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By John C. Martin

The discovery of a new gas reservoir demands that the planning of a sottnd well-spacing program be initiated early in the development stage. It is the purpose of this discussion to illustrate by actual field examples the application of basic well-spacing principles, previously developed for oil reservoirs, to the problem of well spacing in natural gas fields. These studies are presented for the field use of geologists and engineers who are concerned with the initial planning of the proper development of the newly discovered gas reservoir. INTRODUCTION The phenomenal growth of a vigorous natural gas industry emphasizes the increasing importance of natural gas as a source of energy, fuel, and raw materials to our nation's economy. Since 1945 marketed production of natural gas for the U. S. has increased 21/2 times to a record high of 10.6 trillion cu ft during 1957. As major participants in the gas industry, we share an added interest to develop and produce our natural gas reserves with constantly improved efficiency. The subject of well spacing is vitally important to the gas industry, for the well itself plays a significant role in the development of the natural gas reservoir and in control of the recovery process. Maximum utilization of wells is an integral part of sound conservation practices. The discovery of a new gas reservoir demands that careful choice of well location and well spacing be made and that the planning of a sound well spacing program be initiated early an the development stage. With the drilling of the first development well, efforts of the geologist and engineer must be directed toward acquisition of adequate technical evidence upon which a firm recommendation for a spacing program may be based. With this technical appraisal as a foundation, operators and state regulatory agencies jointly can go far in providing a framework for sound development of gas fields to achieve a program of conservation that avoids the unnecessary well. WELL-SPACING CONCEPTS Through laboratory and field investigations of the mechanism of the recovery of oil and gas, of fluid behavior, and of effective control of reservoir and well, a crystallization of ideas regarding reservoir behavior has emerged as a well-developed technology. Associated with a better understanding of the fundamental principles underlying reservoir and well behavior has been the growth of concepts concerning the role of wells and their spacing in the development and operation of an oil or gas reservoir. In addition to serving as outlets for the withdrawal of fluids from the reservoir, wells are recognized as having two other important functions: (1) providing access to the reservoir to obtain information concerning the characteristics of the reservoir and its fluids, and (2) serving as a means by which the natural or induced recovery mechanism may be effectively controlled. Beyond a minimum number of wells required to fulfill these two functions, additional wells will not increase recovery. With particular emphasis upon well spacing in oil reservoirs, many studies of the well spacing-recovery relationship have evolved the concept that the ultimate oil recovery is essentially independent of the well spacing.' These fundamental concepts are no different when regarding the role of wells and their spacing in the natural gas reservoir. They are equally applicable to the consideration of well spacing in gas reservoirs. For the gas reservoir, the problem of well spacing then revolves around the question of drainage and the degree or extent to which a well may drain gas from its surrounding reservoir environment. Theoretical and Experimental Work During the past 30 years, theoretical and experimental work carried on to study the physical principles involved in the flow of fluids through porous media has shed light upon the matter of drainage. Fundamental mathematical equations have been derived to describe the mechanism of flow of oil and gas through porous rocks. With the recent advent of high-speed digital computers, attempts have been made with mounting success to develop solutions, employing numerical techniques, to mathematical expressions that describe more rigorously the physical behavior and mechanism involved in the unsteady-state flow of compressible fluids, such as a gas, through porous rock. In 1953, Bruce, Peace-man, Rachford and Ricez published a stable numerical procedure for solving the equation for production of gas at constant rate. The results of these calculations are significant with respect to this matter of drainage, for they indicated (1) that depletion of the gas reservoir resulted in a drop in pressure at the extremity of the

By Albert G. Zima

According to recently puhlished statistics, it is predicted that as much oil must be produced during the next 16 years as has been produced during the past 75, in order to satisfy the high rate of consumption of petroleum products. During 1934, over 17,000 oil wells were completed in the United States, and it is expected that over 20,000 additional wells will be drilled during the current year. Were it not for the remarkable progress made during recent years in the improvement of drilling technique and in the development of equipment used in the production phase of the oil industry, it is doubtful whether sufficient oil could be produced to meet present requirements. A few years ago, wells seldom were deeper than 3500 to 4000 ft., owing to the limitations of the drilling methods and equipment employed. Today, however, through the application of scientific drilling methods and the adaptation of modern equipment and improved materials, many wells range from 6000 to 8000 ft. in depth, and a few recent completions exceed 10,000 feet. Drill Tools Modern rotary drilling tools are the product of ingenious design and careful selection and adaptation of materials used in their construction. They must withstand terrific abrasion and, because of their compactness, must be designed to resist exceedingly high unit stresses. In bits, core drills and reamers, the bodies are made of either forged or cast alloy steels, heat-treated to develop a combination of high strength and toughness. To provide sufficient strength to the threaded portions and to protect the threads from distortion or damage, the box or pin sections of the tools are hardened to approximately 310 to 330 Brine11 hardness number. Drill and reamer cutters are generally of the movable type; i.e., serrated cones, cylinders or disks, which can readily be replaced when

Jan 1, 1935

By C. C. Miller, A. B. Dyes

The cost of finding and developing new reserves is continually rising. We must meet these rising costs with more economical operations. This can he accomplished if we revise our ideas of proper well spacing and well allowable to consider the concept of optimum well spacing. According to this concept, the optimum spacing is the one which leads to the maximum present worth for a reservoir when ail factors affecting total cost and total revenue are considered and when the wells are produced in the most eficient manner. Application of this principle efficiently utilizes available well potential and properly considers the recovery eficiency in addition to fixing the spacing on the basis of the amount and value of the oil to he recovered. This Study presents an analysis of one producing zone containing low gravity crude to illustrate the effect of these factors on the present worth and on the optimum economic spacing under two production drives—-evolved gas and water drive. The maximum present worth occurs when the optimum number of wells for open-flow operation is employed. Frequently, this optimum development cal1s for very wide spacing and the ideal field rates are not unreasonable. Under other circumstance. where proration is necessary, an optimum combination of well spacing and well allowable exists which permits production at relatively high rates. The optimum well density in a field depends on the recovery efficiency and the valule of the oil. In solution gas-driven reservoirs this optimum spacing for operation at high producing rates can vary from extremely wide spacing to handle viscous low gravity oil in thin formations to relatively close spacing in thick sands where good recoveries are expected. Because of the better recovery from water-driven fields, the optimum spacing in these fields is closer than in solution gas-driven fields. Also, the water encroachment pattern is dependent upon the well spacing, and an adequate numher of wells is needed to assure a good sweep eficiency. The economic optimum well density in a water-driven field is high enough for this purpose. INTRODUCTION From year to year domestic oil becomes more difficult to find. The fields we do locate are frequently smaller and deeper than older fields and the costs for men, material and equipment are continually rising. To replenish our reserves we must continue to search for and develop new fields, but experience has shown we cannot expect prices to rise in proportion to costs. Consequently, we must meet increasing costs by more economical operations. A vigorous effort is being made within the industry to improve exploration methods, to cope with the problems of deeper drilling, and to obtain a secondary yield from older fields. Many significant contributions have resulted from these efforts. The economic operation of new fields can be further improved by developing these fields on optimum spacing and producing the wells at higher rates. This would avoid the drilling of unnecessary wells and provide additional capital for seeking new oil. While the benefits of these practices are obvious, the problem of defining the optimum development of a field for natural depletion can become very complex. A study of the effect of well spacing and several reservoir variables on economic worth of a specific field is reported here to illustrate the problem and to show the magnitude of the benefits to be realized. This study is necessarily limited to the field conditions selected and is not intended as a general solution of the well spacing problem. It does, however, indicate factors to be considered, the trends to be expected, and the direction in which we should proceed in developing new fields. NO consideration is given to land and legal considerations which might arise. METHOD OF ANALYSIS The optimum method of developing and producing a field is to use the combination of spacing and prora-tion which gives the maximum return. In addition, we do not want to lose recovery. These considerations of maximum return and maximum recovery present no serious conflict. The value of each method of operation is conveniently expressed in terms of its present worth. According to the present worth method of evaluation,' an acceptable annual percentage return is assigned to the operation, and all incomes, capital costs, and expenses are discounted at this rate to the start of the operation. This net value is the present worth. If we apply the same discount rate to several alternate methods of operation, the one yielding the greatest present worth is the best method. If we express net income in terms of price per barrel of oil produced, drilling and equipment costs on a well basis, and expenses as cost per well year, this evalu-

[United States PAGE Alabama 181 Alaska 181 Arizona 181 Arkansas 182 California 182 Colorado 185 Connecticut 186 Delaware 186 District of Columbia 187 Florida 187 Georgia 187 Idaho 187 Illinois 188 Indiana 189 Iowa 189 Kansas 189]

Jan 1, 1928

In introducing last year's Industrial Minerals Review, Stan Lefond accurately predicted that the 1974- 75 period would be quite difficult and frustrating. Although 1974 demand and prices for most industrial minerals were exceptionally strong, operating costs also rose rapidly-while shortages of supplies and equipment, symptomatic of an overheated economy, occurred from coast to coast. Thus, at the end of 1974 recessionary forces were accelerating-and the minerals industry will soon be facing falling demand as a consequence of sharp declines in auto production, housing, appliances, and other consumer goods. Moreover, when sales weaken, the high-volume, low-prices industrial minerals will incur sharply increased unit costs. To maintain adequate profit margins under these conditions will require cautious and perceptive management.

Jan 2, 1975

By C. Dalton, H. L. McGill

The purpose of this study was to develop a method for predicting the time delay created by metering a fluid through an annular restriction with translational motion of the boundaries. This time delay is utilized to control the opening of valves in various down-hole oilfield tools and forms the basis for the "hydraulic jar". The hydraulic jar is used to give upward impact forces to tubing or other tools that become lodged down-hole. The design of these jars has primarily been by trial and error; varying the clearances, fluid viscosities and dimensions of the jar until a satisfactory time delay was achieved. Obviously, a better understanding of the fluid flow characteristics is required to produce designs that are satisfactory and to eliminate the trial-and-error approach. Previous studies of flow in annular spaces were based on constant length of the annular restriction. Any motion of the boundaries of the annular space was confined to a rotational motion, like that encountered in journal bearing design. Consideration of the effect of translational motion of one boundary with respect to the other was necessary in applying this previous work to a time delay device. A prediction method was developed that takes into account this relative translational motion. Equations were developed to predict the relative velocity, the flow rate, and the time delay in a concentric annular space. The effect of eccentricity also was included. Experimental data were obtained and closely correlated with the prediction method. This correlation is presented graphically in terms of predicted and actual relative velocities for various annular clearances and pressure drops. This extension provides design equations which predict the performance of the hydraulic jar, thereby eliminating trial-and-error solutions and reducing the development time required for satisfactory designs. INTRODUCTION The design of down-hole oilfield tools which use hydraulic delay systems based on flow through annular orifices with relative motion of the boundaries is usually a trial-and-error process. The annular clearances, fluid viscosities and dimensions of the mechanisms were varied until satisfactory delay times were obtained. The development of these tools has been expensive, and a better understanding of the characteristics of annular flow with relative motion of the boundaries could result in superior and less expensive designs. The purpose of this investigation was to provide a method of predicting the performance of down-hole tools which use annular flow and, in particular, the performance of a down-hole tool known as the "hydraulic jar". The hydraulic jar is used to free pipe, packers and other tools that become lodged down-hole. The jar, located in the tubing string between the surface and the object which is stuck, releases the object though the repeated application of upward impact blows. The jar is basically a slip joint that is restrained in a collapsed condition until the desired tubing tension has been developed. The slip joint is then released and accelerates rapidly until it shoulders, delivering an impact blow or jar to the object. The delay obtained by metering the fluid through the annulus formed by the jar valve and housing provides the time delay necessary to stretch and apply tension to the tubing or pipe. Fig. 1A gives a schematic diagram of the hydraulic jar and brief details of its operation. The metering of the hydraulic jar begins when the tension force being applied to the jar by the pipe creates a pressure differential across the valve that is approximately equal to the force divided by the displacement area of the valve. This pressure differential induces flow through the annular restriction formed between the valve and housing. The valve moves with respect to the housing as the

Jan 1, 1969

By P. F. Gnirk, J. B. Cheatham

The results of combined analytical and experimental studies involving simulated multiple bit-tooth penetration into mck are incorporated into a drilling rate equation for roller-cone bits assuming rather idealized downhole conditions. In particular, it is assumed that the rock behaves statically in a ductile fashion during bit-tooth penetration and that the rock chips are instantaneously removed from the bottom of the drill hole. The general analysis demonstrates an application of plasticity theory for the rock/bit-tooth interaction to the formulation of an upper limit on rotary drilling rate. INTRODUCTION Extensive experimentation involving single and indexed bit-tooth penetration into rock in a confining pressure environment has demonstrated that the chip formation process is of a ductile, or pseudoplastic, nature at sufficiently low differential pressures so as to be of interest in rotary drilling. Coincident with the experimentation, analytical consideration has been given to the theoretical problems of single and indexed bit-tooth penetration into rock. In general, the analyses have assumed that the rock behaves statically in a rigid-plastic fashion and obeys the Mohr-Coulomb yield criterion. The quantitative comparison between experimental and calculated values of bit-tooth load required for chip formation has been remarkably good for a variety of rocks commonly encountered in drilling and at simulated differential pressures as low as 500 to 1,000 psi. Results obtained recently for indexed bit-tooth penetration indicate that the work (or energy) required to produce a unit volume of rock chip can be minimized by a proper combination of bit-tooth spacing and bit-tooth load for a given rock type and differential pressure. By utilizing this information, it is possible to formulate a drilling rate equation, at least in a preliminary fashion, for a roller-cone bit performing under rather idealized downhole conditions. In particular, through the use of characteristic dimensionless quantities pertinent to a roller-cone bit and to indexed bit-tooth penetration, interrelationships among bit weight, rotary speed, rotary power, bit diameter, rock strength and bit-tooth shape and spacing can be explicitly expressed. In the formulation of the equations, however, it is assumed that the rock chips are instantaneously removed from the bottom of the drill hole and- that the rock behaves in a ductile manner during bit-tooth penetration. In addition, the effects of bit-tooth load application and penetration by a yawed tooth at an oblique angle are neglected. Although the analysis is presented in the light of some rather restrictive conditions, it does demonstrate a method of applying fundamental rock/bit-tooth interaction data, obtained by combining the results of analysis and experiment to the formulation of a drilling rate equation for rotary drilling. JNDEXED BIT-TOOTH/ROCK INTERACTION PREVIOUS RESULTS The mechanics of bit-tooth/rock interaction under simulated conditions of borehole environment have been extensively described in a number of papers.l-ll In particular, the effects of differential pressure, mechanical properties of rock, pore fluid, bit-tooth shape and spacing, rate of bit-tooth load application and dynamic filtration below the bit-tooth have been investigated experimentally. From a sequence of experiments.1-4 it was demonstrated that, for dry rock at atmospheric pore pressure, the mode of chip formation exhibits a transition, with increasing confining pressure, from predominantly brittle to predominantly ductile. This transition

Jan 1, 1970

By George Moore

IN spite of many investigations of the occlusion of hydrogen in iron, the nature of the process and the reasons for the accompanying effects upon the metal are still open questions. This is in large part due to three causes: (1) the difficulty of obtaining iron of adequate purity as starting material; (2) the occurrence of allotropic transformations, which compli-cate the effects; and (3) the fact that the body-centered cubic modifica-tion does not lend itself readily to crystallographic investigation. The present paper attempts a critical review and correlation of the somewhat scattered and disconnected existing observations, and an experimental determination of the extent to which the conclusions that appear to follow from these are applicable to iron of really high purity, studied under well-defined conditions.

Jan 1, 1939

By R. P. Brown

To gain some idea of the progress recently made in the measurement of high temperatures, we must review the temperature-measuring devices of the past. As far back as 1782, Wedgewood, a famous potter in England, attempted to measure his, kiln temperatures by means of clay trials, or test pieces, that indicated the expansion or contraction that occurred with certain changes in temperature. He also produced cones off clay, formed of various mixes, to form a whole series for the range of temperature met with, in firing clay products. These cones are still extensively used to measure kiln temperatures in the pottery industry. Cones are affected not only by time but by temperature and the rate, of firing, consequently, they are not an accurate measure of temperature. In addition it has been common practice for years to attempt to measure temperatures with fusible salts. Capsules of these are inserted in the furnace and indicate, by melting; when a certain temperature, has been attained. While' such salts cannot be considered a precision form of temperature-measuring device, they have proved reasonably accurate in checking temperature.

Jan 9, 1919

By E. F. Adkins, R. I. Jaffee, C. T. Sims

The effect of oxide dispersions on mechanical proberties of cobalt and cobalt-base powder-metallurgy alloys was investigated. This study shows that oxide dispersions added to pure cobalt greatly improve the high-temperature creep resistance of the metal. Dispersions in powder-metallurgy .cobalt alloys were muck less effective. COBALT is extremely valuable as an alloy base for certain high-temperature applications. Important examples may be found in the widespread use of cast and workable alloys in aircraft gas-turbine engines. With the increases in cobalt production in recent years, greater use may be made of cobalt-base alloys for high-temperature applications, provided

Jan 1, 1960

By D. Dever, E. S. Fisher

Measurements of the temperature dependence of the elastic moduli in single crystals of hep ruthenium, rhenium, cobalt, dysprosium, and erbium were carried out for various temperature ranges so as to investigate the correlation, suggested by prior work, between the shear anisotropy ratio, A = C44/C66, and the occurrence of the hcp — bee phase transformation. These measurements confirm the suggestion that A has a positive temperature dependence in that group of hcp metals that undergo thermally induced transfornzations to the bee structure and a negative or zero temperature dependence in the other hcp metals. It appears, from indirect evidence, that the hcp -fee transformation in cobalt is preceded by a highly negative temperature dependence of A. These results indicate that elastic anisotropy is an important factor in determining the temperatures at which martensitic phase transformations occur. Two possible roles for elastic anisotropy are proposed: 1) the shear-modulus ratio within the habit planes must be nearly similar for the two phases and 2) a large anisotropy decreases the stress necessary for the movement of the transfornzation dislocations. FUCHS' calculations of the elastic moduli in the alkali metals have shown that the high shear-anisotropy ratios, c/c', in certain bee metals and alloys are the result of large negative contributions to c' = (c11 - c12)/2 arising from the nearest-neighbor repulsive forces.' On this basis, and following Zener,2 the association between high c/c' ratios and the martensitic phase transformations that occur upon cooling certain bee metals is explained as a unique characteristic of the bee structure. Recent measurements of the elastic moduli in hcp titanium and zirconium show, however, that a high elastic anisotropy also exists in these hcp structures at the temperatures at which they transform to bee upon heating3. If there exists a direct and consistent correlation between the elastic anisotropy in close-packed structures and the occurrence of transformations to the bee phases then there is evidently a need to re-examine the conclusions of Zener theory. Elastic anisotropy may also be the result of the effects of temperature on the stability of the low-temperature close-packed structures or it may play an important role in the mech- anism of the martensitic transformations. The present measurements were aimed at establishing the phenomenological correlation between elastic shear anisotropy in hcp structures and the thermally induced hcp —bee transformations that occur in the majority of the twenty-three hcp metals, as shown in Table I. Prior to the present work the temperature dependence of the anisotropy ratio, A = c44/c66, was known at various temperatures for nine of the metals listed. The data showed a negative temperature dependence of A for cadmium, zinc, magnesium, and cobalt, which do not transform to bee, and a positive temperature dependence of A for thallium, zirconium, titanium, hafnium, and yttrium. The correlation was, however, ambiguous in that these two groups of metals are also separated with respect to the c/a ratios as noted in Table I. There remained the possibility that the temperature dependence of A is a function of c/a and not consistently associated with the transformation. The measurements of the elastic moduli in rhenium and ruthenium, in which hcp —bee transformations do not occur, were needed to help decide this question. The studies of dysprosium and erbium were undertaken to determine whether the correlation holds for the heavy rare earth metals.

Jan 1, 1968

By Burnham E. Field

TAE chemical industry is constantly looking for new materials which either are more resistant to corrosion than those now available or have improved physical properties to meet the requirements of higher temperatures and greater pressures. Attack by acids is-one of the more important forms of corrosion-and in the last few years the development of acid-resistant alloys has been quite rapid. Perhaps the most notable example is that of nitric acid, 'the problem of which has largely been solved by the chromium-iron and chromium-iron-nickel alloys. Sulfuric acid may be handled in lead, iron, or the iron-silicon alloys, depending on conditions. As to hydrochloric acid, no metal or alloy can be called entirely satisfactory for handling. this acid under plant conditions.1 The results of our investigations on the resistance of the nickel-molybdenum alloys to hydrochloric acid have been confirmed by those of Guertler, Rohn, Schulz, Jenge, and others,' but thus far only one such alloy has approached commercial production in Germany; this contains approximately 15 per cent. chromium and 7 per cent. molybdenum with the remainder chiefly nickel. Dr. S. W. Parr, as far back as 1914, developed a complex alloy known as "illium," with a nickel base and containing some molybdenum.3 Dr. Parr was primarily interested in an alloy for lining bomb calorimeters, and while illium does show good resistance to acid it is too expensive for general use. Two United States

Jan 1, 1929

By P. V. Roundy, G. R. Mansfield

PUBLIC lands in Florida were first withdrawn from entry by President Taft on July 2, 1910, as a conservation measure because of their possible phosphate content. The reserve thus established was subsequently modified by further withdrawals and by restorations, so that on Jan. 1, 1934, it contained 66,796 acres, of which only a small part had been definitely classified. The reserved land was in scattered parcels, ranging from less than 40 acres to 320 or more, distributed in many counties. For administrative purposes and for final disposal of any of the numerous parcels, mineral classification of the land is legally necessary. In 1934 and 1935 the United States Geological Survey, under two successive grants from the Public Works Administration, prospected some 83 tracts of these lands in Polk County, comprising in all about 3300 acres, and six tracts comprising 240 acres in Citrus and Marion Counties. The tracts in Polk County were all in the so-called land-pebble field and the others in the hard-rock field. The Survey field party was under the direction of P. V. Roundy, from whose unpublished report the material in this paper is largely taken. The foreman of the prospecting crew was J. H. Wingate of Zephyrhills, Fla. The individual tracts were identified through the cooperation of the General Land Office, by transitman Hugh B. Crawford. This prospecting work fitted well the classification adopted for Public Works projects in general: it could not be done on any considerable scale under the Survey's usual appropriations; it gave employment to unemployed labor; and it may be expected ultimately to repay the Government in royalties more than the cost of the exploration. COMMERCIAL PROSPECTING METHODS Commercial methods of prospecting for phosphate in Florida have been briefly described by Mansfield.1 In the hard-rock field, where the floor of the phosphate deposit is extremely irregular, it is customary to drill as

Jan 1, 1937

By L. H. Dushak

DURING the war period of quicksilver activity there were a number of departures from what may be termed the classical quicksilver metallurgy. Attempts were made to beneficiate low-grade ores by gravity concentration and flotation; mechanical furnaces began to replace the Scott furnace and the vertical coarse-ore furnaces, and condensers of sewer tile and redwood tanks were used in place of the older brick and stone condensing chambers. Other developments that have occurred during the current period of quicksilver, activity are mainly in the nature of improvement and further refinement of those started during the war period. Each period of quicksilver activity has been accompanied by the proposal of various new processes, including wet methods for the treatment of quicksilver ores and innovations in furnaces, retorts and condenser equipment. As far as the author knows, nothing of economic significance in the way of "new processes" has been developed. There is in fact no real need for any essentially new process for the treatment of quicksilver ores; the direct furnace treatment is simple and inexpensive. Moreover, with fare exceptions, the quicksilver industry has no complex or refractory ore problems corresponding to those which are receiving more and more attention from metallurgists in other branches of the nonferrous field. Under these conditions improvements in quicksilver metallurgy must be looked for through the adaptation of current developments in engineering and metallurgy generally to the particular needs of quicksilver practice rather than through the invention of new processes.

Jan 1, 1930

By F. E. Smith, David R. Mitchell, B. M. Bird

DENSE-MEDIA processes utilize the familiar laboratory float-and¬-sink procedure on a commercial scale. Just as wood chips float on water and sand sinks, so coal floats and refuse sinks when placed in a medium intermediate in specific gravity between the coal and refuse. Liquids intermediate in specific gravity between coal and refuse used in commercial plants are of four types: (1) Organic liquids of high specific gravity-halogenated hydrocarbons; (2) dissolved salts in water; (3) pseudo liquids obtained by suspending solids, such as sand, in water, and (4) fluidizing a mass of sand or other solids by air currents. Those most widely used for cleaning coal are solutions of calcium chloride in water and a suspended-sand pseudo liquid. Laboratory float-and-sink testing is an intermittent operation during which every opportunity is given for particles lighter than the medium to float and particles heavier to sink. Commercial processes are con¬tinuous, vertical and horizontal currents of the separating medium occur as either part of the process or unavoidedly produced by the intro¬duction of feed and withdrawal of products, so that the exact separation of the laboratory technique is not duplicated by commercial processes. However, separations close to the theoretical are obtained in commercial machines by careful technical control of the process. Most machines in commercial installations are crowded to get as much out of the equipment as possible, so that careful technical control is necessary to get the recoveries and grade of product desired. Sizes usually cleaned are plus %6-in. or plus 3-in. in the United States and plus 36-in. in Great Britain. Coal as small as 1 mm. has been cleaned in some experimental installations. The separation of coal from refuse in sizes finer than about % in. is made difficult by viscosity effects and hence at the present time cleaning is confined to the coarser . sizes. Technical advances in the art of cleaning coal by dense-media

Jan 1, 1943

By E. L. Corp, J. C. Johnson, W. G. Pariseau, M. Poad, M. E. Fowler

This paper describes a comprehensive geomechanics case study of a full¬scale test stope at the Carr Fork Mine. The mine is owned by Anaconda Miner¬als Company and is located near Tooele, Utah. Large diameter blast holes were used in a new method known as blast hole post-fill (BHPF). The new design proved highly successful in contrast with earlier experience with vertical crater retreat (VCR) stopes. The main geomechanics objective was the estab¬lishment of a design procedure for optimizing stope and pillar dimensions with respect to productivity and recovery. An integrated three-part approach consisting of mine measurements, laboratory testing and finite element calcu¬lations was taken. Independent correlations of 0.88 and 0.89 between calculated and measured displacements and between estimated and observed yield :ones substantiate the finite element design approach using UTAH-II. Subse¬quent stope and pillar design analyses indicate that doubling of the original stope width at 50% extraction is quite possible without sacrifice of safety or stability.

Jan 1, 1984

By E. Hoek

INTRODUCTION Rock slope stability research has been in progress for the past four years at the Royal School of Mines in London under the sponsorship of a consortium of 23 companies* with interests in open pit mining. This paper reviews the principal aims and achievements of this research project. In order to assist the reader in following these details, the basic philosophy underlying the formulation and direction of this research project is discussed. DISTRIBUTION OF RESPONSIBILITY In open pit mining, the economic necessity of keeping waste rock removal to a minimum generally means that the mine slopes have to be excavated to the steepest possible slope angle. On the other hand, excessive steepening of these slopes can induce failures, which may negate the economic benefits that have been aimed at and which may also result in loss of life and damage to equipment. Consequently, where slope failures are likely to prove to be a problem, an evaluation of the stability of the slopes to be created should be included as part of the overall pit design. How is the stability of a rock slope evaluated? When this question was examined, during discussions on the research policy to be followed at the Royal School of Mines, it was clear that relatively few satisfactory techniques were available in a form that would be comprehensible and therefore useful to the practical mining engineer. It was recognised that the research project must be directed towards two distinct aims: a) The evaluation of existing techniques for rock slope stability analysis and the provision of new techniques where these existing methods were found to be inadequate and b) The presentation of the results of this evaluation and research in a form that would be useful to engineers without specialist training in rock mechanics. It was soon realized that a university based research team, however large and efficient, could not achieve these aims without the co-operation and assistance of mining engineers,

Jan 1, 1972

By Donald W. Scott, L. A. Roe, B. J. Sweo

INTRODUCTION THIS paper describes the application of ore-dressing methods to the reclamation of milled frit from over-spray, or waste, porcelain enamel. Frit is the name given by enamelers to a granulated glass produced by the smelting and subsequent water quenching of various ingredients capable of forming a glass, usually including a compound to produce opacity. It is the major component of porcelain enamel, and normally commands a price ranging from 7 to 12 cents a pound. In the preparation of a white enamel slip, usually 6 or 7 parts of clay, 2 parts of opacifier, small amounts of electrolytes, in some cases inorganic color stabilizers and organic dyes, and 35 parts of water are added to loo parts of frit; the mixture then is milled to a fineness of the order of 92 to 95 pct through a 200-mesh sieve. The frit forms the base of the enamel; the opacifier imparts opacity or reflectance; the clay suspends the frit while in slip form and serves as a binder' in bisque form (dry and unfired); and the electrolytes control the workability. Spraying is used commercially, in many cases, to apply the finish coat of enamel to the ware, prior to drying and firing. In the spraying operation, only about 50 pct, by dry weight, of the enamel slip adheres to the surface of the ware, the remainder forms the over-spray. From 1/2 to 2/3 of the overspray goes up the flue where it is lost or recovered, depending on whether the plant is equipped with a dust-collecting installation; the coarser portion of the overspray is collected in the spray booth. The former product is termed flue reclaim enamel, and the latter booth reclaim enamel. Although the spraying operation is done in specially constructed booths, which are partially or completely enclosed, it is extremely difficult to keep out contaminating dirt, which joins the reclaim. Some present-day large enameling plants use 20 tons of frit a day, of which 10 tons go into reclaim with a potential value of $1400 to $2400. When two-coat finish enamels were common, the reclaim was used satisfactorily for the undercoat, but the relatively recent advent of one-coat finish enamels prevented use of the reclaim because, even when blended with first-run enamels, it gave dirty finishes with poor gloss. It was thought that the pitting and specking encountered with reclaimed enamels were caused by the contaminating dirt, and that the poor gloss was caused, primarily, by the high clay content; more clay usually was added to give proper suspension properties to the slip when the reclaim was used. A clay content in excess of about 10 pct usually imparted refractoriness to porcelain enamels. Present-day one-coat porcelain enamels must combine high gloss and opacity with freedom from surface defects. Methods of beneficiating the over-spray,

Jan 1, 1947

By Paul D. Foote

Most of the treatises on metallurgy intimate that simultaneously with the development by the atomic physicist of a really satisfactory theory of the atom will be inaugurated a new epoch in the science of metals. Metallurgically and metaphorically, we shall dwell in the Utopia of Sir Thomas More. It is my privilege this afternoon to demonstrate that this state has not arrived. An atom is a miniature planetary system consisting of a positively charged nuclear sun about which revolve electrons each carrying the negative charge e. The charge on the nucleus is + Ze where Z is the atomic number and the number of planetary electrons in a neutral atom is equal to Z. These electrons are arranged in several groups having different binding energies. Ordinary x-ray phenomena relate to processes occurring deep within the atom, usually with electrons in the so-called K or L shells. Such electrons in the heavier atoms are so closely bound to the nucleus that the forces exerted by neighboring atoms in a solid are relatively inappreciable. For most practical x-ray investigation, the atom may be considered as in the gaseous phase completely isolated from its neighbors. The K radiation from an element in the gaseous state, in the solid or liquid phase, or even in combination with other elements in all its possible valences, is almost identical.‡ Visual and ultraviolet spectroscopy is concerned with disturbances of the most loosely bound outer or valence electrons of the atom, always in the vapor state. The remarkable progress of the last year in both theo-

Jan 1, 1926

By Alexander Sattman, Anton Homatsch

Jan 1, 1894