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By Odmund Ljone

FAR north of the Arctic Circle is a totally industrial community which until 1945 could not boast a single specimen of the rat family, and where today you will be awarded a bottle of fine cognac for every rat-dead or alive. Amazing but true, the spot is Longyear City, the Norwegian mining town on the arctic island of Spitzbergen. Perhaps you have also heard of the town built on soil that never thaws, where huge blocks of ice must be melted to fill the city's fresh water reservoirs, and where the Far North dictates a way of life all its own. Here, coal is king and men must work hard for their "black gold." Spitzbergen is a rough, tough piece of Norway, made up of a half dozen isolated islands between 74 and 81 degrees north latitude. Covering twice the area of Belgium, they are home to

Jan 1, 1948

By G. D. Rieck, M. M. P. Janssen

Chemical diffusion coefficients and heats of activation for diffusion in the NizAh fy), NiAl (6), and Ni3A1 (E) intermetallic phases and the solid solution of aluminum in nickel (( phase) were calculated from layer growth experiments. No finite diffusion coefficient for the NiAl3 ((3) inter metallic phase could be calculated. The values of the diffusion coefficients are dependent both on the method of calculation and the type of diffusion couple. The heat of activation for diffusion in the y phase was found to be 47 kcal per mole in the temperature range oj 428" to 610°C. Heats of activation of 41, 12, and 48 kcal per mole were found for diffusion in the 6, E, and ( phases, respectively , in the temperature range of 655" to 1000°C. Experiments with markers in the diffusion zone demonstrate a very pronounced Kirkendall effect. It appears that only aluminum atoms take an active part in the diffusion process during the formation of the 0 and y phases at temperatures of about 600°C. During the formation of the 6, E, and < phases at higher temperatures only nickel atoms are moving. It is suggested that the great stability of the intermetallic compounds in the Ni-A1 system governs the Kirkendall effect. SOME factors controlling layer growth during inter-diffusion in the Ni-A1 system (phase diagram, see Fig. 1) were studied by Castleman and Seig1e.l&apos;~ They found the NiA1, ((3) and NiAl3 (y) intermetallic compounds to appear in the diffusion zone of Ni-A1 couples at annealing temperatures of 400" to 625°C; the NiAl (6) and Ni3A1 (E) intermetallic compounds appeared in y-Ni couples at annealing temperatures of 800" to 1050°C. These authors carefully examined metallographically Ni-A1 couples after 340 hr annealing at 600°C. Besides the (3 and y phases they found very thin layers of the 6 and E phases. ~n~erman~ and Castleman and Froot4 observed a much more rapid growth of the 5 and E phases at 600°C in Ni-A1 couples in case a crack was present at the /3-A1 interface. Numerous layer thickness measurements carried out by Castleman and Seigle on the y phase prove that the layer growth of this phase obeys the parabolic law after a certain transient period. From this they concluded that the layer growth of the y phase is controlled by volume diffusion. The growth of the 13, 6, and E phases appeared to be volume-diffusion-controlled also. The authors estimated that at 600°C and at atmospheric pressure Dp was 1.8 x lo-"ll sq cm per sec, D, 9.1 x 10" ™ sq cm per sec, Qp 27 kcal per mole, and Qy 31 kcal per mole. The present work was carried out to obtain more quantitative data about the kinetics of growth of the phases of the Ni-A1 system and the reactions that occur during the formation of these phases. Because in this system the diffusion process results in the formation of several distinct intermetallic compounds, the current term reaction diffusion is used in the title of this paper. In order to obtain layers of the fl phase compound of uniform thickness, a new technique for preparing diffusion couples was developed. The kinetics of growth of the y phase in 6-Al, E-Al, and Ni-A1 diffusion couples was studied at different temperatures. The kinetics of growth of the 6, c, and ( phases in Ni-y, Ni-6, and Ni-c diffusion couples was also studied at different temperatures. The calculation of the diffusion coefficients Dp and Dy by Castleman and Seigle are critically considered in this paper; by means of a revised method of calculation more reliable val-ues of , and Dg were found. These values are in good agreement with the values of the diffusion coefficients obtained by the method of Boltzmann-Matano. From the temperature dependence of the diffusion coefficients the heats of activation for diffusion were calculated by means of an Arrhenius-type equation. The investigation of the Kirkendall effect has been used to obtain information about the ratio of the intrinsic diffusion coefficients of the separate atoms5 and the mechanism of diffusion. Moreover porosity as a result of a distinct Kirkendall effect would be of practical importance in connection with the bonding of diffusion coatings. The analyses of the diffusion couples were carried out by metallographic methods. The values of the concentrations at the phase boundaries and the concentration profile in each of the phases, which are needed for the calculation of diffusion coefficients, were obtained by electron-pro be X-ray microanalysis. EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDURE A) Materials for Diffusion Couples. The intermetallic compounds 6 (50 at. pct Ni) and E (74 at. pct Ni) were prepared from the pure metals by high-frequency induction melting in argon atmosphere. Use was made of aluminum wire (99.99 wt pct Al) and nickel sheet (99.95 wt pct Ni). The 6 and E phase melts and the nickel shiet (thickness 0.1 and 0.5 mm) used for preparing diffusion couples were annealed for 64 hr at 1200°~ for homogenization and grain coarsening (final crystal size 1 to 3 mm). composition and homogeneity of the intermetallic compounds were checked by mi-crohardness measurements and X-ray diffraction. From the 6 and E phase melts discs of 0.5 mm thickness were prepared by means of a water-cooled rotat-

Jan 1, 1968

Jan 1, 1888

By Sherwin F. Kelly, Bela Low

THE WORK OF THE DRILLER and of the oil geologist is seriously handicapped by the impossibility of actually seeing what is going on inside a borehole as it is being drilled. Visual information of the position and condition of the casing, and of the characters and attitudes of strata passed through would be of inestimable benefit. The best substitute for putting a periscope down a hole is the taking of photographs of its interior at points where information is desired. An apparatus for this purpose has been constructed by Dr. Thomas Reinhold, of Heemstede, Holland, and one instrument of his design has been put into practical use by the Geological Survey of The Netherlands in searching for water. To the best of our knowledge, this instrument has not been applied to oilfield problems, although the possibility has been mentioned in the one or two brief notices of the camera which have appeared in the literature.&apos; The purpose of presenting this description of the instrument, with some examples of its work, is to suggest that it might be adapted to serve a variety of useful purposes in American oilfields, and with the hope that discussion will bring out any modifications necessary to make the apparatus more valuable to drillers and geologists.

Jan 1, 1932

By William B. Plank

A NEW record-a quarter million students in the engineering schools of the United States and Canada-has resulted from the great demand for engineers following World War II. The figures released by the American Society for Engineering Education and which appeared in detail in the Journal of Engineering Education for January 1948, show that, on Nov. 1, 1947, 252,250 students were studying engineering in 149 engineering schools of both countries. There are 244,390 in the 143 schools canvassed in the United States, and 7860 in six schools in Canada. These figures include both undergraduate and graduate students and are therefore comparable with the figures in previous presentations on this subject. This unprecedented engineering student body

Jan 1, 1948

By F. S., Mc Nicholas

A practical discussion of the theory of A block caving is presented which applies particularly to the physical conditions of the Climax orebody although the conditions are sufficiently characteristic of caving ore-bodies to provide valuable information applicable elsewhere.

Jan 1, 1950

By MALCOLM FRASER

I was delighted to be invited to be patron of this Joint Conference, but the challenging task you have set yourselves, and your speakers&apos; depth of expertise, deny anyone, even the patron, the opportunity to be patronizing. Australia&apos;s history has been inextricably linked with the fortunes of our great mining industry. That link will remain. Just as the gold rushes of the last century, and the discoveries at Kalgoorlie and Broken Hill changed the lives of generations, so the more recent development activity in iron ore, bauxite, nickel, coal, and uranium are having a significant impact on the lives of Australians today. The minerals industry has contributed to Australia&apos;s jobs and prosperity. Mining is not free of problems, but so long as safeguards are strong and appropriate the net benefits the mining industry brings Australia will continue to be enormous. We rely on our mining industry to find, prove, develop and sell our minerals profitably, and my Government is committed to maintaining a healthy mining industry. In the past year there have been positive signs of a resurgence in exploration and development. The North-West Shelf ventures are spending $50 million on a feasibility study to work out the extent of future investment in that project; exploration expenditure for minerals other than petroleum increased by 34 per cent in 1976-77 to $134 million; petroleum exploration increased dramatically last year almost doubling to $94 million-this year it is projected to reach $125 million.

Jan 1, 1978

Professor Jenney has performed a notable service in presenting this summary of the steadily increasing body of observation on the presence of carbon in rocks of all kinds and its probable influence upon ore-deposition, and in formulating a mode of comparing directly the relative resistance of minerals to oxidation, as well as their reducing-power, and the protective action which minerals having higher reducing-powers exert in preventing the oxidation of associated minerals which possess relatively lower affinities for oxygen. I have had an opportunity of observing a vein which falls within the scope of his interesting discussion. The vein at Ku Shau Tzu, Mongolia, lies directly across a contact of limestone and overlying bituminous shales. Probably it occupies a compression-fissure. The shale has been reduced to such a condition of&apos; non-coherence that much of it can be crushed in the hand, producing a handful of angular fragments resembling beech-nuts in shape and size. In the limestone the metals are principally in argentiferous galena with some pyrite and blende; but the latter two are very subordinate in quantity to the galena. In short, it is an every-day lead-vein in limestone, with siliceous limestone gangue. It is one of those veins in which the ore is not continuous, but consists of a band in the country-rock in which seams of lead sulphide begin at one wall and cross in a bent form, increasing in thickness, to the other wall, where they thin out and end. This may indicate torsional stress, but the shape of the lenses points to some other action. They often ran nearly parallel to the hanging-wall for a considerable distance and crossed the vein on a moderate angle, but turned sharply along the vein on approaching the foot-wall. The intermediate rock contains nodules, bunches and specks of ore, and the lenses vary exceedingly in size, shape and position in the vein.

Jan 1, 1903

By Paul Queneau

FEW of us who waded ashore on the Norman beaches realized the importance of coal to a successful invasion. General Eisenhower and his staff had been aware of the essential need for coal and an able Solid Fuels Section had been set up under the direction of Colonel Robert P. Koenig, of Indiana. This organization met the requirements of the invading armies on their march to the Rhine. East of the Siegfried Line enemy territory, the Army Engineers were called upon for assistance. When the Engineers were advised that, in addition to their normal duties, they were to occupy and place in operation the coal mines in the Twelfth Army group area, plans were drawn up overnight and action was initiated immediately. The Sixth Engineer Special Brigade, a versatile outfit which made a notable record D-Day on Omaha Beach, was selected to handle the operation. Within 48 hours of the new assignment an advance command post was set up cm the west bank of the Rhine at Homberg, just below German-held Duisburg. The 368th Engineer General Service Regiment was assigned to the Brigade, and the British 44th Pioneer Group, including specialist personnel, was also attached. This large British unit was added because most of the mines would shortly come within the British zone of

Jan 1, 1946

By Joseph B. Umpleby

WHEN the Cushing field flooded the oil market in 1914 and 1915 with a daily output equal to nearly one-third of the world&apos;s production, the situation was soon corrected by increased consumption, and the price of crude oil rose from 45 c. per barrel in, February 1915 to $1.10 in December of the same year-the highest price paid in the Mid-Continent field up to that time. The intensive search for oil during the following seven years failed to disclose a single new ,field equal to Cushing, and many observers concluded that the rapidly increasing number of wells contributing to the world&apos;s output, each declining roughly 20 per cent. a year, combined with the rapidly increasing con¬sumption of petroleum, made it highly improbable that any field would; be found again sufficiently large to seri¬ously affect the oil market. That seven exceptional fields should then be discovered simultaneously is a remarkable coincidence. Long Beach, Santa Fe Springs, and Powell, each exceeded Cushing in daily output and reached the apex of their production during a year when Burbank, Tonkawa, - Smackover and Huntington Beach each contributed several times the daily output of the average new pool. This unexpected and tremendous flood of flush production could only have the effect of depressing price and greatly adding to stocks throughout the country. It was particularly depressing in the Mid-Continent as the new oil from California proved of attractive refining grade and because of cheap transportation by water easily undersold Oklahoma crude in the eastern markets.

Jan 1, 1924

By Noel S. Christensen

COBALT is a silvery white metal with a slight bluish cast, strongly resembling nickel in its appearance and properties, notably its resistance to corrosion, although its alloys with other metals differ quite decidedly in their properties from those of nickel. The name cobalt was derived from the German "Kobold" meaning goblin and this came to be applied to the cobalt minerals which, although they resembled ores, did not readily yield metal when smelted by the primitive processes available in the Middle Ages. Cobalt minerals were used as pigments by potters and glass workers before the Christian era. Cobalt blue glass was found in the tombs of the Egyptians and in the ruins of Troy, and many colors used by the ancient Greeks and Romans contained cobalt. The ancients were entirely unaware that the colors they used were caused by cobalt and the metal itself was only isolated about the middle of the eighteenth century by Brandt although the preparation of cobalt compounds had been carried on in a small way ever since the opening of the silver-cobalt deposits at Schneeberg, Germany, in 1470. The metal is fairly hard, with a density when pure of 8.81 in the cast state and 8.92 after working. The commercial grade of cobalt has a density of about 8.75 in the cast state. The atomic weight is 58.97. The Brinell hardness of the pure metal is 124; that of the commercial grade varies from as low as 100 to as high as 138, depend¬ing upon the impurities present. Pure cobalt has a sharp melting point at 1478°C. The tensile strength of the pure metal in the cast condition is said to be higher than that of any other pure metal. Kalmus gives it as 34,400 lb. per sq. in. for cast unannealed metal; the effect of annealing at 850 to 900°C. is to raise the strength slightly. The yield point is close to the ultimate strength and the reduction in area and elongation are both low. Mechanical working raises the tensile strength of pure cobalt rapidly and in the form of wire it will be over 100,000 lb. per sq. in. The presence of small quantities of carbon in the commercial metal raises the tensile strength to as high as 61,000 lb. per sq. in., the reduction in area and elongation being raised at the same time to approximately 20 per cent.

Jan 1, 1933

By J. F. K. Brown, E. E. Roecker

For three years The Hudson Coal Co. has used egg anthracite instead of coke in its foundry cupola. It has long passed the stage of being told it cannot be done—the metal would be cold, of poor quality, or the speed of operation would be low. From observation, from use and from test. we know that our metal is about average; the cast iron invokes no adverse comment from the machine shop and the speed suits our foundry requirements. We have there-iore resolved into practice anthracite combustion processes in an industrial furnace formerly using coke, under conditions suitable to our needs. When it comes to translating what we know into use in another cupola, however, where operating conditions may be different, or to explaining why, with seemingly the same conditions in our own cupola, we have attained sometimes a temperature of 2800° in the metal and at another time 2600°, or a speed of 5 tons per hour against 2 35 tons per hour, we cannot do it. We cannot do this because there seems to be an unbridged gap between laboratory ideas on combustion and practical ideas on com-bustiqn, which we have been unable to cross in terms understandable to us as practical consumers. This gap or bridge centers around the problem of how combustion actually takes place; and we believe it is controlled by two factors: (I) the character of the surface of the fuel and (2) the space provided and needed within which the oxygen of the air is allowed to or can act on that surface. It has long been contended on behalf of coke that porosity is an important factor in combustion, although, admittedly, there are two schools of opposing thought on this question, as revealed in technical literature. It has been understood generally that a light, porous coke is the best metallurgical fuel because there are more square inches of carbon exposed to the blast of air, therefore more useful carbon-dioxide reactions can take place in the given space between the entrance of the air and the point where useful work is done. It is now our general idea that the heavier and the harder the coal, the better the metallurgical fuel, provided the surface of that fuel is suitable for fast reaction with the oxygen. Time and Space A cupola is loaded in layers of fuel and iron. The horizontal line where the first charge of iron rests on the coal is the top of the bed coal. With us that is 22 in., usually, above the tuyeres where the air enters. This means 600 lb. of coal. Every subsequent coal layer is 100 to 125 lb. of coal, and that 100 to 125 lb. of coal melts 1000 lb. of iron at around 2700° in the ladle. This quantity of coal represents a 3-in. layer spread across the cupola. The question arises: If this 3 in. of coal will melt 1000 lb. of metal, why was it necessary to use 600 lb., or 22 in., of coal beneath and between the first charge of iron and the air entrance?

Jan 1, 1944

By E. E. Roecker, J. F. K. Brown

For three years The Hudson Coal Co. has used egg anthracite instead of coke in its foundry cupola. It has long passed the stage of being told it cannot be done—the metal would be cold, of poor quality, or the speed of operation would be low. From observation, from use and from test. we know that our metal is about average; the cast iron invokes no adverse comment from the machine shop and the speed suits our foundry requirements. We have there-iore resolved into practice anthracite combustion processes in an industrial furnace formerly using coke, under conditions suitable to our needs. When it comes to translating what we know into use in another cupola, however, where operating conditions may be different, or to explaining why, with seemingly the same conditions in our own cupola, we have attained sometimes a temperature of 2800° in the metal and at another time 2600°, or a speed of 5 tons per hour against 2 35 tons per hour, we cannot do it. We cannot do this because there seems to be an unbridged gap between laboratory ideas on combustion and practical ideas on com-bustiqn, which we have been unable to cross in terms understandable to us as practical consumers. This gap or bridge centers around the problem of how combustion actually takes place; and we believe it is controlled by two factors: (I) the character of the surface of the fuel and (2) the space provided and needed within which the oxygen of the air is allowed to or can act on that surface. It has long been contended on behalf of coke that porosity is an important factor in combustion, although, admittedly, there are two schools of opposing thought on this question, as revealed in technical literature. It has been understood generally that a light, porous coke is the best metallurgical fuel because there are more square inches of carbon exposed to the blast of air, therefore more useful carbon-dioxide reactions can take place in the given space between the entrance of the air and the point where useful work is done. It is now our general idea that the heavier and the harder the coal, the better the metallurgical fuel, provided the surface of that fuel is suitable for fast reaction with the oxygen. Time and Space A cupola is loaded in layers of fuel and iron. The horizontal line where the first charge of iron rests on the coal is the top of the bed coal. With us that is 22 in., usually, above the tuyeres where the air enters. This means 600 lb. of coal. Every subsequent coal layer is 100 to 125 lb. of coal, and that 100 to 125 lb. of coal melts 1000 lb. of iron at around 2700° in the ladle. This quantity of coal represents a 3-in. layer spread across the cupola. The question arises: If this 3 in. of coal will melt 1000 lb. of metal, why was it necessary to use 600 lb., or 22 in., of coal beneath and between the first charge of iron and the air entrance?

Jan 1, 1944

IN comparing the living conditions of the worker or peasant of the past with those existing today, his-torians might point out many strange contrasts. From the Doomsday Book we learn that at the time of Wil-liam the Conqueror the 1,375,000 inhabitants of Eng-land and Wales owned less than 1000 horses and 5000 oxen. Even as recently as 1871 when England and Wales had a population of 31,845.000, the total number of horses in the country was estimated at 1,110,000. Compare the necessary drudgery of labor in those days with conditions in Canada today where a population of less than ten million people own 3,500,000 horses. Re-member that there is also a turbine installation in` this country of more than four million horse-power, besides steam boilers and locomotive and automobile engines which reduce the traction and hand labor of the farm and factory. Frequently, poetic license has glossed over the poverty and hardship of the common people in the "good old days," and the imagination has created an idyllic world, far from being justified by the condi-tions which actually prevailed. Simon Patten&apos;s de-scription of the Middle Ages as "A Thousand Years Without an Ice Box" came nearer portraying the true situation. No one is likely to forget that the discovery of America was an incident in Europe&apos;s attempt to find a short route to the Indies, but the fact is usually for-gotten that the summer diet in Europe in 1400-an ice-less age-was such that spices were more precious than gold. Though the glamor of the Indies may never sur-round the modern refrigerator, certainly the modern housewife is likely &apos;to feel that the applied art called "cookery? may attain to higher levels with the assist-ance-6f such an adjunct. Those who have spoken slightingly of the uniformity of the modern apartment and have eulogized some of the exceptional hand-made furniture which has been bequeathed by former generations, have failed to com-pare modern house furnishings with those in the typical peasant&apos;s hovel. Machine-made furniture, though with-out particularly good lines, contrasts quite favorably with the pile of rags in the corner, and the poorest gas or oil stove is better than an open fire on a dirt floor. The scientist&apos;s application of the theories of physics, chemistry, biology and mathematics .to practical prob-lems has brought about a series of kaleidoscopic trans-formations in agriculture, industry and commerce. Large scale production, improved means of communica-tion and the prevailing higher standard of living are terms which imply a very human meaning when in-terpreted as actual changes in individual living. Though the student and the teacher may deprecate the influence of commercialism upon science, humanity as a whole has received great benefits from the close relationship which has developed between science and industry, and industry in turn has done much for science through the building and endowment of laboratories and by supply-ing funds to maintain research workers.

Jan 11, 1927

By W. H. Echols

An oil-emulsion mud, consisting of a mixture of oil-base mud and bentonitic water-base mud, has been used experimentally in drilling 8 of the 35 wells in the Sivells Bend field, Cooke County, Texas. Experience indicates the oil-emulsion mud can be controlled in much the same manner as a water-base mud, and the "drilling" functions of the two types of mud are comparable. The average water-loss for the oil-emulsion mud was 3.8 cu cm per well. When using oil-emulsion mud to drill the last 2000 ft of 7000 ft wells, the mud costs were approximately 2½ times that of water-base mud. There is nothing to indicate well productivities have been affected through the use of oil-emulsion mud. However, drilling time and bit footages were increased and the holes were maintained more closely to bit guage. The apparent advantages gained through the use of oil-emulsion mud in the Sivells Bend field do not appear to justify the increase in mud costs. Introduction until a comparatively few years ago most of the development of drilling mud was directed toward improving the functions of the mud as related to actual drilling operations. The industry has long recognized that one disadvantage of rotary drilling over cable-tool drilling is the possibility of injury to producing zones through the blocking effect resulting from the infiltration of water or mud into the sands. Recognizing this disadvantage, considerable attention has been diverted toward the development of muds that will improve the quality of well com-pletions through the reduction or elimination of water into the sands, but without sacrificing too many of their "drilling" functions and at a cost commensurate with the benefits derived from their use. This phase of mud research has already found practical application, for example, in the development of the Rangely field, Colorado, it appears the use of oil-base mud during drilling-in operations will contribute appreciably toward making this exploitation more profitable. Much of the discussion to follow will be better understood if a brief sketch of the Sivells Bend field is given. The Sivells Bend field, discovered by The Texas Co. in 1944 and still in the process of development, is in a large bend on the Texas side of the Red River about 85 miles north of Dallas. Geologically, the structure is an unsymmetrical anticline, with faulting having contributed to its development. The productive sands are of the Strawn series of Pennsylvanian age, the sands being lenticular in character and varying considerably in development from well to well. At Present there are 35 producing wells in the field, producing from seven different sand lenses. The productive sand lenses vary from 15 to 50 ft in thickness and the individual sands have average permeabilities of from 75 to 375 md. The presently productive sands are encountered at depths of from 6300 to 7300 ft, but testing has indicated that commercial production might be obtained from other sands as high as 5200 ft. Histories of older Strawn

Jan 1, 1948

By W. H. Echols

An oil-emulsion mud, consisting of a mixture of oil-base mud and bentonitic water-base mud, has been used experimentally in drilling 8 of the 35 wells in the Sivells Bend field, Cooke County, Texas. Experience indicates the oil-emulsion mud can be controlled in much the same manner as a water-base mud, and the "drilling" functions of the two types of mud are comparable. The average water-loss for the oil-emulsion mud was 3.8 cu cm per well. When using oil-emulsion mud to drill the last 2000 ft of 7000 ft wells, the mud costs were approximately 2½ times that of water-base mud. There is nothing to indicate well productivities have been affected through the use of oil-emulsion mud. However, drilling time and bit footages were increased and the holes were maintained more closely to bit guage. The apparent advantages gained through the use of oil-emulsion mud in the Sivells Bend field do not appear to justify the increase in mud costs. Introduction until a comparatively few years ago most of the development of drilling mud was directed toward improving the functions of the mud as related to actual drilling operations. The industry has long recognized that one disadvantage of rotary drilling over cable-tool drilling is the possibility of injury to producing zones through the blocking effect resulting from the infiltration of water or mud into the sands. Recognizing this disadvantage, considerable attention has been diverted toward the development of muds that will improve the quality of well com-pletions through the reduction or elimination of water into the sands, but without sacrificing too many of their "drilling" functions and at a cost commensurate with the benefits derived from their use. This phase of mud research has already found practical application, for example, in the development of the Rangely field, Colorado, it appears the use of oil-base mud during drilling-in operations will contribute appreciably toward making this exploitation more profitable. Much of the discussion to follow will be better understood if a brief sketch of the Sivells Bend field is given. The Sivells Bend field, discovered by The Texas Co. in 1944 and still in the process of development, is in a large bend on the Texas side of the Red River about 85 miles north of Dallas. Geologically, the structure is an unsymmetrical anticline, with faulting having contributed to its development. The productive sands are of the Strawn series of Pennsylvanian age, the sands being lenticular in character and varying considerably in development from well to well. At Present there are 35 producing wells in the field, producing from seven different sand lenses. The productive sand lenses vary from 15 to 50 ft in thickness and the individual sands have average permeabilities of from 75 to 375 md. The presently productive sands are encountered at depths of from 6300 to 7300 ft, but testing has indicated that commercial production might be obtained from other sands as high as 5200 ft. Histories of older Strawn

Jan 1, 1948

By Hiroshi Oikawa, A. G. Guy

Recent experimental evidence has shown that it is often incorrect to neglect the reactions occurring at an interface with respect to the diffusion reactions. By introducing reaction-rate constants and k for the transfer of components 1 and 2 between the a and b phases, a phenomenological description has been devised for the coupled processes of diffusion and in-terfacial reaction. An illustrative example has been analyzed with the aid of a suitable computer program. The results indicate that for kab values on the order of 10&apos;1 cm per sec and Ð values of about 10¯10 sq cm per sec, the interfacial reactions are significant during the first 10 2 to l0 6 sec of a diffusion experiment. Among the observable effects of the interfacial reactions in this case appear to be the burying Kirkendall markers and an anomaly in the initial shifting of these markers. THE study of diffusion between two phases is especially important because of its direct connection to phase transformations. For example, the transformation of austenite to ferrite involves diffusion in the a and ý phases and also an interfacial reaction (trans formation) at the a/? interface. If ferrite and aus-tenite are the two members in a diffusion couple, the same two reactions occur during the diffusion process. The numerical values obtained for the diffusion coefficients and interfacial-reaction constants from diffusion experiments can then be employed to predict phase-transformation behavior. Refinement of the calculations of phase transformation is also suggested by the present method for treating two-phase diffusion. In the recent paper by Nolfi et al.&apos; only the solute com ponent is considered in the interfacial reaction accompanying a phase transformation. The present analysis demonstrates that both components must be considered. It is generally recognized that reactions of some kind must occur at the interface in a two-phase diffusion couple, but usually it is assumed that the interface reaction occurs so rapidly that its effect on the overall process is unobservable because the slower diffusion process determines the kinetics of the process. However, Seith and Heumann 2 pointed out that effects of the interfacial reaction should always occur in the early stages of diffusion, and recently Eifert et al. 3 have shown that interfacial reactions influence the composition and motion of the interface in a/ß Al-Cu diffusion couples during the entire course of prolonged, high-temperature treatments. A general procedure for handling the combined processes of interfacial reaction and diffusion in a binary, two-phase system is to introduce kinetic coefficients for the interface reactions and to develop the system of equations governing the interlinked processes of diffusion and interface reaction. The resulting equations, although not amenable to solution in closed form, can be usefully manipulated by a digital computer. INTERFACIAL REACTIONS IN TWO-PHASE DIFFUSION Consider the general case of diffusion between two solid solutions, a and ß, which are adjacent phases in a binary system, Fig. 1. Two semiinfinite bars having compositions c1 and c0ß are jointed at x = 0. If concentrations are expressed in volume fraction,4

Jan 1, 1970

By C. E. Birchenall, R. H. Condit

THREE surface activity procedures are in com--L mon use for the determination of diffusion coefficients in solids. In the oldest of these&apos; the activity observed at the original surface is compared before and after diffusion, where all the activity is in a thin, plated layer on the surface before diffusion. Partial absorption of the radiations from active atoms which have diffused below the surface reduces the effective activity after diffusion. The formula employed to calculate the diffusion coefficient is where F, is the ratio of final to initial activity at the surface, measured with identical counting geometry; Z=u3Dt, where D is the diffusion coefficient; t is the diffusion time; and u is the absorption coefficient for the radiation in the solid as defined by Lambert&apos;s law. This absorption law implies that all the rays are parallel to each other and normal to the specimen surface. This assumption of a collimated beam used by Steigman, Shockley, and Nix has been adopted by all other investigators and, although it gives results which are approximately correct under restricted physical conditions, it does not represent many actual circumstances. It is the purpose of this paper to show the importance of the divergent rays and to indicate a procedure for taking them into account. In the residual activity method the activity is determined on a series of surfaces ground on the specimen at progressively greater depths in the diffusion layer parallel to the initial surface. Gruzin2 has de- rived a formula for this procedure, which may be put in the form where I is the ratio of the activity measured at a newly ground surface at distance k below the initial surface to the activity at the initial surface measured after diffusion, and K= k/2p Dt. A third procedure involves the autoradio-graphic determination of activity on a plane ground at a small angle to the initial interface through the penetration zone. Aut oradiography can be particularly sensitive to the oblique rays. Unlike most counters which detect essentially all ß particles or X-rays which enter the active volume as a single event, the photographic emulsion may be thin enough so that oblique rays with longer path length in the emulsion produce more darkening than rays which move normal to the film plane. Consider a plane containing a source of radiation uniformly spread over a circle and a point counter located on the perpendicular through the center of the circle. As the counter moves along this line, the total angle 6, at the counter subtended by the specimen will vary. For a fixed counter distance, let 6 be angle between the counter axis and the line connecting the counter to a point P on the active plane. If an absorber of thickness X is interposed parallel to the source between counter and source, the ray from point P to the counter will pass through an absorber thickness X secant 6. Exponential absorption is assumed to hold for all rays. If r, is the ratio of intensity at the counter with absorber to the intensity without absorber and a = pX, 1 00 The behavior of this integral, evaluated numerically,

Jan 1, 1957

By Thomas Brownfield

Development and production activity in Oklahoma during the year 1940 was of routine nature. Production, according to the Corporation Commission&apos;s figures, averaged 409,100 bbl. daily as compared with 421,000 bbl. for the year 1939. Discoveries were of minor importance except for the Cumberland pool in Marshall and Bryan Counties, in the southern part of the state. Maintenance of a relatively stable producing rate is attributable to the drilling of new wells and the recompletion of many old wells in the previously established producing areas. During the year 1785 new wells were drilled, a decline of approximately 10 per cent as compared with the previous year. Of the wells drilled, 962 were oil wells with a combined initial production of 241,000 bbl. daily, 172 were gas wells having aggregate capacities of 1205 million cu. ft., and 651 were dry holes. Wildcat activity increased 20 per cent over 1939 and 227 such wells were completed during the year; that isl 43 oil wells, 16 gas wells, and 168 dry holes. In addition to the new work completed, 603 wells were recorded as having been drilled deeper or plugged back to test new horizons; included were 334 producing wells with total initial production of 65,000 bbl. daily, 37 gas wells with initial aggregating 305 million cu. ft., and 232 abandonments. Footage drilled amounted to 4,730,000 ft., an average of 2650 ft. per well as com-pared with an average depth of 2600 ft. recorded the previous year. The principal new pools discovered as a result of the exploratory drilling were Cumberland; East Cromwell, in Okfuskee County, and Prague, in Lincoln County. At the end of the year Cumberland had 13 completed wells, which averaged 700 bbl. initial through tubing from the Simpson Bromide formation (Ordovician) at 4750 ft. East Cromwell had 10 wells with average initial of 435 bbl. in the Cromwell sand (Pennsylvanian) at 3460 ft. Prague had II wells with an initial average of 220 bbl. from the Senora sand (Pennsylvanian) at 3260 ft. There were notable extensions to the Dill pool, Okfuskee County, and to the Hewitt pool, Carter County. At the end of the year, 19 producing wells had been drilled in the former, with initials averaging 1000 bbl., and 63 wells averaging 150 bbl. daily in the latter. There were no notable changes in the policy of State conservation authorities with respect to proration. The Bureau of Mines recommendations for the year averaged 413,000 bbl. daily; the State author-ities fixed allowables at an average of 406,000 bbl. daily, while, as noted above, production averaged 409,100 barrels. The most important development in the older areas occurred in the following pools: Billings.—Seven oil wells with an average initial production of 2500 bbl. and two dry holes were completed during the year. Production from the Simpson horizon averaged 6025 bbl. daily as compared with 5950 the previous year. Production from this field has been almost steady since reaching its peak early in 1937. The major portion of the pool is efficiently operated as

Jan 1, 1941

By Thomas Brownfield

Development and production activity in Oklahoma during the year 1940 was of routine nature. Production, according to the Corporation Commission&apos;s figures, averaged 409,100 bbl. daily as compared with 421,000 bbl. for the year 1939. Discoveries were of minor importance except for the Cumberland pool in Marshall and Bryan Counties, in the southern part of the state. Maintenance of a relatively stable producing rate is attributable to the drilling of new wells and the recompletion of many old wells in the previously established producing areas. During the year 1785 new wells were drilled, a decline of approximately 10 per cent as compared with the previous year. Of the wells drilled, 962 were oil wells with a combined initial production of 241,000 bbl. daily, 172 were gas wells having aggregate capacities of 1205 million cu. ft., and 651 were dry holes. Wildcat activity increased 20 per cent over 1939 and 227 such wells were completed during the year; that isl 43 oil wells, 16 gas wells, and 168 dry holes. In addition to the new work completed, 603 wells were recorded as having been drilled deeper or plugged back to test new horizons; included were 334 producing wells with total initial production of 65,000 bbl. daily, 37 gas wells with initial aggregating 305 million cu. ft., and 232 abandonments. Footage drilled amounted to 4,730,000 ft., an average of 2650 ft. per well as com-pared with an average depth of 2600 ft. recorded the previous year. The principal new pools discovered as a result of the exploratory drilling were Cumberland; East Cromwell, in Okfuskee County, and Prague, in Lincoln County. At the end of the year Cumberland had 13 completed wells, which averaged 700 bbl. initial through tubing from the Simpson Bromide formation (Ordovician) at 4750 ft. East Cromwell had 10 wells with average initial of 435 bbl. in the Cromwell sand (Pennsylvanian) at 3460 ft. Prague had II wells with an initial average of 220 bbl. from the Senora sand (Pennsylvanian) at 3260 ft. There were notable extensions to the Dill pool, Okfuskee County, and to the Hewitt pool, Carter County. At the end of the year, 19 producing wells had been drilled in the former, with initials averaging 1000 bbl., and 63 wells averaging 150 bbl. daily in the latter. There were no notable changes in the policy of State conservation authorities with respect to proration. The Bureau of Mines recommendations for the year averaged 413,000 bbl. daily; the State author-ities fixed allowables at an average of 406,000 bbl. daily, while, as noted above, production averaged 409,100 barrels. The most important development in the older areas occurred in the following pools: Billings.—Seven oil wells with an average initial production of 2500 bbl. and two dry holes were completed during the year. Production from the Simpson horizon averaged 6025 bbl. daily as compared with 5950 the previous year. Production from this field has been almost steady since reaching its peak early in 1937. The major portion of the pool is efficiently operated as

Jan 1, 1941