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By L. D. Clark

Pay-out, the ratio of capital expenditure to annual cash return can be very revealing when employed to gage the merits of a proposed mining venture. It is a quantity, numerically but not physically equal to a factor, by which cash return may be discounted to equal required investment. The fewer the pay-out years, the greater the average annual earning power of the project. Considerable material has been written in the past about the most important and difficult problem mining management faces in evaluation of a property: the optimum production rate for the venture. What daily capacity should be adopted for the proposed operation that it may be the most rewarding to those underwriting it? H.C. Hoover has said, "The most important objective is the least cost per ton mined; and minimum working costs can only be gained by the most intensive production." Theoretically and practically, the quicker the ore is removed, the more profitable should be the venture because of the saving in fixed charges, the consequent lower unit costs and the interest unearned by the profit from the unmined ore. Yet, such performance will be tempered by policy and a restraint imposed by the ratio of capital expenditure to annual cash return. * The 'Annual net profit after taxes but including depreciation and depletion allowances. former will be based upon an analysis of the economic climate anticipated, with its many ramifications including the demand for the product, prices, tax laws, the conduct of labor and related wage scales. The variables and intangibles involved in estimating the optimum production rate for a mine do not readily lend themselves to mathematical relationships or equations and the problem can become complex indeed. The more readily applicable and relatively faster appraisal method will be used which, in addition to being reasonably adequate in most cases, will serve as a guide, should a more expanded and detailed estimate be desired. The first question is what is company policy with respect to the rate of investment return? This will depend on that significant period of time referred to as the pay-out, which can be defined as the estimated interval during which capital investment is returned through application of annual cash return to its recovery. Expressed another way, it is the ratio of capital expenditure to the annual cash return. For example, if the capital investment is $C and the annual cash return is $A (after Federal tax), then $C/$A = the pay-out period in years. That is to say, if $C = $1,500,000 and $A = $214,000, then which is the mathematical expression for the period of time it takes to recover the funds originally invested in a mining enterprise. The relationship yp = $C/$A can be useful — an expression which requires only the significant tern yp to be fixed; in other words, the long range investment policy. For what is the pay-out period but an expression of that policy in terms of the speed, within practical limits, with which an individual or company may want to recover capital expenditure? A policy by which pay-out will be fixed is imperative. This ratio must lie within relatively narrow limits governed by what is economically feasible. It cannot be too low, rendering the ratio impractical or absurd, nor too great, delaying the return of capital for reinvestment beyond a commensurate interval. What pay-out will govern this policy? Federal corporate taxes would seem to present the best measure. Consider mining in Canada where new mines are exempt from Federal income tax for 3½ yr from date of first production. This exemption expressly allows The Act states: "A corporation . . . i s not required to include the profits . . . for the period of 36 months commencing with the day on which the mine came into production in reasonable commercial quantites." a company to recover capital expenditure during the early stages of production. With such an incentive, it is logical to strive for as much capital redemption as possible during this period. Thus, 3½ yr would be a major contribution to the pay-out in Canada. Furthermore, it generally takes from 1½ to 3 yr to develop

Jan 1, 1963

By Coleman D. Hunter, George M. Straughan

Oil and gas development as well as extensive leasing in Kentucky during 1940 has shown a marked improvement over the past three years.$ The most noticeable improvement is the gas development in eastern Kentucky and the deep tests being drilled by major oil interests. In western Kentucky, 406 wells were drilled, of which 173 were oil producers, 12 were gas wells and 221 were dry or abandoned. The number of dry tests was large, because no important, new oil or gas pool was discovered and many of the dry holes could be considered wildcat tests. However, with either oil or gas possibilities from Pennsylvanian formations on through Mississippian, Silurian, Devonian, and Ordovician, this percentage of dry holes seems rather high. Many of the dry tests possibly should have been tested in deeper horizons before being abandoned: namely, Silurian and Ordovician ages. In eastern Kentucky, 213 wells were drilled, of which 113 were gas producers, 61 were oil wells, and 39 were dry holes. Of these wells, 117 were drilled in the most important Big Sandy gas field, in Floyd, Pike, Knott and Martin Counties, and of this number 103 were gas producers, 5 were oil wells, and 9 were dry holes. In the Big Sinking oil field of Estill, Lee and Powell Counties, 70 of the remaining 96 wells were drilled, j6 being oil producers. During 1940, four deep tests were drilled in eastern Kentucky. One test penetrated the Knox dolomite in Knox County and was dry; no St. Peter sand was encountered. Another test in Lee County had some gas in what might be called St. Peter sand, according to the State Department, and also some gas deeper in the Knox dolomite. In Wolfe County, a small oil well was completed in the Ordovician, which was undoubtedly of Trenton age. ilt the present time, four deep tests are being drilled, all of which will go to the Knox dolomite. In Elliott County, on the Burke dome, the Inland Gas Co, is drilling at 3650 ft. In Magoffin County, on the Paint Creek uplift, the Cumberland Petroleum Co. is drilling at 3800 ft. In Clark County, in the Ruckerville fault area, W. 0. Allen is drilling at 1800 ft. In Laurel County, on the Sinking Creek dome, the Globe Oil and Gas Co. is drilling at I750 ft. If production is encountered in the Trenton, St. Peter, or Knox dolomite in any of these tests, eastern Kentucky will experience a marked increase in deep development.

Jan 1, 1941

By George M. Straughan, Coleman D. Hunter

Oil and gas development as well as extensive leasing in Kentucky during 1940 has shown a marked improvement over the past three years.$ The most noticeable improvement is the gas development in eastern Kentucky and the deep tests being drilled by major oil interests. In western Kentucky, 406 wells were drilled, of which 173 were oil producers, 12 were gas wells and 221 were dry or abandoned. The number of dry tests was large, because no important, new oil or gas pool was discovered and many of the dry holes could be considered wildcat tests. However, with either oil or gas possibilities from Pennsylvanian formations on through Mississippian, Silurian, Devonian, and Ordovician, this percentage of dry holes seems rather high. Many of the dry tests possibly should have been tested in deeper horizons before being abandoned: namely, Silurian and Ordovician ages. In eastern Kentucky, 213 wells were drilled, of which 113 were gas producers, 61 were oil wells, and 39 were dry holes. Of these wells, 117 were drilled in the most important Big Sandy gas field, in Floyd, Pike, Knott and Martin Counties, and of this number 103 were gas producers, 5 were oil wells, and 9 were dry holes. In the Big Sinking oil field of Estill, Lee and Powell Counties, 70 of the remaining 96 wells were drilled, j6 being oil producers. During 1940, four deep tests were drilled in eastern Kentucky. One test penetrated the Knox dolomite in Knox County and was dry; no St. Peter sand was encountered. Another test in Lee County had some gas in what might be called St. Peter sand, according to the State Department, and also some gas deeper in the Knox dolomite. In Wolfe County, a small oil well was completed in the Ordovician, which was undoubtedly of Trenton age. ilt the present time, four deep tests are being drilled, all of which will go to the Knox dolomite. In Elliott County, on the Burke dome, the Inland Gas Co, is drilling at 3650 ft. In Magoffin County, on the Paint Creek uplift, the Cumberland Petroleum Co. is drilling at 3800 ft. In Clark County, in the Ruckerville fault area, W. 0. Allen is drilling at 1800 ft. In Laurel County, on the Sinking Creek dome, the Globe Oil and Gas Co. is drilling at I750 ft. If production is encountered in the Trenton, St. Peter, or Knox dolomite in any of these tests, eastern Kentucky will experience a marked increase in deep development.

Jan 1, 1941

By Ernest F. Burchard

MOST of the iron ore smelted in Alabama blast furnaces is mined within Alabama, although deposits in the neighboring States of Georgia and Tennessee may be drawn upon when occasion requires. Of the four commercial kinds of iron ore, the anhydrous ferric oxide, hematite (Fe2O3) ; the hydrous ferric oxide, mostly the type commonly known as limonite (2 Fe2O33H2O) ; the carbonate, siderite (FeCO3) ; and the magnetic oxide, magnetite (Fe:3O4) ; the first two are found in abundance in Alabama, the third in less than commercial quantities, and the fourth only rarely. Both the hematite and the hydroxide are found in somewhat different forms according to their geologic environment. The Red Mountain hematite, of Silurian age, that crops out in well¬defined beds for 1.50 miles northeast-southwest and 40 miles northwest-southeast is the predominant source of ore. Only a small part of this area carries ore of commercial value; Birmingham and Gadsden are now the only centers of production. The ore is of sedimentary origin, probably altered from vast deposits of greensand mixed with calcareous, fossiliferous. marine debris. Other types of hematite not vet mined commercially are in metamorphosed rocks-red ore in slates in Columbiana Mountain and specular hematite (gray ore) in quartzite in the Talladega Hills.

Jan 1, 1938

By W. J. Reagan

IN a study of the life of ingot molds, it is essential to eliminate all of the variables. In the commercial manufacture of steel this is almost an impossibility. In this study many of the variables have been eliminated, and because of the unusually consistent furnace practice, with small variations in the type of steel manufactured, and a similar type of mold design for all ingot sizes, it is possible to determine with some degree of accuracy the cause of variations in ingot-mold life. All of the ingot molds in this study were used in the production of basic open-hearth killed steel with chemical analyses within the following range: C, 0.50-0.85 per cent; Mn, 0.60-0.80; Si, 0.20-0.30; S, 0.04 max.; P, 0.04 max. All ingot molds were of the closed-bottom type and used for bottom casting only. None of the molds in the study failed from cutting of the sides due to top casting; in fact, on only rare occasions are any molds used for top casting. The general type of this mold is shown in Fig. 1. All sizes have rather a heavy band of metal, about 6 in. wide, at the top to give mechanical strength at this point, and all have cast lugs. Cross sections of the vari-ous sizes from top and bottom sections are shown in Fig. 2. Ratios of wall thickness to ingot weight, ratio of ingot diameter to ingot length, and other figures of interest are shown in Table 1. In. the majority of cases, the cause of failure in this type of mold is due to heavy fire cracking on the "flats" at a point from 3 to 6 in. from the bottom radius of the mold. Fig. 3 pictures this type of failure. The start of failure at these points usually begins with a very small section of the interior surface becoming involved. As a rule, a section of 1 or 2 sq. in. is the first noticeable 'indication that mold failure is taking place. Gradually the small section increases until a sizable cavity develops, causing a protuberance on the bottom of the ingot, which eventually becomes too large to be stripped. The mold is then removed from service. At the time of failure, this cavity often reaches a size of about 5 sq. in. and about 1/2 in. deep. Sometimes cavities are found on only two or three sides and at other times all twelve sides appear to be involved.

Jan 1, 1936

By K. P. Sinha, J. F. Schatz, T. F. Borschel, S. Demou

Triaxial creep behavior of oil shale was investigated in the laboratory at simulated in-situ conditions. A range of temperature and stress conditions were chosen to represent those within the inter-chamber pillars of a modified in-situ retorting operation. Oil shale in grades up to 60 gallons per ton have been tested. Experimental data and a constitutive model have been presented here.

Jan 1, 1982

By George P. Hulst

Prior to 1914, there was little demand for antimony in this country; its use was limited almost entirely to the manufacture of type and bearing metals. Practically no antimony ore was mined here, the market being supplied principally from China, and the alloy was produced by a direct mixing of lead and antimony. The great world war, with its demand for shrapnel in hitherto undreamed of quantities, precipitated a great boom in the price of antimony. Nominally quoted at 6 c. to 7 c. in 1914, the price increased by leaps and bounds to 45 c. in March, 1916. Under the stimulus of high prices many small mines were opened, for it became profitable to work ores containing as low as 20 per cent. antimony. High-grade sulfide ores (stibnite), containing 55 per cent. to 60 per cent. antimony, were received from Bolivia, China, and Alaska. Low-grade sulfide ores, running from 20 per cent. to 45 per cent., were produced in Nevada, California, Idaho, Utah, and Mexico; much of this ore was fairly rich in silver. The principal oxide ores came from Mexico and Oregon. The following analyses are representative of various types of antimony ore: Sb Pb Cu AG AU SIO2 Be S CaO Zn As Oxide ore.......... 25.09 46.02 0.95 0.40 10.98 0.30 0.22 Sulfide ore......... 55.20 15.12 1.05 19.87 0.40 0.25 Sulfide ore......... 37.16 11.30 0.10 34.0 7.60 0.50 17.05 7.40 0.36 0.10 Sulfide ore......... 41.55 18.00 0.20 76.0 0.04 5.60 0.25 18.17 0.85 0.25 0.10 The International Lead Refining Co. fortunately was equipped to handle these ores through residue and blast furnaces. The charge consisted of a variety of sulfide ores containing Sb 20 to 60 per cent. and SiO2 6 to 45 per cent., oxide ores containing Sb 20 to 40 per cent. and SiO2 10 to 45 per cent. Secondary materials, such as battery plates, battery mud, lead oxide, paint, etc., together with refinery skims, softener skims, and other refinery byproducts, were treated along with the antimony ore to furnish the lead required. All silver-bearing antimony ores were treated in the residue furnace, the sulfur, iron, and copper forming matte that carried part of the silver, the balance going into lead bullion. The antimony slag produced was sufficiently low in silver to warrant being smelted in the blast furnace to antimonial lead.

Jan 1, 1921

By Carl Thieme

INDUSTRIAL specialization has rapidly created a demand for new and better alloys. A more thorough understanding of the requirements of specific industries and the discovery of processes by which it has been made possible to utilize certain metallic elements in larger quantities, together with greater purity in most virgin metals, has resulted in a great increase in the number and variety of alloys. This increase in the number of elements entering into non-ferrous alloy manufacture has increased the contamination in secondary metals, as received by the smelter. In order to successfully refine scrap of a much more complex nature it has been necessary for the smelter to install new equipment and to constantly search for new methods of refining as well as to improve the methods already in use. In some instances it is largely responsible for specialization in the secondary metal industry. It is usually necessary to remove the contaminating impurities in scrap or eliminate to a degree not objectionable, no matter how introduced. In order to know what metals or elements are of an objectionable nature, the smelter must make a study of the effect of single elements and combinations of elements on many of the physical and mechanical properties, such as strength, ductility, color, hardness, casting soundness, etc. The smelter of secondary metals must be able to utilize scrap materials of all kinds, for, sooner or later, most fabricated metal parts and the waste products formed during the process of manufacture find their way to the smelter. In addition, the smelter, in contracting for salvaged material from the producer, gets some undesirable and unusual materials. The value of secondary metals and the importance of their recovery has increased in recent years and it is no longer sufficient to recover the base metal only, such as copper from copper-bearing material, but it inessential that other elements present be recovered and converted into useful form.

Jan 1, 1928

By Edward Estabrook

THIS paper gives a brief account of the geologic and production problems encountered in the Grass Creek oil field, the methods used in their solution, and the beneficial results obtained from the work. The author wishes to acknowledge the assistance received from J. H. Pearson and Miss Ninettta A. Davis in the collection of the data and the preparation of the cross-sections. Permission for its publication was given by the officials of the Midwest Refining Co. and the Ohio Oil Co. The Grass Creek oil field is located in Ts. 98-99 W., R. 46 N., Hot Springs County, Wyo. The productive area includes about 2 1/2 mi. (4 km.) on the apex of a great anticlinal fold occupying more than 150 sq. mi. Fig. 1 shows the structural contours of the field. Oil was dicovered in the field in June, 1914; development proceeded rapidly and production rose to a maximum in 1918. The marketed production has been approximately as follows: BARRELS BARRELS 1915 94,073.5 1918 2,946,774.27 1916 1,404,183.97 1919 2,000,584.84 1917 2,780,697.51 1920 1,485,080.94 About 350 wells, 800 to 1500 ft. (243 to 457 m.) deep have been drilled to reach the upper oil sands; two companies, the Ohio Oil Co. and the Midwest Refining Co., operate the entire field.

Jan 2, 1922

ENGINEERS AVAILABLE (Under this heading will be published notes sent to the Secretary of the Institute by members or other persons introduced by members.) Member, Cornell M. E., graduate, aged 31, married. Will soon complete 2 years' engagement in the Russian oil fields. Eight years' practical experience in drilling for and producing oil. Can speak Russian fluently and some French and German. Open for engagement. Interview after August 15, in the United States. No. 299. Member, graduate mining engineer. Married. Aged 38. For past 6 years, general superintendent of large silver mine in. Mexico. Desires connection with responsible mining company, preferably in the United States. Has had 15 years' experience in the United States and Mexico, including mine engineering, sampling, examinations,' milling and mine superintendence. No. 312. Metallurgist, 4 years' experience in electric furnace operation on steel, ferro-alloys and smelting of ores, both practical and research, desires position as metallurgist or superintendent. No. 314. Member, technical mining graduate. 5 years' experience in coal and metal mines and construction work. Married. Aged 27. Employed at present. Interview in Salt Lake City or Denver. No. 316.

Jan 10, 1916

By J. M. Avasthi

The DOE-funded (Contract No. DE-ACO3-77ET13108) Gulf Research & Development Co. (GR&DC) field tests of underground coal gasification in steeply dipping beds (UCG/SDB) were conducted in the North Knobs area, located 12.8 km (8 miles) west of Rawlins, WY. The site has a gently rolling, sparsely vegetated, semidesert terrain on the transition zone between a broad, flat basin (Great Divide Basin) to the west and the subdued mountains of the Rawlins uplift to the east. A comprehensive geotechnical program (Ahner et al., 1980) was essential to successfully complete the test program. Emphasis of the program was the subsurface characterization of the site and consisted of mapping, drilling and logging, core analyses, and hydrologic tests. The samples of lithologic units over- and underlying the G coal seam were tested in the laboratory for their modulus and strength. This program provided the required data necessary for designing surface facilities, input for permits, and ensuring correct placement of the process modules. The two UCG tests at the Rawlins site were conducted in the nominally 6.7 m (22 ft) thick G coal seam (rank-subbituminous B), dipping at 63°.

Jan 1, 1984

CHARLES G. ROEBLING Charles Gustavus Roebling, president of the John A. Roebling's Sons' Co., of Trenton and Roebling, N. J., and of the New Jersey Wire Cloth Co., of Trenton, and vice-president of the John A. Roebling's Sons' Co., of New York, died at his home, No. 333 West State Street, Trenton, on Oct. 5, 1918. Mr. Roebling, who was born in Trenton, was a son of the John A. Roebling who finished the plans for the Brooklyn Bridge just before he died. The bridge was completed by his sons, Charles G. Roebling and Col. Washington A. Roebling. Upon graduation from the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in 1871, Charles Roebling became associated with the Roebling company as a mechanical engineer. He was engineer and builder of the suspension

Jan 12, 1918

By L. M. Kaas

Maintenance costs comprise a large portion of total operating cost, 30% to 60% of the operating cost dollar not being unusual. Thus even a relatively small percentage reduction in this cost would represent a sizable increase to mining profitability. Mine and mill maintenance management is a complex problem. An effective maintenance manager must study the experiences of the past and make decisions based on that experience. Data Processing equipment-more specifically, the computer-can be an effective and economical tool to simplify the job of maintenance record-keeping and to aid in the formulation of many accurate and timely management reports. These reports will enable improved control to be established over day-to-day practices; permit comparisons of unit and component performance; spotlight inefficient maintenance practices; and further, better, more efficient cost control. The net result can be increased profits through reduction of operating costs.

Jan 12, 1967

By A. M. Gaudin

TEN years ago Taggart, Taylor and Ince1 described a workable, convenient apparatus for the measurement of contact angles be-tween cleaved, ground or polished particles and captive bubbles. Wark and Cox2 and Wark and Sutherland3 have done an im-mense amount of experimental work with this apparatus. Their work has had as principal object the determination of "con-tact curves." Contact curves are Cartesian charts in which pH (or some other variable) is plot-ted against quantity of modifying agent. The rectangular area is broken into two or more curvilinear areas separated by the contact curve. The curve indicates that a sharp demarcation exists between condi-tions that bring about sticking of particles to bubbles and conditions that do not pro-duce sticking, The type curve appears in the TRANSACTIONS as Fig. 1, page 248, volume 112. Wark and Cox offer data to show that the contact angle has a value determined by and characteristic of the agent used. Wark and Cox also make the statement that they believe this value is independent of concen-tration (ref. 2a, p. 209), They say: It is suspected that, given sufficient time and provided that there are no disturbing factors. the full ethyl xanthate angle (corresponding to a complete xanthate film) would be obtained in every case where contact occurs.

Jan 1, 1940

By Phillip Crowson

INTRODUCTION This discusses some of the economic risks and uncertainties which face any company investing in new mineral ventures. These differ mainly in degree rather than kind from other large capital intensive projects, except that economic risks are compounded with technical risks. Mines face a wide variety of physical risks, and in addition the ore reserves may not prove as ample, nor as amenable to treatment as the feasibility studies indicate. On the economic front, mineral projects are subject to risks of fluctuating prices and sales volumes, no matter where they are located, or how they are financed. Typically, they are heavy users of capital compared with their owners' internally generated funds. Long term debt of various types is still the favoured form of finance. A project's currencies and cost often differ from each other and from those of the parent company. Facing up to the various risks associated with fluctuating and uncertain revenues, interest rates and exchange rates are amongst the hardest tasks for natural resource companies. ATTITUDES TO THE MINING INDUSTRY Some have questioned whether the game itself is now worth playing. They have argued that the mining industry's mediocre rewards in the past decade have been insufficient, compared with the risks involved. They can see no prospect of dramatic improvement in the next decade. Demand is highly cyclical and tends to grow less rapidly than economic activity, as a whole. Barriers to entry are low in most mineral markets, but impediments to exit can be substantial. Exit is especially problematic in those minerals where there are large state shareholdings and/or where less developed countries are major producers. The consequence is claimed to be an endemic tendency to excess capacity, and prices barely adequate to cover marginal cash costs. Many of the petroleum companies that moved into mining with such high expectations in the late 1970s have retreated, often bearing the scars of heavy losses. Individual shareholders, taken collectively, place low valuations on their investments in mining companies. The price/earnings ratios of the major mineral producing companies are low compared with their historical averages and with those of other industries. PRICE: EARNINGS RATIOS (October 1988) [UK Industrials 12.0 RTZ 8.4 Cons Gold 12.2 US Industrials 13 - 13.4 Alcan Alcoa Amax Asarco Cyprus Minerals Freeport Copper Inco Inspiration Magma Copper Newmont Mining Nord Resources Phelps Dodge Reynolds Metal Canada TSE 300 10.6 Cominco 8.7 Falconbridge 5.3 Noranda 7.0 Rio Algom 7.2 Teck Corporation 17.] NOTE: Mining companies' p/e based on prospective 1988 earnings, from Kleinwort Benson Securities' weekly Mining World, October 1988. Until 1987, it was argued that share prices correctly reflected the companies' poor earnings potential. Subsequently, the argument has been that earnings have been unnaturally boosted by cyclically high metal prices. The stock market valuations, therefore, correctly reflect future earnings, or at least expected earnings. This seems to be a case of Heads, I win; Tails, you lose. The underlying analysis of metal markets appears

Jan 1, 1990

T. Kirke Rose, London, Eng. (communication to the Secretary*) :—The authors have shown that, under certain conditions, the rate of dissolution of gold by chlorine and bromine is reduced by the addition of 10 per cent. of silver to the gold, and that the action is almost stopped when the silver amounts to 30 or 40 per cent. of the alloy. Even if full recognition is given to the practical way in which the work was done, however, it is to be regretted that Prof. Hofman and Mr. Magnusou did not determine the temperature at which the experiments were carried out. From the details given, it may be inferred that the temperature was raised by chemical action by about 20' C. when 21 g. of sulphuric acid was added, and that the mixture was then slowly cooled down during the experiment. When bromine or very weak chlorine solutions were used, there could not have been any perceptible heating-action. As the action of both chlorine and bromine is aided by heat, it follows that the stronger solutions of chlorine were given an unfair advantage over the weaker solutions, and over bromine. If the temperature had been the same in each case, I do not think that the conclusions deduced by Prof. Hofman and Mr. Magnuson' would have been found to be justified. (This is speaking generally. In barrel-treatment the conditions are similar to those in the experiments.) The superior speed of bromine as compared with chlorine at equivalent strengths is not yet disproved, and the differences noted between strong and weak solutions of chlorine may have been largely a function of the temperature. Moreover, the authors used somewhat-coarse particles of gold, and did not try how far time was a factor, although it is obvi-

Jan 1, 1906

Organization Place Date 1917 American Society of Sanitary Engineers Grand Rapids, Mich. Aug. 1-3 National Association of Stationary Engineers... Evansville, Ind. Sept. 10-15 National Safety Council New York City. Sept. 10-15 National Exposition of Safety and Sanitation. New York City Sept. 10-15 American Iron, Steel & Electrical Engineers..:. Philadelphia, Pa. Sept. 10-14 American Institute of Metals Boston, Mass. Sept. 24-29 American Foundrymen's Association Boston, Mass. Sept. 24-29 Chemical Industries, Third National Exhibition. New York City Sept. 24-29

Jan 8, 1917

By Mark R. Lamb

THE various methods of treating pulp in air-agitation tanks offer problems for experiment and study which are fascinating as well as practical. The usual method heretofore has been to fill each tank in turn, agitate the mixture the required period and then discharge the treated pulp into a storage-tank, from which it. is drawn to the filter as required. A later method is to run the pulp from the tube-mill, classifier, thickener, or settler into the first of a set of tanks, and thence continuously or in series through the remaining tanks, finally drawing off the pulp to a continuous filter, or to a pulp-storage tank if the filter is of the intermittent type. It is this method which I propose to discuss here in a preliminary way, with the idea of going exhaustively into the examination of the results of a series of experiments in a later paper. It may be of interest to note that the design of a cyanide-plant has recently been completed in which the estimated cost of the agitation-tanks, storage-tanks, and pumps was 30 per cent higher for the charge-agitation arrangement than for the series plan. The first question in studying the series method is, "What is the actual period of treatment undergone by the pulp?? One first supposes that by chance some of the pulp may get through with little or no treatment, while other portions may stay in the tanks a needlessly long period. The former is not probable or even possible, and the latter is, practically, true to only a limited extent. The greater the number of tanks the greater is the percentage of chance that all the pulp will be treated equally. Without going into the mathematical analysis of the problem (which is of little value, since it is based on problematical premises), its important terms may be clearly grasped by thinking of, or " visualizing," the conditions when,

Jan 1, 1910

By Peter Beardmore, Michael B. Bever

The effects of the temperature of deformation and the degvee of deformation on the annealing spectrum of a Au-Ag alloy have been determined by vesistance measurements. Specimens were deformed in torsion at 4°, 78K and room temperature up to strains nd/l of about 1.0 and were isochronally annealed. Discrete annealing stages similar to those found for pure metals were observed. Stage A occurred below room temperature; the decrease in reszstance associated with this stage increased as the temperature of deformation was lowered or the strain was increased. Stage B manifested itself as an increase in resistance; this is attributed to the restoration of short-range order promoted by vacancy or vacancy aggregate migration. At temperatures above 48S0K, recrystallization or Stage C occurred. Stages A, B, and C in the annealzng curves of this alloy may be considered to correspond to Stages II, Ill, and V, respectively, in the terminology used to describe the annealing spectrum of pure metals. ThE annealing behavior after deformation below room temperature has been thoroughly investigated on pure metals, in particular gold and copper. The occurrence of several discrete stages in the annealing spectrum of these metals has been established, but the interpretation of some of these stages in terms of specific mechanisms is still controversial.' The annealing of alloys deformed below room temperature has been the subject of only a few investigations. In the investigation reported here, a Au-Ag alloy was annealed after deformation at and below room temperature. This continues a research program on the deformation and annealing behavior of Au-Ag alloys.2-8s EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDURE An alloy rod of composition 82.6 wt pct Au-17.4 pct Ag was reduced to wire, 0.0428 in. diam, by swaging and drawing. After a recrystallization treatment, the grain size was 0.031 mm, as obtained from the average linear intercept.7 The ends of wires about 6 in. long were flattened and sealed into short brass tubes with cold setting cement to form the grips of the torsion specimens. The equipment used for deformation has been described elsewhere.6 The specimens were deformed at room temperature, 78", and 4°K to various strains nd/l, where n is the number of turns, d the diameter of the specimen, and 1 its length between grips. The strain rate ?max was 0.1 min-' at the sur- face of the specimen except where noted otherwise. The specimens were annealed isochronally for 30 min at intervals of approximately 30°K from the temperature of deformation to approximately 800°K, except that after deformation at 4°K the lowest annealing temperature was 78°K. A potentiometric method was used to measure the resistance: all measurements were made at 78°K with the exception of some measurements at 4°K mentioned below. Data obtained with a single specimen yielded a complete annealing curve: in several cases duplicate specimens were used to confirm the reproducibility of the curves. Since the surfaces of the specimens were rough after deformation, their diameters could not be measured accurately. The resistance increments after deformation and annealing are therefore reported as percentages of the resistance of the same specimen measured after completion of the annealing, that is, after full recrystallization. The corresponding resistivity values can be calculated by obtaining the effective diameter of a deformed specimen from the ratio of its resistance after recrystallization to the true resistivity, which was determined with a smooth specimen of known dimensions. This method of calculation was used to obtain data shown in several of the figures. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION The isochronal annealing curves after deformation to various strains at 4", 78K, and room temperature are shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 3, respectively. The resistance increment of the as-deformed specimens as a function of strain is shown in Fig. 4. For the specimens deformed at 4°K. values measured at 78°K are plotted with the exception of those for the as-deformed

Jan 1, 1970

By A. L. Barnes

Residual oil in watered-out reservoirs is a tremendous reserve which has been unrecoverable by established production methods. A study of the new recovery methods indicated that the forward combustion urocess might- recover oil from such reservoirs; however, no thermal recovery operating experience in a watered-out system was available. The Delaware-Childers pilot thermal test was undertaken to test the feasibility of thermal recovery in this watered-out reservoir. The pilot test consisted of a 2.22-acre, inverted five-spot in the 600-ft deep Bartlesville sand. The reservoir in the pilot area had a porosity of 20.6 per cent, a permeability of 118 md and an average sand thickness of 45 ft. The reservoir contains a 33' API, 6-cp oil. Combustion was started Nov. 22, 1960. The initial air injection capacity was 750 Mscf/D, but it was eventually increased to 2,000 Mscf/D. The test was surrounded by an active water flood; therefore, water production was initially high, but decreased as the heat wave moved toward the producing wells. Oil-bank arrival at an individual well was indicated by a drop in GOR and WOR, and an increase in oil production. Combustion-front arrival was evident at three of the pilot producers, and they were plugged. Cumulative oil production from pilot area wells war over 12,000 bbl. Operational difficulties were negligible and only conventional equipment was necessary. The combustion efficiency of this test averaged over 80 per cent. Results from coring showed that the leading edge of the combustion front tended to be wedge-shaped but a nearly complete sweep of the reservoir was eventually obtained. An isopach map based on evidence from 10 core holes and the existing wells showed that 126 acre-ft had been swept by the heat wave. Using this swept volume, an air requirement of 15.7 MMscf/acre-ft was calculated. It was calculated that 275 ,STB/acre-ft was consumed bv the heat wave. INTRODUCTION There is a large amount of oil remaining in reservoirs that have been water flooded. A study of ways to recover this oil showed that the forward combustion process might be applicable. Results from a number of forward combustion tests have been reported in the literature, but none of these tests were conducted in a watered-out system. The Delaware-Childers pilot thermal test was initiated in 1960 to define the operating characteristics of underground combustion in this watered-out Bartlesville sand reservoir, The purpose of this paper is to present the pilot test results in detail. FORWARD COMBUSTION PROCESS The forward combustion process consists of initiating combustion in the formation surrounding an injection well and driving this heat wave through the formation toward offset producing wells. As the combustion front progresses through the reservoir, oil and formation water are vaporized, driven forward in the gaseous phase, and recon-densed in the cooler part of the formation. These distilled liquids, water of combustion and gaseous combustion products, form a bank or three-phase region ahead of the burning front. This bank pushes mobile reservoir fluids toward the production wells. The rate of movement of the combustion front is controlled by the rate at which the nondistill able residue which serves as process fuel can be completely burned off the sand. The production performance from a heat wave conducted in a watered-out oil reservoir will differ from one conducted in a dissolved gas-depleted reservoir because of the difference in fluid saturations. The primary depleted reservoir contains connate water saturation, relatively high oil saturation and some gas saturation. The watered-out reservoir contains a highly mobile water saturation, residual oil saturation and little gas saturation. As the combustion front moves forward in either type of depleted reservoir, it drives the distillable oil, the water in place and the water of combustion ahead, and burns the nondistillable portion of the oil. The heat-wave process in a watered-out reservoir differs from the process in a

Jan 1, 1966