Search Documents

By E. W. Shaw

Continued discussion of the paper of Roswell H. JOHNSON, presented at the New York meeting, February, 1915, and printed in Bulletin No. 98, February, 1915, pp. 221 to 226. See also Bulletin No. 101, May, 1915, pp. 1157 to 1162. E. W. SHAW, Washington, D. C. (communication to the Secretary+). -With the word petrology-literally the science of rocks-being used primarily for igneous rocks, and with geophysics coming to mean the study of lavas and the rocks into which they solidify, contributions to the knowledge of the physical chemistry of sedimentary rocks, even though only ideas which may be used as working hypotheses, become most welcome. The forces which control the formation and subsequent history of the stratified portions of the earth's crust are so little known that no one has yet been able to settle finally the questions as to whether petroleum is of organic or inorganic origin; whether it originated far from its present position, or nearby. Yet both the chemical and physical problems of the rocks in which oil occurs seem to be more simple than those of the igneous rocks. The oil-bearing rocks of western Pennsylvania, for example, have in all probability never been subjected to a pressure exceeding 3,000 or 4,000 lb. to the square inch, nor to a temperature higher than 100° or 200° C. These pressures are considerably below the crushing strength of rocks, and the temperature far below their melting point. The igneous rocks,, on the other hand, have been affected by enormous pressures and very high temperatures and yet steady progress is being made in reproducing in the laboratory the conditions of their formation and subsequent modification within the earth. The solution of the sedimentary-rock problems would seem to be fully as important as those of igneous rocks, and yet we must content ourselves with reasoning backward and our inferences as to what has happened are oftentimes little more than guesses.1 One of the fundamental problems is the origin of the salt water in oil fields. Is the salt water fossil sea water; has it been formed by the solution o-f salts of various kinds from distinct beds, from disseminated par-ticles, and from the weathering of suitable grains in the rock; or is it of deep-seated origin? Its general resemblance to sea water points to the first, but the principles held by some concerning the free circulation of water throughout the earth's crust, and certain peculiarities of composition indicated by the few analyses available, seem out of harmony with such an explanation.

Jan 7, 1915

By W. A. Ver Wiebe

The year 1938, with a production of 58,784,250 bbl. from 18,790 wells shows a slight recession from the high peak of oil production reached the previous year, when slightly over 68 million barrels of oil was marketed. The previous high peak had been reached in 1917 with a total of 45,451,000 bbl. Another still earlier peak was reached in 1904, during which year slightly less than 5 million barrels was produced and sold. The production of gas, on the other hand, probably reached a new peak during 1938 with a total of over 60 billion cubic feet. This peak, however, was not the highest peak, for during the year 1908 over 80 billion cubic feet was produced. Between these two high peaks the production dropped down to 16 billion cubic feet in the year 1921. The number of wells drilled during the year totals 1569. This figure is somewhat lower than the figure given in several trade journals because it does not include wells that were deepened or recompleted in a different geological horizon. Nearly three-fourths (or 1107) of the total number of wells were completed as commercial oil wells (915 in western and 192 wells in eastern Kansas). The commercial gas wells completed number 50, of which 4 are in eastern Kansas and 46 in western Kansas. The remaining 412 completions include 130 dry holes in eastern and 282 dry holes in western Kansas. Based on daily potential capacity, the new discoveries of the year accounted for 70,000 bbl. of new oil for eastern and 1,220,000 bbl. of new oil for western Kansas. It is interesting to note in this connection that the number of wells completed in the state rose gradualIy to a first peak in 1904, when 2782 were drilled. The number dropped off rapidly to 368 three years later, but rose to the second and highest peak in 1918 when 4671 wells were completed. In the period between 1904 and 1912 more gas wells than oil wells were completed. Between the high peak of 1918 and the somewhat lower peak in 1937, the low point was reached during 1931, with the completion of only 470 wells. In the matter of new pools discovered, Kansas again ranks high. The exact number depends somewhat upon the interpretation of a new area whether it should be called a new pool or a long extension of an

Jan 1, 1939

By Michael Tenebaum, C. C. Brown

In recent years, the importance of slag control in basic open-hearth operations has been universally recognized. To effect such control during the working period of the heat, methods have been developed to measure or estimate slag oxidation and slag basicity. While satisfactory rapid chemical methods have been developed to determine slag oxidation, no completely adequate method of evaluating basicity has yet been provided. The most generally accepted control methods of measuring slag basicity are based on visual cstimates. While considerable benefit may be derived from such estimates, the need for some measurable indication of slag basicity has become increasingly apparent. In a recent paper, Philbrook and Jolly suggested a promising technique for making the basicity determination. Their method consists of measuring the pH of a mixture of powdered open-hearth slag and distilled water. It was found that a relation could be established between the slag basicity and the alkalinity of the water mixture as measured by the hydrogen-ion concentration. The general procedure followed in making the measurements and the considerations involved in constructing the original curves are given in the paper of Philbrook and Jolly and need not be repeated. It is the purpose of this paper to discuss some of the factors considered in applying the pH measurements to actual slag control and to present some of the results of its apphcation. Factors Involved in Measuring pH of Water-slag Mixtures To facilitate the application of the pH control system, it was desirable that no alteration be made in the routine methods of sampling and crushing the furnace slag. Some of the factors considered before establishing a curve to relate slag basicity with the pH reading arc reviewed individually in the following paragraphs. Effect of Cooling Rate Under actual operating conditions there can be considerable variation in the temperature of the piece of slag crushed for the pH determination. To determine whether variations in crushing temperature or in cooling rate would affect the pH reading, a series of four samples was prepared from each of two separate slags. These samples represented conditions far more extreme than would actually be encountered. To obtain these samples, a thick pancake of slag was poured. One piece of this pancake was crushed immediately after it had solidified. Another piece was water-quenched and then crushed. A third piece was allowed to air-cool to room temperature before crushing. The fourth sample was prepared from a chilled slag. This sample was poured onto a heavy inclined steel plate at the

Jan 1, 1945

By A. D. Zunkel, A. H. Larson

Equilibrium antimony contents of pb-sb alloys in contact with PbO-Sb2O3 slags containing less than 45 mole pct Sb203 uleve determined at 650', 700°, and 750°C in an inert atmosphere. In this ten~pevature range, the antimony contmzt of the alloy increased with increasing temperature at all slag compositions. The PbO-Sb203 phase diagram below 28 mole pct Sb2O3 was determined by thermal analysis and by application of a log sbZ4/y$b0 us plot determined from the equilibrium-activity data. The resulting phase diagram showed a eutectic at a temperature of 604°C and a comfiosition of 21.6 mole pct Sb2O, with a maximum terminal solid solubility of Sb203 in PbO of 5.6 mole pct. These results are compared with existing data in the literature. In the past three decades, only a small amount of experimental work has been done on the slag-metal equilibria in the Pb-PbO-SbaO3 or the analogous arsenic and tin systems. These systems are important in commercial lead-refining processes such as softening and dross fuming since it is impurities such as antimony, arsenic, and tin in lead bullion and Sb2O3, As2O3, and SnOz in lead drosses which must be re-

Jan 1, 1968

By A. W. Ambrose

The underground losses of oil exceed by hundreds of thousands of barrels all the oil that has been lost in storage, transportation, or refining. The quantity lost is, of course, indeterminate; but when it is considered that the contents of an entire oil field have been excluded from recovery by invading waters, some idea of the amount wasted may be gained. Similarly, enormous quantities of gas have been lost underground. Conservation of the oil, therefore, should start before it is brought to the surface rather than after it is placed in storage tanks. Water is one of the most important causes for underground losses and the operator should give as serious consideration to an underground flood of water as he would to a destructive surface flood. The best insurance, of course, is to have the wells drilled in such a manner that water has no access to the productive oil and gas horizons, and on abandonment the wells should be properly plugged. The encroachment of edge water and the occurrence of waterin;the base of an oil sand present a very serious problem to an oil company sooner or later these waters are bound to cause considerable damage, if they do not entirely destroy the possibilities of further production. Too often, however, a field has been considered to be in a hopeless condition, whereas wells in as bad a condition in other areas have been repaired and the life of the field appreciably lengthened. The corrections are very often suggested by technical study. Very successful results have been accomplished by detailed underground work in the California oil fields, in Cushing, Oklahoma, and in other areas. The purpose of this paper is to outline briefly1 general methods of analyzing oil-field water problems in a producing or in a producing and developing oil field, with a view to suggesting repair work on offending wells. Reference is continually made to producing oil wells; the same general method of procedure, however, should be adopted in a gas field.

Jan 1, 1921

By Wm. R. Webster

THIS is a contribution for the proposed new discussion on the physics of steel. The former discussion on the subject started with the consideration of five papers presented at the Chicago meeting in 1893, and continued for several years. The Suggested Lines of Discussion, prepared by Doctor Howe, covered a wide field and added greatly to the success of the work. Naturally, the first step in a new discussion will be to remodel and bring up to date the old Suggested Lines of Discussion so as to embody all the important advances in the metallurgy of steel that have a bearing on the physics of steel and keep the papers and discussions within the field of work undertaken. This paper will be devoted to the practical application, in rolling steel, of the effects of carbon, phosphorus, and manganese on its tensile strength, with some suggestions on further research work. Dr. J. E. Stead, in his paper Influence of Some Elements on the Mechanical Properties of Steel,1 gave a complete review of all that had been done during the past thirty years. He gave full credit to all investigators who worked on these lines, also their results, with his views on same, and in many cases his own results. All of this data and much new valuable information were put in convenient shape for reference and study. To do this required a great deal of work, which is fully appreciated by the steel manufacturers and investigators. The variations in the values given by the different investigators for the increase of the tensile strength of steel for each 0.01 per cent. of carbon, phosphorus, and manganese were largely due to the steels they worked on, the large or small variations in the amount of the elements present, and the omission to take into consideration all the factors, from the blast furnace through to finished rolled material, that affect the character of the steel. For instance, a poorly made dirty steel requires considerably more carbon to give the same ultimate strength than a well-made clean steel with the same phosphorus and manganese content.

Jan 3, 1921

By T. N. Dixon, J. E. Briggs

A study was made of numerical techniques for solving the large sets of simultaneous equations that arise in the mathematical mode ling of oil reservoir behavior. It was found that noniterative techniques, such as the Alternating Direction Implicit (ADI) method, as well as some other finite difference approximations, produce oscillatory or unsmooth results for large time steps. Estimates of time step sizes sufficient to avoid such behavior are given. A comparison was made of the Point Successive Over-Relaxation (PSOR), Two-Line Cyclic Chebyshev Semi-Iterative SOR (2LCC), and iterative ADI methods, with respect to speed of solution of a test problem. It was found that, when applicable, iterative ADI is fastest for problems involving many points, while 2LCC is preferable for smaller problems. INTRODUCTION With the advent of high speed, large memory, digital computers, there has been an increasing emphasis on the development of improved methods for simulating and predicting reservoir performance. Two-dimensional, three-phase reservoir models with various combinations of PVT effects, as well as gravity and capillary forces, are common throughout the industry. Such models are also available through consulting firms, to anyone desiring to use them. Three-dimensional models will probably be practical in only a few years. We conducted a study of some of the numerical methods used for solving the large sets of simultaneous equations that arise in such models. A typical set of equations for a reservoir model is shown below:

Jan 1, 1969

By Oswald J. Heinrich

(Read at the Amenia Meeting, October, 1877.) THE deposit of rock salt along the shores of Lake Huron, in Canada, has been brought before the public during the last six months, in consequence of the developments made by the diamond drill at Goderich. It is likely to be of more than common interest in the future, since now actual operations have been commenced to exploit the deposit and work it by regular mining. The methods of mining rock salt being but little known in this country, it may be of interest to make a few general remarks in regard to them before entering, upon the description of this new mining enterprise. According to the conditions under which salt is found in nature, various methods have been resorted to, in course of time, to make it available for the human race. They consist in : A. Natural or solar evaporation. B. Artificial evaporation, either exclusively or in connection with the former. C. Mining the rock salt in its natural state, and converting it to a marketable product, if need be, by simply pulverizing it. Without going into the details of the various methods of making salt available in an economical point of view, dependent on its degree of purity, or on various local influences, we cannot refrain from. alluding to the general principles which influence the mining and manufacturing of salt in countries where they have been carried on for hundreds of years. ECONOMICAL CONDITIONS FOR SUCCESS. Salt being one of the articles of prime necessity, and one universally distributed throughout nature, it must always be sold at a comparatively low price. It would even be quoted in the market at prices far below those now ruling, if it were not for the high duties generally imposed upon it, for purposes of state revenues. But looking closer into the subject, it will be found that this duty is probably one of the least oppressive, although in some countries it exceeds sixfold the cost of profitable production. To produce the article at the lowest possible cost requires, therefore, a

Jan 1, 1878

By E. H. Rose

The present symposium on flotation machines provides a unique opportunity for group reappraisal of standard or habitual viewpoints. A symposium is by definition a trading post- for observations that might prove complementary when put together, thus leading to useful thoughts that might not have been evident from the original observations individually. The present paper, pertaining to power consumption in flotation, is deliberately an experiment of that kind. Data were solicited from the operating superintendents of several of the major flotation plants on this continent. The information received, covering a total of 14 separate operations in seven plants, has been collated in terms of power intensity; that is, the total power input per cubic foot of cell volume. This departs somewhat from the conventional expression of power per ton of ore treated, though the latter figure is also given for the plants concerned. Because of wartime restrictions, particularly in Canada, identifying names of plants and machines are withheld. Not as a firm conclusion, but as a tender for symposium discussion, the following points are made: 1. That flotation is a power operation in much the same sense as ball milling. 2. That contact time is the complement of power intensity and may be decreased as the latter is increased. 3. That a decrease in flotation power per ton of ore can result from an increase in power intensity. Analogy with Grinding In grinding, it has become axiomatic that the more the power put into a given operation, the greater the work performance. The analogous view is now proposed that the effectiveness of any flotation operation will be related to the mechanical energy usefully applied to that operation. Under this view, each increment of properly directed input energy should give either an increase in unit tonnage or an improvement in the metallurgical separation (concentrate grade or tailing grade), until either the theoretical limit imposed by mineral constitution or surface condition is reached, or until further increments of power become uneconomic under the law of diminishing returns. Thus, as in grinding, there are two forms of output that greater power input or improved utilization of power can produce. As for the law of diminishing returns, lower unit cost of power through improved generating efficiency in the past decade has pushed the limit back. Over and above this, however, there is strong indication in the operationg data herein presented that higher power intensity results in an actual economy of over-all power consumption. Like crushing and grinding, flotation accomplishes a rupture of the forces of molecular attraction, by taking particles from the common environment and placing them in the two separate environments of

Jan 1, 1947

By Marston G. Fleming

CRITICAL pH has been defined by Wark1 as that pH value below which a mineral will float and above which it will not float in solutions containing a given concentration of collector but free from other depressants or activators. - The relationship between mineral, collector concentration, and pH is expressed in the form of a critical pH curve determined by the captive bubble method and is generally regarded as being fundamental to the system involved. The mechanism of alkali depression is currently in dispute, two general theories having received authoritative support. The view expressed in Taggart's chemical theory of flotation2 is that in the presence of a critical concentration of hydroxyl ions, all the metal ions available at the surface of the mineral are present as anions of the form [M (OH)x]-y. The formation of the necessary metal xanthate is thus precluded and, furthermore, any metal xanthate coating previously formed, at a lower pH, will be dissolved. Gaudin3,4 and the Melbourne school under Ware hold that alkali depression is caused by the preferential adsorption of hydroxyl ions by the mineral surfaces. This paper describes an investigation of the mechanism of alkali depression in each of the three systems: cerussite-aqueous carbonate-xanthate, cerussite-xanthate, and galena-xanthate. Alkali Depression of Cerussite by Control of Carbonate Ion Concentration Wark and Cox6 have shown that in the presence of Na2CO3 a higher concentration of xanthate is required to effect bubble contact with a cerussite surface than in carbonate-free solutions. To examine this depression of cerussite by sodium carbonate, a series of captive bubble tests was carried out on cerussite specimens in solutions containing 100 mg per liter of potassium ethyl xanthate and varying concentrations of sodium carbonate. The pH was adjusted by the addition of dilute hydrochloric acid. For purposes of comparison a standard critical pH curve was determined for cerussite with potassium ethyl xanthate in solutions containing no added carbonate. In the latter case pH adjustment was made with sodium hydroxide. The experimental method employed in both series was broadly similar to that described by Wark and Cox;7-9 a number of refinements suggested by Sutherland10 were adopted, and the procedure was further developed and modified to suit the particular requirements of the investigation. The relationship between pH and the concentration of potassium ethyl xanthate necessary to induce bubble contact at cerussite surfaces is shown in Fig. 1. The relationship between pH and the concentra- [ ] tion of sodium carbonate necessary to prevent bubble contact at cerussite surfaces in the presence of 100 mg per liter of potassium ethyl xanthate is shown in Fig. 2. Comparison of the. two curves shows that at a collector concentration of 100 mg

Jan 1, 1952

By E. H. Burdick

The difficulties inherent in table concentration operations as applied to gold, silver, lead and zinc ores, are accentuated in the scheelite mill, which has a flowsheet that is similar in general principles. The narrow "spread" in the specific gravity between scheelite and the usual gangue in which it occurs often makes its clean separation extremely difficult and in some cases impracticable. The problem is further complicated by the extreme friability of the mineral and its inordinate tendency to "slime," particularly where fine grinding is necessary and wet grinding methods are employed. The physical aspect of the occurrence of scheelite in the ores, the kind and character of the rock in which the mineral is present, its hardness, friability and the specific gravity of its constituents, as well as like characteristics of the associated minerals— pyrite, pyrrhotite, sphalerite, and others, all have a bearing on the successful milling of crude ores and the production of a concentrate that is marketable with minimum price penalty or none at all. Most tungsten deposits are considered low grade when the limiting factor of low percentage recovery by gravity methods is borne in mind. The great majority of deposits developed or in process of development carry from 0.4 to 1.0 per cent tungstic oxide. Ore carrying I per cent is considered good grade; 0.7 to 0.8 per cent, fair, and below that figure, low grade. Steady mill feed averaging upward of I .o per cent WO3 is exceptional. Inasmuch as buying specifications demand a 60 per cent W03 content, the mineral content of the ores as mined must be concentrated to at least that degree. A few companies have constructed chemical plants for the treatment of their complex concentrates and low-grade flotation product, but the smaller operator must rely on table concentration, borrowing the tools and to a large extent the methods of his predecessors in the gold, silver, lead and zinc mills. Whether these are the best tools and methods that can be devised is an open question. Except in rare instances, table concentration, however carefully conducted, does not yield a satisfactory final recovery of the mineral content in headings as indicated by chemical determinations of tungstic oxide content. A saving of 60 to 65 per cent is considered fair, and an average 80 per cent recovery, exceptional. Each scheelite ore body is a separate problem. Details of handling that give best results in one case may not be successfully operative at a property on the same contact zone and but a short distance removed. Supplementary treatment of tailings by flotation may be successful in producing a low-grade concentrate of around 15 per cent W03, which is adapted to further treatment chemically at a given property and entirely unsuccessful at another. This problem constitutes another of the unanswered questions. The following paragraphs relate solely to the beneficiation of scheelite ores by table concentration and supplementary methods.

Jan 1, 1943

By Thomas H. Sheldon

In the zeal for opening up new ore-bodies, or for extracting the ore from attractive bodies already opened up, we very often lose sight of the fact, that, after all, the operation of a mine is a business proposition, pure and simple, and, for the best working-results, should be treated upon a strict business basis. Of course, in every mine of consequence, a record is kept of expenditures and receipts, and such glittering generalities as " gross receipts," " net receipts," " mining expenses," and a per cent. profit," can be told to the cent; but does this record show economy of management, as compared either with the same record of other months, or with the record of other mines of the same class ? Moreover, if such a record shows that the cost of mining is high, does it in any way enable the manager to put his finger on the leakage ? Does it necessarily follow that a mine which makes a profit of, say, 40 per cent. on 25-dollar ore, is doing less economical mining than one which saves 60 per cent. on 80-dollar ore ? Of course the figures in the latter case look the more attractive; yet when it comes to the point of saving everything which can be saved, and of cutting down expenses to the lowest possible cost of operation, the former mine is doubtless on the firmer and more economical financial basis. But as to the relative merits of the system of mining in the two cases, nothing could be decided without a basis of detailed comparison ; if one system is more economical than the other, why is it so, and wherein does the advantage lie ? This can be shown only by keeping accurately the cost of each mining operation. And no matter how dissimilar two mines may be in character and operation, yet there are a few general heads common to all mining operations. In the first place, it is necessary to break the ore from the solid ground;

Jan 1, 1907

By F. Keller, E. H. Dix, R. W. Graham

Aluminum alloys containing relatively small amounts of magnesium and silicon are of commercial interest because they are readily workable in the annealed form and may be hardened and strengthened by suitable heat treatment. An intermediate temper can be produced in these alloys by quenching after a Solution heat treatment and the alloy in this condition can be formed easily. Artificial aging is required to obtain the maximum mechanical properties but this aging does not cause distortion nor require elaborate heat-treating equipment. The hardening of the alloys after quenching is attributable in part to the retention of the compound Mg²Si in solid solution, while the maximum hardness obtained by subsequent artificial aging is attributed to the fact that the solid solubility of the compound Mg²Si in aluminum decreases with decreasing temperature. Considering the importance of aluminum alloys susceptible to heat treatment, it is surprising how few fundamental investigations have been carried out on the aluminum-magnesium silicide alloys. This paper deals principally with the solid solubility relations of the compound Mg2Si in aluminum and is the sixth paper of a series1 from the laboratories of the Aluminum Co. of America reporting the results of investigations of equilibrium relations in aluminum-base alloys made from high-purity aluminum."

Jan 1, 1931

By J. Fred Johnson

COROMANT is the trade name of the alloy-steel drill rod tipped with a chisel-type tungsten-carbide bit manufactured by Sandvik Steel Works Co., Ltd. Other names, such as Swedish or air-leg method of drilling, are used in various localities. Coromant drilling in Sweden was the natural sequence of the adaptation of tungsten-carbide inserts to the already established routine of drilling. By the middle thirties the percussion drill had reached practically its highest attainable efficiency as a drilling machine. Since then improvement has been in metallurgy of component parts to increase life or lessen weight, in the development of pneumatic and automatic feeds, in the use of jumbos to more quickly and easily handle machines, and in changes in drill rods and bits. By 1937, drilling in the United States and Canada was done by relatively heavy mounted drifters with positive hand or automatic feeds. In Sweden, on the other hand, emphasis had been placed on light equipment and drifting was done with pneumatic bars and reverse-feed stopers. In 1938, one of the most prominent American drill manufacturers developed an air-leg for successfully drilling the extremely variable but relatively soft iron ores of some of the northern Michigan mines. Also in 1938, a comparative Swedish test, also in soft iron ore, of a 50-lb jackhammer mounted on an air-leg, against a 100-lb reverse-feed drifter on a pneumatic bar, showed the net drilling time was increased by the air-leg set-up from 51 to 71 pct, in drilling 6-ft rounds in a 6 1/2x6 1/2 ft drift. Miners were becoming scarce in Sweden even at that time and, since the lighter equipment made the work easier and more attractive, the airleg was then made use of in some types of soft rock. In 1940, for instance, a large tunnel for a hydroelectric plant was driven with this equipment. By 1943, when tungsten-carbide inserts came into the picture in Sweden, a great many of the kinks in percussion drilling with this hard-metal had been worked out in Germany under the stress of war conditions. However, only 10 pct of the drilling machines manufactured in Sweden were jackhammers for use on air-legs and only the one manufacturer made air-legs in the United States. American practice had largely supplanted integral forging of drill bits by the detachable steel bit. Canada and South Africa were using the one-pass throwaway bit but Sweden was still using the same old integral forged bit. After a long study of the trend toward simplicity

Jan 1, 1952

By Robert E. Tally

Underground fires have been common in the mines of the United Verde Copper Co. for the past 22 years. The first fire started in the 300 Hampton stope in the fall of 1894, following a cave in that orebody. The soft and highly pyritic nature of the ores is responsible for most of these fires. Since ore characteristics, methods of mining and ventilation, have an important influence on mine fires, they will be described in this paper. Orebodies The ores are mostly chalcopyrite except on the upper levels where considerable chalcocite, black oxides and other secondary minerals occur. The orebodies are in the form of lenses and vary in size. Some are small, while others are several hundred feet in length by a hundred or more feet in width. These orebodies extend, in some cases, from the surface to the lowest levels of the mine and usually at a steep angle of inclination. There are three different classes of ores, classified in accordance with the gangue rock. The copper in all cases, except as above specified, is in the form of chalcopyrite. The largest and most important of these reserves are in a pyrite gangue. Next in order of importance are the schist ores and lastly the quartz porphyries. The pyrite, locally termed iron ores, average from 30 to 42 per cent. sulphur. The schist and quartz porphyries vary from 3 to 25 per cent. sulphur. Mining Methods All the orebodies were worked by the overhand square-set method of mining prior to 1908; since then the cut-and-fill, shrinkage and mill-hole systems have been largely employed. But 15 per cent. of the total tonnage now extracted is from timbered stopes. Most of this is from the upper levels where the ore is soft, heavy and more or less broken to the surface. Large reserves of these ores are being conserved for more efficient methods of mining.

Jan 1, 1917

By G. E. Archie

The usefulness of the electrical resistivity log in determining reservoir characteristics is governed largely by: (I) the accuracy with which the true resistivity of the formation can be determined; (2) the scope of detailed data concerning the relation of resistivity measurements to formation characteristics; (3) the available information concerning the conductivity of connate or formation waters; (4) the extent of geologic knowledge regarding probable changes in facies within given horizons, both vertically and laterally, particularly in relation to the resultant effect on the electrical properties of the reservoir. Simple examples are given in the following pages to illustrate the use of resistivity logs in the solution of some problems dealing with oil and gas reservoirs. From the available information, it is apparent that much care must be exercised in applying to more complicated cases the methods suggested. It should be remembered that the equations given are not precise and represent only approximate relationships. It is believed, however, that under favorable conditions their application falls within useful limits of accuracy. Introduction The electrical log has been used extensively in a qualitative way to correlate formations penetrated by the drill in the exploitation of oil and gas reservoirs and to provide some indication of reservoir content. However, its use in a quantitative way has been limited because of various factors that tend to obscure the significance of the electrical readings obtained. Some of these factors are the borehole size, . the resistivity of the mud in the borehole, the effect of invasion of the mud filtrate into the formation, the relation of the recorded thickness of beds to electrode spacing, the heterogeneity of geologic formations, the salinity or conductivity of connate water, and, perhaps of greatest importance, the lack of data indicating the relationship of the resistivity of a formation in situ to its character and fluid content. On the Gulf Coast it is found that the effects of the size of the borehole and the mud resistivity are generally of little importance, except when dealing with high formational resistivities or extremely low mud resistivities. Fortunately, little practical significance need be attached to the exact values of the higher resistivities recorded. Low mud resistivities are not common, but when this condition is encountered it may be corrected by replacing the mud column. With the present advanced knowledge of mud control, invasion of mud filtrate into sands can be minimized, thereby increasing the dependability of the electrical log. The effect of electrode spacing on the recorded thickness of a bed is often subject to compensation or can be sufficiently accounted for to provide an acceptable approximation of the true resistivity of the formation. As development of a field or area progressively enhances the knowledge of the lithologic section, the resistivity values of the electrical log take on greater significance, ultimately affording acceptable interpretations. The salinity, and

Jan 1, 1942

By W. O. Philbrook, A. H. Jolly, T. R. Henry

In the course of a study of slag-control methods, the authors devised a laboratory technique by which the basicity of basic open-hearth furnace slags could be estimated with sufficient accuracy to make the method of possible interest for slag-control purposes. The process consisted of measuring the slight basicity of an extract of the powdered slag in water. The procedure was presented, for the benefit of those who might care to experiment with it, in a paper submitted in the 1944 McKune Award Contest and presented at the 1944 Open-hearth Conference in Pittsburgh.' Interest expressed at that meeting and favorable operating experience with the method at a neighboring plant, as described in a related paper by Michael Tenenbaum and C. C. Brown,; have encouraged us to present further details of the development, technique, and pitfalls of the method and some additional data not included in our first report. At the outset it must be admitted that this method of estimation of slag basicity is not perfect; neither is any other that we know of. It is subject to somewhat greater errors than would be desirable, but compares favorably with other techniques in this respect. It has the disadvantage that it places the final determination of slag basicity in the hands of a laboratory technician rather than the furnace oper- ator, although it can be operated in a control laboratory adjacent to the furnaces. It requires close attention to certain details, as do most laboratory procedures. On the favorable side, it eliminates the "human factor" of personal judgment inherent in estimation from pancakes or powdered samples. The procedure can be placed in practice much more rapidly and presents much less of a training problem than visual methods of estimation. The principle and operation of the method are so simple that it would not be surprising if others have experimented with the same or similar procedures, but we are not aware of any prior publication of details. Our own shop has been operating fairly successfully for several years with the aid of slag pancakes. Since the past year or two have not been favorable for the expenditure of time and energy where the need was not urgent, we have not introduced the new practice for actual slag control and hence do not have extensive operating data. In presenting this method, therefore, we make no claims as to theoretical justification nor guarantees as to practical applicability, but offer it as an empirical observation. We believe it has sufficient merit to warrant its investigation by those just instituting a slag-control program or in search of supplementary methods for judging slag basicity Principle of the Method It is well known that when burnt lime or slaked lime is shaken up with water it

Jan 1, 1945

By Peter J. Szabo

Introduction This is the Pacific Rim. Nearly three fourths of the world's population live on or near its border. In the recent past, on any given day, one could find traversing its„ borders pirates, smugglers, gunrunners, missionaries, slave traders, tourists, and businessmen. If one were not too observant, he would notice that over the last several years the ocean traffic in the Rim has pretty much stayed the same--Polynesian outriggers, passenger ships, general cargo vessels, ore carriers, and oil tankers. If he were to look a little closer, he would notice some coal colliers. A still closer look would reveal that most of them were hauling metallurgical coal destined for the steel mills of Japan, Taiwan, or Korea. If his senses were keen, he would observe that not only were the number of colliers increasing dramatically, but also that a relatively new cargo was being carried to those countries as well as additional areas in the Pacific Rim., This new cargo thermal coal holds the promise of not only exceeding the metallurgical coal trade, but significantly cutting into and decreasing the already vast oil tanker business throughout the Pacific Rim. The high price of crude oil as a result of the oil embargo in the Middle East in 1973-74 has forced the Pacific Rim countries to convert to coal, and as a result, the coal resources of the Rim are being exploited at an ever-increasing rate. Although coal produced outside the Pacific Rim does enter its borders for ultimate consumption from such places as South Africa and the East Coast of the United States, the vast majority of thermal coal that will enter this booming market place will be sourced from countries within the Pacific Rim. Accordingly, this paper will provide an overview of those sources with particular emphasis on the non-communist block nations. This is not to say that countries such as China and Russia will not be players in the Pacific Rim thermal coal arena, but that -most consuming countries in the Rim are basing the majority of their near-term sourcing requirements from countries that provide a stable source of supply. Pacific Rim Coal Resources Figure 1 is a map of the Pacific Rim countries and identification of major coal resource locations within its border. Going in a clockwise direction, the following countries will be the major suppliers of thermal coal through the year 2000: Australia, Indonesia, China, Russia, Alaska (U.S.), Canada, United States (Utah, Colorado, Wyoming, Montana), and Colombia, South America. Other countries such as New Zealand, Malaysia, Philippines, Korea, etc., will play a role in supply, but compared to the ones previously mentioned, will only have a minor impact. When one looks at the vast stretch of ocean that separates the sourcing countries from the consuming countries (Japan, Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Singapore, etc.), one realizes that costs of transportation will play a significant role in determining which countries and in what quantities coal will be purchased. Figure 2 for comparative purposes, shows

Jan 1, 1982

By A. W. Cochardt

THERE are a number of effects that can cause material damping or internal friction. Some of these are frequency dependent, such as the thermo-elastic effect' and the stress-induced ordering.' Others depend on the amplitude of vibration, i.e., the damping related to the motion of dislocations3 and that due to magneto-mechanical hysteresis.' While many of these effects have been studied, only the magneto-mechanical effect has found extensive practical application. It is the principal source of damping in the current blade material in steam turbines.A magneto-mechanical hysteresis loop is seen in Fig. 1. If an unmagnetized, polycrystalline wire of a material exhibiting magneto-mechanical hysteresis, such as an Fe-14 pct A1 alloy, is twisted in torsion, a relation between shear stress and shear strain y is observed as indicated. The stress-strain curve does not follow Hooke's law -dashed line. Instead, the strain y increases nonlinearly and partly irreversibly, due to the motion of ferromagnetic domain walls,* until a critical stress is reached, which in this case is about 3,500 psi. If the applied stress is raised further, the strain appears to increase linearly and reversibly in accordance with Hooke's law, since all domains are now aligned in easy directions of magnetization nearest to the direction of the applied stress, and plastic flow has not yet started noticeably. On removing the applied stress, a remanent shear strain y, is observed, which is related to the irreversible magnetostriction of the material.' The energy dissipated in the material during a stress-strain cycle is proportional to the critical stress t, and the remanent magnetostrictive shear strain 7,. The purpose of this investigation was to make a survey of the magneto-mechanical damping of ferro-

Jan 1, 1957

By I. Havenaar

Various methods have been proposed in the literature to calculate the pressure losses in drill-pipe and bit-nozzles, i.e., those parts of the mud-circuit where the largest pressure-losses occur. Very few data, however, are available to check the validity of these proposals. Presented in this paper are the results of pumping experiments with clay-water drilling fluids of different specific gravities and different laminar flow-properties (differential viscosity and Bingham yield value), using pipes of different diameters. In addition, a series of measurements on bit-nozzles is discussed. Two main conclusions may be drawn from this work for the flow through pipes. 1. In the laminar flow region pressure losses can be calculated from the differential viscosity and Bingham yield value of the mud. 2. In the turbulent flow region pressure losses can be calculated with good approximation from a viscosity term which is determined by the volume fraction of the dispersed phase. Calculations making use of laminar flow properties may lead to erroneous results. The effect of temperature on the pressure losses in the case of turbulent flow can be calculated from the change in viscosity of the dispersing medium, i.e., water. The main conclusions determined for the flow through bit-nozzles are that for flow conditions prevailing in the field, the pressure-drops in bit-nozzles are independent of the laminar flow properties of the mud. They are solely determined by the density of the mud and the geometry of the nozzle. INTRODUCTION The last decades have witnessed a steady increase in the depth of oil wells. This is illustrated by the increase in the drilling depth record in the USA from 8,046 ft in 1927 to 21,482 ft in 1953. This increasing depth, together with the experience that high rates of mud circulation and high fluid velocities in the bit-nozzles enhance the rate of drilling, has emphasized the importance of selecting suitable mud-pumps when starting the drilling of a deep borehole. For such a selection it is necessary to be able to calculate the pumping pressures necessary to obtain the required circulation rates. The main part of the pressure-losses in the mud circuit occur in the drill pipe and the bit-nozzles. Various methods have been proposed in the literature to calculate the pressure-losses in the drill pipe1,2,3,4. These methods do not all lead to the same results, and at the time this investigation was started insufficient basic data were available to check their validity. Moreover, to our knowledge, no data are available at all on the effect, if any, of the flow-properties of the mud on the pressure-losses in bit-nozzles.

Jan 1, 1955