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By R. E. Ogilvie, A. R. Kaufmann, S. H. Gelles

The solid-solubility limits of iron in beryllium were determined between 850o and 1200oC by analysis of differential type multiphase diffusion couples, using an X-ray absorption technique. The maximum value of the solubility limit was found to be 0.92 ± 0.02 at. pct (5.46 wt pet) at the eutectic temperature 1225°C. The solubilities of nickel and beryllium were determined between 900°and 1200°C by the same technique and the maximum solubility was found to be 4.93 + 0.01 at. pct (25.2 wt pet) at the eutectoid temperature, 1065°C. A previously unreported high-temperature phase which decomposes eutectoidally at 1065 °C was found to exist in the beryllium-nickel system at a composition of approximately 8 at. pct Ni (36 wt pet) by diffision-couple analysis. The presence of this phase was confirmed by thermal analysis and metallo-graphic analysis of the structure resulting from the eutectoid decomposition. G. V. Raynor1 has treated the solid solubilities of some of the elements in beryllium on the basis of the "Hume-Rothery" rules2 which have been modified to include ionic size and ionic distortion effects. It was predicted that the solubility of iron and nickel in beryllium should be slightly less than that of copper. The lowering of the solubility, according to Raynor, is due to a more unfavorable relative valency effect and an ionic size effect. Kaufmann and corzine3 have compiled data on the solubilities of elements in beryllium and have discussed them in the light of the Raynor paper. These authors feel that, because the elements having the greatest solubility in beryllium systematically fall in the Group VIII and IB Columns of the periodic table, the electronic structure greatly influences the maximum solid solubility of elements in beryllium. The solubility of iron in beryllium was determined by Teitel and cohen4 as part of the study of the beryllium-iron phase diagram. The determination was carried out by X-ray and thermal analysis and according to the phase diagram presented, the maximum solubility of iron in beryllium is 0.41 at. pct (2.5 wt pct) at 1225oC. However, it is estimated that the uncertainty in the position of the a-beryllium primary solid-solution boundary is about 0.5 at. pct (3wtpct). Losana and Goria3 in studying the beryllium-nickel phase diagram, determined the solid solubility of nickel in beryllium by thermal analysis. They found the maximum solubility to be between 1.65 and 2.65 at. pct (10 to 15 wt pct) at 1240°C. This value decreased rapidly with decreasing temperature. In determining approximate ranges of solubilities for different elements in beryllium, Kaufmann, et al,8 reported a value of between 1.3 and 1.7 at. pct (7.9 to 10.1 wt pct) for the solubility of nickel in beryllium. The value was obtained by metallographic examination of quenched alloys and lattice-parameter measurements. However, the authors also noted a single-phase structure for a 1.7 at. pct Ni alloy (10 wt pct) on cooling from the liquid. This would indicate a higher solubility range than was reported. ~isch,' in his X-ray studies of beryllium-copper, beryllium-nickel, and beryllium-iron intermetallic compounds, reports the disappearance of a second phase (Ni,Be2) in the beryllium primary solid solution at approximately 4 at. pct (20 wt pct). THEORY The analysis of concentration gradients in diffusion couples has proven to be a useful tool in determining phase equilibria.8-14 In this particular study the diffusion couples were chosen to straddle the expected composition range of the phase boundary, then heat treated at a given temperature and the concentration gradient evaluated. The composition of the phase boundary for a given temperature appears at a point of discontinuity of the composition gradient. Examples of typical phase diagrams and the concentration gradients which should be found in such systems are shown in Fig. 1. In the present work, gradients of the form of Fig. l(c) were obtained in diffusion couples made of pure beryllium and two-phase alloys of beryllium with either iron or nickel. The composition at the point where the gradient becomes discontinuous, Cs, corresponds to the solubility limit of either iron or nickel in beryllium. The analysis of the concentration gradients was carried out by an X-ra absorption method developed and applied by Ogilvie and later used by Moll13 and Hilliard.l4 It depends on the fact that the absorption of X-rays by matter is determined by the concentration and type of the various atomic species present. The relationship for the intensity, I, of a monochro-

Jan 1, 1960

By W. B. Clark

IN OPERATING the Alpha mine of the Consolidated Coppermines Corp., Kimberly, Nev., it was necessary to pump out approximately 1200 gallons of waiter per minute to prevent the mine being flooded. There were three levels in the mine at which water accumulated and from which it was pumped, the 1200, 1400 and the 1800- ft. levels. At each, the pumping equipment was installed in duplicate so that if for any reason one unit was out of commission the other would be available to prevent flooding. The two centrifugal pumps at the 1200-ft. level were 600 hp. each; at the 1400-ft. level, 100 hp. each; and at the 1800-ft. level, 300 hp. each.

Jan 1, 1933

By B. Amero, W. Petruk, D. R. Owens, D. R. Morris

Samples taken at different heights in the lead blast furnace of Brunswick Mining and Smelting corporation were studied to determine the phases present in order to interpret the reactions In the furnace. The main phases in the blast furnace feed are Pb3Ca2S13011, Zn ferrite (ZnFe204), and hardystonite (Ca2ZnSi207); rninor ones include lead and a Pb silicate. The temperature in the furnace varies from about 300°C at 4.2 m above the tuyeres to 1150°C at 1.1 m. There is no evidence of reactions in samples from points cooler than 800°C. Some reaction occurs between 950° and llOO°C and the lead sinter is nearly decomposed at about 1150°C. The first evidence of reaction was the decomposition of Pb silicate to lead and S102. At higher temperatures the Pb Ca2Si3011 decomposed to form lead and hardystonite (Ca2ZnS120rf. The Zn required for hardystonite was derived from the Zn ferrite which apparently re-equilibrated to a new Zn ferrite with less Zn. The decomposed sinter consists essentially of lead, hardystonite, wustite and a Zn ferrite with a low Zn content.

Jan 1, 1984

By H. K. Najarian

This paper describes recent development work on the Wheaton-Najarian Vacuum Condenser for Zinc at Josephtown Zinc Smelter, wherein, to dissipate the heat of condensation, the "airlift" action of gases bubbling through the molten zinc in the condenser is utilized to circulate the zinc through an outside "cooling well" and cooling it continuously. AN earlier paper1 gave an account of initial development of the Wheaton-Najarian Vacuum Zinc Condenser at the Josephtown Zinc Smelter of the author's company. This paper is a progress report of further development work over the years directed toward improving the efficiency and increasing the capacity of the condenser. In this type of zinc condenser, zinc vapor with accompanying noncondensable gases from electro-thermic zinc smelting furnaces is passed upwardly through a mass of molten zinc confined in a refractory-lined U-tube. The zinc vapor condenses in the molten zinc and the noncondensable gases are drawn out of the condenser by suction applied over the surface of the molten zinc. The heat of condensation of zinc, amounting roughly to 1000 Btu per lb of zinc condensed, is absorbed by the molten zinc and, in turn, is dissipated continuously to keep the temperature of molten zinc in a range to permit effective condensation. At the time of publication of our first paper, we had at Josephtown Smelter five units of 69-in.-bore metal furnaces and one larger metal furnace having 96-in. bore. Each 69-in. metal furnace had a condenser with 22-ft overall length. The 96-in.-bore furnace had a condenser with overall length of 31 ft. Condensers were of circular cross section, with corrugated steel outer shell and carborundum lining. Diameter of these condensers was 32 in. inside the refractory lining. Molten metal in the con- denser was kept cool by spraying cold water on the outside of the condenser shell. Under good operating conditions, 22-ft condensers produced some 12 tons of metal per day; and the 31-ft condenser, about 22 tons. When the furnaces produced zinc vapor at higher rates, invariably the condenser temperature would rise to levels where excessive blue powder would form and accumulation of accretions in the condenser would be accelerated. We found that, with the system of cooling in use, we had to provide heat-exchange surface of some 150 sq ft to condense 1000 lb of metal per hr with reasonable efficiency. The wall of the condensers was made up of 5/8-in.-thick corrugated-steel shell having next to it several layers of mica and inner refractory lining of special carborundum shapes to fit the corrugation in the steel shell, and having a minimum thickness of about 2 in. Relatively low rate of heat transfer through the thick condenser wall and slow internal circulation of the molten zinc limited the rate of heat exchange between hot metal within the condenser and the cold water flowing over the outer steel shell. The thickness of the condenser wall was about minimum that we considered suitable for continuous operation. As we learned to operate the electrothermic furnaces with higher power input, producing zinc vapor at higher rates, it became apparent that we needed condensers having larger heat-exchange surfaces. Our 96-in.-bore furnace had 6 single-phase power circuits with transformers rated at 500 kva each and normally good for power input of 3000 kw.

Jan 1, 1959

By Perry Olcott

The Texas Gulf Coast had a rather disappointing year in the type of oil fields found. Although 17 fields were found in the area during the year, as against 21 fields in 1938, no field of major proportion was discovered. Of these 17 fields, 11 were oil fields, 4 were gas and distillate fields, and 2 were gas fields. The wildcat activity for the year resulted in about 400 dry holes, although probably 10 per cent of these were edge wells close to proved areas. During the year, 1455 oil and gas wells were completed as compared to 1637 wells in 1938, a decrease of 11 per cent. Production for the Texas Gulf Coast area for the year was 100,253,937 bbl. as against 92,530,467 bbl. produced in 1938, an increase of 8 per cent. The daily average production was 274,668 bbl. for the 365 days in the year, although only 252 producing days were allowed by the Railroad Commission; that is, 69 per cent of the time as compared to 71 days shut in for 80 per cent of the time producing in 1938. The total number of oil and distillate wells producing at the end of 1939 was 9495 as against 8451 at the end of 1938—an increase of 1044 wells, or 12 per cent. Of these wells, 6547 were flowing and 2948 pumping, or 69 per cent flowing. At the end of the previous year, 66 per cent of the wells were flowing. New Fields Angleton, Brazoria County.—The Angleton field was discovered by the completion of Glen McCarthy's No. 1 Carr in October for an initial production of 180 bbl. a day of 50" gravity oil through 11/64-in. choke with 3400 Ib. on tubing. The field is 1½ miles east of the town of Anchor. The discovery undoubtedly can be credited to the reflection seismograph, since several companies worked the area from 1933 onward with this type of exploration. The principal block was taken by the Humble company in 1934. Two deep holes by Humble revealed the presence of structure, although both were dry. The Humble and Sun companies later contributed money and acreage toward the drilling of the discovery well. The production is from a sand in the Frio, about 1700 ft.

Jan 1, 1940

By Perry Olcott

The Texas Gulf Coast had a rather disappointing year in the type of oil fields found. Although 17 fields were found in the area during the year, as against 21 fields in 1938, no field of major proportion was discovered. Of these 17 fields, 11 were oil fields, 4 were gas and distillate fields, and 2 were gas fields. The wildcat activity for the year resulted in about 400 dry holes, although probably 10 per cent of these were edge wells close to proved areas. During the year, 1455 oil and gas wells were completed as compared to 1637 wells in 1938, a decrease of 11 per cent. Production for the Texas Gulf Coast area for the year was 100,253,937 bbl. as against 92,530,467 bbl. produced in 1938, an increase of 8 per cent. The daily average production was 274,668 bbl. for the 365 days in the year, although only 252 producing days were allowed by the Railroad Commission; that is, 69 per cent of the time as compared to 71 days shut in for 80 per cent of the time producing in 1938. The total number of oil and distillate wells producing at the end of 1939 was 9495 as against 8451 at the end of 1938—an increase of 1044 wells, or 12 per cent. Of these wells, 6547 were flowing and 2948 pumping, or 69 per cent flowing. At the end of the previous year, 66 per cent of the wells were flowing. New Fields Angleton, Brazoria County.—The Angleton field was discovered by the completion of Glen McCarthy's No. 1 Carr in October for an initial production of 180 bbl. a day of 50" gravity oil through 11/64-in. choke with 3400 Ib. on tubing. The field is 1½ miles east of the town of Anchor. The discovery undoubtedly can be credited to the reflection seismograph, since several companies worked the area from 1933 onward with this type of exploration. The principal block was taken by the Humble company in 1934. Two deep holes by Humble revealed the presence of structure, although both were dry. The Humble and Sun companies later contributed money and acreage toward the drilling of the discovery well. The production is from a sand in the Frio, about 1700 ft.

Jan 1, 1940

By Persifor Frazer

IT was my intention to have directed the attention of the members of the Institute to a complete series of rocks representing the older and middle formations represented in Pennsylvania, but time has been insufficient for the purpose, and I have been unable, in the first attempts to reduce the sections of those rocks, which I have brought with me to this meeting, to the requisite thinness necessary for exhibiting the peculiarities of their constituent minerals. The rocks represented here belong to the various horizons already mentioned, and include gneiss, ferruginous gneiss, chlorite slate, quartzites, and hydro-mica slates, limestones, dolomites, ferruginous conglomerates, quartz conglomerates, "Potomac marble" (nether member of the Mesozoic series), dolerites, and a syenite. The order in which these are named is, roughly, the order -of geographical position in a section line from southeast to northwest, commencing at the intersection of the Northern Central Railroad with the Maryland line, and ending a few miles from the town of York, and a short distance within the marginal outcrop of Mesozoic red sandstone. In such a geographical section all the rocks above mentioned would be encountered in the given order except syenite, about which a few words are to be said in a moment. (But this is far from representing the rocks in their geological sequence.) There is nothing of unusual interest to present to your notice in these slates and quartzites. The limestones were carefully searched under 450 diameters microscopic power, but they show no signs of organic remains. One section of a fine-grained Triassic sandstone contains a very beau¬tifully banded plate of quartz. But the objects of greatest interest at present are the specimens of trap. The more fine-grained and compact traps were collected from

Jan 1, 1875

By E. C. Pechin

AT the suggestion of some members of the Institute, attention is called to the record of the working of Dunbar Furnace during the twelve months ending in January, 1874. During this period, with a product of over eleven thousand gross tons, not a single ton of

Jan 1, 1874

By P. E. Cavanagh

SINCE the 1930's' the production of iron ore in Canada has increased from zero to about 15 million tons per year. In the same short period of about 25 years, the steel industry has doubled in output, while the consumption of steel has also doubled. In the 1930's all Canadian steel was made from imported iron ore, whereas today, Canada is exporting considerably more iron ore than she imports. It appears certain that the production of iron ore in Canada will at least double in the near future, and should be over 45 million tons per year at the end of the next 25 years, in 1980. It also appears certain that most of this iron ore will be exported to the United States, with some proportion going to Europe. In this situation, it is logical and proper at the present time for Canadians to consider means of converting some of all of this Canadian iron ore into semi-finished or finished products in Canada.

Jan 6, 1958

By R. Clare Coffin

The production of petroleum in the Rocky Mountain district increased from 27,104,436 bbl. in 1929 to 33,048,630 bbl. in 1930. This increase was due to the development in southeastern New Mexico; which is in reality a portion .of the West Texas province. Disregarding production in southeastern New Mexico, the Rocky Mountain district produced 25,799,027 bbl. in 1929 and 23,164,988 bbl. in 1930, a decrease of 2,634,039 bbl. for the period. The daily production in January, 1930, averaged 70,839 bbl. for the entire district and in December, 1930, the daily production was 98,995 bbl. Total production by states is given in Table 1. Three important discoveries of oil and one of gas occurred in the district during 1930 in structures not, previously known to contain oil or gas. Oil was discovered in Dry Creek structure, Carbon County, Mont.; in the Midway structure, Natrona County, near Casper, Wyo.; and in the Greasewood structure, Weld County, Colo., northwest of Fort Morgan. Gas was discovered in the Bell Rock structure in Moffat County, western Colorado. Seven deep tests in as many different fields encountered oil in lower horizons than those already exploited. All of these discoveries were in the state of Wyoming. They occurred in the Salt Creek field, Natrona

Jan 1, 1931

By Roy W. Moore

The Tom Reed Extension and Big Jim mines of United Eastern Mining Co. are situated in the Oatman district, Mohave County, Ariz., about 28 miles southwest of Kingman, the nearest railway point. Articles descriptive of the mine surface plant, mill construction, and plant operations have been written by Otto Wartenweiler,' the designing engineer; Wheeler 0. North12 when he was assistant general manager for the company, and Earle M. Bagley, mill superintendent.3 The last article covers average costs for the full time the mill was operated. The geology of the mines is described by F. L. Ransome 4 of the United States Geological Survey. Production was started in January, 1917, and the known orebodies were exhausted in May, 1925, showing a life of seven years and five months. On account of the comparatively short life and the fact that stoping operations were confined to two orebodies, little experimenting was done with mining methods. The two orebodies were in what is generally called the Tom Reed-United Eastern vein, which occupies a fault fissure having a normal displacement of several hundred feet. Seven or eight very productive ore shoots were mined along this vein in a distance of 1 1/2 miles, the two worked by the United Eastern being 1 mile apart. The maximum dimensions of the Tom Reed Extension ore shoot were: height, 750 ft.; length, 950 ft.; thickness, 48 ft. The vein structure varied from a solid quartz-calcite filling to a series of parallel stringers separated by andesite. From this body, 511,976 tons of ore were mined. (Fig. 1.) The maximum dimensions of the Big Jim orebody were: height, 450 ft.; length, 850 ft., thickness, 35 ft. Its structure was similar to that of the Tom Reed Extension but larger sections of the vein were made up

Jan 1, 1928

By T. C. Craig

During the year 1936, there were 654 oil wells drilled in the Texas Panhandle, with a total daily initial production of 256,049 bbl. Although 74 more wells were drilled than in the previous year, the total initial production lacked 109,303 bbl. to equal that of 1935. The explanation is that during 1935 most of the drilling was in the granite-wash area, which is much more prolific than the dolomite, in which the major development was done during 1936. Twenty-one oil wells were drilled deeper, increasing their potential 3683 bbl. The total daily oil potentid of the field Dec. 31, 1936, as determined by the Texas Railroad Commission, was 834,888 bbl., with a daily allowable production of 71,335 bbl. No overall field decline in production is recognized by the Texas Railroad Commission. A well is tested upon completion to determine its potential production. If the well is then shot with nitroglycerin or is treated with

Jan 1, 1937

By G. W. Healy, J. C. Schottmiller

Molten silicates were found to exist in the Cr-Si-0 system at temperatures above 1450°C. one atom of oxygen is readily removed from CrzOs in the presence of Si02 at 1700°C, forming a silicate melt. Steam-hydrogen ratio measurements made at this temperature indicate that the free energy of the reaction: Cr20s(c) + Hz = 2CrO (in Si02 -saturated melt) + H20 is approximately 5600 * 1500 cal. A deep-blue chromous silicate, probably Cr2Si04, forms from these melts at about 1400" to 1500°C, and is characterized by.its distinctive X-ray diffraction pattern and optical properties—distinct pleochroism and high refractive indices. THE question of the state of oxidation of chromium in slags has vexed metallurgists for many years The experiments of Koerber and Oelsenl suggested the probable presence of divalent chromium in silica-saturated slags equilibrated with high-chromium melts. Hilty and coworkers2 had also found chromium at lower valency, as Cr304, in inclusions formed from oxygen-saturated Fe-Cr melts with as little as 10 pct Cr. In both cases, disproportiona-tion of the lower oxide to CraO3 and chromium was found to occur to a greater or lesser extent, depending upon the rate of cooling from the high temperature. The work on Cr304 was sufficiently detailed for chipmans to derive its thermodynamic properties, but Oelsen's experiments in the silicate system were not extensive enough since most of his runs were made with slags containing large amounts of manganese oxide in addition to iron and chrome oxide and silica. The present study describes experiments carried out to map out an approximate liquidus diagram in the CrzOs, "CrO", SiOa portion of the Cr-Si-0 system, and to measure the partial free energy of solution of oxygen in the system. EXPERIMENTAL 1) Approximate Melting-Point Determinations. Preliminary trials showed that when an equimolar mixture of Cr20s and SiOa was treated with hydrogen in the temperature range 1500" to 1600°C, copious amounts of steam were evolved, and a low-melting liquid formed which could be quenched to a blue, crystalline, material having a distinctive X-ray diffraction pattern. It was found that the identical material could be produced by heating intimately mixed, finely divided Cra03, Cr, and SiOa, held in a tungsten crucible, under purified argon. Thus, it was possible to prepare mixtures containing any desired proportions of chromium, silicon, and oxygen, pel-letize them, heat to temperature in the furnace shown in Fig. 1, and observe, after cooling, whether the pellet remained unchanged or showed signs of incipient, partial, or complete melting. 2) Free Energy of Solution of Oxygen. This was studied by measurement of steam-hydrogen ratios for the reaction: H20 (gas) + O (dissolved in charge) + Ha (gas) The experimental method chosen was to prepare a

Jan 1, 1964

By R. Clare Coffin

The production of oil in the Rocky Mountain district, including southeastern New Mexico, increased from 33,048,630 bbl. in 1930 to 34,325,163 bbl. in 1931. This increase was due to production in New Mexico, which exceeded the 1930 figure by approximately 5,000,000 barrels. Total production by fields is given in Table 1. Exploration during 1931 resulted in the discovery of a new oil-producing horizon in the Big Muddy field in Natrona County, Wyoming, and ' the discovery of a new gas pool in the Powder Wash structure, Moffat County, northwestern Colorado. Gas was discovered also in the Frontier sands of the Bunker Hill dome, Carbon County, Wyoming, but no test has yet been made by which to determine the significance of this discovery. All other exploration which resulted in increasing the known reserves of oil and gas in the district was confined to drilling in partly outlined fields where known limits of production were extended. During the year two major gas pipe lines were completed in western Montana, and one in southwestern New Mexico was extended into Arizona. One new project involving the marketing of natural gas from Wyoming fields included the conversion of an existing oil line to a gas line to serve towns in southeastern Wyoming and western Nebraska. Colorado The decline of 132,501 bbl. in the production of oil in the Colorado fields during 1931 from the figure of 1930 is due to the natural decline of existing wells, partly offset by the increased production in the Greasewood area. New exploration was limited largely to northeastern Colorado, where attempts were made to find oil in areas adjacent to the Grease-wood field. Powder Wash, Moffat County.—The Ohio Oil Co. is to be credited with the discovery of a gas field in the Power Wash structure in Moffat County, Colorado. The initial well drilled in sec. 5-11-97 encountered a sand at a depth of 2152 ft. which produced 34,188,000 cu. ft. of gas on an open-flow test. The rock pressure was reported as 630 Ib.

Jan 1, 1932

By W. G. Matteson

The Oklahoma legislature recently passed a bill providing for "the creation of an oil and gas department under the jurisdiction of the Corporation Commission, authorizing the Corporation Commission to appoint a chief oil and gas conservation agent, and conferring exclusive jurisdiction on the Corporation Commission in reference to the conservation of oil and gas, and the inspection of gasoline and oil, the product of crude petroleum, and repealing all acts or parts of acts in conflict therewith and declaring an emergency." Some of the functions of the new bureau include the receiving and filing of all well logs, and the direction and supervision of plugging all abandoned oil and gas wells, under rules prescribed by the Corporation Commission. The two leading petroleum-producing States of the country, Oklahoma and California, have now established oil and gas bureaus with a staff of inspectors to see that the important rules relating to the conservation of oil and gas are thoroughly enforced. The economic significance and the value of well logs in the conservation work has been recognized, and the necessary legal action taken to insure and procure them. William B. Heroy, of the Government Land Classification Board, in a personal communication to the writer, says that the drilling of wells is also regulated by public authority in the Roswell artesian basin in southeastern New Mexico, where a permit must be obtained for the drilling of any well and a certified log of the well recorded with a county official. The method is said to give fairly satisfactory results. In a recent article1 a National instead of a State Bureau was suggested for collecting and filing well logs. In discussing the paper, L. L. Hutchison characterized such a plan as impractical because the average driller or contractor will often juggle or guess at the log and will not keep the record sufficiently close or accurate, making it necessary to maintain a special man at each well for the sole purpose of obtaining

Jan 1, 1918

I HAVE striven to demonstrate to you as well as possible the method of bringing the metals of your ores to their ultimate perfection. But one cannot always do with gold that is found in the ores what is done with the other metals, for gold is not always accompanied by fine silver nor is it

Jan 1, 1942

By T. F. Archbold, R. E. Grace

The use of interference colors is the simplest experimental way to determine the approximate film thicknesses of oxides formed on liquid metals. A large amount of data under various conditions can be obtained easily and quickly. The oxidation of liquid lead has been studied by several investigators,1-5 but all of these studies have been on thick oxide scales. The purpose of- this work was to investigate the range 0 to 2000A film thickness. By using electron diffraction, Jenkins concluded that the surface of the film on molten lead is yellow orthorhombic PbO with the (110) planes parallel to the surface. This was confirmed by Shimaoka and Yamai7 who also used electron diffraction from the melting point of lead to 730°C. The rate of oxidation of pure liquid lead in air was measured in the temperature range 453" to 643°C by observing the rate of formation of interference colors on static lead baths. Approximately 170 g of lead (99.999 pct) was placed in a refractory dish having a working surface of 13.8 sq cm. This crucible was placed in a deep-well resistance furnace open to the atmosphere. The times at which the various interference colors appeared, after wiping the molten metal surface clean, were determined at 453", 533°, 600°, and 643°C. Elapsed times were determined with a stopwatch and all colors were estimated by eye. Bath temperatures

Jan 1, 1959

By Jeffrey N. Schuyler

In order to implement the most efficient and cost-effective hydraulic fracturing stimulation treatment within a particular region, a thorough understanding of the in-situ stress state and rock properties is paramount (Smith et al., 1978; Warpinski et al., 1982). Several studies conducted in order to "characterize" formations have provided invaluable insight into the relationship between lithologic properties, depth, in-situ stress magnitude and hydraulic fracture orientation. These studies have substantiated that at shallow depths, rock properties such as tensile strength and permeability can exert a substantial influence on the geometry of an induced hydraulic fracture. In turn, these "directional properties" can be related to existing geologic conditions during the time of deposition or major diagenetic alteration of the rock body. As the depth of the "payzone" increases, the role of the in-situ stresses and therefore the prevailing tectonic conditions becomes the dominant factor in determining fracture geometry. However, reservoir properties cannot be ignored. The porosity, permeability, pervasive fabric element and directional elastic properties can have a significant influence on the success of those tests conducted to measure the in-situ stresses either directly or through secondary observations... for instance, pore-pressure effects on measurements of in-situ stress. The purpose of this paper is to provide, through the use of appropriate field and laboratory examples, a more thorough understanding of in-situ stresses, rock properties and their integrated effect on hydraulic fracture properties. In addition to highlighting and expanding the wide body of existing literature, the case studies cited are designed to encourage mutual transfer of technology from petroleum-related, rock-mechanics efforts to other disciplines.

Jan 1, 1984

By Anton Eilers, R. W. Raymond, O. H. Hann

THIS paper will treat of such works only as beneficiate ores directly in the mining districts. And when it is said that more than twenty

By C. R. Claus, G. A. Standish

Since March. 1945, the Magnolia Petroleum CO. has drilled 39 wells in Southwest Coastal Louisiana. All wells were drilled within a comparatively small radius, but the area provides a large variety of problems. The deepest well drilled was 13,518 ft, and the total depth averaged 10,977 ft. Throughout this period drilling mud control and types of mud handled were: (I) phosphate, (2) red lime (late conversion), (3) red lime starch (early conversion), (4) red lime starch oil emulsion, (5) precision controlled low alkalinity-low lime content. and (6) gel muds for completion purposes. Improvement has been obtained in effecting some or all of the following: (I) more rapid penetration, (2) reduction in drilling hazards, (3) better evaluation of cores and logs, and (4) better completions. The geological sequence of zones penetrated range from recent sediments at the grass roots through the Frio section. Anticipation of high-pressure zones and incompetent formations entails precision control of drilling mud weights, and the unconsolidated nature of the various zones requires constant attention to the filtrate, viscosity, and gel strength values. In the Chalkley field, particularly, this combination of problems exists, where the formation pressures and overburden weight density values are in very close proximity. Design of casing and drilling mud programs must be modified to fit each well. INTRODUCTION Field and research work on drilling fluids has made constant progress, enabling operators to prospect progressively deeper horizons. Numerous papers have been written on the theoretical aspects of drilling fluid devel- opment, but in the field engineers have found it difficult to evaluate the role of specific mud constitutents when dealing in terms of thousand barrel mud systems. For that reason field data is somewhat lagging in technical report writing. However, applications of new techniques in the field have usually paralleled, and in numerous instances preceded, research work. The information obtained by Magnolia Petroleum Co. in the course of drilling 39 wells within a comparatively small area in Southwest Coastal Louisiana provides an excellent opportunity of reviewing a specific example of drilling mud evolution. A large variety of problems has been coped with, the most important result being that every well was successfully drilled to its projected total depth. The discussion begins with the advent of deep drilling in this area in March, 1945, and is concluded with a resume of recent drilling operations in the Chalkley field. The primary purpose of this paper is to describe the evolution in types of drilling fluids as it occurred and its application in the solution of various drilling problems. All of this information and experience resulted in the successful drilling of the three wells in the Chalkley field, where a combination of the most sound techniques was necessary in carrying drilling operations to the projected total depths. Other operators along with service company engineers have contributed considerably through the interchange of ideas and information to this paper, but the data and conclusions which are contained are based on first-hand observation of Magnolia Petroleum Company's drilling operations. The 39 wells drilled by Magnolia Petroleum Co. average in depth 10,977 ft per well, while the maximum depth penetrated was 13,518 ft. The cost of drilling fluids have varied from $8,700 to $165,000, with the over-all drilling costs ranging from $74,000 to $543,000 per well. This wide variance illustrates the unpredictable nature of each well and the effects on over-all cost when high density muds are required to control

Jan 1, 1955