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By Lawrence W. Teufel

A method to determine in situ stress directions and magnitudes from anelastic strain recovery measurements of oriented core has been used to determine the principal horizontal in situ stresses in the Rollins Sandstone in a deep well near Rifle, Colorado. The principal horizontal stress directions were determined directly from the principal horizontal strain recovery directions. The principal horizontal stress magnitudes were calculated from the principal strain recovery magnitudes, overburden stress, and Poison's ratio of the rock using a viscoelastic model. The accuracy of the in situ stress directions and magnitudes determined from anelastic strain recovery measurements was substantiated by a direct comparison with open-hole hydraulic fracture stress measurements. The anelastic strain recovery method predicted the magnitudes of the maximum and minimum horizontal principal stresses to be 54.5 MPa and 51.9 MPa, respectively; with an azimuth of N63ºW ± 8º for the maximum horizontal stress. The hydraulic fracture stress measurements yielded maximum and minimum horizontal principal stress magnitudes of 49.6 MPa and 46.8 MPa, respectively. The azimuth of the maximum horizontal stress ranged from N50ºW to N70°W.

Jan 1, 1984

By J. A. Berge, R. S. Mateer, R. G. Aspden

IN a study of the cold-rolling characteristics of iron-base alloys with 3 to 12 pct Al, the influence of aluminum content on the cold-rolling textures was evaluated. This work was undertaken to determine if binary iron-aluminum alloys possessed cold-rolling textures similar to other body-centered-cubic alloys and to contribute additional information on the effect of solute concentration on the cold- rolling textures. Gradual changes in cold-rolling textures with an increase in solute content have been observed in copper1 and in titanium.2 Iron-base alloys containing 3.0, '6.0, and 12.0 pct aluminum were vacuum-induction-melted in a magnesia crucible and permanent-mold cast. The materials used were high-purity electrolytic iron and 99.99 pct grade aluminum. Each ingot was 1 in. square in cross section by 12 in. in height. The bottom half of each ingot was soaked for 1 hr at 1000°C and rolled at 1000°C to a thickness of 0.055 in. with the long axis of the ingot parallel to the rolling direction. The strip was reheated between passes to maintain a rolling temperature of 1000°C.

Jan 1, 1960

By R. S. Burns, J. G. Erskine

The performance of the nine 5.5 m diameter x 6.4 m mills (18 x 21 ft) initially installed at Bougainville Copper Ltd. did not meet the laboratory and pilot plant derived design expectations as measured by Bond Work Index. During the post-commissioning period, inefficient grinding of coarse material resulted in a build-up of large circulating loads and led to reduced throughputs because of pump and cyclone overloading. Installation of larger pumps and cyclones and development of an improved circuit control philosophy alleviated materials handling problems and permitted higher tonnages to be attained. Since 1977, plant throughput has been increased by installation of three additional mills. These are 0.9 m (2.9 ft) longer than the other nine and have a higher capacity. Developments in classification and mill speed-up, together with a finer ball mill feed size and substantial improvements to mill availability (99% in 1982) have further increased plant capacity. There is a continuing emphasis on improving grinding circuit efficiency in terms of throughput/grind. Current development work includes trials of graded ball charges, different liner profiles, and assessment of scalping/regrind proposals.

Jan 1, 1985

By J. V. W. REYNDERS

THE principal manganese deposit of Russia, I one of the four principal sources of the world's supply, lies on the southern slope of the Caucasus Mountains, in what is now the Republic of Georgia, district of Sharopan. Tchiatouri, the principal town, is midway between Tiflis, the capital of Georgia, and Poti, the shipping port on the Black Sea, about 130 " miles distant. The deposit can be most easily visualized by thinking of a nearly horizontal coal seam about 6 ft. thick, outcropping on the slopes about 600 ft. above the Kvirila River. One of the accompanying illustrations shows the river, which nearly bi- sects the district, of approximately 50 sq. miles in area, and with its tributary streams makes the topography rugged, while in the background are the snow-capped peaks of the Caucasus range. Another of the illustrations gives a closer view of the outcrop. The roof and floor of the deposit are good, so the methods of working are quite similar to working a coal seam, especially as most of the mineral is soft enough to be mined with a pick. Little machinery is used, except small cars for underground transportation.

Jan 1, 1926

By V. J. Bishop, R. G. Beverly

Recent publicity has focused attention on the hazard of lung cancer among uranium miners. Many mining people feel the danger has been exaggerated. Whether or not this is the case, the industry must thoroughly evaluate this potential hazard and take corrective measures to minimize the threat of radiation after-effects and to maintain the level of radiation in mines within the presently-accepted limit. The measurement and control of radon gas and its solid radioactive decay products, Po-218, Pb-214, Bi- 214, and Po-214, should be the one facet of most concern to uranium miners in any radiation control program. To illustrate the radioactivity involved with small quantities of radon gas, the activity from the decay products of five milliliters of radon gas (imagine a 5-ml vial) would be adequate to raise one cubic mile of air to seven times the recommended maximum working level of 300 [ ] (micro micro curies) per liter. This would be enough radioactivity to raise to the maximum working level a 6 x 8-ft drift which extended around the world 160 times. Obviously, a little radon gas goes a long way.

Jan 8, 1961

By Charles Seastone

Location THE hydro-electric plant of the Peninsular Power Co., is located at what is commonly known as Lower Twin Falls on the Menominee River. This location is about 33 miles north of the city of Iron Mountain, Mich. The principal points of delivery of electric energy from this plant are in the mining regions adjacent to Florence, Wis., and Iron River, Mich., and in the cities of Iron River and Iron Mountain. The hydro-electric plant at Twin Falls and the substation of the Iron Mountain Electric Light & Power Co. are connected by a 6,600-volt transmission line carried on steel towers and steel poles, the latter being used within the city limits. The plant at Twin Falls and the substation at Iron River, about 36 miles distant, are connected by a 66,000-volt, duplicate, three-phase transmission line, supported on steel towers. At Iron River, are located a 1,500-kw. auxiliary steam plant, and the substation, from which the current is distributed to the mines in this vicinity. A description of the auxiliary plant, main and customers' substations, and of the main and secondary transmission lines, follows later in this paper.

Jan 2, 1915

By William P. Blake

The occurrence of the manganiferous variety of wolframite at a new locality in Arizona was announced in the month of May last." It occurs in the granite hills of the Dragoon mountains, in Cochise county, about 6 miles north of Dragoon Summit station, on the Southern Pacific Railway of Arizona. It is found in veins of white quartz, traversing a coarsely crystalline granitic gneiss, and, so far as yet determined, is without association with other metallic minerals in the same veins, except small quantities of scheelite. It is a very pure form of the mineral, and contains but little iron, the base being manganese oxide. The color is brownish-red; it is nearly the same as the color of the mineral originally described by E. Riotte from Mammoth District, Nevada.† Thin films or plates on the broad cleavage-surfaces, and thin cleavage-flakes, seen by transmitted light, are ruby-red, or rather more like the color of red zinc oxide or the mineral known as clintonite. By long-continued weathering the surface becomes less deeply colored, and assumes a bronze-like luster, like the dull oxidized surface of

Jan 1, 1899

By Allan B. Tanner

The effects of radon in drillholes on gamma-ray logs have been described by L. S. Hilpert and C. M. Bunker1 Since these effects may cause drastic error in the evaluation of uranium deposits, it is useful to know the conditions under which significant amounts of radon tend to accumulate in drill- holes. In the studies described here, atmospheric conditions were found to dominate in the control of the behavior of radon in drillholes in the vicinity of a uranium orebody. The site of the investigation was in McKinley County, New Mexico, about 12 miles north of Grants. Drillholes of 4 ¼ -in. diam, on 25-ft and 100- ft centers, penetrate ore in dry rock at a depth of about 100 ft. A geologic log of the drillhole of primary interest is shown in Fig. 1. Gamma-ray logs revealed three zones of ore-grade mineralization in the Todilto limestone. A 6-ft zone, the lowest of the three, assayed 0.20 pct U3O8 by chemical analysis. The limestone ores in this area contain disseminated uraninite and some yellow and orange secondary minerals.

Jan 7, 1959

By E. J. Hammer

Crushing and grinding of gypsum demands con- trolled processing to a fineness suitable for further treatment of the mineral into end products, and into various sizes of material which are themselves saleable products. The majority of gypsum tonnage ultimately ends up in stucco for wallboard. Therefore, mineral reduction is normally designed toward this end, but it is done in a manner that permits drawing off intermediate products to meet various customer requirements. This forces companies into compromises at times in equipment installations. Normally, 5 to 6 different sizes intermediate to the end product are marketed and these are generally the fineness of material to be used as stucco for wallboard. These sizes are produced by controlled crushing, grinding and sizing. How Ore Characteristics Guide Processing First, gypsum as a mineral (CaS0;2H,O) is number two on the Mohs scale two of hardness; only talc is softer, Despite being soft, gypsum is tough, a factor which is of critical importance when developing equipment specifications. In addition, of the increasing volumes of rock handled, the associated and included impurities such as anhydrite, silica or lime- stones are found to be relatively abrasive.

Jan 1, 1970

By Charles W. Frey

SUCCESSFUL mining today means proper mechanization. Before any mine can begin production on a paying scale, some machinery must be installed. There must be pumps to remove water, fans and blowers to provide proper ventilation, elevators and hoists to raise materials, and a source of power to turn the countless wheels on which the world's mineral supply rolls from its earthhound source to the market. Only the prospector with his burro and the anthracite "bootlegger" continue to mine without mechanical aid, and with the recent years even these can be discounted, for the burro has given way to the Model T, and the "independent" coal miner must have a truck to haul his coal away. The few types of machinery mentioned above are but a beginning. The

Jan 1, 1938

A. Bement, Chicago,Ill. (communication to the Secretary*):— Formerly it was the general practice of engineers to designate coal that is free from moisture and ash as " combustible," notwithstandirig that it contains oxygen and nitrogen. The origin of this practice was more particularly due to the requirements in connection with boiler-testing, which demanded a consideration of that portion of the fuel which took part in the combuition-process because results based on a unit of either moist or dry coal were not comparable, since both moisture and ash were recognized as variable quantities. Thus, a pound of " combustible " became a standard of value, and was treated as a constant before employing measurements of heating-power and calculating therefrom the percentage of efficiency. The recognition of this term " combustible " was an advance to be credited to the engineer rather than to the chemist, because the latter, not having to do with the interpretation of analyses in practice outside the laboratory, usually saw no reason for reporting results in terms other than those of the moist-coal composition. Some years ago I needed a table of fuel-composition in terms of moist, dry, moisture-free and ash-free coal, and of the combustible components. This table required the use of the word combustible in its proper sense, for the purpose of designating carbon, hydrogen, and sulphur, instead of including these three elements with oxygen and nitrogen, to which aggregate the term combustible was formerly applied. To make such a tabulation involved either the use of the inconvenient and cumbersome term, "ash- and moisture-free coal," or of some other representative term, and for this purpose I adopted the expression pure coal, which is short, simple, convenient, and technically correct. It is also harmonious, because it agrees

Jan 1, 1909

By T. E. Leontis, J. P. Murphy

During the last few years, the trend in the aircraft and automotive industries has been toward higher and higher operating engine temperatures. This has created considerable interest in the effect of temperature on the properties of alloys. In the magnesium field, it has been recognized for many years that the addition of cerium imparts high strength and good resistance to creep at elevated temperatures. Beck,' in his treatise on magnesium, has summarized the work of German investigators. This includes the unpublished data of Menking, showing the increase in strength and hardness of extruded alloys containing 2 to 20 per cent Ce at temperatures from 20' to 300°C. (68" to 57z°F.) and the results of Vosskiihler, who demonstrated the improved resistance to creep of alloys containing 6 per cent Ce plus 2 per cent Mn and 0.5 per cent Ce plus 2 per cent Mn at 150°C. (302°F.). Wellinger and Kei12 have also reported the creep properties of a forged magnesium-cerium-man-ganese alloy at 200' and 250°C. (392' and 482°F.). Haughton and Prytherch have determined the tensile properties of various forged magnesium alloys containing cerium, cerium plus manganese, cerium plus calcium, cerium plus nickel, cerium plus nickel plus manganese, and cerium plus cobalt plus manganese at temperatures up to 290°C. (554OF.). Magnesium-cerium alloys have been used in some commercial applications. It is reported that an alloy containing 3 per cent Ce plus 0.5 per cent Mn plus 0.5 per cent Ca is being used on a forged impeller in Great Britain. Two forged parts made from an alloy with a nominal composition of 5 per cent Ce and 2 per cent Mn have been found on the German BMW-8o1D aircraft engine. These two forgings consist of a supercharger impeller and a rear cam-follower guide. In this country, several types of pistons have been made experimentally in both the cast and the forged conditions from an alloy containing 6 per cent Ce plus 2 per cent Mn and in the cast condition from an alloy of magnesium plus 10 per cent Ce. The cast pistons have been tested in various types of internal-combustion engines, with promising results. This paper presents the results of an extensive investigation on the properties of various cerium-containing magnesium alloys in both the cast and the forged conditions. Data are presented to show the beneficial effects of increasing amounts of cerium on the mechanical properties of magnesium at at temperatures' The effects of heat-treatment on the properties of these alloys and the attendant changes in the microstructure are discussed. The alloys investigated most extensively are

Jan 1, 1946

By J. P. Murphy, T. E. Leontis

During the last few years, the trend in the aircraft and automotive industries has been toward higher and higher operating engine temperatures. This has created considerable interest in the effect of temperature on the properties of alloys. In the magnesium field, it has been recognized for many years that the addition of cerium imparts high strength and good resistance to creep at elevated temperatures. Beck,' in his treatise on magnesium, has summarized the work of German investigators. This includes the unpublished data of Menking, showing the increase in strength and hardness of extruded alloys containing 2 to 20 per cent Ce at temperatures from 20' to 300°C. (68" to 57z°F.) and the results of Vosskiihler, who demonstrated the improved resistance to creep of alloys containing 6 per cent Ce plus 2 per cent Mn and 0.5 per cent Ce plus 2 per cent Mn at 150°C. (302°F.). Wellinger and Kei12 have also reported the creep properties of a forged magnesium-cerium-man-ganese alloy at 200' and 250°C. (392' and 482°F.). Haughton and Prytherch have determined the tensile properties of various forged magnesium alloys containing cerium, cerium plus manganese, cerium plus calcium, cerium plus nickel, cerium plus nickel plus manganese, and cerium plus cobalt plus manganese at temperatures up to 290°C. (554OF.). Magnesium-cerium alloys have been used in some commercial applications. It is reported that an alloy containing 3 per cent Ce plus 0.5 per cent Mn plus 0.5 per cent Ca is being used on a forged impeller in Great Britain. Two forged parts made from an alloy with a nominal composition of 5 per cent Ce and 2 per cent Mn have been found on the German BMW-8o1D aircraft engine. These two forgings consist of a supercharger impeller and a rear cam-follower guide. In this country, several types of pistons have been made experimentally in both the cast and the forged conditions from an alloy containing 6 per cent Ce plus 2 per cent Mn and in the cast condition from an alloy of magnesium plus 10 per cent Ce. The cast pistons have been tested in various types of internal-combustion engines, with promising results. This paper presents the results of an extensive investigation on the properties of various cerium-containing magnesium alloys in both the cast and the forged conditions. Data are presented to show the beneficial effects of increasing amounts of cerium on the mechanical properties of magnesium at at temperatures' The effects of heat-treatment on the properties of these alloys and the attendant changes in the microstructure are discussed. The alloys investigated most extensively are

Jan 1, 1946

By F. W. Willard

VIEWING with alarm is a preoccupation not exclusively the habit of the political spellbinder. In good faith many of our mineral technologists have been and are genuinely alarmed over the prodigal consumption of our mineral reserves. Most competent observers are cautiously pessimistic. There are sound technical reasons for such caution. It is the purpose of this paper to discuss some of those reasons without benefit of a gift of prophecy. Perhaps the outstanding reason for caution is ignorance of accessible but undiscovered mineral reserves. The petroleum technologists have an edge on their metallurgical brothers for they have better tools for exploration. This is not to say that the mining geologist has to depend on hunches or the divining rod. The outstanding work on orogenesis by Lindgren and others has provided the mining geologist with some sound scientific knowledge as to where accessible metallic minerals are most likely to be found, As Clinton H. Crane has recently observed, most of the accessible areas of the earth have been combed for easily identified outcrops, and those have been or are being actively exploited. To find ore bodies hidden below the surface is still a costly speculation.

Jan 1, 1946

By E. P. Abrahamson II

The effect of transitiorz element bitzary solid solution additions upon the recrystallization temperature of columbium has been investigated. The elements Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, W, Re, and 0s OWY the yecystallization tempel-aturye, while Ti, V, CY, zr, Mo, Ru, Rh, Pd, Hf, Ta, W, Ir, and Pt mise it. A correlation is kloted between the rate of chatzge of recyystallization tewaperature with atomic hercent solute and the free atom electron configuration of the solute element. The work of Abrahamson and Grant1 has indicated a correlation between the free atom ground-state electron configuration and the change in brittle-ductile transition temperature per atomic percent solute in chromium base alloys. A similar correlation was observed for the change in the recrystallization temperature of iron base alloys by Abrahamson and Blakeney and Abrahamson. It was also observed that the limit of rapid change in recrystallization temperature also Correlated with the electronic configuration of the free solute atom. A further study by Abrahamson4 established the generality of the phenomenon by yielding similar results for vanadium base dilute alloys. It has been inferred that a peri- odicity might be expected with changes in the free atom electron configuration of the solvent element. This study is the third set of transition base metal systems to be studied. It is the object of this and further studies on transitional metal systems to detect any systematic variations in the observed correlation which might contribute to the understanding of the electron interactions which are evidently exhibiting themselves. PROCEDURE All alloys were made using 99.9 pct Cb with 0.030 Ta, 0.016 0, 0.0025 H, 0.003 Mo, 0.021 Fe, 0.005 C, and 0.002 N. The solute elements were 99.9 pct pure. According to the published binary phase diagrams5 and metallographic examinations at X750, all additions were in solid solution. The alloys were arc melted and remelted 6 times in the form of cubic 400-g buttons under an argon atmosphere. They were then hot forged at 1200oC to 0.6-in. diameter, annealed for 3 hr at 1200o under argon, and furnace cooled. The specimens were then machined to 0.400 -in. diameter. Grain size was checked and found to remain essentially constant at 150 i 30 grains per sq mm. The specimens were then cold swaged to 0.187-in. diameter, yielding 46 i 1 pct cold work. All alloys were chemically analyzed for the major solute. Analyses of random samples indicated that the impurity content remained at the values of the starting material. Tungsten contamination was held to 0.007 pet.

Jan 1, 1962

By Robert I. Jaffee, Bruce W. Gonser, Eugene M. Smith

There has been little investigation of the gold-germanium binary alloys. Haughtonl does not mention any work on the system. In a review article commemorating the fiftieth anniversary of the discovery of germanium, E. Einecke2 mentioned a gold-germanium eutectic at 24 atomic per cent Ge (10.4 weight per cent) melting at 359°C., but did not give the source of his information. From measurements of electrical conductivity, J. 0. Linde3 estimated that at least 0.6 weight per cent germanium is soluble in gold. The recent availability of germanium in this country in commercial quantities has led to interest in its properties and its alloys. This study is part of a program of investigation on germanium alloys; work on ternary alloys involving germanium and gold will be reported later. In this investigation, the composition and melting point of the Au-Ge eutectic reported by Einecke has been found to be substantially correct. Eutectic composition has been placed at I2.0 per cent germanium, however. An alloy of 10.4 per cent Ge, Einecke's value, was found to have a few gold dendrites in it. The cutectic temperature has been determined as 356.0 6 ± 0.5°C., slightly less than the temperature of 359°C. reported by Einecke. The liquidus curves and the solid solubility of ger- manium in gold have been determined, and are shown in Fig. I. Materials and Alloying The germanium used in this investigation was prepared by the Eagle-Picher Lead Co. from pure germanium oxide, by reduction in clay crucibles with sodium cyanide. The regulus is quite pure, assaying over 99.9 per cent Ge. High-purity gold obtained from Handy and Harmon was used. Alloying was carried out in graphite crucibles in an atmosphere of purified hydrogen. The temperature was brought up to 1050" to iioo°C., and the metal was allowed to freeze in the crucible. Prepared in this way, the gold dendrites in hypoeutectic alloys were somewhat segregated at the bottom and sides of the ingot, and on the hyper-eutectic side the lighter primary germanium tended to gather at the top. Most of the alloys were made from virgin metal. Low-germanium heats were made by alloying pure gold with the eutectic. Melting losses were consistently a few milligrams or less, and the composition could safely be taken from the intended analysis. The 30 per cent and 50 per cent germanium heats for thermal analysis were made in part from remelted higher germanium heats, and they may be OR composition as much as one per cent. Because of the high cost of materials, the weight of heats for thermal analysis were 15 to 20 grams and heats for metallo-graphic, X-ray, and hardness specimens were 2 to 4 grams.

Jan 1, 1945

By C. E. MacQuigg

BY and large the education of the engineer has been conservative and the reasons for this are obvious. Quite properly it has been a tradition of engineering education that facts and not fancies must be adhered to. Without a doubt, those men who formed the mold of our engineering philosophy as much as it is possible for such molds to be established-rightly held the highest standards of intellectual honesty. Fortunately, it was unthinkable to them to temporize with untried theories and naturally the men whom they trained as engineering educators carry this philosophy in turn to their students, thus handing down the tradition of stability.

Jan 1, 1943

By P. D. Zemany, G. W. Sear, B. W. Roberts

Vanadium metal is embrittled by hydrogen at a temperature as low as 250°C when held in the presence of manganese metal and water vapor in a rough vacuum. It is established that the property changes are caused by the catalytic decomposition of water vapor at the vanadium surface and the diffusion into and solution in the vanadium of the resultant hydrogen. It is found that manganese is a necessary component of the catalyst. The manganese is transported in the vapor phase by an unknown molecule. A deuterium tracer experiment demonstates the role of water vapor in the embrittle-ment process. VANADIUM metal foils were observed to become embrittled' at a temperature of about 300 °C when held in the presence of manganese metal and a small amount of moist air, This paper describes the investigation to find the embrittling agent and an understanding of the relatively low temperature reactions that are involved. Experimental The vanadium metal foil used was prepared by cold-rolling and pack-rolling 32 mil sheet" in a series of steps down to 1 mil foil. The original observation was confirmed by sealing vanadium foils of 3 x 10 sq cm into individual Pyrex tubes with manganese powder† and a con- trol tube containing only the vanadium foil. These tubes were evacuated to 10 -5 mm Hg without baking and sealed. After heat treatment for 200 hr at 300°C, the control foil showed no change in duetility, whereas the foil contained in the manganese— containing tube was embrittled. The visual appearance of each was unchanged. A series of Pyrex sample tubes, about 2.5 cm diam and 25 cm long, were prepared, each containing a 3 x 10 sq cm piece of foil and 5 g manganese powder at the lower end of the tube. By reducing the time of anneal and the temperature of these samples, it was found that embrittlement could be created at 250°C in a time as short as 1 hr. Since the vanadium metal used here has been drastically cold-worked by rolling, it is assumed that it contains a maximum number of dislocations. To check the possible necessity of dislocations in this low temperature reaction, a vanadium foil sample was annealed in Vycor for 2 hr at 800°C to re crystallize and reduce the dislocation concentration. Metallographic examination showed grains which were not visible before annealing. The embrittlement procedure was carried out at 300°C and 3 hr. Upon checking the foil no embrittlement was observed. Further experiments demonstrated that about 6 hr at 300°C are required to create embrittlement in the foil. This delay in the onset of embrittlement in the vanadium foil suggests but does not prove that dislocation channels play a role in the embrittlement phenomena. If manganese metal is necessary for this low temperature embrittlement, do other elements in the transition metals group yield the same result? To check this qualitatively, a group of elements of similar atomic radii were obtained and sealed as before into Pyrex tubes with a sheet of vanadium foil. These tubes were annealed at 250°C for 6 hr and included (with radii)-2 A1 (1.4A), As (1.25A), Be (1.2A), Co (1.25A), Cr (1.45A), Cu (1.25A), Fe (1.25A), Ga (1.2A), Ge (1.25L%), Mn (1.3A), Ni (1.25A), Si (1.2A), Ti (1.45A), Zn (1.3A), air, H,O, 10 cm Hg of dry hydrogen, and MnO, powder. Upon testing the above sample foils for brittleness, only the manganese-containing tube yielded a brittle foil. Manganese Transport—To eliminate contact of manganese metal powder and vanadium foil, sample tubes were prepared with fritted glass barriers. The embrittlement reaction was still found to occur. Thus, the mode of transfer of manganese is certainly vapor transport. A vanadium foil was embrittled by this mechanism in an evacuated Pyrex tube for 8 hr at 300°C. By means of X-ray fluorescence analysis,' the amount of manganese added to the surface was established at 5 ±2 x 10 -6 g per sq cm. Since the average rate of manganese deposition is known, an effective average pressure of an assumed carrier compound can be computed. ___ P = M/T v2p mkT

Jan 1, 1959

By S. G., Lasky

IT seems to be in the nature of concepts that they have many meanings, and that the meaning best reflecting the primary interests of a person tends to be accepted by him as the normal meaning of the concept. The concept of ore reserves is no exception, for there is no unanimity of meaning among the several groups of us who are interested in ore reserves, nor even among the individuals of a single group. The groups most interested in ore reserves would seem to include at least the mining industry, perhaps State taxing agencies, and the Federal Government in all its diversified activities, and I would include also the citizenry at large or at least that part of it that consciously thinks about problems-of national welfare. To each of these, and to different individuals within them, the term reserves represents something different, and the farther away the individual or group gets from physical contact with the ore, the more abstract does his or its concept become. It is something different to the policy maker from what it is to the fact-finder or to the miner.

Jan 1, 1945

By J. L. LeBlanc, R. L. Lewis

This study presents an analysis of annular backpressure variations associated with controlled gas kicks and their pronounced effect on casing .strings and exposed under lying formations. A mathematical model describing the volumetric behavior of an extraneous gas as it is transported from reservoir to .surface conditions under changing temperatures and pressures has been programmed in a Kingston FORTRAN II language for digital computer analysis. The gases under investigation typify Gulf Coast reservoir gases within a 0.6 to 0.7 .specific gravity range. The program output has been substantiated by actual field cases. of gas kicks encountered in Gulf Coart we1l.s. The development of empirical equations for calculating suitable gamy deviation factors for unique temperatures and pressures was incorporated in the program to provide realistic solution.. An output listing of annular backpressures and corresponding equivalent fluid densities resulting at a predetermined critical depth (casing setting depth) and total depth for selected .stages of circulation is provided in a chronological .sequence. Additional information including reservoir pressure and temperature, kill rnrid density, produced gas or surface volume of the expanded gas intro vion, drill pipe and annular volumes can he obtained from the model. This paper illustrates that a precise knowledge of the volumetric behavior of extraneous gases in annular flow and its effect on equivalent fluid densities at a critical depth is significant and should receive .serious consideration in controlling threatened blowouts and in the design of drilling programs. Surface pressures in excess of formation limitations are a threat to zones of lost circula/ion and are potentially injurious to productive intervals. A knowledge of annular backpressure and equivalent fluid density profiles for probable gas kicks aids in a technological accomplishment of drilling programs and provides a .sale tolerance in the event a threatened blowout is encountered. Introduction Drilling operations are frequently interrupted when the drill bit penetrates permeable gas sands with reservoir CtfuJ manuscript was received in Society of Petroleum Engineers ofice Am. 1 1967. Revised manuscript received JuIy 7. 1968. Paper (SPE 1860) kae presented at SPE 42nd Annual Fall Meeting held in Houston. Tex., Oct 1-4, 1967. @ Copyright 1968 American Institute of Mining, Metallurgical, and Petroleum Engineem, Inc. pressures greater than that exerted by the drilling fluid. The differential pressures resulting permit an extraneous influx of gas into the wellbore. A suspension in drilling progress is necessary to restore fluid equilibrium throughout the system. Whether formation gas kicks originate unintentionally or by design, the prospect of a threatened or actual blowout exists and a method assuring a safe and effective well control procedure must be observed. A significant contribution to well control technology was advanced by Records et a1.l in 1962. Using the concept of transmitting a constant equivalent formation pressure at the point of intrusion, Records et al. introduced a calculation technique providing the annular backpressures encountered in a well control environment as a func tion of the volumetric behavior of a 0.6 specific gravity natural gas. In essence, the procedure outlined an annular backpressure schedule in terms of fluid volume circulated at different stages of a well control operation. A number of other publications2-' proposing various techniques for controlling gas intrusions in a wellbore achieve pressure control essentially through maintenance of a constant bottom-hole pressure by surface choke adjustments. The subsequent pressure effects induced in the annulus unfortunately receive little emphasis. Due to the tedious and repetitive nature of annular backpressure computations, a theoretical solution by digital computer is introduced for predicting annular backpressure and equivalent fluid density profiles associated with controlled gas kicks. We point out the effects of volumetric behavior of extraneous gases in annular flow and related field phenomena on equivalent fluid densities at a critical depth. The investigation indicated that equivalent fluid densities at a critical depth are of significance and should receive consideration in the control of threatened blowouts and in the design of drilling programs. Theoretical Considerations The mechanism of vertical gas flow through an annulus is governed by the PVT properties of the fluid, the pressure distribution within the system, the fluid flow rates and the geometry of flow. Due to the numerous variables involved in this type of problem, certain assumptions were imposed in deriving the mathematical model and in establishing the solutions. Two gases, characterized by specific gravities of 0.6 and 0.7, were selected to typify Gulf Coast reservoir fluids. The gas intrustion entered the wellbore as an immiscible 'References given at end of paper. JOURNAL OF PETROLEUM TECHNOLOGY

Jan 1, 1969