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The first metal-mine accident-prevention course was prepared and published in 1942-45 as a series of seven miners' circulars (Nos. 51-57). The scope of the course has been broadened, revised, and brought up to date and is being published as a similar series of seven miners' circulars (Nos. 51-57, revised) on accident prevention in metal and nonmetallic mines. These circulars are: Accident Statistics (Miners' Circular 51), dealing with general statistics on accidents and injuries at metal and nonmetallic mines, including causes, costs, and the use of investigations and reports of all accidents.

Jan 1, 1957

By G. G. Eichholz

SUMMARY RADIOACTIVE dynamite has been prepared by introducing a small amount of antimony-124 into the explosive. Test work is described on the effectiveness of this tracer, on radiation levels in its neighbourhood, and on different methods of .application. Factors determining the choice of isotope, amount of activity, and overall cost of this process are discussed. INTRODUCTION Instances are known in which dynamite remains unexploded in drill holes in mining operations. Usually such 'bootlegs' are easily located by inspection of the face and the powder is removed before subsequent drilling is started. Occasionally, however, serious accidents occur because workmen drill into an undetected piece of dynamite. In order to avoid such accidents it was suggested that a different method of location might be tied, such as that afforded by the use of radioactive tracers. This paper describes some experiments that were carried out under the auspices of the Department of Mines and Technical Surveys, with the active co-operation of Canadian Industries Ltd. and Canadian Refractories Ltd., to test the feasibility of such a scheme.

Jan 1, 1957

Brief descriptions of several types of unit pulverizeI' are given and the functioning of the components that crush, carry, dry and classify the coal is considered. A distinction is drawn between pulverizers which crush particle beds and those .operating by free-crushing. The overall performance of pulverijlers is considered in terms of correlations between mill variables, coal grindability, abrasiveness, moisture and particle size. Brief discussioiJ. of the influence of pulverized fuel quality on boiler operation and of pulverizing costs concludes the paper.INTRODUCTIONModern coal pulverizers function as carriers of materials and as crushers, as dryers and as size classification machines and, thus, the unit pulverizer comprises. several components that normally function as separate apparatus. The controls of the unit pulverizer must have sufficient flexibility to accommodate rapid variations of boiler load or coal quality. Further, the machine must be robust, yet easy to maintain preferably at annual intervals-so that maintenance costs are small (for coal is a relatively cheap material). Usually, the full load of a modern pulverized-fuel fired boiler can be raised with one pulverizer off-line. All coals, from anthracites to brown coal, may be prepared as pulverized fuel (hereafter P.F.) .Each pulverizer of a direct-fired boiler has, broadly, to supply the burners with coal powdered so that about 80 per cent passes a 200 B.S. sieve and only a small proportion, less than about 10 per cent, remains on the 100 B.S. sieve. The classification processes must prevent any appreciable proportion of coarse particles in the P.F. and yet not return excessive proportions of "finished" fines. The quality of the P.F. should not vary greatly with output rates which may be anywhere between the maximum rate and one quarter ofthe maximum. The suspension of P.F. in the primary air...

Jan 1, 1957

By R. A. Hatch

This report summarizes the results of nearly 8 years research on and production of synthetic mica at the Electrotechnical Experiment Station of the Federal Bureau of Mines, Norris, Tenn. This program was undertaken at the request of the United States Department of the Navy and was financed mostly by the Army Signal Corps and the Navy Bureau of Ships through a contract with the Office of Naval Research, The original objectives included fundamental studies of fluor-phlogupite and other fluorine-micas and production of synthetic mica sheets on a pilot-plant scale. The first 3 years of this project were devoted mainly to a search for practical solutions of the many problems involved in designing and constructing a pilot plant for crystallizing fluor-phlogopite mica. The first and most urgent need was a suitable container for the corrosive mica melt. After extensive study, it was concluded that platinum, graphite, high-silica fire clay, and silicon carbide were the most promising refractories for crucibles; but none was perfect. Silicon car¬bide seemed to have the better combination of qualities, combining good corrosion resistance with oxidation resistance.

Jan 1, 1957

By F. N. Bender

Percolation leaching of wad-type manganese ores was investigated, using a novel system of alternate upward passage of sulfur dioxide gas through moistened ore and downward percolation of wash solutions to extract solubilized manganese. Bench and large-scale tests designed to simulate vat and heap leaching were made on four wad ores from Arizona and Nevada and on a pailomelane ore from Arizona. Three of the wad ores required prebaking at 500° to 600° C. to produce a permeable agglomerate that would not slake during percolation washing. The hard-type ore and one of the wad ores that contained a large amount of granular gangue did not require prior roasting. The deportment of the different ores toward leaching and percolation was studied with particular reference to the influence of the sulfur dioxide - oxygen ratio and the effect of gas dilution on the rate of manganese dissolution, dithionate formation, and acid production. Crushed charges of the ores, as coarse as 1 inch and as fine as 1/4 inch, were treated for periods of 5 to 11 days. Percolation of the gas and leach solutions through the charges was achieved without difficulty. The manganese extractions varied between 78 and 97 percent and depended upon the size and type of ore leached. The average quantity of sulfur dioxide required in the larger scale tests was about 2.6 pounds per pound of manganese recovered. The dithionate formation varied from 0.35 to 0.9 pound per pound of manganese extracted depending upon the strength of leaching gas.

Jan 1, 1957

By A. T. Corey, C. H. Rathjens

INTRODUCTION Although the oil industry has been aware of the directional variability of permeability in porous rock, the directional variability of relative permeability has been largely ignored. Yet it is apparent that such an effect must be present in a system in which the distribution of oil and gas within the porous matrix is controlled by capillary forces. It is easy to visualize a rock composed of layers of fine and coarse material such that gas flow across the bedding planes would take place only after the average oil saturation had been reduced to a very low value. The fine layers, because of their greater capillarity, would remain saturated and act as barriers to the flow of gas after the coarse layers had been desaturated. Flow of gas parallel to the bedding planes would obviously take place at a much greater liquid saturation. Without more complete information concerning the geology of a reservoir than is generally available, it is not possible to predict exactly how such phenomena would affect the over-all performance of an oil field. It is possible, however, to predict qualitatively the effect of stratification on relative permeability measurements made on laboratory cores. In this investigation the effect of stratification was studied analytically by assuming that two porous materials with different capillary pressure-desaturation curves (but identical relative permeability curves) were in contact and in capillary equilibrium. As a qualitative check on the analytical results, cores having various degrees of visible stratification were used for relative permeability measurements made with fluids flowing both parallel and perpendicular to the bedding planes. A quantitative check was considered impractical because of the difficulty of devising models in which two materials of predetermined properties could be joined without the plane of contact becoming a discontinuity. THEORETICAL CONSIDERATIONS AND ASSUMPTIONS The assumption of capillary equilibrium in an oil-gas system implies that the difference in pressure between oil and gas is everywhere the same. This means that the curvature of the interfaces must be everywhere the same in order to satisfy the equation where PC is the pressure difference between phases, y the interfacial tension and r, and r2 are the major and minor radii of curvature. Depending on the pore size distribution of coarse and fine layers, the volumetric percentages of oil and gas in these layers will differ when equilibrium exists. The exact relationship can only be determined by obtaining the complete capillary pressure-desaturation curves for each of the porous materials in contact. It has been pointed out elsewhere' that the capillary pressure-desaturation curves of sedimentary porous materials can often be approximated by the relation where C is a constant and Soe is the effective saturation to oil based on a percentage of the pore volume effective to flow. In the same paper it was indicated that, as a first approximation, the values of oil relative permeability are given by and the values of gas relative permeability by For this analysis Eqs. 2, 3, and 4 were assumed to apply to each of two components of a hypothetical porous rock in capillary equilibrium. It was also assumed that each of the components had a residual wetting phase saturation of 20 per cent so that 80 per cent of the total pore volume was effective to flow. The permeability of the coarse stratum was taken as 100, and its displacement pressure was such that C in Eq. 2 had the numerical value of 1. The corresponding values for the fine stratum were 10 for the permeability and 10 for C. Units are not specified because they do not enter into the final results. The choice of the permeabilities and displacement pressure ratios was made to expedite the calculations. Any reasonable rock properties could have been chosen without changing the results qualitatively. Several arrangements of the two components were studied. Table 1 summarizes the resultant permeabilities obtained for four types of arrangement. RELATIVE PERMEABILITY CALCULATIONS The first step in the computation of relative permeability for the composite cores was the plotting of the capillary pressure-desaturation curves and the relative permeability curves for the individual components according to Eqs. 2, 3, and 4. At arbitrary

Jan 1, 1957

By John P. Harmon

Vehicles traveling on untreated dirt and gravel roads at open-pit mines disseminate high concentrations of dust (fig. 1). Excessive dust creates safety hazards by reducing visibility and may endanger the health of the men who breathe it. If the dust contains free silica, it can cause silicosis. In addition, maintenance costs of mechanical equipment are increased if equipment is operated in extremely dusty places. Dust on haulage roads in hot, arid country can be controlled if the surface of the road is sprinkled frequently and adequately with water. Often, when roads are sprinkled with water to control the dust, hazards are caused through reduced traction and skidding because of the mud that is formed on the surface of the road. Reducing the amount of water used will help to reduce the hazard of skidding.

Jan 1, 1957

By C. H. Schack

Although viscosity is known to be important in processing and handling finely ground urea, its effect has never been fully quantified. This report describes the methods used and the results obtained in the initial phases of a broad investigation of the influence of viscosity of water suspensions of minerals in flotation, thickening, filtering, and other mineral-dressing unit operations. Several types of vis-cosimeters were tested before reliable and reproducible results could be obtained on mineral suspensions. After the viscosimeter used in the research was calibrated and standardized, tests were made on six pure minerals to study the relationship of pulp density, particle size, crystallinity, and cleavage on viscosity. An orifice-type viscosimeter equipped with a mechanical stirrer gave as good results as other types and was more flexible, faster, and simpler to operate. The orifice-type viscosimeter, when calibrated and standardized with glycerin and water mixtures, proved satisfactory over a wide range of viscosities. The accuracy and reproducibility were reasonably constant between 1 centipoise and 200 centipoises, the anticipated range in common mineral-dressing unit operations.

Jan 1, 1957

By Herty, C. H.

No attempt will be made here to review the previous work done by investigators on the general subject of inclusions, because it was discussed sufficiently in an early cooperative bulletin of this series (No. 36, 1928), and reference was then made to general bibliographies. The work described in this present bulletin deals directly with the study of the mechanism of deoxidation of steel with aluminum and the formation of inclusions containing alumina. Unquestion- ably, such inclusions are encountered in most steel-making practices and little has been done to determine their characteristics. Aluminum is used to ensure rapid deoxidation during the solidification stages of the steel. For this reason the possibilities of inclusion elimination are slight and alumina-containing particles will undoubtedly be present in the ingot. Besides this common practice, aluminum is often used in the ladle with other deoxidizing agents such as silicon and manganese. Ladle additions of aluminum are made to rimming steels to obtain the correct partial deoxidation desired in this type of steel. In killed steels the aluminum is added to ensure soundness, as far as blowholes are concerned, in the ingot. In either rimmed or killed steels, alumina or alumina-containing inclusions are found therein, the amount and type depending on the oxidation of the metal, the amount of aluminum added, and the addition of other deoxidizers.

Jan 1, 1957

The first metal-mine accident-prevention course was prepared and published in 1942--45 as a series of seven miners' circulars (Nos. 51-57). The scope of the course has been broadened, revised, and brought up to date, and it is being published as a similar series of seven miners' Circulars (Nos. 51-57, revised) on accident prevention in metal and nonmetallic mines. These circulars are: Accident Statistics (Miners' Circular 51), dealing with general statistics on accidents and injuries at metal and nonmetallic mines, including causes, costs, and the uses of investigations and reports of all accidents.

Jan 1, 1957

By J. J. Mather

NEPHELINE SYENITE is a feldspathic rock resembling granite in texture and hardness but it is white in colour and contains appreciable quantities of the mineral nepheline, the result of a silica deficiency. It is relatively common, with known occurrences in Russia, Scandinavia, India, Canada, United States, and other parts of the world. However, the particular deposit being mined at Nephton, Ontario, by American Nepheline Limited is unique in its remarkable uniformity and low content of iron bearing minerals, both qualities essential in a ceramic raw material. The orebody is a pear-shaped mass over five miles in length, up to a mile in width, rising in three prominent ridges as much as 300 feet above the surrounding lakestudded terrain. American Nepheline holdings, consisting of 2,200 acres, comprise some 85 per cent of the total mass.

Jan 1, 1957

By F. D. Everett

The exploration work on a seleniferous tuff deposit near Lysite, Wyo., was confined chiefly to an area of approximately 1 square mile selected on the basis of prior examination and sampling work by the Bureau of Mines. This area was superficially explored by digging and sampling over 2,000 feet of trenches and 15 test pits. The surface sampling indicated that the deposit might contain a multimillion-ton reserve of easy-to-mine volcanic tuff assaying more than 0.01 percent Se. Later, 11 holes, ranging in depth from 57 to 135 feet and totaling 929.4 feet, were drilled under contract using a dry rotary drill. Samples for assay were cut at 5-foot intervals or at noticeable physical changes in the formation being drilled. Of the 206 samples assayed from the drilling, only 8 contained more than 0.005 percent selenium, and 2 of these assayed as high as 0.012 percent Se. Chemical analyses of samples obtained from six holes drilled by the Nugget Coal & Timber Co. to the south of the area explored by the Bureau of Mines showed that no selenium-bearing formations were encountered in that work. Two of 72 samples taken from 42 validation pits dug by claim holders contained more than 0.005 percent selenium. The exploratory work established that the selenium mineralization is erratically distributed in small irregular bodies and is not confined to any one tuff bed. Because of the lack of correlation between the infrequent showing of low-grade tuff, neither the extent nor grade of the reserves could be calculated.

Jan 1, 1957

By J. W. Miller

An investigation was begun by the Bureau of Mines in 1948 to determine the preparation characteristics of American coals. Results of the investigation were planned to be reported on a county basis and, from the data developed, to determine: (a) Which coals, either as mined or after beneficiation by conventional preparation, are suitable chemically under present standards for producing metallurgical coke. (b) Which coals require special and more intensive treatment in preparation than is now practiced. (c) Which coals cannot be considered potential sources of metallurgical coke, regardless of preparation. This report is one in a county series and describes the preparation characteristics of the coals of Logan County, W. Va. According to present-day standards for metallurgical coal, many believe that the sulfur content of the coal should not exceed 1.25 percent? Coal with more than this amount has been used for making metallurgical coke, especially when blended with coal containing less sulfur. In this series of reports 1.25 percent sulfur is used as a gage to determine whether or not a coal will be suited for metallurgical coke.

Jan 1, 1957

By H. P. Bucker, M. Felsenthal, F. R. Conley

INTRODUCTION In the intensive analysis of core samples from oil raservoirs, there is a recognized need for pore sizc distribution data. Such data, if collected with adequate precision and in sufficient quantity, should contribute to a better interpretation of fluid flow phenomena than is now possible from a knowledge of permeability and porosity data alone. It is hoped, for instance, that pore size distribution data may eventually provide a useful aid for predicting whether a water flood, or other secondary recovery methods. will he successful in a given reservoir.' Apparatus tor measurlng pore size distribution by mercury injection at pressures ranging from 0 to 2,000 psi have been described in the literature.2,3,4 All of these apparatus are somewhat complex and fairly expensive. Furthermore, the callbration of some of the apparatus is not always easy. Great difficulty, for instance, was experienced in obtaining reproducible pressure-volume correction data for the mercury pump shown in one of the references. An apparatus was therefore developed which was less complicated and less expensive than those of previously described designs. This apparatus is, in some respects, an improved version of a previously described low pressure apparatus' (maximum pressure 150 psi) which did not cmploy a mercury pump but instead used a precision bore glass tube for measuring the injected volumes. Tests were performed with the apparatus from vacuum to 2,000 psi and it was observed that the apparatus furnished reproducible pressure-volume correction data. In addition. it was noted that the maximum correction was small. precision of measurement was high. and operation of the entirc apparatus was relatively easy. Although the apparatus was designed exclusively for samples of 1 in. diameter and 1 in, length or smaller, it could be modified without much difficulty for larger samples, if desired. APPARATUS Arrangement of the pore six distribution apparatus is shown schematically in Fig. I. The heart of the apparatus is a steel sample chamber surmounted by a precision bore capillary glass tube. A mercury reservoir is connected to the lower half of the sample chamber. The top of the glass tube is in communication with a

Jan 1, 1957

By A. W. Cochardt

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

Jan 1, 1957

By M. F. Williams, L. G. Hendrickson

IN classification of pulps bearing magnetized ferromagnetic particles, depolarizing is of great importance. If size separation is to be effective, particles must be individual rather than in floes. Depolarizing is also practiced in heavy medium separations in which ferrosilicon or magnetite is the medium. When particles of ferromagnetic material have been removed from a magnetic field, residual magnetism causes agglomeration. The term depolarizing refers to the operation of reducing or eliminating this residual magnetism and may thus be considered magnetic deflocculation. The terms demagnetizing and randomizing are also used. At the Research Laboratory of Oliver Iron Mining Div. in Duluth a method was developed for measuring depolarization of the pulp of ferromagnetic material. Experiments were made with Mesabi taconite,' a natural magnetite of low coercive force. Ferromagnetic materials of higher coercive force, such as lodestone or the artificial magnetite produced by reduction roasting of hematite, present a more difficult problem, which was not within the scope of this investigation. It is possible, however, that some of the techniques evolved for measuring and calculating electrical characteristics of alternating current coils would be of use in depolarizing high coercive force material, particularly in conjunction with high-frequency alternating current, as proposed by Hartig and others.'," Properties of Ferromagnetic Materials:'7 Experimental work, described below, has shown that if a sample in the magnetized state is heated above the Curie point and cooled, much of the preferred orientation is destroyed and the sample is substantially depolarized. It has been thought that when the sample cools below the Curie point the domains cancel each other, leaving a zero net moment. However, such particles still exhibit a tendency to cohere, and undoubtedly this is caused by the forces of residual magnetism. -AS measured by the percent depolarization, this tendency is reproducible for any sample upon repeated heating above the Curie point and subsequent cooling and is independent of the initial state of magnetization. It is postulated, therefore, that as the material is cooled below the Curie point the domains in any particle do not completely cancel each other, but rather are preferentially oriented to some extent. Mechanism of Depolarizing with Alternating Current Magnetic Fields: It is believed that when ferromagnetic material is passed through an alternating magnetic field, depolarizing occurs in the decaying portion of the field. As the particles pass through the portion of highest intensity they become magne- tized. If the particles are not free to move, the polarities of the particles will be reversed (by a mechanism similar to that described above for magnetism) at a frequency equal to that of the applied field. As the material moves through the decaying field, intensity levels become such that a domain does not completely reverse, but stops on an axis of easy magnetization. By the time the material reaches the point of zero field intensity, a state of fairly random orientation of domains is achieved. If conditions are such as to give a completely random orientation, the particle will have little or no external magnetic field, and a pulp of such particles will be depolarized. Previous Work In 1918 E. W. Davis was granted a patent for demagnetization of magnetite pulps.' His method consisted of passing the pulp through a tapered coil, activated by alternating current of normal frequency (60 cycle). This method, with minor modifications, has been used almost universally in all pilot plants and commercial installations in which depolarization of low coercive force materials has been required. Hartig, Onstad and Foot2,3 avd made a detailed study of the factors involved in depolarizing both low (below 100 oersteds) and high (above 100 oersteds) coercive force material. They developed a method for evaluating the relative degree of depolarization of any pulp based on the settling characteristics of the pulp. Their standard of comparison was a sample heated to above the Curie point and cooled in a zero field, all in a neutral atmosphere.* For low coercive force material they found treatment.Thisprocedure is subsequently called, in this report,theCurie that results equivalent to Curie treatment could be

Jan 1, 1957

MR. J. F. MYERS, Consulting J3eneficiation Engineer, Greenwich, Conn.: In the written discussion contributed by Mr. F. C. Bond in item ( 2) (page 515), speaiking about the significance of the ratio of mill diameter to the make-up ball diameter, he states: "When this ratio exceeds 100 the power and capacity of the mill are de-creased"; and the paragraph ends with a reference to the 30 per cent ball volume "with some de-crease in mill capacity". I believe this broad statement is incorrect. When we are dealing with a non-cataracting mill, pre-ceded by a good rod mill, there is a slight increase in capacity, but the power does drop. The second point that I consider needs consideration is Mr. Bond's item (8), Proper Mill Speed (page 516). This paragraph should be qualified to cover single-stage mills only. It does not apply where a rod mill is followed by a non-cataracting ball mill. The statement as is, with no qualification, gives an erroneous idea of proper mill speeds.

Jan 1, 1957

By A. J. de Witte

INTRODUCTION The importance of determining dips of subsurface formations in wells, especially in wildcat wells, is self-evident and need not be enlarged upon. Various dipmeter instruments have been described in technical literature1,2,3,4 over the years. The introduction of the continuous dip-meters3,4 has made the earlier types obsolete. Continuous dipmeter logs are run by at least two different major service companies. Included as part of the service are a limited number of dip calculations—usually 10—made at different levels from the log. Very frequently this is the total result of a dip survey. It is believed that dipmeter surveys would be of considerably more advantage if geologists and engineers were able to make their own calculations from the original records. Determination of dips from the dipmeter record starts with the correlation of three log curves taken at different sides of the borehole. It cannot be over-emphasized that the quality of the results hinges primarily on this correlation. Nobody should be better qualified to correlate logs than a subsurface geologist or field engineer. The next requirement is to have an easy yet accurate way of computing the dip from the correlated points. Service companies use a mechanical device for this purpose. Directions for a graphical method were given in a recent article by B. 0. Prescotts. This paper describes a different graphical technique which, in our experience, is simpler, faster and at least as accurate. The entire manipulation is carried out on the stereonet in a number of easy moves. The paper is divided into two parts. This first part contains the introductory sections and full explanation of the geometry involved. The second part reviews the reading of data from an actual field log and summarizes the practical rules for computation of dips, the whole process being illustrated by an example. Following the outlined procedure, one could calculate a good many levels in a relatively short time, thus being able in particular to check suspected anomalies such as fault zones or unconformities in as close detail as the log will permit. GENERAL EXPOSITION OF THE METHOD Prnciple of the Dipmeter The position of a plane in space is defined by the location of three points, not on a straight line. Referring to Fig. I, if a borehole traverses a bedding plane, we can determine the strike and dip of the bed by finding three points which are not in line along this plane. Such points as A, B, and C are obtained with the dipmeter. The device consists of three electrodes (or caliper arms)1, 2, and 3 spaced at 120 angles, as schematically indicated, whose readings are separately recorded (Curves 1, 11, 111, to the right). When electrode 1 passes the boundary of the bed, Curve I will kick, etc. From these curves, we know the relative distances of points A, B, C, measured along the axis of the hole. If A is at zero, then B and C are at levels d1 and d2 up the hole,

Jan 1, 1957

By H. E. Peterson

A study was undertaken by the Bureau of Mines to develop a simple, reliable test for field detection of selenium in rocks and soils. Two methods are described for qualitative detection of selenium, dependent upon its form of occurrence and the presence of interfering constituents in the sample. Both methods involve fusion of the sample in a test tube to form elemental selenium that will volatilize and condense as a red deposit on the cooler upper portion of the test tube. The methods are sensitive to 10 parts per million, (p.p.m.) equivalent to 0.001 percent, and can be made semiquantitative by using suitable standard samples. INTRODUCTION Although selenium is widely distributed in the United States, the known deposits are either so small or so low grade that they cannot be processed economically for selenium alone-4/ At present, commercial production is a byproduct of the smelting and refining of base-metal ores, particularly copper.5/ About 0.75 pound of selenium is recovered per ton of electrolytic copper, and small amounts are recovered by special treatment of assorted smelter dusts and fume products. Since selenium is a strategic metal in short supply, new sources are being sought by both Government and private interests.

Jan 1, 1957

By Walter J. Karplus, Otto J. M. Smith

The transient response of earth formations may be tlcter.171ined by means of four electrodes mounted coli-rienrly on n sonde. Exponentially decaying current pules are applied to one pair of electrodes and the re.rrrlting voltage transient at the other pair is recorded. It is shown by theoreticol analysis and verified by laboratory experiments that this arrangement readily yields the direct resistivity of the formation and provides valrrable additional information as well. INTRODUCTION Although electrical transients have been employed with moderate success in geophysical prospecting, their application to well logging has received virtually no attention in technical literature. In the conventional direct resistivity logging methods only the zero frequency impedance of the formation under study is measured, and no information is obtained regarding its reactive characteristics. Since the use of certain transients appears to offer some advantages in this respect, experiments were performed on a laboratory scale to investigate this possibility. This investigation was limited to a study of a four-electrode array where both the receiving and transmitting electrode pairs are mounted on a logging sonde, and decaying exponential pulses are applied to the transmitting electrodes. THEORY Given an electrode configuration as shown in Fig. I, located in a homogenous medium of resistivity p, if each electrode has an effective radius, r, which is small compared to the spacing, s and a, it is easy to show by integrating the volume resistivity that the input resistance, Rrw, of the transmitting electrodes is Rxw=p/2pr If a capacitor of capacity C, charged to a voltage Em, is suddenly connected to these electrodes, the resulting current, I(t), will then be The voltage transient, E(t), at the receiving electrodes may then be found by substracting the resulting potential at electrode Y from that appearing at electrode Z. and by inserting Eqs. 1 and 2 Integrating Eq. 4 with respect to tim

Jan 1, 1957