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By Theron Wasson

The state of Michigan showed considerable activity during 1935. The center of greatest interest was the Crystal field, which was unknown until March, 1935, and is an illustration of the effect of the unknown and unexpected on Michigan oil development. The fields of the state (Fig. 1) produced a total of 15,770,000 bbl. of oil in 1935, or about 5 million more than in 1934. In order to keep up this production 307 new oil wells were drilled, of which 88 were in the Crystal area, which produced 3,600,000 bbl. This field had a rapid development and reached its peak in October. Since that time increasing water encroachment has caused a rapid decline. The pay horizon at the top of the Monroe dolomite is only a few feet thick. Big producers were offset by dry holes or small wells. The discovery well, which was in section 11, Crystal township, Montcalm County, was drilled March 28, 1935. Its initial production was 5000 bbl. per day, and up to Dec. 31, 1935, had produced 350,000 bbl. of oil—dose to one-tenth of the total production of the field to that date. The Beaverton field, which was discovered at the close of 1934, did not develop rapidly. Four small producers were finished in the Dundee lime during the year. West Branch was active and at the end of the year had 97 producers, 72 of which were drilled during 1935. Most of the wells produce from the Dundee lime; a few are finished in the Traverse. The Birch Run field deserves special mention, for it is the one area where consistent production continues to be found in the Berea sand at about 1500 ft. Wells are small, 20 now producing a total of about 300 bbl. per day of oil of fine quality. The old Central Michigan producing area, extending from Nit,. Pleasant through Yost to Porter, continued to be the principal producing area of the state and accounted for 10,370,000 bbl. from 660 producing wells. Ninety-three new wells were drilled in this territory. The Porter field, at the southeast end of this producing trend, was outstanding from the standpoint of production. The old Leaton field of Isabella County added several new producers. Its production was greater than in 1934.

Jan 1, 1936

By Theron Wasson

The state of Michigan showed considerable activity during 1935. The center of greatest interest was the Crystal field, which was unknown until March, 1935, and is an illustration of the effect of the unknown and unexpected on Michigan oil development. The fields of the state (Fig. 1) produced a total of 15,770,000 bbl. of oil in 1935, or about 5 million more than in 1934. In order to keep up this production 307 new oil wells were drilled, of which 88 were in the Crystal area, which produced 3,600,000 bbl. This field had a rapid development and reached its peak in October. Since that time increasing water encroachment has caused a rapid decline. The pay horizon at the top of the Monroe dolomite is only a few feet thick. Big producers were offset by dry holes or small wells. The discovery well, which was in section 11, Crystal township, Montcalm County, was drilled March 28, 1935. Its initial production was 5000 bbl. per day, and up to Dec. 31, 1935, had produced 350,000 bbl. of oil—dose to one-tenth of the total production of the field to that date. The Beaverton field, which was discovered at the close of 1934, did not develop rapidly. Four small producers were finished in the Dundee lime during the year. West Branch was active and at the end of the year had 97 producers, 72 of which were drilled during 1935. Most of the wells produce from the Dundee lime; a few are finished in the Traverse. The Birch Run field deserves special mention, for it is the one area where consistent production continues to be found in the Berea sand at about 1500 ft. Wells are small, 20 now producing a total of about 300 bbl. per day of oil of fine quality. The old Central Michigan producing area, extending from Nit,. Pleasant through Yost to Porter, continued to be the principal producing area of the state and accounted for 10,370,000 bbl. from 660 producing wells. Ninety-three new wells were drilled in this territory. The Porter field, at the southeast end of this producing trend, was outstanding from the standpoint of production. The old Leaton field of Isabella County added several new producers. Its production was greater than in 1934.

Jan 1, 1936

By William Metcalf

It is the object of this paper to oppose unnecessary changes, and the introduction of new and confusing terms. From the earliest times of which we have ally record on the subject, iron has been divided into general classes. Whether iron was first known in the form of wrought iron or of steel, is a matter of no importance; but at the time when cast iron first became a prominent article of commerce, wrought iron and steel were old products— steel, at that time, being generally made from wrought iron by the process of cementation. As steel was then properly defined as iron containing more carbon than wrought iron, so cast iron was appropriately defined as iron containing more carbon than steel. Until the year 1776, when Huntsman first began the manufacture of a new kind of iron by melting wrought iron and steel in crucibles, the above definitions were all that could be desired. At first, probably, owing to imperfect appliances, only a highly carburized iron was melted in crucibles, and this led to its being called cast steel. If our ancestors had found a name for this material not involving the use of the word steel, we would have been saved the trouble of the present discussion. As the arts developed, new uses were found for steel, and the products of the crucible were varied, until at the present day it is quite common to find steel containing no more carbon than average wrought iron, and other steel containing nearly or quite as much carbon as some cast iron. All of these various products of the crucible have retained, or received, the name cast steel, usually abbreviated to the simple word steel, without caus-ing any confusion among producers or consumers in regard to terms or their meaning. In 1865, twenty-one years ago, the Bessemer process was introduced ; this was followed in a few years by the Siemens-Martin process, and the products of both were at once, and have ever since been, called steel, from the fact that they were identical in chemical and physical properties with crucible cast steel. At the present time, then, we have three subdivisions of cast steel, viz.: Crucible cast steel, Bessemer cast steel, and Siemens-Martin,

The following have been compiled from information furnished through the courtesy of Dr. W. P. Haynes, of London, and Mr. T. V. Grigorescu of Ploesti, Rumania. Gura Ocnitzei was the most active field during the year, furnishing 40 per cent of the production and 50 per cent of the drilling activity. Extensions to the west in this field were made both by Concordia and Romana Americana. In these new extensions the bulk of the production comes from the Drader member of the Dacian, with an average depth of 1300 m.; the underlying third Meotic at 1700 m. has not been developed yet. In Gura Ocnitzei east no new drilling has been done in 1933, but here declining pressures have led to the extensive use of gas-lift and pumps. Ochiuri saw some small drilling activity, but production declined. Two good wells were brought in by Unirea and Astra at the close of the year. Boldesti continued to be developed on a general plan by the four major companies interested. Production was from the Meotic, which in this dome has been penetrated for 356 m. Reserves have been estimated at about 63,000,000 bbl. An important discovery in this area was the bringing in of Credit Minier No. 1 Harsa to the east of the main field and producing from the Meotic. This well came in during October, 1932, and is now making 1400 barrels. In the Moreni Piscuri field only routine operations have been carried on. The prolific sands are now declining rapidly. Ceptura also saw only routine operations. In the Arcesti field development of the Meotic continues. Seven new wells were brought in during the year and ten were drilling at the close of 1930. The field produced over a million barrels for the first time during 1933. In the other fields only routine operations were carried on. A considerable increase in efficiency of operations was noted during the year. The average drilling time has been reduced, coring programs have been amplified, and much care has been taken in straight hole drilling. The Schlumberger electrical coring apparatus is extensively used. Electric-driven rotaries have been introduced at Gura Ocnitzei. The Moniteur du Pétrole Rouman reports that the index cost of drilling one meter, taking 1929 as a base of 100, has been reduced to 32 in 1933.

Jan 1, 1934

By Jerry B. Newby

The outstanding features in Pennsylvania and New York during the past year were the buying of acreage for water-flooding in other Pennsylyania fields than the Bradford and Allegany districts, the wide adoption and use of the five-spot plan of development and water-flooding in the Bradford and Allegany districts, the discovery of gas production in the Onondaga lime in southwestern New York and the opening of the T. W. Phillips Gas & Oil Co. Fifth Sand pool in Butler County, Pennsylvania. Water-flooding has occurred in many other fields than the Bradford, Pa., and Allegany, N. Y., fields. In some the flood was a natural encroachment of edge water, in others the water was introduced into the productive sand through wells either accidentally or intentionally. Most of these floods have not been commercially successful. There has been some interest aroused in the Clarendon field, Warren County, Pennsylvania, by a new and apparently successful flood and other floods have been begun. Five-spotting in the Bradford and Allegany fields is the plan of water-flood development under which the area to be drilled is laid off in a grid of equal-sized squares with water intakes located at each corner of the squares and oil wells located in the centers of the squares. So far there are two five-spot water floods that are, beyond doubt,, commercial successes. There were 600 acres under five-spot flooding at the end of 1928, as against 150 at the end of 1927. By the end of 1929 there will be a total of between 1200 and 1500 acres five-spotted unless a low market for Pennsylvania grade crude oil develops. An increase of 6000 bbl. in average daily production is expected to accompany this development in 1929. The Belmont-Quadrangle Drilling Corpn. found the Onondaga lime or a higher strata at 3995 ft. north of Bolivar, Cattaraugus Country, N. Y., and a number of miles from any other important gas production. When drilled to 4006 ft. the well yielded 3,500,000 cu. ft. of gas and when shut in 1700 Ib. rock pressure. The one oil pool opened in 1928 was in Buffalo township, Butler County, Pa., in October, when the T. W. Phillips Gas & Oil Co. completed a wildcat well in the Fifth sand at 700 bbl. a day, which by the end of

Jan 1, 1929

By James A. Beck

Phosphorus is essential to all life processes and therefore to the existence of man. In this role, there are no substitutes for phosphorus. In a commercial sense, phosphorus and its compounds are important to our entire economy, both in agricultural and in nonagricultural applications. The world's phosphate requirements are met by mining phosphate rock. Two general types of phosphate ore deposits are commercially important-igneous and sedimentary. Igneous deposits generally are more difficult and more expensive to mine than sedimentary deposits and are of importance mainly in the USSR, North Vietnam, and South Africa. Approximately 15% of current world production comes from these deposits. Over 80% of world production is from the pellet sedimentary deposits of Florida, North Africa, and elsewhere. Guano, the second type of sedimentary deposit, is produced in South America but is declining in world importance. Production Production of phosphate rock was reported in 31 countries during 1972. However, about 80% of world output is produced in three countries: the United States, the USSR, and Morocco (Table 15.2A.1). Throughout the past 20 years, between 75% and 80% of world output has been produced by these three leading countries. Between 1948 and 1972 world production increased at an average rate of 10% per year, from 21.5 to 103.9 million tons. Growth was quite steady at 6% per year through 1963, but in the 5 years from 1963 to 1968 production increased 11 1/2% per year. Since 1968 production has increased about 91/2 % annually. Since 1948 several new phosphate mining ventures have been developed in Senegal, Togo, Israel, and North Vietnam. In the same period, only one important phosphate deposit, on Makatea Island, has been mined out and closed. A number of other phosphate mining ventures are in various stages of planning and development. The most important new venture in phosphate mining is in the Spanish Sahara. New mining capacity is expected also in Syria, and serious investigation is in progress in Peru, India, Turkey, and Australia. Major expansion of existing operations is expected in Morocco, Russia, Tunisia, Israel, and Jordan. Consumption Historical data on world consumption of phosphate rock are not available in detail, but world consumption of phosphate has closely paralleled world production in the past two decades. The United States is the world's largest user of phosphate rock, accounting for 30%

Jan 1, 1976

By Valentin R. Garfias

The world's production of petroleum during 1926 is estimated at 1,096,000,000 bbl., an increase of about 29,000,000 from that of 1925 and somewhat larger than the average during the last 4 years, which is about 1,049,000,000 bbl. The daily average during the year may be estimated at 3,000,000 bbl. of which the United States produced 2,123,000 and other countries 877,000. The outstanding developments during the year have been the decline of the Mexican fields, the counterbalancing of this decline by the increase in Venezuelan and Russian production, and increases in Roumania and Colombia. During 1926 the United States, Mexico and Russia retained their relative positions as the three leading producers, while Venezuela probably outranked Persia for fourth place, Roumania passed Dutch East Indies for sixth, and Colombia moved from sixteenth to the eleventh position. It further appears that should present conditions develop normally throughout 1927, it is not improbable that Mexico will be outranked by Russia as the second oil-producing country and that the increased yield of Colombia will place this country in the eighth or ninth position, and ahead of India. The United States and Mexico should produce in 1926 about 79 per cent. of the world's total and the aggregate of the seven leading countries should be close to 95 per cent. of the total. It is interesting to note that about 85 per cent. of the total comes from fields on the American continent, the United States accounting for about 71 per cent., and Spanish-American countries and Trinidad for 13 per cent. Production of countries other than the United States and Mexico has gradually increased during the last four years and now represents about 21 per cent. of the total. The United States easily retains its long standing leadership with a total yield of 775,000,000 bbl., or an average daily yield of 2,123,000, representing about 71 per cent. of the total, which is about equal to that of the previous year. An increase in production of about 11,000,000 bbl. is indicated by the statistics so far available. It will be noted that the American production in the last 4 years has averaged about 746,000,000 bbl. yearly and that this uniformity, as well as the marked increases

Jan 1, 1927

The Midvale Plant of the United States Smelting, Refining and Mining Company, situated twelve miles south of Salt Lake City, consists of mills for concentrating lead-zinc ores and a custom lead smelter. The milling department includes a 475-ton gravity mill for ores from the United States Mines at Bingham, a 100-ton Huff electrostatic zinc plant and a 60-ton pilot flotation mill for differential separation of lead and zinc. The gravity mill and electro- static plant are being replaced by a 600-ton differential flotation plant, now under construction, for differential separation of lead, zinc and iron. This new mill will have capacity for treating custom ores in addition to ores from the company's mines at Bingham.

Jan 1, 1925

By R. M. Briney

A RETURN to nonwar conditions characterized the year 1946. The acquisition and forced use, under Government auspices, of low-grade and uneconomic ores, both foreign and domestic, ceased in 1945, but there was some carry-over into the early months of 1946. The world shipping situation delayed the procurement of some foreign ores, but conditions were improving by the end of the year. No actual shortage of any important alloy was experienced, hence the industry was able to make prompt shipment of orders placed. Price levels of ferroalloys, which had remained virtually constant through the war years, were forced upward, with increases on specific products as conditions necessitated. Standard ferroman-ganese and low-carbon ferrochrome were notable exceptions in that their price did not change. No new ferroalloy smelting plants were constructed. The Defense Plant Corp.. sold the works at Ashtabula, Ohio, to the Electro Metallurgical Co. A new type of ferroalloy furnace was described at the Birmingham meeting of the Electrochemical Society. Known as the "Elkem Rotary Furnace" it is distinguished by a rotating shell. The whole furnace, including shell, refrac-

Jan 1, 1947

By Sid T. Killan

The utilization of the reducing power of blast-furnace gas can be estimated by applying two rectifying calculations to the gas analysis. A resulting corrected CO/CO2 ratio varies inversely with furnace production. Directions for calculating the corrected CO/CO2 ratio are given, and a corrected CO/CO2 ratio is compared with actual furnace production. THE inadequacy of the normally accepted CO/CO, ratio as a measure of blast-furnace performance and furnace efficiency was discussed following the presentation of the paper by H. F. Dobscha.' In this outstanding example of careful observation on large scale blast-furnace operation, the changes occurring with beneficiated ores were: 1—A net gain in tonnage of 21.2 pct. 2—A decrease in net coke of 15.3 pct. 3—A decrease of 1.9 pct in the CO/CO, ratio. In this great change in furnace performance, the CO/CO, ratio proved itself worthless. The discussion of the inadequacy of expressing furnace performance and efficiency by the CO/CO, ratio led indirectly to the calculations forming the basis of this paper. At that time Dr. T. L. Joseph said: "We must consider difference in CO, from the stone in the two cases when we talk about the ratios of CO/C02." This statement is used for the second of the two CO/CO, ratio corrections forming the basis of this paper. The research work in attempting to find out why the furnaces could op-erate so differently with practically the same CO/CO, ratio lead not to the answer sought but, after a shift to the gaseous phase in the research work, the proof that the normal CO/ CO, ratio was outmoded and a new corrected ratio should replace it. To be of any value, any new corrected ratio should express approximate furnace efficiency and give an idea of practical furnace performance to be expected. This the normal CO/CO, ratio has failed to do. However, in the absence of anything better, some credence has been attached to the normal CO/CO, ratio. As far as the writer can ascertain, the present paper is the first attempt to change or improve the normally accepted index of

Jan 1, 1952

By J. J. Rutledge

THE United States Bureau of Mines established at Bruceton, Pa., in 1909, an experimental mine, for the purpose of testing the means of preventing and limiting mine explosions. During the last ten years numerous explosions have been caused to originate in .this mine for investigative purposes and the rate of propagation of the explosion wave, the pressure developed per unit of area by the explosions, and, the general results of the explosions have been carefully recorded and. studied. Means of preventing mine explosions or of limiting them to the areas in which they originate have been developed. A great deal of valuable information has been derived from the work in this mine and much more useful and valuable information will be obtained in. the future. The writer would plead, not for the opening of experimental mines in all the important coal-producing fields in the United States, but for the opening of demonstration mines, or mines in which experiments could be made with the various details of coal mining. The United States Department of Agriculture has established, in nearly every state, stations that undertake experimental work for the benefit of the agricultural interests. In addition, small demonstration plats are set aside, in suitable locations in the farming districts, where various crops are grown under scientific direction, so that the farmers in the neighborhood can note the results obtained and profit thereby. Something like this should be done for the coal-mining industry. If experimental or demonstration mines were established, methods of working adapted to local conditions could be worked out. Owing to competition in the same markets, small capitalization, or low profits, it may be an utter impossibility for any one company to try a new method of mining. Labor conditions may prevent the trial of a new method of working. It may be impossible or inadvisable to disturb existing working conditions for fear of causing trouble among the miners through real or fancied changes in the scale of wages.

Jan 2, 1920

By N. Tiner

IN an article on magnesium and its alloys, Gann and Winston1 stated that manganese has a limited solubility in the liquid state. W. Schmidt2 showed a diagram according to Joseph Ruhrmann indicating that the solubility of manganese in liquid magnesium falls from about 2.65 per cent at 790°C. to about 0.5 per cent at 695°C. The curve was extrapolated to show zero solubility at the melting point of pure magnesium (Fig. I): This work suggested that at the lowest manganese contents it was not possible to detect either a eutectic or the formation of a solid solution, so that manganese was stated to be present in the structure as large individual crystals. Two years after the presentation of these results, Gann3 brought evidence to show that some manganese is capable of dissolving to form a solid solution, any excess of manganese present then assuming chiefly the form of small blue-gray particles scattered throughout the primary magnesium crystals, occasionally in clusters but seldom at the boundaries. He presented micrographs of cast alloys containing o.1, 0.4 and 1.0 per cent manganese that show a small amount of coring around the individual particles due to solid solution, and indicate that the location of the manganese particles is closely associated with the original dendritic structure of the primary crystallization. He also pointed out that the amount of manganese that can be dissolved in magnesium depends on the amount of other alloying elements present, the effect of the second alloying element being to decrease the amount of manganese retained in the alloy. E. Schmid and G. Siebe14 have determined the solid solubility of manganese and its variation with temperature by means of precision X-ray diffraction measurements. They found that the solubility is 3.4 per cent at 645°C and decreases to practically zero at 200°C. It is apparent that the X-ray diffraction measurements of Schmid and Siebel are not in agreement with the results of Ruhrmann as presented by Schmidt. This disagreement, and also the lack of data on magnesium-aluminum-manganese and magnesium-zinc-manganese systems, led the author to the present investigation, to determine accurately the liquid solubility of manganese and its variation with temperature. EXPERIMENTAL METHOD The experimental method for making solubility determinations consists of saturating the molten magnesium or the alloys with manganese at various temperatures and analyzing the dip samples taken from these melts. Melting is carried out in a cylindrical steel pot heated by an electric resistance furnace. The pot had a metallic outside coating to protect the steel against oxidation, and a graphite inside lining to prevent the contamination of the melt by prolonged contact with iron. The inside diameter of the pot was 4 in. and the depth 12 inches.

Jan 1, 1945

By N. Tiner

In an article on magnesium and its alloys, Gann and Winston! stated that manganese has a limited solubility in the liquid state. W. Schmidt2 showed a diagram according to Joseph Ruhrmann indicating that the solubility of manganese in liquid magnesium falls from about 2.65 per cent at 790°C. to about 0.5 per cent at 675°C. The curve was extrapolated to show zero solubility at the melting point of pure magnesium (Fig. I). This work suggested that at the lowest manganese contents it was not possible to detect either a eutectic or the formation of a solid solution, so that manganese was stated to be present in the structure as large individual crystals. Two years after the presentation of, these results, Gann3 brought evidence to show that some manganese is capable of dissolving to form a solid solution, any excess of manganese present then assuming chiefly the form of small blue-gray particles scattered throughout the primary magnesium crystals, occasionally in clusters but seldom at the boundaries. He presented micrographs of cast alloys containing 0.1, 0.4 and 1.0 per cent manganese that show a small amount of coring around the individual particles due to solid solution, and indicate that the location of the manganese particles is closely associated with the original dendritic structure of the primary crystallization. He also pointed out that the amount of manganese that can be dissolved in magnesium depends on the amount of other alloying elements present, the effect of the second alloying element being to decrease the amount of manganese retained in the alloy. E. Schmid and G. Siebe14 have determined the solid solubility of manganese and its variation with temperature by means of precision X-ray diffraction measurements. They found that the solubility is 3.4 per cent at 645°C. and decreases to practically zero at 200°C. It is apparent that the X-ray diffraction measurements of Schmid and Siebel are not in agreement with the results of Ruhrmann as presented by Schmidt. This disagreement, and also the lack of data on magnesium-aluminum-manganese and magnesium-zinc-manganese systems, led the author to the present investigation, to determine accurately the liquid solubility of manganese and its variation with temperature. Experimental Method The experimental method for making solubility determinations consists of saturating the molten magnesium or the alloys with manganese at various temperatures and analyzing the dip samples taken from these melts. Melting is carried out in a cylindrical steel pot heated by an electric resistance furnace. The pot had a metallic outside coating to protect the steel against oxidation, and a graphite inside lining to prevent the contamination of the melt by prolonged contact with iron. The inside diameter of the pot was 4 in. and the depth 12 inches.

Jan 1, 1945

By J. B. Cohen, M. B. Beaver, R. J. Black

RECENT investigations have shown that face-centered cubic metals may deform by twinning. Blewitt, et al' found that at 4.2"K the mode of def~rmation of single crystals of copper changed at large strains and markings formed on (111) planes. Later they- emonstrated by X-ray diffraction and metallography that the markings were twins and showed that favorably oriented single crystals of copper deformed by twinning at 78°K. They also observed twinning in silver and gold deformed at 4.2 and 78°K. Wagner3 obtained evidence for twinning from the peak shape of diffraction lines of silver cold-worked at 78°K, but twins small enough to cause such effects are not likely to be detected metal-lographically. In the work reported here lamellar structures were observed in deformed silver-gold alloys. They appeared to be mechanical twins, but metallography could not establish this conclusively. Their tendency to form depended on strain rate, temperature and composition. Specimens of silver-gold alloys (0 to 83 wt pct Au) were deformed plastically. One set was worked by hammering under liquid nitrogen, at room temperature and at intermediate temperatures. Another set was compressed slowly in liquid nitrogen to the same reductions as those produced by hammering. Tensile specimens (0.015 x 0.120 x 1.5 in.) of various compositions and approximately equal grain size (0.011 to 0.016 cm) were tested at -195°C and at room temperature. In microsections of all specimens deformed by hammering at —195°C thin lamellae appeared, Fig. 1. They were aligned in definite directions in each grain. In some grains they had two orientations. Where lamellae intersected, a displacement was apparent. Near the center of the left margin of Fig. 1 shear has taken place beyond the fully developed intersecting lamella. Many lamellae resembled Neumann bands in alpha iron. They were parallel to one side of triangular etch pits in the matrix (as in Figs. 1 and 2). The individual lamellae were narrow and had little substructure. This suggested that they did not result from concentrated local slip. The shape of etch pits within the lamellae differed from that of pits in the matrix, as can be seen in Fig. 2; this indicated a difference in orientation. Specimens slowly deformed at —195°C contained regions in which the lamellae were clustered. In these specimens some lamellae were bent and presumably had formed before the termination of the deformation. Structures of greater width than the lamellae were also seen.4 More lamellar structures formed on impact than during slow compression to a given reduction. This was true of all compositions. The structures became less abundant with increasing temperature of deformation. None was observed after extension to fracture at room temperature, but they could be pro-

Jan 1, 1959

By G. C. Weaver, G. T. Harley

BEDS or lenses of potash and magnesium salts are found in a thick salt section (Salado) overlain by Rustler Red Beds in several members of which water is present and from one of which the refinery process water used by International is obtained. Most of the holes drilled are less than 1000 ft. deep, but some wildcat holes have exceeded 3000 ft. Cable or rotary tools are used to drill down to the salt. When samples of water are desired the cable rig is used, but when this is not necessary, and where caving material is present, the rotary rig has an advantage. The rotary rig has a further advantage in that only one machine is required to drill and core the entire hole, whereas the cable rig must be moved off to make way for the core drill. Casing is placed in the upper section of the hole as required to shut off water, and a 5 3/16-in. string is set in the top of the salt before coring starts. With the rotary rig drilling is often carried to the salt with no casing, as drilling mud seals off caving ground and water-bearing strata, and a string of 4-in, line pipe or 4-in. flush-joint casing is landed on top of salt. Several types of gasoline-powered core rigs have been used in the field and all recover a 2 1/2-in. core. More recently the Sullivan Model 37 rotary rig has been tried, and a Sullivan Model N has been adapted to use a rotary bit in the upper section. Core is recovered in 20 ft. sections with a double-tube core barrel, and the bit used is a bottom-discharge type set with diamonds. The drilling fluid must be a saturated brine to prevent solution and etching of the minerals present. Blowouts are apt to occur from nitrogen gas trapped under the several polyhalite beds, and some have been strong enough to blow the tools out of the hole. Core recovery is practically 100per cent. All holes are plugged after drilling, with cement through the salt section and opposite each water horizon, and mud through the remainder of the hole. Cores are carefully logged and preserved, and in sections containing potash and magnesium minerals they are quartered and analyzed. The correlation of ore beds between drill holes is briefly described.

Jan 1, 1946

By Walter E. Lewis

Myriad problems face all of us in the next decade. Vietnam, poverty, and pollution are perhaps the most pres- sing. A lesser one but still vital to us as a Nation is the slow hut apparently relentless extinction of the mining, metallurgical. geological and petroleum engineer. Are we doomed to take our place in the crossword puzzle with the moa. to be defined like it as an "extinct bird"? Or can we reverse the trend perhaps, in the next decade? The plain fact is we are an endangered species, and must resign ourselves to virtual extinction in the 1970's unless the trend is reversed. Probably, many of us have felt the problem will solve itself if left in the in-basket long enough, believing, that the trend will reverse solely on the basis of demand for these disciplines. This approach has not worked up to now, it gives no promise of working in the future, and furthermore, the problem has been in the in-basket much too long. The point is simply this: What can each of us do as an individual, or as part of a company, a State agency, a Federal agency, a university, or an organization such as AIME?

Jan 1, 1970

By AIME AIME

In the uniform of his country for the second time, Harry Phillip Stolz. Chairman of the A.I.M.E. Petroleum Division, holds a commission as Lieutenant-Commander in the Naval Reserve and is attached to the office of Inspector of Naval Petroleum Reserves in California. During World War I he left his studies at Stanford University to join the Army and was granted a commission as Second Lieutenant of Infantry. He remained in the Army Reserve until 1938 when he resigned to accept a commission as a member of the Naval Petroleum Reserves Advisory Board. Born in San Francisco Jan. 29,1899, where his father had lived since 1880, he was in that city during the turbulent year of 1906 where the city was ravaged by fire and earthquake.

Jan 1, 1942

A GREAT and incomparable speculation is whether the discovery of A compounding the powder used for guns came to its first inventor from the demons or by chance. With this invention he certainly far surpassed all men of every age from the creation of the world up to that day when it was announced by him-men so very learned, indeed like angels and of divine intellect, powerful in every knowledge and power. These had not only revived-arts and sciences and discovered new ones with their intellects, but they had information about all natural

Jan 1, 1942

By H. W. Imholz

Active interest in the North Central Texas area centered in the development of the Palo Pinto limestone-producing zone, near the town of Avoca, in the northeast part of Jones County. This producing horizon was discovered in 1937, in the Iron Mountain Oil Company's well No. 1 Olander, in sec. 196, B.B.B. & C. survey, at 3238 to 3250 ft. During the development of this pool, it was generally referred to as the Avoca pool. As a second pool has been discovered in the same producing zone, also near the town of Avoca, the writer has taken the liberty of changing the name of the original Avoca pool to Avoca-Olander pool. Forty producers had been drilled in the Avoca-Olander pool by the end of 1938; their initial ranged from 28 to 300 bbl. per hour. Stimulus was given to the interest in the development of the Palo Pinto limestone when the Ungren-Frazier No. 1 Griffin, in sec. 199, B.B.B. & C. survey, Jones County, found the limestone from 3225 to 3250 ft., with an initial production of 931 bbl. per day. (This new pool has been given the name of Avoca-Griffin pool, by the writer.) The best well to be completed, up to the present time, is the Bert Fields No. 1 Taylor in sec. 199, B.B.B. & C. survey, which had an initial production of 748 bbl. in 3 hours. The Owen-Snebold No. 1 McKeever in sec. 158, B.B.B. & C. survey, in northwest Shackelford County, added to the interest in the Palo Pinto limestone when it extended the Ivy pool with a well in the Palo Pinto limestone from 3145 to 3183 ft., and was estimated good for 6,000,000 cu. ft. of gas and 6000 bbl. of oil per day. During 1938, Stonewall County obtained its first commercial producer when the Stonewall Oil Co. in No. 1 Parriott discovered the Palo Pinto limestone saturated from 5169 to 5176 ft. and tested 371 bbl. per day. Two new producing horizons were discovered about 2 miles east of the old Noddle Creek pool, Jones County; the first, the Humble Oil & Refining Co. No. 1 Irvin, in sec. 48, block 18, T. & P. R. R. Co. survey, which had saturated limestone from 2550 to 2567 ft. and was good for 100 bbl. per day; the second, in the Humble No. 1 Horton, sec. 40, which

Jan 1, 1939

By Eugene S. Perry

The only outstanding development in Montana oil or gas fields during 1935 was the extension of the Cut Bank oil and gas field 7 miles southward. This field is now about 20 miles long and 3 to 8 miles wide, with 218 producing oil wells and 39 producing gas wells. Average daily production of the oil field during December, 1935, was about 6700 bbl.; total production for the year 1935 was approximately 2,020,770 barrels. The Cut Bank field in northern Montana is in a flat to rolling glaciated area used mainly for grazing purposes. Oil and gas occurs in sandstones and shaly sandstones in the Kootenai (Dakota) formation of Lower Cretaceous age at depths ranging from 2700 to 3000 ft. Prominent anticlinal or domal structure is not present, but small plunging anticlines occur locally. Strata dip westward from 75 to 200 ft. per mile. The field lies on the western flank of the Sweetgrass arch, a broad gentle upwarp over 150 miles long. Localization of oil and gas appears to be due either to pinching or lensing out of the sandstone beds, or else silting of the sandstones with clay minerals so that porosity becomes low. Within the field offset wells show marked variation in initial production, which suggests that differences in porosity of sandstone is the controlling factor. The gas-producing portion of the field is entirely updip (east) from the oil-producing portion, and the producing horizons are the same. Initial production of oil wells ranged from about 50 to about 200 bbl. per day, and initial open flow of gas wells ranged from about one million to about 37 million cubic feet per day, with an average of 11 million cubic feet. Initial gas pressures were slightly greater than 700 lb. per sq. in. Oil is brought to the surface by pumping. Both rotary and standard churn-drilling equipment are used. In the remaining 14 oil and gas fields but little new activity took place other than the drilling of offset wells and wells in proven territory. Continuation of "acid treatment" of wells in the Kevin and Pondera oil fields led to reconditioning of many old wells and the drilling of a number of new wells within these fields. Acid treatment of the oil-bearing horizon, which is the dolomitized and silicified Madison limestone of Mississippian age, has proved quite satisfactory, and some "bone dry"

Jan 1, 1936