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By Albert F. Schneider

The peculiar conditions under which lead and silver ores are now smelted in Salt Lake Valley, Utah, render it advantageous to make slags that are siliceous and carry a high percentage of lime. The ores treated come from Utah, Idaho, Montana, and Nevada; nine-tenths coming from Utah. These ores are siliceous, and contain but little fluxing material; the iron present scarcely sufficing for the sulphur and arsenic. Formerly ores high in iron were furnished from Cottonwood Canons, but this supply is meagre. The ores from Idaho, Montana, and Nevada are high grade galenas, more or less impure. They generally require a large amount of iron for the sulphur, arsenic, and antimony. In the winter and spring of 1880—'81, we were treating at the Germania Works principally Bingham Canon lead ores and silver ores from Tintic. The former contained 15 to 30 per cent. silica, and only 4 to 5 per cent. iron (generally as iron pyrites); they ranged high in lead and low in silver, and carried more or less alumina; the lead was present chiefly as carbonate. The silver ores from Tintic contained sulphides, and ran as high as 80 per cent. silica. We had been running on a slag approximating 40 per cent. FeO, 20 per cent. CaO, 10 per cent. other bases, and 30 per cent. SiO2, which had heretofore been very satisfactory; but with the class of ores then coming in it was of the utmost advantage to use less iron and more lime, especially as the iron ore (50-55 per cent. iron and 5-7 per cent. silica) cost four times as much as the limestone (50-55 per cent. lime, 3-5 per cent. silica). The large amount of alumina in the slag influenced them for the worse; the addition of lime to the charge helped them, and after many experiments regarding the proportion of FeO, CaO, and SiO2, a slag approximating 35 per cent. FeO, 25 per cent. CaO, 5 per cent. other bases, and 35 per cent. SiO2 seemed to answer

Jan 1, 1883

The American Institute of Mining Engineers, the second of the four great national engineering societies established in the United States, was organized in 15,71. Its membership is composed of men engaged in the different branches of mining, metallurgy, geology, and chemistry. It includes both those who have worked their way up from the ranks and graduates from mining schools and universities, and at all times has counted in its membership leading technical educators. By a letter ballot of the members of the Institute, it was voted, at the annual business meeting of the Institute on February 18, 1919, to change the name of the American Institute of Mining Engineers to the American Institute of Mining and Metallurgical Engineers. The vote for the amendment to the Constitution making this change was a heavy one for such matters. It is the consensus of opinion that this marks an epoch in the history and usefulness of this Institute, and it is expected that the change will presage a large and healthy growth in metallurgical fields. Many metallurgists who knew nothing about min¬ing were loath to join a society of mining engineers, despite the fact that over 35 per cent. of the papers published in our Transactions during the past five years have dealt with metallurgical subjects.

Jan 1, 1923

By Perry Harrison

THE mixing of fine ores with fuel and burning under induced draft is called sintering in iron-ore practice and either sintering or roasting in copper and lead metallurgy. The first development of sintering was the Huntington-Heberlein process, in which fine sulfide ores mixed with fuel were charged into a pot and burned under the action of an upcast current of air introduced at the bottom of the pot. Modern development has resulted in two types of machine; the continuous Dwight-Lloyd machine, which consists of heat-resisting grates and a moving beltlike type of hearth constructed of metal, in which air is drawn downward through the bed, and the stationary Greenawalt batch process, which operates in the same manner as the Dwight-Lloyd except that the hearth is stationary. The recent rapid increase in the use of sintering has been the result of two great advances in metallurgical process-flotation and the treatment of flue dust. The Dwight-Lloyd machine is used in many plants for agglomerating flotation concentrates and at the same time reducing the sulfur content to furnace requirements and it has become standard practice to treat iron blast-furnace flue dust by either the Greenawalt or Dwight-Lloyd machine, so that it can be recharged into the furnace. The mining of low-grade magnetite iron deposits and their beneficiating by grinding and magnetic separation resulted in a fine concentrate extremely detrimental to blast-furnace practice. These concentrates are sintered and made into ideal material for blast-furnace use. Incidentally, coke savings of about 400 lb. per ton of pig are reported.

Jan 1, 1930

By C. K. Leith

MANGANESE is one of the minerals which is principally consumed in countries other than those of origin. Nearly 85 per cent of the pro-duction is used by the United States, England, Germany and France, and roughly a third of the total is used by the United States alone. On the other hand, over 85 per cent of the world production comes from Brazil, Russia, India, the Gold Coast of Africa, and the Sinai Peninsula. It follows from this fact that practically all manganese moves across international boundaries in raw or alloy form, and much the larger part of this movement is for considerable distances and is ocean borne. There is no indication that any one of the principal consuming countries can develop even approximately adequate supplies of its own. Under abnormal war conditions, with high prices and changes in metal-lurgical methods, only 35 per cent of the needs of the United States was met from local sources, and under our recent tariff only 11 per cent. There are thousands of manganese deposits scattered about the world, but only a very few which can figure largely in supplying requirements on a modern scale. The known reserves, together with highly probable extensions and explora-tions now under way, indicate no shortage from a world standpoint for many decades to come. The production and marketing of manganese is going steadily into fewer and stronger hands. The steel in-dustry uses over 90 per cent of all the manganese mined, and is acquiring control of a considerable part of the production in all of the principal fields-the Germans in Nikopol, the English in India and Gold Coast, the Americans in Georgia, India, Gold Coast and Brazil. Some of the controlling companies are of international scope. Concentration of commercial control is a notable tendency. A natural consequence is the growing un-easiness of smaller consumers the world over about their ultimate supplies and desire to know more definitely how and where manganese supplies will be controlled in the future. The sources of supply are few enough to warrant the belief that more or less monopolistic ele-ments of control are not impossible.

Jan 5, 1927

By W. H. Adams

I doubt if many of our engineers know of the existence of coalfields extending over hundreds of miles of territory bordering on and lying contiguous to the Rio Grande River in Mexico. Essential as these facts are to those contemplating the starting of industrial works along our frontier, 1 have not been able to learn that any surveys or examinations have been made of these deposits, arid I trust the preliminary and unofficial investigations lately made by myself may be found of interest, especially to those of our members whose experience has been with poor fuel, or in districts remote from railway facilities. While it is true that Northern Mexico is generally bare of charcoal-making timber, yet no greater mistake can be made than to condemn the light, quick-growing woods found in profusion, and which cannot be excelled in flame or heat-pruducing qualities for boilers, reverberatory furnaces, or hearths. No country could be surer of a full supply of wood if wise legislation in regard to irrigation and preservation of young timber were adopted and enforced, but the beneficiation of the low-grade ores of Mexico demands a more dense fuel for furnace work, and, fortunately for metallurgists, who will hereafter make this frontier a base of operations, there have been disclosed, near the surface, seemingly inexhaustible beds of semi-anthracite and bituminous coals. No extensive openings have as yet been made, and my own workings at the Cedral mines are all that can yet be said to prove the quantity and quality of the coal, other openings furnishing only corroborative evidence. Our location (one hundred and ten miles west of the Rio Grande River) is on the western line of the depository basin, as it has existed since the period of activity along the volcanic line. The region farther inland I have not examined, but the elevations, as a rule, are much greater, though from the nature of the formation, they are not necessarily barren ground. Beginning at the base of the Santa Rosa Mountains (location of the Cedral mines), we find very interesting breaks in the foot-hills, disclosing the stratified rocks from the volcanic centres to the valleys.

Jan 1, 1882

By C. Richard Tinsley

SUMMARY A detailed analysis of nickel, copper, and cobalt recovery from manganese nodules shows simple rates of return of 9-15% in 1985. A sulfur dioxide roast process yields a slightly better return than an ammonia leach technique. Nodule tonnage predictions tend to be over-optimistic and more conservative forecasts show that market penetrations are only significant for cobalt and manganese. However, cobalt prices are unlikely to fall to the level of nickel. Between now and 1985, cobalt is expected to be in balanced to tight availability. INTRODUCTION Deep-ocean manganese nodules are one- to two-inch concretions which cover 2040% of large areas of the ocean bottom. Commercial targets far these black, potato-like nodules are located in the North Pacific at water depths of 5,000-6,000 m. in a belt roughly midway between Hawaii and Mexico. However, good grade nodules are not solely limited to this belt as areas southwest and northwest of Hawaii, as well as in the Indian Ocean, contain concentrations of acceptable grade manganese nodules. Some 90% of the nodules are found half-buried on the deep ocean bottom. A siliceous-ooze host soil combined with low sedimentation rates, certain ocean currents, and possible geo- thermal effects are favorable factors far nodule formation. The viewpoints and analyses in this paper are the author's own and should not be attributed in any way to Amoco Minerals Co.

Jan 1, 1976

By W. E. Ruder

Considerable interest has been shown lately in various types of furnaces for the production of high temperatures, both for laboratory purposes and for small industrial uses. Dr. J. A. Harkerl described certain modifications of the Arsem graphite resistance helix for high-temperature work at the National Physical Laboratory. Dr. Northrup also has developed two interesting forms of high-temperature furnaces. In 1911, Messrs. Winne and Dantsizen2 described two forms of resistance furnaces using ductile molybdenum or tungsten as resistors. Since the discovery, by this laboratory, of methods for producing these metals in ductile form, their use as resistance elements in the research laboratory of the General Electric Co. has grown to such an extent that they are now almost indispensable. These furnaces are used here for alloy research, annealing, heat-treating, and practically all of the thermal processes requiring temperatures above 900' C. Various types of furnaces have been developed to meet the general needs of laboratory work, and it is the purpose of this paper briefly to describe some of these furnaces. A tubular furnace wound with a metallic resistor is the simplest type to construct, and almost every laboratory has made such furnaces. The only essential difference between a furnace wound with platinum o base metal and one wound with tungsten or molybdenum is that the coils of the latter must be heated in a neutral or reducing atmosphere It has long been our custom here to build our resistance furnaces with : metallic casing from which the tube could be easily removed for rewind ing. The heat-insulating material—usually calcined magnesia, alumina silica, or silex, depending upon the nature of the resistor-—is used i: powdered form so that it can be readily removed and replaced. I order to adapt this method to tungsten or molybdenum windings,

Jan 1, 1918

By M. J. Buerger

POSSIBLY the most puzzling features observed during a single-crystal deformation test are the appearance of slip striae on the surface of the crystal and the strengthening of the specimen.1 While the first phenomenon is mainly of theoretical interest, the latter is fundamental to all strain-hardening and cold-working processes in which the deformation occurs by translation. The plastic deformation of crystals has received considerable discussion2 and need not be reviewed here in, any great detail. It has been observed, essentially, that after a certain amount of initial stress is applied, the surface of the crystal becomes covered with sets of parallel striae or rings which appear to divide it into thin slabs or slip blocks.3 The striae are the traces of rational crystallographic planes along which shearing movements are localized, these movements providing the strain which accompanies stress applied beyond pure elasticity. As deformation under the applied stress proceeds the slip blocks shear past one another, although the essentially single-crystal character of the specimen is unimpaired. All of the shearing apparently takes place in the immediate vicinity of the original slip striae without the appearance of new planes of movement.4 Since each increment of strain is attended by an increased stress requirement to continue the deformation, the crystal strengthens during the process.

Jan 1, 1928

By John W. Padan, Thomas E. Howard

Most of what has been written during the past few years on marine mineral resources has emphasized the vast potential of the ocean, and its floor, as a source of the vital mineral raw materials upon which our modern technological society depends. Computations have been made to demonstrate that the sea contains sufficient minerals to support any reasonable world population indefinitely. The importance of these resources from the standpoint of strengthening the national mineral resource base has been pointed out. And though the information upon which these conclusions are based is sketchy, essentially qualitative, and often conflicting, there can be no doubt that the mineral potential of the sea is tremendous and that there are compelling reasons for working toward its exploitation. Unfortunately, there has been little emphasis on the problems that must be overcome, from the perspective of the economics of mineral production. Some of these problems have been noted, and some authors have appraised them realistically. However, many proposed solutions have been more romantic than practical, from the standpoint of both technology and economics. As a result the general impression has been given, particularly to those uninitiated in the realities of mineral production, that the mineral wealth of the sea is there for the taking-requiring only a good modicum of courage and technologic innovation to place it within easy grasp. But developing the capability necessary for substantial, profitable production of sea bottom minerals will be far from easy. It will be accomplished much more quickly if the problems are faced squarely, defined properly, and attacked in an orderly, logical sequence. While this approach may lack glamour, it offers the highest probability for success.

Jan 6, 1966

By Joseph N. Morrison

A comprehensive solution is offered to the problem of dust emissions at belt conveyor transfer points. Details of enclosure design are discussed and a straightforward procedure for calculating required dust control exhaust volume is presented. Many design variables are taken into account which heretofore have been commonly ignored or inadequately considered. These include belt widths, belt speeds. enclosure openings, material flow rate, material bulk densities, material lump sizes, height of material fall, material temperature, and ambient air temperature. All of these questions are handled by means of a "fill-in-the-blanks" type of calculation form, permitting quick, reliable solutions by relative "non-experts."

Jan 1, 1972

By Arthur Tauber, Horst Kedesdy

FERRITES are sintered metallic oxides of the spinel structure type1 and belong to the class of soft ferromagnetic materials. Similar to a ceramic, they can be formed and fired to a dense body, exhibiting a high electrical volume resistivity ranging from 102 to 102 ohm-cm as compared with 10-6 ohmcm for some of the metallic magnetic materials. This high resistivity, with resulting low eddy current losses, finds special application at high frequencies. The dispersive susceptibility of ferrites at microwave frequencies has also led to many applications in this field. Where high resistivity with high permeability is desirable, ferrites are used in low frequency applications. During the last few years ferrites exhibiting rectangular hysteresis loops have been developed for computer and magnetic memory systems. The general formula for ferrites is MeFe2O4 where Me is a divalent metal ion such as Ni, Zn, Mg, Mn, Cu, Cd, and Fe. Only two of these ferrites are nonferromagnetic, namely, those with Zn and Cd. Solid solutions can be formed between different ferrites, and it is of interest to note that solid solutions of a ferromagnetic ferrite with a nonferromagnetic ferrite yield much better magnetic materials than the basic ferrite body. In general, it can be said that the solid solution formation between ferrites has widened the field of ferrite synthesis and has led to methods of preparing materials with a large variety of magnetic properties.

Jan 7, 1957

By Holbrook Botset

EXPERIMENTS performed in this laboratory on the flow of gas-liquid mixtures through unconsolidated sands have been described and discussed in an earlier paper.4 In these earlier experiments a definite relationship was found between the liquid saturation of a sand and its permeability to the liquid or gas phase. Furthermore, the nature of the sand, the permeabilities of the sands over a range between 17 and 260 darcies, appeared to have a negligible effect upon the saturation-permeability relation. Likewise experiments indicated that the viscosity of the liquid, or the substitution of an immiscible liquid for the gas phase, had only a very slight effect on the permeability-saturation relation. This con-clusion has since been definitely confirmed by the experiments of M. C. Leverett3 on the flow of oil and water through unconsolidated sands. The sands used by Leverett were of very low permeability (between 6.8 and 1.04 darcies), while the oil-water viscosity ratio varied between 90 and 0.057. Since the sands that constitute petroleum reservoirs are largely con-solidated, although of widely varying degrees of consolidation, it was desirable to extend the experiments on gas-liquid mixtures to consolidated sand. In the study of consolidated sands additional variables are involved, but for the initial experiments the only new variable to be intro-duced was the cementing material.

Jan 1, 1939

By B. F. Buie

For over 200 years meerschaum has been a significant item of trade between the Near East and countries to the west. Best-known for its use in making smoking pipes and cigar and cigarette holders, it is also used in making a variety of decorative and ornamental items. It is easily carved, and is given an attractive, lustrous finish by rubbing. No published specifications are known, but compact form, purity, uniform whiteness or light color, and uniform, porous texture appear to be requisites. Fig. la shows the appearance of a piece of crude meerschaum from Turkey; [Fig. lb a carved item; and Fig. lc, d, and e] show the fibrous and porous texture as revealed by the scanning electron microscope. Neither a major industrial mineral nor a precious stone, meerschaum nevertheless holds a record of long-and continuing-association with art and personal affairs of man. It is also a mineral to which modern methods of exploration and production probably could be profitably applied. An interesting account of the preparation and use of meerschaum in the early part of this century is given by Sterrett (1907). Geology and Mining Mineralogy Meerschaum is recognized now to be the compact variety of sepiolite, the claylike variety of which is one of the minerals included in the chapter on clays. The word "meerschaum," from the German meaning "sea foam," was in earlier times used synonymously with "sepiolite," a word of Greek origin suggestive of the resemblance of the compact variety-then the only variety known-to cuttlefish bone. At one time "meerschaum" was used as the commercial name, and "sepiolite" for the scientific name. However, to think of meerschaum as the name by which sepiolite is known commercially is no longer valid, in view of the recent emergence of the earthy variety as a competitor of bentonite and other clay materials. Present tendency is to restrict the term "meerschaum" to the compact variety, and to use the term "sepiolite" as a more general name to include both the compact and earthy varieties. This is the terminology followed in this publication.

Jan 1, 1975

By David Swan

No mystery shrouds the discovery of chromium. The indefatigable French chemist Vauquelin, in reporting his discovery of this chemical element to 1'Institut National in 1798, concluded his discourse with the statement: "I place before the eyes of the Institute a small quantity of chromium and several of its most re- markable combinations." Working with the so-called "red lead of Siberia, Vauquelin not only prepared numerous chemical compounds of the new metal, but he reduced the oxide to the metallic state. These chemical compounds possessed a variety of remarkably distinctive colors; so, acceding to suggestion, Vauquelin named the new element chrome (chromium), a derivative of the Greek word chroma, meaning color. Siberian "red lead" (crocoite) was not plentiful; however, it was not long before Vauquelin's prediction was realized that the chemical compounds of chromium would become useful in the arts when sources of chromium became more readily available. Although chrome-iron ore (chromite) became obtainable in France, the United States and elsewhere during the early part of the nineteenth century, it is interesting to note that from 1828 to about 1860, Maryland, Pennsylvania, and others of the eastern United States furnished almost the entire chrome-ore requirements of the world. Several countries each in turn have since dominated for certain periods the supply of chromite. In recent years, the largest tonnages have come

Jan 1, 1953

By S. W. Hurlbut

12.4 Application of Research Findings. After the findings of research have been evaluated and approved, there remains the problem of translating them into practical usage. It frequently happens that this is the more difficult phase of the research project. Hitherto, the problems have been largely associated with material objects and scientific laws. When the findings of research are implemented in the field, the human factor becomes the most important element bearing on success or failure. From this point on, the attitudes and reactions of people of all kinds are involved, and just how they are involved and their relation to successful implementation is the subject of the remainder of this section. 12.41. Management Attitudes. To engage in research at all implies management backing to a degree. But this could be dictated by overall company policy or by just some executives in the hierarchy of management. The existence of research per se does not necessarily mean that there is a solid, unanimous echelon of management executives who sincerely believe in the fruits of research, who have an earnest desire to make breakthroughs, and who have a willingness to take calculated risks. Under the ideal condition of complete management backing, translating the results of research into practice is greatly facilitated. If management accepts the results of research as valid, the order is given, or it has been established by precedent that those results will be implemented. The rest of the organization will have grown to accept the fact that this is so, and that the results must be given a fair trial in the field. However, this ideal condition probably exists but rarely, and it is against a background of incomplete, or partial, management backing that most results of research must be implemented. At the present time, the climate for research in the mining field is less than perfect but is improving rapidly as the realization grows within the industry that the way toward taking its proper place in the Space Age is by applying to mining the philosophy and techniques of research that made the Space Age possible.

Jan 1, 1968

By L. D. Stamp

In view of the comprehensive accounts which have appeared in recent years of the oil fields of Burma, Assam and the Punjab,' this brief account will be restricted to an outline recapitulation of the position of the fields and a note on progress and developments in the last two or three years. It is actually peculiarly difficult to give an account of recent developrnents in the oil fields of the Indian Empire. The companies naturally are compelled to make a return to the Government of India of oil produced. These figures are published annually (about 10 months later) for each administrative district (which may include more than one field) where oil is produced, in the Annual Review of the Mineral Production of India (Records of the Geological Survey of India). Some details of recent developments may be given in the Annual Report of the Geological Survey of India (also published in the Records), but otherwise the companies tend to preserve a policy of extreme secrecy. Some of the smaller companies usually publish wellhead production month by month in order to encourage their shareholders when such figures are encouraging, but the larger companies do not necessarily even give figures of production in their annual reports to shareholders. Occasionally details of new tests, new machinery, and so on, leak out through the daily or weekly press in India, but, except for generalized official statements, no details :ire available as to the number of new wells, depths, wells abandoned, or other figures which are common property in other parts of the world. In the country itself the geologists preserve the utmost secrecy, and at times quite a serious system of espionage is developed. Of recent years there has been a slight tendency towards the pooling of experience, but actually the Indian Empire, particularly of course Burma, where there is a

Jan 1, 1933

By Henry A. Stiff, Lawrence E. Davis

A graphic method was developed which can be used to predict the tendency of oil field waters to precipitate calcium Sulfate under a variety of conditions. Application of this method is made to the prediction of sulfate scale formation in heater treaters. boilers. oil wells. cooling systems and water injection wells. INTRODUCTION A solution may be said to be in equilibrium with respect to a given salt when the concentration of that silt in equal to its solubility. If for any reason the concentration of the salt is increased or its solubility decreased. the equilibrium is upset and precipitation of the salt takes place. Thus, if the concentration of a salt in a particular solution is known and its solubility can be calculated for a given set of conditions, the tendency of this salt to form a precipitate under these conditions can be predicted. Based on these principles a method has been developed for determining the tendency of oil field waters to form calcium Sulfate precipitates under various conditions. THE SOLUBILITY DIAGRAM Calcium sulfate precipitation most frequently occurs when two waters are mixed: one containing calcium ions. and the other sulfate ions. As one of these waters is added to the other a point may be reached where the concentration of calcium Sulfate is greater than its solubility. thus causing the formation of a precipitate. The solubility diagram is a graphic device for determining the location of such points, thereby making possible a prediction of the tendency of such a system to deposit sulfate scale. A similar diagram can be used to solve many other problems involving the precipitation of calcium sulfate. Fig. 1 shows a solubility diagram representing the mixing of two waters. Water "A" contains a high concentration of odium, magnesium, and sulfate ions together with a small amount of calcium. Water "B" contains a high concentration of calcium ions together with sodium, magnesium and a small amount of sulfate ions. The percentage mixture of these waters is plotted along the abscissa of a system of rectangular coordi-

Jan 1, 1952

By Richard D. Divine

In the Parkes process of extracting precious metals from lead, zinc is added to the molten lead containing gold, silver, copper, and some antimony. These metals, with the exception of antimony, form an alloy with the zinc by reason of their greater affinity for it than for the lead, and this alloy, being lighter than lead, rises to the top, carrying the precious metals with it, whence it can be removed by skimming. These skimmings are further treated for the separation of the zinc therefrom, and the recovery of the precious metals, the zinc being driven off by heat and again used for another operation. In addition to the zinc that combines with the silver, etc., a certain amount is necessary to saturate the lead, and it is therefore necessary to treat the desilverized lead to free it from this residual zinc. TO do this it is heated again in a reverberatory furnace and air or steam is blown through it. This oxidizes the zinc together with a small amount of lead and antimony, leaving the lead free from zinc and antimony, and forming oxides of these metals, which rise to the top and are skimmed off. This process relates to the separation of the metals in these oxides or skimmings. The skimmings are cooled, crushed, and mixed with carbonate of soda and pulverized oil coke. The mixture is heated in a reverberatory furnace on a bath of lead, to about 1,000" C. The metals are reduced by the coke, the lead and antimony go into the lead bath, while the zinc is volatilized and burned to oxide. This impure oxide is at the present time treated at Omaha by the Hall process of electrical precipitation, making a very pure metallic zinc. It can also be very easily refined by the old Schnabel process of using ammonia and carbon dioxide as a solvent. It seems to be in an ideal form for this purpose, and very few changes from the original method are required to obtain the zinc oxide practically C. P., leaving the lead and antimony as residues. There has been considerable difference of opinion regarding the effect

Jan 1, 1915

By F. E. Wood

This paper is written primarily as a discussion of Dr. W. P. Hase-man's paper on "A Theory of Well Spacing"' and presents briefly the production records, and intensity and rate of development in a large portion of the two principal producing sands in the Salt Creek field, Wyoming. The study includes 1350 wells, 160,000,000 bbl. production, well spacings varying from two to seven wells per 40 acres and early and late development. The general conclusions to be derived from this study are: 1. It is impossible to formulate a mathematical rule to apply to well spacing in the Salt Creek field. 2. Each tract is a separate problem. 3. Tracts first drilled produce the most oil, with many exceptions. 4. Initial production is not a reliable index to the relationship between past, current, or future production. 5. Wells which have produced the most oil in the past are not necessarily yielding the greatest current production nor will they yield the greatest future production. In fact, wells which have yielded the greatest past production will, in at least one-half the cases, make less oil currently or in the future than wells which have produced a smaller quantity of oil in the past. 6. The following is a safe rule to apply in well spacing in the Salt Creek field: (a) If the drilling of an additional well on a tract results in a sustained increased production, with prospects of making a profit, the tract is not overdeveloped and additional wells might be drilled. (b) If the drilling of an additional well does not effect a sustained increase in the production of a tract, the tract is fully developed. Second Wall Creek Sand The Second Wall Creek sand, covering 20,000 producing acres, is the principal producing horizon in the Salt Creek field; 1610 wells are producing at this time from this sand. This paper deals with hut a portion of the entire field including 10,680 of the more productive acres,

Jan 1, 1930

By Carl H. Unruh, D. L. Katz

Experimental data are presented for hydrate formation conditions for gas mixtures of carbon dioxide and methane. Equilibrium constants for carbon dioxide, defined as the mole fraction of carbon dioxide in the gas phase (dry basis) divided by the mole fraction of carhon dioxitle in the hydrate (dry basis)... were calculated usine the equilibrium constants for methane developed in an earlier paper. INTRODUCTION A series of papers have been written on gas hydrates, giving temperatures and pressures at which hydrates would form.2. 3, 4. 5, 6. 9. 12, 13, 15 Vapor-solid equilibrium constants have been developed for methane, ethane, propane and iso-butane' by which it is possible to compute for a specific gas mixture the temperature and pressure at which hydrates will form. Carbon dioxide is present in many natural gases in concentrations usually from 0.1 to 2.0 per cent. It also forms a gas hydrate with water and presumably enters the solid solution when present with a natural gas which is forming a hydrate. The equilibrium constant giving the ratio of the concentration of carbon dioxide in the gas phase to the concentration in the solid phase is required for including the effect of the carbon dioxide when computing the conditions for hydrate formation. Direct determination of the concentration of carbon dioxide in solid hydrate requires a difficult separation to be made. Therefore, this research resorted to the measurement of the temperature and pressure at which specific mixtures of methane and carbon diox- ide would form hydrates. From the equilibrium constants previously mentioned for methane, it is possible to compute the equilibrium constant for carbon dioxide, without measurement of the composition of the solid phase. Fig. 1 shows the conditions at which methane and carbon dioxide form hydrates. The methane curve FG extents to some high pressure while the carbon dioxide curve AB intersects the vapor-liquid water-liquid carbon dioxide

Jan 1, 1949