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By David Cornell, D. L. Katz

Procedures for computing turbulent flow of gas in steady state near the well bore and a graphical method for predicting unsteady state laminar flow at distances from the well have been combined to compute pressure gradients in gas reservoirs. Methods are discussed for predicting single and multiple transients at constant flow rate in an infinite reservoir, predicting constant How rate. in a finite reservoir, reproducing and interpreting back pressure test data, and prediction of the behavior of a closed-in gas well. An example of the graphical method is given for a single transient and the results are compared to a published analytical solution. A typical calculation of the pressure gradient in a reservoir and the production of gas is made .starting with data from a hack pressure test. INTRODUCTION The calculation of pressure gradients throughouse a ga-reservoir at any point in its production history is a complex problem involving turbulent flow near the well bore and unsteady state flow of the gas from the reservoir. The problem is complicated further by the variety of boundary conditions that may be imposed upon the flow. Such boundary conditions include finite or infinite reservoirs. constant or variable rates of production, constant or varying bottom hole pressures, complex initial pressure distributions throughout the reservoir, and pressure maintenance through cycling. In addition to these problems there are the practical difficulties associated with natural gas reservoir analysis These might include: (1) variation. in the permeability and porosity throughout the formation. (2) variations in the thickness of the formation, (3) communication of the producing formation with other producing zones. (4) radial variations in permeability due to influx of drilling fluid. acidizing. or the buildup of liquid in the formation around the well, (5) partial penetration of the producing zone. (6) water flood, and many others. These problems will be considered eventually. In the mean- time, it is necessary to present methods of handling the case of radial flow through a homogeneous, regular, producing stratum to a single well uncomplicated by other factors. The idealized case of steady state, radial flow from a natural gas reservoir was studied by Elenbaas and Katz5 and by Mac-Koberts.' An analysis of the unsteady flow of gases through porous media has been made by Aronofsky and Jenkins' for the one dimensional laminar case with the boundary conditions of constant downstream pressure and uniform initial pressure. Solutions for the partial differential equation for unsteady state radial flow of liquids through porous media have been given by Van Everdingen and Hurst" for the constant bottom hole pressure and constant production rate cases for laminar flow in a reservoir initially at a constant pressure. The analogous heat transfer equation has been treated by Perry and Berggren9 for the case of quenching a cylindrical hole in an infinite medium to a constant temperature. The back pressure curve, which involves the variation of the bottom hole pressure as it is determined by the behavior of the reservoir as a whole. has been studied by Rawlins and Schellhardt,10 Binck-lev,' Baumel and Breitung,' and others. No complete. adequate treatment has been given for the unsteady state, radial flow of gases into a cylindrical hole from a porous medium with or without the presence of turbulent flow and for any set of boundary conditions. If one relies only on analytical solutions of the basic equations, a new solution must be obtained for each new boundary condition. Furthermore, the complexity of the mathematical expressions for boundary conditions other than the very simple cases limits the use of analytical solutions. Graphical methods exist, however. that are general in nature, accurate, and readily employed. The analysis of steady and unsteady, laminar and turbulent, radial flow for various boundary conditions with application to specific natural gas well problems by means of graphical procedures forms the content of this paper. STEADY STATE RADIAL FLOW EQUATION FOR LAMINAR AND TURBULENT FLOW A steady state radial flow equation for laminar and turbulent flow through unconsolidated sands has been given by Muskat as discussion of the work by Elenbaas and Katz.5 This equation is based on the properties of unconsolidated

Jan 1, 1953

By George Smith

IN the utilization of natural resources owner, operator, and consumer should share the attendant benefits. Development needs to be planned under terms recognizing fully the interests of all concerned, for any undue advantage given to any one of these participants is apt to involve even greater and disproportionate injury to one or both of the others. For this reason it is well to preface any consideration of needed reforms in legislation affecting the disposition of public land with a survey of certain fundamental principles that determine the general conditions of all land transfers preliminary to development, utilization, and production. The disposition of any undeveloped natural resource, whether timber, oil, coal, or water power, as a transaction to which hand owner and prospective developer are parties, must be based in theory upon a division of expected returns. Whatever the terms of such disposition, neither party can reasonably ask for anything other than an equitable division of the returns. Under this analysis three and only three questions need to be discussed ; namely, what are those profits, how is this division to be accomplished, and what is the equitable basis of division ? The answer to the third question should probably be found by applying to the problem the principles of theoretical sociology, and' the question need not be mentioned further at this time, inasmuch as it does not involve the practical considerations to be kept in mind in connection with the other questions, which are concerned with only the measure of returns and their division. That is to say, whether the land owner's equity is to be stated as 95 per cent. or as 5 per cent. of the profits attending the development of the particular resource, no change would be necessary in the method to be adopted of arriving at the closest approximation of the prospective total profit.

Jan 10, 1913

By Jay A. Carpenter

IN six years the construction of Hoover Dam and the power plants probably will have reached the operating stage and this vast new source of power will then be continuously available for industry. The height of the darn will be 580 ft. and the average annual flow of the Colorado River is calculated at approximately 24,000 cu.ft. per sec. If this full head and average flow can be maintained the year round, about one million horsepower will be generated. The U. S. Reclamation engineers, taking into consideration the probable range in flow and head, have set the figure for power contracts at 660,000 firm horsepower, which can be assured at all times of the year. During the months of heavy run-off of water from the Colorado River Basin the power plants should be able to generate the full 1,000,000 hp. capacity of the power plants, so there will be 340,000 excess or secondary horsepower. The cost of firm power at the switchboard will be close to 2.15 mills per kw.-hr., equal to $14.05 per hp.-yr., and the cost of the secondary or off-peak power will be close to 0.8 mills per kw.-hr., or $5.22 per hp.-yr. In no place in the country can such cheap power be obtained today. The electrochemical industry is in a state of flux because the power costs from its old sources have increased so much (to $30 per hp.-yr. at Niagara) that the industries have had to seek new sources, so they have gone to Canada and Norway and built new plants.

Jan 1, 1932

By John L. Ham, Robert M. Parke

The melting point of molybdenum is 2625° + 50°C. Heretofore the metal has been considered too refractory to be melted in commercial quantities; hence, it has been formed into rod, wire, and sheet by the methods of powder metallurgy, wherein the temperatures do not exceed 90 per cent of the melting temperature. The manipulation of liquid metals at temperatures of about 2000°C. and above presents some difficult problems in heat transfer, in purification, and in container materials. For metals melting at such high temperatures, it is generally regarded as expedient to circumvent the more common melting and casting process by resorting to powder metallurgy. This circumvention is not accomplished without some penalties, the more notable of which are the relatively high cost of the powder metallurgy method and particularly the size limitations of its product. In an effort to overcome the inherent disadvantages of the powder metallurgy method, especially in respect to the limit of size, a project was begun in 1943 at the Climax Molybdenum Co. laboratory to develop a method of melting and casting molybdenum capable of producing larger bodies of molybdenum than were then obtainable. Later, from Feb. I, 1944, to Aug. 31, 1945, the project was under the supervision of the National Research Committee, Division One. In peacetime, too, there are needs for molybdenurn, which make consideration of another process desirable; for example, large parts for heat engines generally, the omnipresent demand for metal of higher quality and lower cost, and the development of molybdenum-base alloys. This paper describes methods for melting and casting molybdenum, with details of the special process needed to make molybdenum castings ductile, and reports some of the properties of what may be regarded as a new, or at least modified, form of the metal. First Process for Melting and Casting Molybdenum The maintenance of a temperature greater than 2625°C. in a 'pace large enough to melt several pounds of molybdenum may involve the loss of heat at a Very considerable rate. For melting molybdenum, therefore, the source of heat must be of high potential and of fairly high power. Evidently, also, the source of heat must not impair the purity of the product. The electric arc operating in vacuum appeared to meet these requirements and was accordingly the first choice as a source of energy. A number of arc devices for melting molybdenum were examined, and several were tried. In the first experiment, a 20-kw., 60-cycle-per-second alternating-current arc was operated between two horizontal and opposed electrodes of molybdenum- In this arrangement the falling droplets of molybdenum solidified below the arc in an irregular mass. This experiment did not produce a useful casting, but the data obtained indicated that

Jan 1, 1947

By John L. Ham, Robert M. Parke

The melting point of molybdenum is 2625° + 50°C. Heretofore the metal has been considered too refractory to be melted in commercial quantities; hence, it has been formed into rod, wire, and sheet by the methods of powder metallurgy, wherein the temperatures do not exceed 90 per cent of the melting temperature. The manipulation of liquid metals at temperatures of about 2000°C. and above presents some difficult problems in heat transfer, in purification, and in container materials. For metals melting at such high temperatures, it is generally regarded as expedient to circumvent the more common melting and casting process by resorting to powder metallurgy. This circumvention is not accomplished without some penalties, the more notable of which are the relatively high cost of the powder metallurgy method and particularly the size limitations of its product. In an effort to overcome the inherent disadvantages of the powder metallurgy method, especially in respect to the limit of size, a project was begun in 1943 at the Climax Molybdenum Co. laboratory to develop a method of melting and casting molybdenum capable of producing larger bodies of molybdenum than were then obtainable. Later, from Feb. I, 1944, to Aug. 31, 1945, the project was under the supervision of the National Research Committee, Division One. In peacetime, too, there are needs for molybdenurn, which make consideration of another process desirable; for example, large parts for heat engines generally, the omnipresent demand for metal of higher quality and lower cost, and the development of molybdenum-base alloys. This paper describes methods for melting and casting molybdenum, with details of the special process needed to make molybdenum castings ductile, and reports some of the properties of what may be regarded as a new, or at least modified, form of the metal. First Process for Melting and Casting Molybdenum The maintenance of a temperature greater than 2625°C. in a 'pace large enough to melt several pounds of molybdenum may involve the loss of heat at a Very considerable rate. For melting molybdenum, therefore, the source of heat must be of high potential and of fairly high power. Evidently, also, the source of heat must not impair the purity of the product. The electric arc operating in vacuum appeared to meet these requirements and was accordingly the first choice as a source of energy. A number of arc devices for melting molybdenum were examined, and several were tried. In the first experiment, a 20-kw., 60-cycle-per-second alternating-current arc was operated between two horizontal and opposed electrodes of molybdenum- In this arrangement the falling droplets of molybdenum solidified below the arc in an irregular mass. This experiment did not produce a useful casting, but the data obtained indicated that

Jan 1, 1947

By John Wulff, David A. Stevenson

The solubility of iron and cobalt in liquid lead, the solubility of chromium in liquid tin, and nickel in liquid silver were determined up to 1300°C in an atmosphere of hydrogen. Liquid samples were taken at different temperatures and analyzed. The data obtained were plotted to show the relationship between log mole fraction of solute and the inverse of the absolute temperature. Resulting values for the differential heat of solution (AH) and the excesspartial molar entropy (S)are: for the iron-lead system = _24,200 cal per mole and AT = 5.0 e.u. for the a phase, and AH = 18,300 and S = -0.1 e.u. for the y phase; for the cobalt-lead system AH = 16,500 cal per mole and AS =0.7 e.u.; for the chromium-tin system AH = 15,600 cal per mole and AS = 8.5 e.u.; for the nickel-silver system AH =18,000 cal per mole and AS = 4.0 e.u. RECENT developments in coating, brazing, and heat transfer have focused attention on specific cases of solid-liquid interaction in metal systems, particularly those involving dilute liquid solutions. One fundamental quantity of interest in such systems is the equilibrium phase distribution between solid and liquid phases. In any effort to fully understand such interactions, one must be able to describe the equilibrium state precisely. Furthermore, in order to develop genera! relations for such systems, one must know the equilibrium state in a number of different cases. This investigation was devoted to a study of the equilibrium phase distribution in four binary systems: solid iron-liquid lead; solid cobalt-liquid lead; solid chromium-liquid tin; solid nickel-liquid silver. The iron-lead system was previously studied by Shepard and parkman' and later by Fleischer and Elliott2 with differing results. Both investigations were carried out by sampling the saturated liquid, and analyzing it chemically. The cobalt-lead system was previously reported by Pelzel,3 who noticed no discontinuity near the transformation. A limited investigation of the chromium-tin system was made by Wlodek and wulff4 using a weight loss method. This work was done in conjunction with the development of a process for coating molybdenum with chromium from tin solutions. To more fully under- stand the kinetics of the process, a more accurate determination of a solubility was desirable. No significant data were found in the literature on the nickel-silver system. Data on the latter system were, however, relevant to the investigation of the corrosion kinetics of copper-nickel alloys in liquid silver as carried out by Harrison and wagner,5 EXPERIMENTAL APPARATUS AND PROCEDURE Of the techniques available for the study of such systems the most effective appears to be that of liquid sampling,2,6,7 which is the method used in the present investigation. A schematic diagram of the sampling furnace is given in Fig. 1. Large pieces of solute metal, in excess of saturation solubility, were added to 200 g of the solvent metal, and the entire charge placed in an alundum crucible. Analytical reagent or materials of chemically pure grade were used in all investigations. The crucible was contained in a zircon muffle tube positioned vertically in the uniform hot zone of a Globar resistance furnace. The tube was provided with a number of ports which permitted sampling at temperature and in controlled atmospheres or vacuum; the ports were also useful for evacuation and introduction of gases as well as for thermocouple measurements. A chromel-alumel thermocouple Sheated in a porcelain tube was used for temperature measurements. A purified hydrogen atmosphere was employed in all experiments reported in this paper. The hydrogen was purified by passing it first over hot copper gauze to remove oxygen and then through a molecular sieve immersed in

Jan 1, 1962

By S. Chander

A review of the published literature on the mechanism of depression of sulfide minerals shows that a unified theory is not yet available. Various mechanisms that have been postulated include competition between depressants and collectors to adsorb at the surface sites, creation of thermodynamic conditions nonconducive for formation of a metal collector salt, or formation of a hydrophilic coating on the surface. The hydrophilic coating may or may not effect the adsorption of collectors. In another mechanism, the depressant may participate directly in oxidation/reduction reactions between collectors and sulfide minerals. Examples from the literature highlight oxidation/reduction effects in the depression of sulfide minerals.

Jan 1, 1986

By R. H. Wightman

THE following paper describes current mining practices of the Riverside Cement Co. at its Crestmore plant, Riverside, California. For a number of years the Riverside Cement Co. obtained its raw materials by surface quarry operations but after these deposits were exhausted for equipment available at that time, the company started underground mining. Mine workings were begun in 1927 to 1930 for the recovery of limestone by block-caving methods. GEOLOGY The bed of limestone that is being worked is a metamorphosed and recrystallized limestone, which is generally white in color and from medium to coarsely crystalline. This bed is fissured by water courses that vary from minute cracks to large areas. The bed has also been cracked by intrusions along the footwall and hanging wall. These walls are coarse-grained, gray, quartz granodiorite. The strike of the deposit is north and south and it dips to the east at an angle of approximately 50º. The bed is approximately 1700 ft. long, 270 ft. thick at right angles to the dip at the middle of the deposit and tapers to a thickness of approximately 100 ft. at each end. MINING METHODS The mine layout consists of four main levels with elevations as follows: 892 Collar of shaft. 800 Manway level used for ventilation, prospect purposes and as an entrance into the stopes. 700 Mining level where all material is extracted and on which are located the tapping grizzlies. This is the elevation from which all main cutoff stopes and undercutting work is started. 660 Haulage level where the limestone is drawn from transfer raises into the cars and is transported to the tipple by electric locomotives. 633 Level where all water is collected and which keeps the general water table below the working levels. A detailed description of the mine was given in U. S. Bureau of Mines Information Circular No. 6795, in June 1934. Current Block Development The first blocks to be caved were developed very much after the procedure followed in the copper mines of Arizona. This paper covers the ninth block to be caved. With a hard, tough rock like our limestone, it was found that some alterations in the development and control of draw in caving were necessary to secure better crushing effect and provide more safety for such secondary blasting as is required. Sequence of Block Development I. The fringes of the 800-ft. manway level are driven to confirm the diamond drill information and serve to determine the final location and development required for the block (Fig. I).

Jan 1, 1944

K. T. Aust and J. W. Rutter (General Electric Research Laboratory)—We find it difficult to reconcile the activation energies determined by Gifkins with his general conclusion that "migration during both creep and grain growth can thus be treated on the basis of the same model" (that of Lucke and Detert). Gifkins finds the activation energy for grain boundary migration during creep to be 24.5 kcal per rnol and that for grain boundary migration during grain growth to be 7.5 kcal per mol. The calculation carried out by Gifkins of the activation energy for grain boundary migration during grain growth, using the Lucke and Detert model, gives a value of 20 to 24.5 kcal per mol, rather than his experimental value of 7.5 kcal per mol. The theory of Lucke and Detert was developed to account for the rates of migration of grain boundaries in the presence of impurities during grain growth. The theory does not take into account the effect on the boundary migration of another, simultaneous process such as creep deformation and would be expected, therefore, to be applicable only to migration during grain growth. The fact that Gifkins measured a different activation energy for boundary migration during grain growth (7.5 kcal per mol) from that during creep (24.5 kcal per mol), although the specimens were of the same composition, shows clearly that such an effect exists under his experimental conditions; the presence of a simultaneous creep deformation markedly affects the boundary migration process in comparison with what would be observed under the same conditions but without the creep deformation. The failure of McLean's equation (Eq. [4] of Gifkins' paper) to give a satisfactory dislocation density difference for boundary migration during creep is not surprising, since the activation energy which must be used in this equation refers only to the elementary atom transfer process of grain boundary migration. This activation energy value is approximately 6 kcal per mol for zone-refined lead, as determined in both the grain boundary migration experiments of Aust and Rutter31, 32 and the grain growth experiments of Bolling and Winegard.33 Using this activation energy value, McLean's equation gives reasonable agreement with observed migration rates for grain boundaries moving free of the influence of impurities.31, 32 The value of 24.5 kcal per mol is probably associated with the presence of impurity atoms, as Gifkins suggests. It should be noted, however, that this value was obtained using lead of only one composition and measurements at only two temperatures. The work of Aust and Rutter3"' on the effects of tin, silver, and gold on grain boundary migration in zone-refined lead in the temperature range from 320" to 200°C, as well as the work of Bolling and Winegard34 on the effect of silver and gold on grain growth in zone-refined lead, shows that the measured activation energy is markedly dependent upon the kind and amount of solute present. Gifkins' work does not permit evaluation of the effect of the 8 ppm of impurities other than oxygen present in his specimens. One incidental point: the symbols used to designate the experimental points of Fig. 6 appear to be in incorrect order in the figure caption. As the caption is printed, it would indicate that larger grain sizes were obtained after annealing at 47°C than at 100°C, which does not agree with the text (point M, p. 1019). Finally, it seems clear from Gifkins' results that any serious attempt to determine whether grain boundary migration and grain boundary sliding during creep occur with the same activation energy, as Gifkins suggests and McLean rejects, must take into account the effects of impurities on these two processes, Although the work of Weinberg35 indicated that adding small amounts of copper, iron and silicon to aluminum did not affect the grain boundary shear behavior, it should be noted that his starting material contained approximately 60 ppm of impurities. Gifkins' results indicate impurity effects at an impurity level of 8 ppm, suggesting strongly that the most significant impurity range to be investigated lies substantially below that value. R. C. Gifkins (author's reply) — As Drs. Aust and Rutter suggest, the results under discussion may have to be reinterpreted in the light of their own work on grain boundary migration, which was not available to me when the paper was written. Because of their work, Aust and Rutter attach more importance than I did to the activation energy for grain boundary migration during annealing (7.5 kcal per mol) obtained from a "direct" plot of log-rate against the reciprocal of absolute temperature. At the time it was obtained, this value seemed rather low, although it was similar to the value obtained by Bolling and Winegard.36 It was then, and still is, difficult to accept this value because of the low value of the index in the power law for grain growth, which seemed to indicate the influence of impurities. It was also concluded that the low value of the activation energy might have arisen from the manner of selecting rates of grain growth which were truly comparable at the two temperatures. There were many other indications in these experiments and those on recrystallization during creep3? that an impurity, probably oxygen, was of importance. The model for grain-boundary migration which Lucke and Detert had proposed was an obvious possibility and its use yielded an activation energy for boundary migration during annealing of 20 to 25 kcal per mol.

Jan 1, 1961

The Alligator Ridge Project is owned jointly by Amselco Minerals Inc. and Occidental Minerals, with Amselco being the operator. It is the latest of Nevada' s gold heap leaching operations , having gone into operation in October of 1980 after a design and construction period of only seven and one-half months. Alligator Ridge is located about 77 km (48 miles) northwest of Ely, Nevada. Three separate but adjacent ore bodies will be mined: Vantage I, II and III. The first lies virtually at the surface and is totally oxidized; the second is somewhat deeper and contains some carbonaceous material; and the third is at the lowest horizon and contains substantial carbonaceous ore. The ore is a Carlin- type siltstone which has been silicified, especially at depth, and contains finely disseminated free gold. Exploration drilling on Alligator Ridge resulted in the defining of an ore reserve of about 4.54 million mt (5 million st) averaging 4. 12 g Au per mt (0. 12 oz Au per st). A pilot heap leaching program was run during 1979. Because of the high content of fine material in portions of the ore body, one test heap of 5,000 tons was leached, after being crushed to 19 mm (314 in.), in the conventional manner using cyanide and caustic while a second heap of 2,500 tons of ore was agglomerated with cement before leaching. Results of this work were reported at the 1980 American Mining Congress meeting by Paul Chamberlin (see Bibliography). The test work clearly indicated the superior leaching qualities of the agglomerated ore, and the plant was designed on this basis. Run-of-mine ore is crushed in an open-air crushing plant using a jaw crusher followed by two cone crushers, one standard and one shorthead. Provision was made to bypass the shorthead when the ore is wet from rain or snow. Crushed ore at 19 mm (314 in.) size is mixed with cyanide solution and cement, with the ratio of the latter to the ore being 2 to 5 kg per mt (4 to 10 lb per st). The resulting moisture content is about 870, and the fines are effectively bound to the coarse particles so that migration of the fines in the heap does not take place during leaching. For agglomeration, Amselco uses a rotating drum 2. 75 m 0 by 6 m long (9 ft 6 by 20 ft). For the same agglomeration, Candelaria uses three "grasshopper" conveyors, with introduction of caustic- cyanide solution at the conveyor transfer points. Provision was made for future addition of cement slurry at these same points.

Jan 1, 1981

By W. J. Uren, Charles R. Kuzell

The industries engaged in winning minerals from the earth, because of their widespread dissemination, are faced with perhaps as wide a variety of labor-management problems as may be found in any other broad sphere of productive activity. Those problems are continually increasing in volume and complexity, and management has become aware of their growing importance. For the past quarter century at least, labor-management problems have largely been union-management problems. During this period tremendous assistance has been given labor unions through legislation and administrative and political action. In the United States, legislation favorable to unions has come about in the form of the now defunct National Industrial Recovery Act; the Wagner Act, most of which has been carried forward in the Taft-Hartley Act; the Norris-La Guardia Act; the Wage and Hour Law; the Walsh-Healey Act; and others. The result has been to transfer from the hands of management to those who direct the affairs of the unions a large share of control over the industry and to hamper in many ways the remaining control left to management. In the United States there are many examples of the power of unions to injure whole industries seriously with- out regard to the interests of management, the employes, or the public. This chapter deals with the various phases of labor-management relations as they affect the principal segments of the mineral industry in North America. To the greatest extent possible available data is presented pertaining to the unions involved, their relative strengths, labor law, compensation and fringe benefits of employes, working conditions, and related matters. As background, the historical development of union-management relations in the respective segments is included where possible. The section dealing with the United States has been divided into separate

Jan 1, 1959

By Sherman L. Pease

An inexpensive and relatively rapid method that can be used by field crews is described. Fluid movement is determined by releasing a tracer (dye) in the well at a predetermined level and, after an interval of time, sampling the well fluid at another level. The testing equipment consists of a combined crusher and sampler unit that is run into the well on a wire line. The rate of movement can be calculated from time-volume relationships. Description of Method It is often desirable to determine whether there is occurring any transfer of fluid from point to point in a shut-in well, and, if so, to measure the rate of movement. When it is desired to examine a large number of wells for possible "thief" sands, the time and expense will be considerable unless the method used is inexpensive and rapid. After experimentation with several possible solutions to the problem, the Production Department of the Shell Oil Co., Inc., developed the apparatus described herein, which has proved satisfactory. Routine operations with it can be carried out by field production crews with a minimum of technical supervision and with negligible investment in equipment. The method is based upon releasing a suitable tracer in the well fluid at a known level, and recovering a sample of well fluid at another level after a measured interval of time. Repetition of this process with different time intervals between release and sampling gives the necessary data. For purposes of illustration, the setup for measuring migration of fluid in an upward direction is described in the following paragraphs. The arrangement of equipment is shown diagrammatically on Fig. I. The elements of the combination unit are the tailpiece, the crushing device, the spacer and the sampling device. The lengths of the tailpiece and spacer are varied to place the crushing and sampling devices in the desired positions in relation to the sands being tested. The crushing device breaks the glass bottle containing the tracer when the tailpiece strikes the bottom of the well and the tension on the sand line is slackened. Because of the open construction of the crushing device, the tracer is quickly and completely disseminated in the well fluid. The sampling device is a suction bailer, which obtains a sample of the fluid surrounding the perforated nipple just before the unit is picked up off bottom. The sample is retained in the barrel by the ball valve for examination at the surface. Normally, on the first run into a well, the sample is obtained near the releasing point of the tracer, and thereafter samples are taken near the base of the upper sand if migration is indicated by the dilution or absence of the tracer in the initial sample. The length of the time interval between the releasing of the tracer and the sampling of the well fluid is varied for successive runs, attempting first to establish the rate within limits and then to define it more accurately by additional runs if necessary.

Jan 1, 1946

By Sherman L. Pease

An inexpensive and relatively rapid method that can be used by field crews is described. Fluid movement is determined by releasing a tracer (dye) in the well at a predetermined level and, after an interval of time, sampling the well fluid at another level. The testing equipment consists of a combined crusher and sampler unit that is run into the well on a wire line. The rate of movement can be calculated from time-volume relationships. Description of Method It is often desirable to determine whether there is occurring any transfer of fluid from point to point in a shut-in well, and, if so, to measure the rate of movement. When it is desired to examine a large number of wells for possible "thief" sands, the time and expense will be considerable unless the method used is inexpensive and rapid. After experimentation with several possible solutions to the problem, the Production Department of the Shell Oil Co., Inc., developed the apparatus described herein, which has proved satisfactory. Routine operations with it can be carried out by field production crews with a minimum of technical supervision and with negligible investment in equipment. The method is based upon releasing a suitable tracer in the well fluid at a known level, and recovering a sample of well fluid at another level after a measured interval of time. Repetition of this process with different time intervals between release and sampling gives the necessary data. For purposes of illustration, the setup for measuring migration of fluid in an upward direction is described in the following paragraphs. The arrangement of equipment is shown diagrammatically on Fig. I. The elements of the combination unit are the tailpiece, the crushing device, the spacer and the sampling device. The lengths of the tailpiece and spacer are varied to place the crushing and sampling devices in the desired positions in relation to the sands being tested. The crushing device breaks the glass bottle containing the tracer when the tailpiece strikes the bottom of the well and the tension on the sand line is slackened. Because of the open construction of the crushing device, the tracer is quickly and completely disseminated in the well fluid. The sampling device is a suction bailer, which obtains a sample of the fluid surrounding the perforated nipple just before the unit is picked up off bottom. The sample is retained in the barrel by the ball valve for examination at the surface. Normally, on the first run into a well, the sample is obtained near the releasing point of the tracer, and thereafter samples are taken near the base of the upper sand if migration is indicated by the dilution or absence of the tracer in the initial sample. The length of the time interval between the releasing of the tracer and the sampling of the well fluid is varied for successive runs, attempting first to establish the rate within limits and then to define it more accurately by additional runs if necessary.

Jan 1, 1946

By C. W. Phillips, D. N. Frey

A commercial Ti-Fe-Cr alloy, Ti-150, exhibits a martensitic transformation on cooling and two nucleation and growth reactions, one above and one below the Mg-Mf region, on isothermal holding below the single-phase ß temperature range. The reactions were followed by metallographic, X-ray diffraction, and microhardness methods. THE rapidly expanding engineering application of titanium and its alloys makes increasingly urgent an adequate knowledge of the effect of heat treatment on this material. The work herein reported is an attempt to determine certain aspects of the behavior of a commercially available alloy, Ti-150, during heat treatment. The alloy, with a nominal composition of 2.7 pct Cr, 1.3 pct Fe, 0.25 pct 0, 0.02 pct N, and 0.02 pct C, was received in the as-rolled condition as a 3/4 in. round. Slugs 0.11 to 0.12 in. thick were cut under a coolant using a silicon carbide wheel. Preliminary work established that the alloy consists of two phases, a (hexagonal close-packed) and /3 (body-centered cubic), at temperatures below 1750" to 1775"F, and of only /3 phase at higher temperatures. The slugs were heated for 1 hr in air at 1800°F to form a single-phase /3 matrix, then transferred to molten tin (1250° to 1650°F) or lead (1150°F and below) for isothermal holding. Holding temperatures ranged from 700° to 1650°F, times from 0.001 to 23 hr. The treated slugs were then sectioned, one part for metallographic examination and diamond pyramid hardness, the other, after deep etching to remove the high oxygen surface,' for comparative lattice parameter determination and X-ray phase identification. Hardness measurements were taken on the lightly etched surfaces of the metallographic specimens; a 1000 g load on a 136° diamond pyramid was used. Five impressions on each sample were made and the average of the hardness calculated. The use of microhardness measurements to follow the course of an isothermal transformation reaction is undesirable because of the possibility of wide differences in microconstituent hardness.' They were used in this case, however, because of the small amount of material available. At the higher transformation temperatures, where the above-mentioned objection was apparent, the readings were proportioned to correspond to the estimated ratio of transformed and untransformed constituents present. At lower temperatures, resulting in much finer microconstituents, the microhardness measurements were more uniform. The standard deviation of the mean of five impressions calculated from these latter values was 4.2 DPH. Employing 2a limits (probability 0.95) the experimental error of the hardness measurements averages was 8.4 DPH. The etchant used was composed of one part glyc-erol and one part 48 pct hydrofluoric acid." Of a number of etches tried, this one appeared most satisfactory. All micrographs were taken at 500X magnification and with oblique lighting to permit easier identification of the acicular structure resulting from rapid cooling. No advantage was gained by using polarized light for metallographic examination. Phase identification and lattice parameter measurements were made with a North American Philips high angle spectrometer in conjunction with a recording potentiometer. Considerable difficulty was encountered with some of the lattice parameter measurements because of the extreme broadness of the few diffraction lines obtained from samples consisting mainly of strained, untempered, quenched structures.

Jan 1, 1953

By R. Bainbridge

THE Consolidated Mining and Smelting CO. of Canada Ltd. has operated a lead smelter at Trail, B. C., for many years. In order to take advantage of metallurgical advances, as well as to improve materials handling methods, this company, commonly known as "Cominco," commenced planning a program of smelter revision and modernization some years ago. The first stage of this program involved the design and construction of a new blast furnace gas cleaning system. The selection of equipment, the design of facilities, and preliminary operating details of this system will be dealt with in this paper. The essential problem was to clean and collect 100 tons of dust daily from 153,000 cfm* (12,225 lb per min) of lead blast furnace gas which varied in temperature from 350º to 1100°F. Because it was desired to collect the dust dry, either a Cottrell or a baghouse cleaning plant was to be selected. Comin-co's many years of experience with both systems provided a background for choosing the most satisfactory installation. All information pertinent to the two methods of dust recovery was carefully investigated, and it was decided to replace the existing equipment with a baghouse. Very briefly, the reasons for this decision were as follows: 1—A baghouse installation would be practical because the SO2 content of the gas was low and corrosion would not be a problem if the baghouse operating temperatures were held sufficiently above the dew point. 2—Variations in the physical characteristics of fume and dust, which are inherent in this blast furnace operation, should not substantially affect the operating efficiency of a baghouse. 3—For the same capital cost, metal losses (stack and water losses) would be appreciably less in a baghouse. 4—A baghouse would be easier to operate, and would not require the use of highly skilled labor. 5—Operating and maintenance costs of a bag-house would be lower. 6—The only available space for reconstruction was relatively small, and not suited to a Cottrell installation. Once the baghouse system was decided upon, detailed design of the installation was begun. Baghouse Design Gas Cooling: Before the required capacity of the baghouse could be determined, the method of cooling the gas to the temperature necessary for bag-house operation had to be chosen. The problem confronting the design engineers was how best to cool 153,000 cfm of gas from a temperature ranging from 350°F to brief peaks of 1100°F, down to 210°F, the maximum safe baghouse inlet temperature. A survey of existing blast furnace gas temperatures in the outlet flue showed that the normal range was as given in Table I. The obvious choices of cooling method were: 1— cool completely by the addition of tempering air; 2—utilize a heat exchanger; 3—cool by radiation; and 4—cool with water spray in conjunction with the admission of tempering air. The advantages and disadvantages of the various cooling methods were: Air Addition: To cool completely by the admission of tempering air involved tremendous volumes, Fig. 1. For example, to cool 1 lb of blast furnace gas at 450°F requires 1.84 lb of air at 80°F or 1.60 lb at 60°F. As it is necessary to design for peak conditions, it can readily be seen that volumes of tempering air in the order of 1,500,000 cfm would have to be handled. Using the normal design figure of 2.5 cu ft per sq ft of bag area, a baghouse installation comprising some 600,000 sq ft of filter cloth would be necessary. Such design requirements would be prohibitive, not only from a standpoint of capital expenditure, but also because of space limitations. Heat Exchanger: The utilization of a heat exchanger was given serious consideration. A horizontal tube unit using air as the medium to cool the required volume of blast furnace gas from 400" to 250°F was investigated. Cooling above 400°F would be done by water spray, and below 250°F by admission of tempering air. The estimated capital cost of such a unit was found to be prohibitive. From an operating standpoint, there was considerable doubt as to whether the soot blowing equipment provided would effectively keep the dust from building up on the tube surface. The performance of heat exchangers operating on dusty gas in other company operations had not been too favorable. Radiation Cooling: Although somewhat cumbersome, gas cooling by radiation from 'trombone' tubes or other similar equipment (cyclones) is employed in many metallurgical operations. Such an installation was also considered. However, calculations showed that an installation much larger than the space available would be required to handle the gas volume involved. For example, to cool 153,000 cfm of blast furnace gas from, say, 600' to 250°F (i.e., remove in the order of 58,500,000 Btu per hr with heat transfer rates varying from 1.1 Btu per sq ft per hr per OF for the higher temperature ranges to 0.88 Btu per sq ft per hr per OF for the lower ranges) would need a cooling area of some 175,000 sq ft.

Jan 1, 1953

By J. S. Bowles

THE martensite transformation in lithium, dis- covered by Barrett,' has been studied extensively by X-ray techniques by Barrett and Trautz,² and Barrett and Clifton.V he present paper reports the results of an investigation into the metallographic characteristics of lithium martensite. Such an investigation has not been carried out before. The spontaneous transformation in lithium consists of a change from a body-centered cubic to a close-packed hexagonal structure with the hexagonal layers in imperfect stacking sequence." As far as is known at present, this transformation can be regarded as being crystallographically equivalent to the body-centered cubic to close-packed hexagonal transformation that occurs in zirconium,5 although stacking errors have not been reported in zirconium. From a study of the orientation relationships in zirconium, Burgers5 as proposed that the martensite transformation, b.c.c. to c.p.h., occurs by a heterogeneous shear on the system (112) [111]. The crystal-lographic principle underlying this proposal is that the configuration of atoms in the (112) plane of a b.c.c. structure is exactly the same as that in the (1010) plane of a close-packed hexagonal structure based on the same atomic radius. The pattern in 2v2 both these planes is a rectangle d X 2v2d where v3 d is the atomic diameter. Thus a close-packed hexagonal structure can be built up from a body-centered cubic structure by displacing the (112) planes relative to each other.* This mechanism leads to orientations that can be described by the relations: (110)b.c.e. // (0001)c,p.h.; [111]b.c.c. // [1120]c.p.h Observations confirm these relations. In zirconium, Burgers' measurements indicated an angle of 0" to 2" between the close-packed directions, while Barrett's measurements on lithium indicated an angle of 3". According to the Burgers' mechanism, the martensite habit plane for this transformation would be expected to be the (112)b.c.c. plane, for this plane would not be distorted by the transformation. One of the purposes of this investigation was to find out whether the observed lithium habit plane agrees with this prediction of the Burgers' mechanism. Experimental Procedure Materials: The lithium was from the same purified ingot used by Barrett and Trautz.² The Bridgman technique was used to produce single crystals. To maintain a temperature gradient in the melt, during the production of these crystals, it was necessary to use a steel mould with a wall thickness of only 0.015 in. Metallographic Techniques: Lithium specimens could be given an excellent metallographic polish by swabbing them gently with cold methyl or ethyl alcohol.? The best results were obtained with methyl alcohol saturated with the reaction product, lithium alcoholate. With higher alcohols the reaction became progressively slower and the attack became an etch pit attack rather than a polish attack. Butyl and amyl alcohols were used for macroetching. After polishing, it was necessary to remove all traces of alcohol from the specimens; otherwise, on subsequent quenching in liquid nitrogen, the alcohol froze to a glassy film. The alcohol was removed with dry benzene. The benzene in turn had to be removed before quenching, but since it does not react with lithium it could be allowed to evaporate. The specimens could then be quickly quenched before they began to tarnish. This operation could be carried out in air on all but excessively humid days when it was advisable to use an atmosphere of dry nitrogen or argon. For examinations at room temperature, the specimens could be transferred directly from the benzene bath into a bath of mineral oil. In mineral oil the specimens oxidized slowly by the diffusion of oxygen through the oil but the structure remained visible for about an hour. Lithium Martensite: Specimens prepared in the manner described above transformed spontaneously to martensite with an audible click when quenched into liquid nitrogen; i.e., M, was above the boiling point of nitrogen (77°K). The disparity between this result and the M, temperature of 71°K, found by Barrett and Trautz, is probably to be attributed to the large grain size and freedom from mechanical deformation of the specimens used in the present work. The relief effects produced by the transformation did not disappear when specimens were quenched from liquid nitrogen into mineral oil at room temperature. This permitted the microstructures to be studied at room temperature where, of course, the martensitic phase was no longer present. Typical micrographs of lithium "martensite" made at room temperature are reproduced in figs. 1, 2, and 3. As anticipated by Barrett and Trautz, the microstruc-

Jan 1, 1952

By H. T. Green, R. M. Brick

True stress-strain data on alloys of pure iron with up to 2.4 pct Al were obtained in the temperature range +100° to —185°C. Alumi-num was found to reduce yield and flow stresses of iron at low temperatures but to have little or no effect on ductility. The effects of temperature and composition on strain hardening are discussed. SEVERAL independent studies of the behavior of high purity iron binary alloys at low temperatures are now in progress in attempts to evaluate systematically the variables affecting the low temperature brittleness of ferritic steels. This paper reports the results of one such investigation in which the tensile properties of aluminum and aluminum plus silicon ferrites were measured from 100" to —192°C. True stress-natural strain data have been obtained in order to evaluate as many as possible of the parameters which describe the behavior of the materials involved. In comparable studies at the National Physical Laboratory in England, iron and iron alloys of high purity have been produced' and tested at subat-mospheric temperatures.' True stress-natural strain curves were obtained there also. The purest iron contained 0.0025 pct C and 0.001 pct O and N. Even this, as normalized at 950°C following hot rolling, showed little ductility at -196°C. The grain size was ASTM No. 3, and the room-temperature yield strength was 17,800 psi (which seems too high for pure iron). Some of the NPL irons contained considerably more oxygen and demonstrated intergran-ular fracture at —196°C. The authors2 carefully differentiated between intergranular fractures associated with excessive oxygen content and transcrys-talline cleavage with little ductility encountered at —196°C in the purer material. The cleavage stress was half again as great as that associated with inter-granular fracture. Test Material, Preparation, and Procedures Of a number of Fe-A1 alloys produced, eight were considered to be sufficiently pure for testing. Partial chemical analyses (Table I), low observed yield points, and high ductilities indicate these alloys to be comparatively pure for vacuum-melted irons of sizable ingots, 5 Ib or more. To produce the binary Fe-A1 alloys, electrolytic iron was melted in air, cast into slabs, and rolled to strips 0.010 in. thick. These strips, joined into a continuous ribbon and wound into 2 1/2 in. diameter spools, were subjected for four weeks to a moving atmosphere of purified dry hydrogen in a stainless-steel tube at 1050" to 1150°C. Charges of these spools were melted in beryllia crucibles under good vacuums (1 micron), and aluminum (99.97 pct Al) was added to the melts. Compositions of these alloys are recorded in Table I. The ingots were hot forged and then cold rolled at least 65 pct to 3/8 in. rods which were vacuum annealed to the desired grain size, approximately ASTM No. 4, prior to machining into tensile test bars. All tensile specimens had gage sections 1 in. long, with a fillet of 1.5 in. radius to the shoulder. Gage diameters were 0.250 in, except for a few rods where additional cold work required use of a 0.200 in. gage section. After machining, 0.002 in. was removed from the gage diameter using 240, 400, and 600-grit metallo-graphic papers. The final polish with 600 grit left the fine scratches running in the longitudinal direction. By this means, surface metal strained during machining was removed. A few specimens heat treated after machining were similarly reduced 0.004 in. to remove any material affected chemically by the atmosphere during heat treatments, as is discussed in a later section. Tensile tests of the eight alloys at constant temperatures from +100° to —185°C were performed in apparatus which has been described." The essentials include a double-walled insulated metal vessel which contained the liquid heat-transfer medium surrounding the test specimen. A constant temperature was maintained by means of a pyrometer which regulated the pressure of dry air driving liquid air through a copper coil. Temperature variation was less than ±2°C during a specific test. For axial straining, two lengths of case-hardened chain, terminating in simple shackles, loaded the specimen through threaded grips. The lower grip bar passed through a hole in the bottom of the test vessel to which it was joined by a thin-walled

Jan 1, 1955

By D. L. Everhart

The search for new deposits raises two important questions: Where did the metallic ions that formed the orebodies come from? What processes and geologic factors were involved in ore replacement? A review of the wide geological variety of recent uranium discoveries tells how these questions are being answered. SOONER or later intelligent exploration for uranium leads to these questions: Where did the metallic ions that formed the orebodies come from? What processes and geologic factors were involved in ore replacement? These matters, of course, make a big difference in how best to look for orebodies. Before these questions are discussed it might be well to point out other factors bearing on the subject. The whole business of uranium exploration is only a little over ten years old, participation by the public is only about six years old, and real interest and activity by more than a few large mining companies has arisen only in the past two or three years. Throughout this short period, uranium exploration has been affected by the unique influences of necessary security measures and by division of the overall job into individual projects by a large number of specialists in diverse fields. This has meant that a normal interchange of information on the nature of uranium deposits has really only just begun. Compared to the vast amount of published studies on iron, copper, lead, zinc, and gold deposits over the past 50 to 75 years, current knowledge of uranium deposits is in its infancy and much of the pertinent information is still scattered about in a number of unpublished sources. The volume of reports on all phases of uranium exploration is now beginning to mount at a remarkable rate, and geologists with widely varying specialized backgrounds in uranium geology are engaging in spirited debates over the origin of uranium and the relative importance of geologic controls of various deposits. One of the most interesting features of known uranium deposits of the world is the wide variation, see Table I, in character and geologic environment. It should be noted that many types became prominent during 1953. The davidite-bearing veins of Radium Hill, South Australia, are almost unique, although the same mineral occurs in a different kind of deposit in Mozambique. Recent studies indicate that brannerite disseminated in the granite near Cracker's Well, South Australia, may soon constitute uranium ore. Basalt has been added to the list of favorable host rocks in the Northern Territory of Australia. Basalt is also the host of the pitchblende veins of the Martin Lake deposit, Beaverlodge district, Saskatchewan. The truly remarkable rich and extensive Steen deposit near Moab, Utah, is of the uraninite-vanadium oxide type. Secondary hydrous uranium arsenates and phosphates constitute the uranium minerals in the disseminated deposits of the Wind River Basin, Wyo., a new district discovered in the summer of 1953. Uranium minerals in shales adjacent to fractures were newly reported in New Mexico and several other parts of the world during the year. The well-known important uraninite dissemination in the Rand conglomerates of South Africa has a counterpart, as discovered in the summer of 1953, in the Mississagi quartzite and conglomerate of the Blind River district, Ontario. Gunnar deposit of the Lake Athabaska district, Saskatchewan, consists of uraninite in both granite and sedimentary gneiss beneath a granite cap, and large new orebody of the Eldorado Co. in the same general area follows a preferred stratigraphic horizon in schists. Uranium is, generally speaking, a very soluble and ubiquitous element. It occurs in at least two valency states and for this reason is not easily tied down in natural solutions. As Gruner' has pointed out, it is probable that uranium starts in the hexava-lent state in nearly all solutions instrumental in its transfer. It is believed that under oxidizing conditions the uranium moves in solution as the uranyl ion, UO. In solutions ranging in pH from 1 to 5, the uranyl ion is most commonly in association with

Jan 1, 1955

By P. A. Larssen, P. R. Gage, R. W. Bartlett

The kinetics of formation of intermediate sili-cide compounds from MoSi2/Mo and WSi2/W couples were studied using a cylindrical sample configuration. Concentration profiles of the constituent metals were deter mined from electron-microprobe analysis of cross-sectioned samples after isotlzernzal diffusion annealing. These data also yielded hand widths of phases. Growth of intermediate phases depends on diffusionin them and obeys a parabolic rate law. The rates of formation of the intermediate phases decrease in the order Mo5Si3 > W5Si3 > Mo3Si. Crowth rates. for the isomorphous phases Mo5Si3 and W5Si3 had the same activation energy. 43 kcal per mole. SILICIDE coatings employed to protect refractory metals from high-temperature oxidation are usually formed by a diffusion process requiring concurrent transfer of silicon to the refractory metal surface. For a simple binary system and a coating thickness of one or two mils, the coatings on molybdenum and tungsten are primarily the disilicides WSi2 and MoSi2, respectively. During use of the coated re- fractory-metal system at high temperatures, in the absence of the silicon source, further diffusion causes growth of lower silicide compounds and depletion of the disilicides. Recent investigations have shown that the lower silicides are less effective than the disilicides in forming a glassy oxide film which impedes oxidation.' Consequently, failure of coatings at high temperatures may coincide with complete conversion of the disilicide phase. The purpose of this part of the study is to investigate the growth kinetics of the intermediate compounds in the W-Si and Mo-Si systems. There are three intermetallic compounds in the Mo-Si system: MoSi2 with a tetragonal structure

Jan 1, 1964

By W.W. Weigel

The mines of the St. Joseph Lead Co. in St. Francois County, Missouri, form a roughly triangular area of about 45 square miles. Locally this is known as the Lead Belt. The four operating mines in the area at present are the Federal, Leadwood, Desloge, and Bonne Terre, in decreasing order of mine area and daily production. Mining began in 1864 and has been carried on in the district continuously since that time. As a group, the Lead Belt mines now handle 20,000 gal. per min. of water, average head about 465 ft., against a normal daily ore tonnage of 21,200 tons. For a six-day operating week this gives a ratio of 6½ tons of water per ton of ore. Total average pumping in 1931 was about 15,000 gal. per min. Since that time a large area of virgin territory has been opened, much of which has had temporary flush flows. About 75 per cent of the water enters in certain restricted very wet areas. Production figures are given in Table I. The figures by divisions for 1931 and 1941 are not exactly comparable, as there were several transfers of pumping loads from one division to another during that period of time. Geology The, basement formation in 'the Lead Belt area consists of the pre-Cambrian rhyolite porphyry and granite. Overlying this is the La Motte sandstone, of Middle Cambrian age, which offers a good medium for circulation of water. It varies in thickness up to 400 ft. Above this is the Bonne Terre dolomite, approximately 375 fl. thick, which in turn is overlain by the 150-ft. Davis shale. The formations above this, present in the Lead Belt in small areas only, are of minor importance. The ore bodies occur as large, horizontal tabular masses or as long, narrow runs; they are found throughout the Bonne Terre but largely in the lower 150 ft. The rather indefinite contact with the La Motte is a favorite ore horizon. Milling is entirely by open stope and pillar breast systems. To the south, west, and north of the district, sandstone outcrops are few and limited. Heavy faulting bounds The district on those sides and probably there is little if any artesian circulation from those directions. To the east, the La Motte rises to an outcrop area of about 40 square

Jan 1, 1943