3, 1917

By John L. Baum

Tests show that 50 times the earth's normal field can exist near stacked drill rods. Protection against the effect of these strong fields can be obtained by means of a removable sleeve of common iron pipe. GEOLOGISTS and engineers working around a diamond drill rig have often had the opportunity to observe the magnetic attraction of drill rods pulled out of the hole for core removal. This is sometimes an amusing pastime, but this same magnetic force inadvertently applied to a compass needle can cause it to lose its polarity entirely or to become reverse polarized when placed in the immediate vicinity of stacked rods. The first recommendation, of course, would be to avoid the rods, but in surveying an operating drillhole this is not always possible; therefore steps must be taken to neutralize the magnetic effect of the drill rods. Early in the summer of 1949 the geological department of the New Jersey Zinc Co. undertook at Franklin, N. J., an extensive program of surveying the course of deep diamond drillholes. The majority of the holes were surveyed while in the process of being drilled, and considerable difficulty was encountered. A pattern for the deviation of drillholes had been established for the district from surveys in holes from which the drill rig had been removed. It was observed that a certain operating deep drillhole being surveyed did not fit this pattern. In the resulting confusion of repeated surveys and cementing a plug for wedging operations, the lower 1800 ft of the hole was lost. Because of this incident studies were initiated to determine the source of the difficulties and to develop safeguards against recurrence of faulty surveys. Using a hand magnet easily shows that the polarity of a compass needle can be reversed if rotation of the needle is hindered through tilting of the compass or clamping of the mechanism. Such experiments are not recommended, especially in the case of the clockwork type of instruments. A magnetized hairspring in a clockwork instrument will cause the compass card to assume a periodic motion which will not stop until the clockwork runs down. Routine check readings of instrument north before and after each survey are not always sufficient to catch instances of reversed polarity of the compass needle. Although the majority of instances probably take place while the instrument is being removed from the hole with needle in fixed position, it is demonstrable that a 'luggish needle, weakened during a previous test, can be reverse polarized

Jan 1, 1955

By Will Coghill

FLOTATION has been so closely allied with the sulfide minerals and their early and associated oily reagents that the term "oil flotation" has erroneously been applied to the entire flotation process. Today, the term "chemical flotation" might be used to advantage. Flotation literature has dealt primarily with the removal of sulfides from non-sulfide gangues, and the separation of one sulfide from another. Now, the application of the process to the separation of nonsulfide minerals is coming to the fore; and from the standpoint of the number of commercial minerals involved, the flotation of nonsulfides offers the larger field. Here, soap or soap-forming substances, such as the fatty acids and their derivatives, are used; hence there may well be a subdivision of the chemical flotation process called "soap flotation." Early experimenters learned that it was easy to form a froth or foam that would carry a part or all of the ore charge over the lip of the flotation machine; but this could not be regarded as flotation because of the lack of selectivity. Doubtless soap was one of the first reagents tried, and doubtless it was rejected on account of its gangue-carrying properties. Now this same gangue-carrying ability makes soap an acceptable reagent, for we are dealing with that, which among sulfides, is considered "gan-gue." As in the flotation of sulfides, so in the flotation of nonsulfides, the selective flocculation of the mineral and the dispersion of the gangue are the first objectives. In fact, these two phenomena epitomize flotation. They depend upon the unlike surface properties of the respective miner-als; and as long as the components of an ore have unlike surface proper-ties, a separation is possible, at least in theory. Often in nonsulfide flotation it makes little difference which mineral floats and which is depressed; generally only a separation is sought.

Jan 1, 1932

By J. Stubbins

1 1.4-1. Source of Water. Precipitation in the form of rain or snow is the original source of water that enters most surface mines. The precipitation, which does not escape to the atmosphere, either becomes surface run- off or infiltrates into the ground to become ground water (3,4). Evaporation and surface run-off can be measured. The water that infiltrates the ground disappears from view and is more difficult to evaluate. In general, it moves in a pattern similar to the surface run-off, but at a much slower rate, since its progress is impeded by many subsurface conditions. The infiltrating water descends through the soil and rock by whatever passageways permit flow until the water table or top of the zone of saturation is reached. Though usually pictured as a level surface, it is dependent upon the topography and the permeability of the enclosing material, and therefore it can be as erratic and unpredictable as the subsurface geology. Ground water may become surface run-off again at a lower point, and likewise, surface run-off of lakes and streams can infiltrate to become ground water. Should the ground water be confined to a permeable zone overlain by an impermeable barrier, a pressure is created. Such water is said to be artesian if the pressure head is sufficient to raise the confined water to the surface. These conditions are more commonly found in relatively flat-lying bedded formations. 11.4-2. Recognition and Estimation of Water. Dewatering and flood control should be considered by the design engineer at an early stage in all surface mine planning. Recognition of the possible problems, and making allowance for their solution, is an inexpensive precaution. Circumstances which should lead to investigation are: 1. High rainfall 2. Experience of other mines in the area 3. Evidence of water and caving in drill holes 4. Presence of springs and artesian wells 5. Geological evidence of aquifers.

Jan 1, 1968

By Charles Legrand

(San Francisco Meeting, September, 1915) THE problem of mine pumping is so much affected by local conditions, and those conditions are so liable to changes during the life of a mine, that the best system to use is difficult to determine. The experience of the;, writer has been that, in general, for copper mines, electric pumping is most satisfactory unless the quantity of water to be pumped is great or. the mine does not use electric power for any other purpose. As a rule, however, figuring on the cost of necessary power plant, the total cost of: installation is greater with electric pumps than steam- pumps. As the water is liable to be gritty, outside-packed plunger pumps are to be recommended, and if the water is not acid, or only slightly so, chilled cast-iron plungers pay for their extra cost very quickly in diminished cost of packing. With chilled plungers it is possible to use metallic, packing instead of soft packing, if the water, is not too gritty nor the lift too high. In vertical pumps this packing is satisfactory for lifts up to 400 ft., in the experience of the writer; and may be found satisfactory for higher lifts. For water slightly acid, cement-lined pump bodies have given good satisfaction. For acid. water, both plungers and pump bodies should be made of acid-resisting bronze. For high lifts, especially with gritty water, a satisfactory pump valve is difficult to find. To reduce the unbalanced pressure on the valve at time of opening it is advisable to have narrow seats; this, however, brings high pressure on the seats when the valve is closed. On large valves for lifts of 600 to 1,000 ft. we have used leather, hard rubber, vulcanized fiber, and soft brass; for clear water the latter has given best satisfaction. The difficulties due to grit make it advisable to have large sumps where water can settle, and if possible, to have two of them so that they can be cleaned alternately. At the mines of the Old. Dominion Copper Mining ,& Smelting Co.; Globe, it was found that a small air. ejector discharging into a mine car is a very convenient way to clean mud and sand from a sump. .

Jan 9, 1915

By M. B. Riordan

A surface indicating pressure, temperature and flow instrument that ernploys variable frequency sensing elements has proved useful in evaluating flow characteristics of wells. Relative productivity of individual oil and gas sands in a given well can be analyzed at several back pressures. The variable frequency sensing elements are an improvement in sensitivity and accuracy and make possible observation of temperature and pressure variations that have not been possible heretofore. The surface indicating featuere results in a more direct approach to solving problems and eliniinate; many assumptions. All three subsurface factors are evaluated, and correlation between them results in a direct means of analyzing reservoir. and well conditions. Surveys have been used to evaluate well performance. locate gas entry In high ratio wells and to investigate gas injection and water flooding conditions. INTRODUCTION In a flowing well that is open to a multiple number of producing sands with varying characteristics. it is valuable to know which sands are producing fluid at a given back pressure and in what relative quantity. Core studies could qualify an interval as productive, and reserves would be computed on this basis. Unless the well is produced so that the interval does contribute. irreparable damage to the interval can occur. It is generally accepted that the optimum condition of pro-

Jan 1, 1951