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By L. M. Barker, E. G. Lewis

THE literature of milling is replete with papers devoted to the subject of ball milling, all of which no doubt have contributed in one way or another to progress in that art. In this paper reference will be made to only a few of the many authors, but the value of the contributions of all who have written on that subject is hereby acknowledged. With a few exceptions the efforts of most students of the subject have been devoted to laboratory investigations of principles. Davis1 was one of the first to report on plant-scale investigations and to present to mill men certain criteria for the guidance of ball-milling practices. His conclusions with respect to the significance of sizing analyses of classifier sands in their relation to the factors of mill speed and ball sizing are particularly referred to. Those conclusions were: I. If the balls are large or the speed of the mill is high, crowding will appear at the finer sizes in the classifier sands. 2. If the balls are small or the speed is low, crowding will appear at the coarser sizes in the classifier sands. 3. The indications are that best efficiency is obtained when the screen analysis of the sands show a minimum crowding at any size. The last conclusion was qualified by the statement that it had not been proved conclusively. It is surprising, however, that the literature of later years reveals little evidence that millmen have made any serious attempt to apply those criteria. This may, perhaps, be explained by the fact that the average plant-scale ball-milling problem presents so many variables that an investigation of any one of them encounters the problem of control of the others-a problem that often is unsurmountable in a small plant. In a large plant, in which there is a duplication of grinding units in parallel operation, opportunity may be afforded for determining the value of such criteria. Nevertheless, a study of published data from grinding circuits of both large and small plants suggests that either Davis' criteria have been tried and found inapplicable or have never been given consideration. For the purpose of testing Davis' conclusions and with improvement of ball-milling efficiency as the final objective, a test program was initiated in the concentrator of the New Cornelia branch of the Phelps Dodge Corporation early in 1938. The practices of that plant have already been described .2 The fine-grinding units are arranged so that any one of eight units may be operated as a test unite and its results compared with those of the remaining units. All units receive similar feed from a common storage bin, in which the product of the fine-crushing plant is bedded by traveling tripper. The ball mills are all similar in size and operated at the same speeds, and are individually metered. The feeder conveyors of each unit are equipped with Merrick weightometers. The test program as initially outlined proposed investigation of the following:

Jan 1, 1941

By George W. Hezzelwood

THE Balatoc mine, one of the Haussermann group,[t] is on the Island of Luzon, the largest of the Philippine group, about 260 km. north of Manila, and 12 km. from the city of Baguio. The Baguio district is the most important gold-mining area of the Philippines, with 14 producing mines in 1939, milling 2,3;8,894 tons of ore, yielding [P]40,881,048, approximately 55 per cent of the total Philippine production of [P]74,131,216. PRODUCTION HISTORY The Balatoc mine began production in January 1929 with a 150-ton cyanide mill. Increases in mill capacity have taken place as follows: March, 1932, to 350 tons June, 1933, to 470 tons December, 1933, to 515 tons July, 1934, to 700 tons December, 1934, to 1000 tons May, 1935, to 1200 tons October, 1938, to 1300 tons April, 1939, to 2000 tons January, 1941, to 2150 tons Production during the period of expansion has steadily increased in total value in spite of the fact that grade of ore milled has dropped-from $31.06 in 1929 to $5.78 in 1940. Annual reports give production as shown in Table 1, the average values being based on gold at the old price of $20.67 per ounce. [ ] GEOLOGY The ore occurs in quartz-calcite veins that vary in width from narrow stringers to mineralized zones 40 to 50 ft. wide. Wall rocks consist largely of diorites, with some andesite, and a fragmental breccia called locally the "Balatoc plug." Texture of the ore varies widely in the different veins-from a soft, highly altered, gouge material filled with quartz fragments through a soft, unaltered quartz-calcite to a hard, massive quartz ore. Three major vein systems have been extensively developed, and smaller amounts of work have been done on several others. These veins strike east-west to N. 60°, dipping south from 50° to 90°, and are essentially tension breaks between a series of faults or shears striking N. 30°E. to N. 50°E. and dipping southeast from 50°to 90°. The shear veins and tension veins probably formed more or less simultaneously,

Jan 1, 1942

By ARTHUR S. DWIGH

Discussion of the paper of W. W. NORTON, presented at the Salt Lake meeting, August, 1914, and printed in Bulletin No. 92, August., 1914, pp. 1993 to 1999. ARTHUR S. DWIGHT, New York, N. Y.-Mr. Norton's chief argument is directed against the idea that the D. & L. sinter is any better material for the blast furnace than the H. & H. product. He supports this by citing two experimental furnace runs. Reducibility.-To discuss a furnace record like that quoted by Mr. Norton for the five days' run in August, 1912, is manifestly difficult for an outsider, but a possible explanation for the poor reduction on Furnace No. 5, smelting D. & L. sinter, may lie in the fact that both sets of furnaces carried the same fuel charges. Other things being equal, if 11 ½ per cent. coke was right for the furnaces smelting H. & H. product, it Was too much for the furnace smelting D. & L. product, as I shall endeavor to show later, and incipient overfire, accompanied by higher leads in slag and matte, was induced. It may sound like a paradox to say that excessive fuel sometimes produces poor reduction, but it is a sad fact. In certain plants where practically the entire charge to the blast furnaces receives a preliminary treatment by being sintered on the D. & L. machines the peculiarities of this problem have had to be very carefully studied, for serious metallurgical difficulties presented themselves when the change was first made to D. & L. sinter in large quantities. Some of these plants had blast pots before they had D. & L. machines, and many opportunities were afforded for comparative study of this very point. There is reason to believe that, clue to the long period of blowing and the higher temperatures developed in the pots from greater mass action, the iron in the H. & H. product is present chiefly as Fe203, perhaps in the form of ferrites, while in the D. & L. product the iron is present as FeO. The fuel charge in the blast furnace must be so proportioned as to exactly meet the chemical and thermic requirements of reduction and melting. If ally of these functions have been performed before the material enters the furnace, a corresponding allowance should be made or the fuel balance will be disturbed and bad work will result. One of the functions of the coke is to reduce enough metallic Fe for the matte requirements, leaving the remainder of the iron as FeO to go into the slag. In smelting almost any other material than D. & L. sinter the iron must-be reduced from the higher oxides, Fe203 or Fe304, to the protoxide, FeO, before a true comparative basis is reached. Experience has shown that with about one-half D. & L. sinter on the charge the coke should-be cut about 10 per cent. This theoretical benefit is borne out by the practical blast-furnace results on a large scale in numerous plants. In fact, wherever this very important factor is ignored the evil symptoms of excessive fuel will be indicated,

Jan 11, 1914

By AIME AIME

CONCIDENT with what promises to be a record-breaking year of activity in the world's greatest iron-ore district is the announcement of plans to hold the regional meeting of the American Institute of Mining & Metallurgical Engineers at Duluth, Aug. 12 to 15 in¬clusive. More than 25 open-pit mines will be in operation in Minnesota's great iron-ore district this year, affording to those attending the convention an unusual op¬portunity of viewing practically side by side the interesting activities of power-shovel operations, railway haulage, truck haulage, conveyor-belt haulage, tower-excavator operations, iron-ore concentration, and underground mining. The ore can be followed from the mines to washing and concentrating plants and to the docks and lake carriers on Lake Superior, where an average of one boat of 10,000 tons' capacity will be loaded and depart every 15 minutes, day and night, during the 1941 shipping season.

Jan 1, 1941

By J. R. Long, E. T. Hayes, D. C. Root, R. S. Dean

The U. S. Bureau of Mines has recently reported on the development of a process for preparing pure ductile titanium in substantial quantities1 and on the physical properties that may be attained in the metal, when consolidated by powder metallurgy methods and fabricated by certain hot and cold-working procedures.2 The high physical properties (Table I), combined with excellent corrosion resistance and light weight, will lead no doubt to appropriatc applications of the metal. In any application, methods of joining will be of considerable importance. The relatively high activity of the metal toward the common gases raises the question of weldability and conditions that might be required for successful welding. Since hydrogen, oxygen, and nitrogen embrittle the metal, it should be protected from these gases at elevated temperatures. This was demonstrated by a few preliminary trials of arc, gas, and resistance welding. In these trials only the resistance method proved to be immediately- applicable. While atomic: hydrogen welding of titanium may be successful in some instances, a considerable amount of development work will be required to prove its worth. In addition, it would be suited only to small assemblies that could be heated subsequently in a high vacuum to remove embrittling hydrogen. Heli-are methods likewise would be limited to small assemblies, which could be completely protected by a helium atmosphere. It was quite apparent that titanium required more protection than was afforded by the normal flow of helium gas used for welding magnesium and aluminum. The hot metal is attacked by oxygen and nitrogen, and the rapid diffusion of the oxide into the metal prevents the formation of a protective coating and requires the helium atmosphere to be maintained until the weld has cooled nearly to room temperature. The preliminary work indicated that titanium could be successfully spot-welded without deterioration of the metal and that the microstructures of the welds were normal, exhibiting good bonding, and no oxidation. The high resistivity of titanium (53 microhms per cu. cm.) suggested that it would behave somewhat like stainless steel and allow considerable latitude in the several welding variables. The results reported here are intended to give a general picture of the effects of varying welding current, welding time, and tip pressure on single spot welds made on several different thicknesses of titanium sheet. The work was undertaken to demonstrate the feasibility of welding titanium rather than as an exhaustive study of spot welding. There are, therefore, a number of factors that will require further investigation to establish the specific controls required for actual applications.

Jan 1, 1947

By R. Floyd Farris

Al thorough knowledge of the behavior of cement slurries under elevated temperatures and pressures is necessary in order to solve properly the many problems presented in deep-well cementing operations. In the earlier days of the petroleum industry the depths of wells were shallow as compared to those of today, and the subsurface temperatures and pressures were not of sufficient magnitude to affect seriously the problem of proper control of cement-slurry properties. Today, however, the search for new reserves has extended drilling to such depths that bottom-hole temperatures of more than 200°F. and bottom-hole pressures of 3000 to 5000 lb. are not uncommon. Moreover, there is every indication that within the next few years wells will be drilled to even greater depths and bottom-hole temperatures and pressures will be correspondingly higher than those with which we are concerned today. It has been realized for some time that the behavior of cement slurries at high temperatures and pressures might be very different from that at atmospheric tempera-ture-pressure conditions, but while the temperature effects have been investigated with a reasonable degree of thoroughness, the pressure effects have received little public attention. While the trend toward deeper drilling may make changes in cementing technique and the choice of cements imperative, it was the purpose of this investigation to consider factors having a bearing on the latter, only secondary consideration being ,given, for the present, to details of tech-nique and equipment for oil-field use. More specfically, the purpose of this work was to consider the effect of temperature and pressure upon the behavior of cement slurries. Although it has long been recognized that cements thicken and set rapidly with increasing temperatures, practical methods for the quantitative determination of these effects are comparatively recent developments. In 1935 Silcox and Rule1 presented such a method, describing apparatus designed to measure the consistency-time relationship of cement slurries at relatively high temperatures. The practical importance of this apparatus in furnishing useful data for the evaluation of cement slurries for cementing operations has been emphasized in various technical publications by such writers as E. L. Davis,~ I. F. Bing-ham,3 and J. E. Weiler.4 A paper describing the numerous tests now used to evaluate cements for oil wells was presented in 1939 by W. W. Robinson.= Robinson describes the Consistometer and the Thickening-Time Tester, showing similarity of data from the two devices, and points out that the purpose of each apparatus is to determine the allowable time that a cement may be pumped at a given temperature. At the present time, however, it is believed that results from the Thickening-Time Tester and the Consistometer have not given a

Jan 1, 1941

By I. W. Alcorn

The cost of drilling in the past few years of proration and ever decreasing allowables has received increasing thought and study. It seems to parallel the strides made with respect to pumping problems in 1932 and 1933. Low profit margins stimulate the search for economies. Any discussion of slim-hole drilling involves a multitude of abstract values, and the problem can be attacked only by a study of records and rational thinking. In a measure, traditional methods must be studied with a questioning attitude. The words "slim hole" may be somewhat misleading, as the term is entirely relative. For that reason I wish to define it as used in this discussion. On the Gulf Coast, I would define a normal hole as one in which 10 3/4-in. surface casing has been set and below which a 9 7/8-in. hole is dug. With this as a datum, holes of larger diameter below surface would be called "large holes," with 121/4 in. as the "extra large" class and holes of smaller diameter classed in the slim-hole range, 6 1/4 in. representing about the minimum size. The optimum size has not been definitely determined, but the preference is for a program that would call for setting 8 5/8 -in. surface casing and digging a 7 3/4 - in. hole. Different sections of the country might very properly deviate from this practice because of differences in depth, formations, regulations, or other factors. This paper will be confined to a discussion of the drilling of exploratory wells, as the drilling of this class of wells is quite a different problem from that of drilling a proven field, although many of the same considerations apply in both cases, as will be apparent. Although for many years shallow slim-hole and core-test holes of small diameter had been dug, it was not, I believe, until the fall of 1937 that serious consideration was given to its application in drilling wells 7000 ft., 8000 ft. and 9000 ft. deep on the Gulf Coast. This does not mean that nearly all such wells drilled on the Gulf Coast now are of the slim-hole variety, but only that efforts have been aimed in that direction with very encouraging results and there has been a very definite trend to reduce the size of holes, a trend that probably will continue. As to exploration policy, there appear to be two distinct and opposite views. The one usually followed in the past was more or less designed to "shoot the works" on one well. Generally on the Gulf Coast, the depth at which production might be obtained is limited by the drilling equipment and economics. With this thought in mind, wildcat wells are often planned with the idea of carrying the depth to 10,000 It., or even 15,000 ft. All of the possible hazards are anticipated and the general drilling and casing programs are so predicated. Such wells contemplate the drilling of large-diameter holes; the setting of at least one protective string of casing and an extensive coring policy, all of which finally adds up to an expensive well. AS opposed to this general policy is the slim hole. This, on the Gulf Coast, recognizes that new discoveries represent gam-

Jan 1, 1941

By John T. Norton, V.G. Mooradian

The diffusion of metal atoms into the crystal lattice of another metal and the assumption of regular positions to form a homogeneous alloy are some of the most fundamental phenomena of structural metallurgy. The mechanism of this process has been the subject of a great deal of study from many viewpoints, but the picture is still far from complete. It is generally believed that if one metal is to diffuse into another, the first must have some solubility in the second1. This means that the solvent must be able to accommodate the stranger atoms, either on points of its own lattice or in the interstices between, without losing its own crystal-lographic identity. It is also a general observation that cold-working is a distinct aid in the diffusion process, causing it to take place with greater rapidity at the same temperature or with the same speed at a lower temperature. There is considerable doubt, however, as to the real significance of the deformation in its effect on the diffusion mechanism. Several factors associated with the cold-working may be responsible for the increased diffusion rate. The plastic deformation causes a distortion of the solvent lattice, which may be an aid in the assimulation of atoms of another kind. There are many references2 in the literature that suggest that some distortion or "loosening" of the lattice is necessary for atomic migration and that diffusion cannot take place in the undis-torted lattice. On the other hand, it may be that the cold-working causes an increase in surface of contact between the two metals through fragmentation or provides a more intimate contact that is necessary for diffusion. If it is true that lattice distortion is an important factor in diffusion, it seems as if there should be some particular relation between

Jan 1, 1935

By C. H. Mathewson, H. l. Burghoff

The study of the creep of metals under conditions of prolonged loading has received the attention of many investigators for several years and almost innumerable papers have been published on the various aspects of the subject. As it appeared that much could still be learned from a study of single crystals, the present work was carried out to study the effects of temperature and conditions of loading upon the properties and deformation in tension of single crystals of alpha brass containing about 70 per cent copper and go per cent zinc. In particular, it was hoped to obtain information from tests below and above the recrys-tallization temperature of the material, so that properties such as elastic limit, yield point or critical stress, and manner of deformation might be compared for tensile tests at an ordinary loading rate and for prolonged loading. Accordingly, short-time tensile tests and creep tests were made at room temperature, 300°, 500° and 700°F. The two latter temperatures are above the lowest possible recrystallization temperature of polycrys-talline 70-30 brass. Previous Work Clarke and White1 have made creep tests of some copper-zinc alloys, including 70-30 brass, and copper-zinc-tin alloys at temperatures both below and above the recrystallization temperature of the materials considered. Hanson and Wheeler2 have studied the flow and fracture of single crystals of aluminum for short-time and prolonged tensile loading over a range of temperature extending from room temperature to 400°F., their experiments being made without consideration of the orientations of the test specimens. Extensive creep and fracture tests on single crystals of lead at room temperature have been made by Betty3 and by Baker, Betty and Moore." Results of the last-named investigation were published while the present work was in progress. Miller5 examined the elastic limit of zinc single crystals at and above room temperature by means of creep tests, while Miller and Milligan6 reported the results of tests designed to show the influence of temperature on elastic limit of single crystals of aluminum, silver and zinc. The behavior of iron crystals under static tensile loading at room temperature was reported by Gensamer and Meh17 while the present investigation was in progress. Their specimens exhibited a well-defined yield point, below which no appreciable creep could be detected. The manner of yielding proved interesting, as the shape of the creep-time curve for the iron crystals differed from the common type of crcep curves. Elongation did not begin immediately, or at least was initially very slow. The rate of elongation then increased continuously and finally decreased to zero. This S-shaped type of elongation-time

Jan 1, 1941

By George B. Langford

The McIntyre mine is in the Pearl Lake section of the Porcupine gold area. The rocks are Keewatin lavas intruded by quartz porphyries and albitite dies of Algoman age. Gold-bearing quartz veins are found in the Keewatin rocks near the porphyry stocks. The whole area has been highly compressed by forces acting along a N. 20°W. line. These forces folded the Keewatin rocks before the intrusion of the Algoman rocks, and later schisted both the Keewatin and Algoman rocks. Vein fractures were developed after the folding but before the development of the schist by the compres-sive forces being locally broken up into couples. These couples were set up by the differential resistance to deformation of porphyries and basalts, and also by the competency of the dacites and incompetency of the tuffs and fragmental rocks. During the important period of vein formation, two zones were developed—an inner productive zone in which the quartz veins are ankerite-bearing and an outer barren zone in which the quartz veins are calcite-bearing. The vein solutions originated in the same magrna that supplied the albitite dikes. Introduction The McIntyre mine, in the Porcupine gold area of northern Ontario, has passed its twenty-sixth birthday and has been producing gold since early in 1912. During this time approximately ten million tons of ore has been mined and over three and a half million ounces of gold recovered. This amount of ore would be sufficient to fill 2300 standard railway freight trains, each of 100 cars, and the gold produced, although only equivalent to a cube 51/2 ft. to the side, would weigh approximately 100 tons, a load for three freight cars. Silver has been produced in the ratio of 1 oz. of silver to every 4.4 oz. of gold, so that the total silver recovery is in the neighborhood of 700,000 ounces. The early history of the mine, like that of many others, shows that for several years it fought an uphill struggle for existence. One of the important features in winning this fight was the early recognition of some of the geological conditions responsible for the ore deposits, and the application of this knowledge in the search for ore and in the acquiring of adjoining properties. As early as 1913—only two years after the mine was opened—a geological department was organiaed. It has functioned almost continuously since that date and has demonstrated the importance

Jan 1, 1941

By Edward P. Chapman

In the Leadville district toward the close of the "intermediate mesothermal period" of mineralization, there occurred a stage of ore deposition marked by a rather complex mineral association. As bismuth minerals formed in many places during this period, it is here called the "bismuth stage" for convenience of description. The minerals so far identified with this stage, listed roughly in the order of prominence, are: chalco-pyrite; several varieties of galena, differing slightly from one another in their small contents of silver, bismuth and tellurium; altaite; hessite; galenobismutite; alaskaite; aikinite; gold; tennantite; argentite; and perhaps sphalerite and arsenopyrite. With the exception of gold, the age relations of these minerals are difficult to determine. As shown in their descriptions, they all appear contemporaneous and hypogene. Gold may be in part contemporaneous, but most of it is distinctly later. Where minerals of this stage occur so that they can be mined alone, as at the Tucson mine, they constitute high-grade ore. Elsewhere their presence in small amounts has served to increase greatly the value of what otherwise would be low-grade pyritic or zinc-lead sulphide ore. The distribution of the bismuth ores corresponds closely to the distribution of gold ores, though not so general. It seems probable that most of the old in the district was deposited during the "bismuth stage." These ores occur relatively near the supposed centers of mineralization in Breece and Printer Roy Hills or deep down along the Tucson-Maid fault, which is one of the well recognized channels of mineralization in the Iron Hill and Graham Park areas. Consideration of the high-grade nature of this mineralization and the fact that it appears to be found relatively close to the source of mineralization suggests that prospecting along some of the known channels, even deeper than they have yet been prospected, may offer hope of commercial success. Introduction The Leadville district has been studied sinee 1880, and numerous detailed geologic descriptions of it are available in print; so also are more or less complete summaries of the mineral paragenesis, representing what was known at various periods up to 1927, the year of publication of Professional Paper 148.V lie writer has been engaged as consulting geologist at Leadville since the year 1926, and has been able to examine various types of Leadville ores throughout this period. Inasmuch as

Jan 1, 1941

By David B. Reger

The substantial expansion of previously discovered gas pools was the principal feature of petroleum activity in West Virginia during 1940. At least one new gas pool was discovered and various other successful wildcat completions may prove to be gas-pool openers. Some slight extensions of oil pools were also made. The new productive territory, principally gas, added by these extensions was approximately 33,800 acres. ' In general, oil activity was slight because of unfavorable crude prices. Gas activity, on the contrary, increased considerably, although the price of gas did not materially change. The account of operations, as gathered from trade journals and other reporting services, shows that 709 new wells were drilled, resulting in 102 new oil wells with I055 bbl. of daily new produc-tion; 468 new gas wells with 633>g47,000 cu. it. of daily open flow; and 139 dry holes. Also, 91 old wells were drilled to deeper sands, with 143 bbl. and 44,833,000 cu. ft. of added production. On the new wells the oil average was 10.34 bbl, per well per day; and the gas average was 1,354,000 cu. ft. per well per day. On new wells the ratio of dry holes to completions was 19.61 per cent. On deeper drilling to other sands the ratio of failures was 12.I per cent. From an exploratory standpoint, one strictly new gas pool (Lorentz) was opened in Upshur County. Little forecast of its extent or reserve can now be made. The new extensions of various other previously discovered pools, however, give assurance of a new gas reserve that will equal approximately a year of gas demand. In addition to these definite supplies two widely separated Oriskany sand (L. Dev.) wildcats in Jackson County, one of which was completed late in 1940 and the other early in 194.1, may indicate two separate pools or may greatly extend known pools. In south-ern Kanawha County, also, an old Oris-kany-sand well deepened to the White Clinton sand (Sil.) showed a volume of 733,000 cu. ft. and rock pressure of 1800 Ib., giving rather clear assurance that this deep sand, in which only slight quantities of gas had previously been found, should eventually supply much new gas. On the other hand, various deep tests to the Oriskany sand in Harrison, Putnam, Randolph and Wood Counties were totally dry or gave only small volumes of gas, The principal oil wells completed, by counties, were: Calhoun, 15; Clay, Ir; Pleasants, 14; Ritchie, 15; and Roane, 7. Production for the year was estimated by the U. S. Bureau of Mines as 3,444,000 bbl., as compared to 3,684,000 bbl. in 1939. The leading counties in gas-well completions were: Boone, 36; Braxton, 17; Cabell, 25; Calhoun, 16; Clay, 22; Gilm.er, 47; Jackson, 38; Kanatvha, 77; Lincoln, 18; Putnam, 32; IGtchie, 40; and Wayne, 31, Production for the year is estimated by me as I70,000,000,000 cu. ft. as compared to I59,226,000,000 cu. ft.* in 1939. No long pipe lines were built but various gas-line extensions and cross connections,

Jan 1, 1941

By V. H. Wilhelm

The year 1941 in the California oil industry was marked by an increased market demand, drilling activity, and production of crude oil. Although seven new oil fields and two gas fields were discovered during the year, additions to reserves from these discoveries, as well as extensions and revaluations of previous discoveries, were approximately 100 million barrels, as against estimated withdrawals of 230,233,000 barrels. The year was remarkable for the very great increase in domestic demand for all products, which more than compensated for the loss in shipments to Japan, which averaged 60,041 bbl. Per day during 1940. Demand in terms of crude during 1941 was 648,967 bbl. per day as against 632,647 for the same period in 1940. This abnormal increase in demand is due to increased industrial activity, and especially increased railroad activity. Gasoline consumption for 1941 was 241,011 bbl. per day as against 217,744 in 1940. Demand for fuel oil increased from 259,806 bbl. per day in 1940 to 285,896 in 1941, and caused a withdrawal from stocks of more than 7,473,000 barrels. During 1941, total oil storage declined 9,153,000 bbl., but additions to storage of 1,754,000 bbl. of light oil and light oil products were offset by a withdrawal of 10,907,000 bbl. of heavier products. Production during the year is estimated at 230,233,000 bbl. as against 222,784,386 bbl. for 1940. TraNsportation For a short time, California was affected by lack of transportation due to the diversion of tankers. This shortage affected the movement of oil from the Sari Joaquin mated to the refineries, since a large percentage of this production is moved to the coast through pipe lines, and thence by tankers to Los Angeles and San Fran-,iSco, Return of the tanker fleet, which may be temporary, indicates that there is a possibility of ample supplies of petroleum products in the Pacific Northwest. Drilling Activity Contrary to general opinion, drilling activity increased in 1941 over the pre-vious Year, 942 wells being completed in 1941 as against 890 in 1940, an increase Of 6 per cent. This increase was due to the increased demands for fuel oil, and also to the decreased drilling costs, which made many former marginal locations economic. The main activity caused by increased demands for fuel oil was in the Mt. Poso, McKittrick, Midway and Santa Maria Valley oil fields. Dry-hole footage in 1941 was 655,354 ft. as against 583,537 ft. for 1940. Curtailment Voluntary curtailment succeeded in holding production considerably below demand, although it was above the state quota. During the year the top allotment

Jan 1, 1942

By Charles Hart

The art of electric smelting came with the turn of the present century and owes its existence to the introduction of alternating current, which found its first wide use in the establishment of the great power plants at Niagara Falls, N. Y. Prior to that time current was largely direct. The furnaces were electrolytic in nature and found their first metallurgical use in the production of aluminum, and this process still prevails. The normal production of pig iron up to that time was carried on in blast furnaces in which charcoal, coke and anthracite were used as the fuel. This new electric process called for sufficient carbonaceous material to reduce the oxides and impregnate the pig iron with sufficient carbon, but the remainder of the energy was to be supplied by electric power. The chemical reactions are essentially the same in electric smelting as obtains in the older blast furnace. All of these data are so well known in both methods as to need no discussion at this time, for they can be found in scientific : publications and books written during the first two decades of this century. Types of Furnaces The 40 years devoted to the practice of electric smelting may be divided into two . periods of 20 years each. The first was devoted to experimentation with furnace types and with many publications on theories and processes. The second half of this term was devoted to perfecting the types of furnaces and their active commercial operation. The arc furnace may be found in three types: (1) the direct-heating arc furnace with the positive electrode included in the bottom and the other electrode suspended above; (2) the independent arc furnace with its electrodes entirely above the charge, which of necessity depends upon heat reflected from the roof; (3) the direct-heating series arc furnace equipped with two or more electrodes suspended from the roof. Of these three types, only the last is used in electric smelting of iron ore at the present time. The elimination of the other types automatically removed many of the early designs, to the end that there are now only two general types in operation: (I) the " Electrometalls" or high-shaft furnace of Sweden, and (2) the low-shaft or pit-type furnace as offered by Tysland-Hole and Siemens-Halske. The "Electrometalls" furnace takes its name from the corporation formed by the engineers that had undertaken its perfection. After trying several designs they brought forward the furnace shown in Fig. I, which by the way is the highest development of this type of furnace as of today.l Note the trend in the lines, which have kept pace with modern blast-furnace design. The high-shaft furnace lends itself to skip filling and is fitted with tuyeres immediately under the crucible roof, whereby the gases are recycled and the roof preserved. The failure of the Electrometalls furnace in Norway, because of its inability to meet

Jan 1, 1941

By Karl Fetters, John Chipman

The relationship between the composition of the slag and that of the underlying metal during the refining of a heat of liquid steel may best be studied in the light of the two broad physicochemical concepts of equilibrium and reaction rate. Actual steel-making processes, typified by basic open-hearth practice, involve such complexities of operating variables that it is impossible to distinguish with any degree of certainty between the general limiting conditions imposed by chemical equilibrium and the effects associated with rates of diffusion or of chemical reaction. Further advances in the physical chemistry of steelmaking will depend upon our ability to distinguish clearly between these two kinds of effects, and the experimental work that must be done falls naturally into two classifications. The first is the study of chemical equilibrium that cannot be carried out with assurance under operating conditions but must be done in the laboratory. The second is the -subject of rates of reaction and diffusion and the mechanism of the process as a whole, which can best be studied under operating conditions. The latter is not entirely independent of the former, since its interpretation often requires a knowledge of the equilibrium state. It is the purpose of this and of several papers that will follow to present the results of labora- tory investigations of equilibria involving liquid steel and slag. Open-hearth slag is a complex mixture containing at least eight major components and perhaps twice as many whose influence may be classified as probably minor. It is not surprising that progress toward a complete understanding of such a material at high temperatures has been slow. Attempts to apply the established principles of physical chemistry to the behavior of the individual components of this mixture have been beset by an almost complete lack of data on its chemical properties in the liquid state. This has necessitated the adoption of various methods of approximation based upon such assumptions as, for example, that for a given component the ratio of its mol fraction in the slag to that in the metal is a constant, or that the molecular composition of the liquid slag is the same as its crystalline constitution after solidification. From the thermo-dynamic viewpoint, such assumptions are merely useful dodges, which enable one to hazard a guess as to the magnitude of the more fundamental quantities, the chemical potentials and activities of the components of slag. The problem of determining the activity of each substance in an eight-component svstem seems too complex to be undertaken without the aid of generalizations derived from experimental data on similar systems containing a smaller number of components. Accordingly, it was planned in the present investigation to study the equilibrium of molten iron with the simplest

Jan 1, 1941

By D. P. Morton

Since 1923, which closed the speculative era in the bituminous coal fields of the United States, there have been wide annual fluctuations in the national production of bituminous coal. These changes in annual output have been variously attributed to: (1) increased competition from petroleum products, natural gas and hydroelectric power; (2) lower unit consumption of coal; and (3) fluctuations in the general business level. The purpose of this paper is to measure, from a practical standpoint, the net effect upon the annual trend of bituminous coal production, and to give those who are interested a basis for estimating in advance the probable output of bituminous coal. It can readily be shown that changes in the level of general business affect the national production of bituminous coal more than does any other factor. Therefore it is necessary to use some standard measure of the relative business level for purposes of comparison. The Federal Reserve Board Index of Industrial Production offers the basis for such a measure.l This Index, a weighted composite of 81 different series, rests upon the averages of the years 1935 to 1939 as 100, and is presented graphically in Fig. I. Even a cursory examination of the chart will indicate a definite uptrend for industrial production over a period of years. This uptrend is due to at least two factors: (I) an actual increase in national population, and (2) a probable increase in the per capita consumption of goods. This means that there is no such thing as a fixed Normal, rather Normal is a variable, tending to increase from year to year. In order to measure the amount of annual increase in normal, the Index of Industrial Production must be studied in relation to its major components, Durable Goods and Nondurable Goods, Durable Goods are those made from the lasting materials such as iron, steel, other metals, lumber, stone, cement, clay, glass. Nondurable Goods are those for early consumption, such as foods, textiles, tobacco, chemicals, paper, gasoline, and goods made of leather and rubber. The purchase of Durable Goods may be postponed, but Nondurable Goods must be purchased currently unless the standard of living is lowered. The Federal Reserve Indexes of durable and nondurable goods are shown graphically, 1920 to 1939, on Fig. a (pp. 764-765 of ref. I). It is apparent that fluctuations in the production of nondurable goods are not nearly so wide as in the production of durable goods, and that the curve of Industrial Production (Fig. I) would fall between the two curves on Fig. 2. It would, however, seem logical that both curves should follow the same long-term trend, or that over a period of two to three decades the relative proportion of durable and nondurable goods, in periods of normal production, should be the same. It is neces-

Jan 1, 1942

By F. W. Rols-Hausen, F. W. Jessen

It is the purpose of this paper to present data on brines occurring in the Frio formation of the Texas Gulf Coast, and to show how their composition varies, (1) with depth below the surface, (2) with depth below the top of the formation, and (3) along the approximate strike. The brines vary in chloride content from 3,180 to 73,000 p.p.m., though the average salinity of the salt waters is shown to vary with total depth; the concentration being 35,000 to 40,000 p.p.m. at 3500 to 5500 ft., slightly less than 50,000 p.p.m. chloride at 5500 to 6500 ft. and average 38,000 to 40,000 below 6500 feet. From the analyses available, it appears that the highest concentration of salts occurs in the upper 300 ft. of the formation, while lower salinity is found with increasing depth below this point. The salt waters from wells in Starr County show less concentration of dissolved salts than in any other group of wells farther north along the strike. In all, 116 analyses from 63 fields and 14 wildcats, from depths ranging from 1300 to 11,400 ft. below the surface and from z to 3240 ft. below the top of the Frio, are recorded. Introduction Brines have been studied for many Years in an attempt to solve some of the geologic and production problems associated with the production of oil and gas. One practical application of study of . water analyses is the correlation of waters occurring above, in, or below the producing sand in the same field or throughout the same formation. The Frio formation, the series of sands and shales occurring below the Marginulina zone and above the Vicksburg, is one of the major oil and gas-producing formations in the Texas Gulf Coast. Fossils are rare or absent in the upper Frio throughout most of the area. When available, cuttings and cores, and electric logs were used to determine the top of the Frio. A change in lithology was used to determine this point in most of the wells, and fossils were used in some of the deep wells. It is realized that a change in lithology is not perfect for correlation purposes over long distances and some of the trends may be influenced by the inability to differentiate between the nonfossiliferous Marginulina zone and the Frio. It underlies virtually all the area shown on the accompanying map (Fig. I). Although it is not productive in the updip facies, it has been explored to a limited degree below I2,000 ft. Further more, toward the coast line future drilling to deeper depths should encounter this formation. Although thousands of wells have penetrated or drilled entirely through the formation, very few water samples have been secured from the many sands occurring in this formation and analyzed. Previous Investigation No previous published study has been made of the chemical composition and concentration of waters from the Frio formation. However, one water analysis

Jan 1, 1944

By William Hurst

This is a presentation of the diffusivity theory for the calculation of the water drive on an oil reservoir in which the history of reservoir pressure with time are the essential parameters for the determination of the rate and cumulative water encroachment into a field. The main body of the paper is essentially the application of the principles underlined here to actual field data. It consists of the work plots of the radial-flow case, and includes a discussion of an illustrated problem for which the water-drive calculations are treated in conjunction with the volumetric-balance equation. The appendix is a mathematical treatment of the linear, radial, and spherical cases of water influx into a reservoir. Introduction The evaluation of oil reserves and the prediction of pressure behavior with different rates of production are related to the volumetric balance of the fluids entering and leaving the space occupied by the oil and gas originally present in the formation; that is to say, important information can be gleaned from a volumetric study of the oil, gas, and water produced from a formation as it affects the extent of change in volume of oil zone, the gas cap, and the amount of water influx from the adjoining water sands. It is not the purpose of this paper to enter into a discussion of the equation of volumetric balance, in which such pertinent information as subsurface sampling and the measurement of reservoir pressures play a predominant part, as this has been discussed in detail by others.1,2 However, there is an inherent difficulty that has limited the general application of this equation to a study of oil reservoirs; that is, the insufficient knowledge of the analytics for expressing the water drive on a field as a function of reservoir pressure. This to a large degree has been overcome and it is the purpose of this paper to present this theory in such form as to be applicable for reservoir calculations. Water Drive If the amount of oil originally in place and the gas space are known, it is a relatively simple matter to determine, by the volumetric equation, the cumulative water influx into a reservoir from the adjoining water sands. Often, however, the oil reserve as well as water influx must be 'determined, and in order to be able to make this calculation it is essential to assign a mathematical relationship for the varying water term that is compatible with conditions known to exist in the formation and gives an accuracy acceptable for engineering calculations. Various equations have been employed empirically by different investigators in making reservoir studies of water drive. One form used by Schilthuis2 expresses the rate of water influx into a reservoir at any time as proportional to the pressure

Jan 1, 1943

By T. I Harkins, J. Brian Eby

This paper outlines the geophysical investigation of the area covering the Darrow salt dome, Louisiana. Surveys with the refraction seismograph and torsion balance failed to disclose the dome, but reflection dip shooting was successful and was confirmed by later drilling. Introduction The Darrow salt dome and oil field lies in western Ascension Parish, Louisiana, on the outside of a sharp bend and on the east bank of the Mississippi River. The dome occurs about 30 miles south of Baton Rouge and 80 miles northwest of New Orleans. Its geology, shape and structure have been ably described in detail by Carroll E. Cook1 and, except for the general features, will not be repeated here. The purpose of this paper is to record some of the interesting and pertinent geophysical data contributing to the discovery of the dome and eventually the oil field. The salt dome is circular in outline and comes to within about 4625 ft. of the surface. At this depth the diameter of the salt plug is approximately 4800 ft. The dome has only a thin cap rock of less than 75 ft. Some oil has been found and is being produced in Miocene sands above the cap rock, but most of the field's production comes from a narrow ring of wells around the east and south flanks of the dome. Producing horizons on the flank are found at 5670 to 5840 ft. in the Miocene and 6890 to 6985 ft., 7028 to 7060 ft. and 8260 to 8270 ft. in the Oligocene. The deepest well that has been drilled is the Humble Oil and Refining Company's Community B-5, on the south flank of the structure, which reached a depth of 10,013 feet. The size and shape of the field and the area of production are indicated on Fig. I. The line showing the area of production encloses all wells now producing and all abandoned producers, both on the top and flank of the dome. This line of production is shown on all subsequent geophysical maps as a direct means of comparing the early geophysics to later drilling development. Darrow dome occurs on the low, flat flood plain of the Mississippi River; it is protected from flood overflow by high artificial levees. The rich loamy soil supports a high degree of cultivation, principally sugar cane. Drainage is secured by many small canals and the water table of the area is at or near the surface. These particular conditions of topography, drainage and top soil greatly influenced the early geophysical picture, and the influence was always unfavorable. Surveys with Refraction Seishograph and Torsion Balance A reported oil show in a water well drew attention to the lands of the Belle Helene

Jan 1, 1943

By J. S. Marsh

Joseph Priestley prepared oxygen on Aug. I, 1774, and noted with great surprise "that a candle burned in this air with a remarkable brilliant flame." On Aug. 2, 1774, some ironmaker possibly began to wonder if this substance could be used to increase his rate of production; at any rate, there is no disputing the fact that the notion of using oxygen for steelmaking in concentrations greater than that available in great abundance—as air—has been in existence for years. Action was delayed by the lack of enough oxygen at a cost within reach of the steelmaker. Within the last several years enough has been available to permit large-scale tests of its use for both combustion, with which this paper is concerned, and for decarburization. The literature is now enormous and easily available; it is sufficient here to cite three items of historic importance in that all are about 25 years old and in that all are remarkably consistent as far as they go, with what is known today.1,2,3 Significance of High-temperature Heat The principal function of the open-hearth furnace is to supply sufficient high-temperature heat to melt the charge and then to increase its temperature to a range suitable for tapping, ordinarily in the neighborhood of 2900°F. That heat is required to make steel is understood by everybody; however, there seems to be some confusion now and then about the significance of high-temperature heat. Transfer of energy—and heat is energy— is always from a point of higher potential to a point of lower potential and, other things being equal, the greater the potential difference, the greater is the rate of transfer of energy. In the open hearth the flame, of course, is the high-potential source. Perhaps the most satisfactory approach is through the notion of theoretical flame temperature, which is the ratio of heat input to the heat content of the combustion products,* the former is composed mainly of heat of combustion of the fuel plus sensible heat of the fuel plus sensible heat of the combustion air. Thus, flame temperature can be increased by increasing the value of the numerator, by decreasing the value of the denominator, or both. The first method is as old as the open-hearth process and, of course, makes use of preheated air; its possibilities have been by no means exhausted. The second method can be put into effect only by changing the composition of the combustion air, since the combustion of a given quantity of fuel produces a definite quantity of product, and since the denominator includes the non-reactive fraction of the air, principally nitrogen. In other words, the denominator consists of the volume of exit gas multiplied by its heat capacity and that volume consists of carbon dioxide and water vapor as reaction

Jan 1, 1949