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By J. W. Ristori, R. V. Whetsel, V. R. Garrias

World consumption of petroleum and its substitutes in 1940, which, except for the United States, does not include consumption for military purposes even in peacetime, is estimated at 2,006,000,000 bbl., or approximately 21,000,000 bbl. less than in 1939. As consumption figures for belligerent countries and those affected by the war are unavailable, in order to arrive at a gross approximation the assumption has been made that the rate of civil consumption in these countries has declined 80 per cent since the German occupation or the effect of the war made itself felt. In 1940 the total consumption in the United States increased 94,000,000 bbl. over the previous year, while the civil consumption in the countries directly affected by the war—some of them occupied during the last half of the year—decreased 126,000,000 bbl. In the rest of the world consumption increased II,000,000 bbl., resulting in an over-all decrease in world civil consumption grossly estimated at 21,000,-000 barrels. Although no reliable information is available regarding military consumption in foreign countries before or during the war, military consumption and/or addition to stocks in foreign countries in 1940, as

Jan 1, 1941

By R. H. Smith, A. C. Polk

The physical properties of the materials are listed, together with a short explanation of how this material binds the sand grains together without materially reducing the effective permeability of the sand. The chemical can be used in wells with bottom-hole temperatures ranging from 105°F to more than 350°F A description of the equipment required and the techniques used for applying these plastics to the wells is included. Introduction Recovering oil and gas from unconsoli-dated sand formations offers one of the most troublesome of all production problems. These sands generally present no particular trouble while drilling is in progress, but after the well has been completed and a pressure differential has been established across the face of the producing zone, the formation begins to L'slough," resulting in "sanding up" of the well. The term "sanding up" means that sufficient volumes of sand have moved into the well bore or casing to cause a serious reduction or complete halt of all flow of oil, water or gas. In rare cases a well may produce only a small amount of sand and still continue to flow or pump, the sand being carried to the surface in the fluid stream. However, in such instances, the result may be a costly repair bill due to the effect of the sand on surface and pumping equipment. The difficulty of producing petroleum from sands that are loosely cemented has long been recognized by petroleum engineers but only within the last few years has any new approach to the problem been undertaken. This involves the use of plastics that are capable of bonding the individual sand grains in place without materially reducing the effective permeability of a formation. The successful application of plastics for the consolidation of poorly cemented sands is relatively recent but now it is widely used in many of the more difficult areas on the Gulf Coast of Texas and Louisiana. This relatively new use of plastics1 in the oil fields has been preceded by much laboratory and field research on the use of various chemicals2,3 for solving numerous well-completion and work-over problems. Plastics now are being used successfully to control gas-oil and water-oil ratios,4'6 in zone isolation, the repair of casing leaks, the elimination of caving in cable-tool drilling wells6'7 and in the setting of linerss and casing.9 Sand-consolidating plastics, however, are basically different from all others in that they must not form an impervious seal. Field Practices The approach to the sanding-up problem usually has been the mechanical obstruction of the movement of the sand grains.

Jan 1, 1947

By A. C. Polk, R. H. Smith

The physical properties of the materials are listed, together with a short explanation of how this material binds the sand grains together without materially reducing the effective permeability of the sand. The chemical can be used in wells with bottom-hole temperatures ranging from 105°F to more than 350°F A description of the equipment required and the techniques used for applying these plastics to the wells is included. Introduction Recovering oil and gas from unconsoli-dated sand formations offers one of the most troublesome of all production problems. These sands generally present no particular trouble while drilling is in progress, but after the well has been completed and a pressure differential has been established across the face of the producing zone, the formation begins to L'slough," resulting in "sanding up" of the well. The term "sanding up" means that sufficient volumes of sand have moved into the well bore or casing to cause a serious reduction or complete halt of all flow of oil, water or gas. In rare cases a well may produce only a small amount of sand and still continue to flow or pump, the sand being carried to the surface in the fluid stream. However, in such instances, the result may be a costly repair bill due to the effect of the sand on surface and pumping equipment. The difficulty of producing petroleum from sands that are loosely cemented has long been recognized by petroleum engineers but only within the last few years has any new approach to the problem been undertaken. This involves the use of plastics that are capable of bonding the individual sand grains in place without materially reducing the effective permeability of a formation. The successful application of plastics for the consolidation of poorly cemented sands is relatively recent but now it is widely used in many of the more difficult areas on the Gulf Coast of Texas and Louisiana. This relatively new use of plastics1 in the oil fields has been preceded by much laboratory and field research on the use of various chemicals2,3 for solving numerous well-completion and work-over problems. Plastics now are being used successfully to control gas-oil and water-oil ratios,4'6 in zone isolation, the repair of casing leaks, the elimination of caving in cable-tool drilling wells6'7 and in the setting of linerss and casing.9 Sand-consolidating plastics, however, are basically different from all others in that they must not form an impervious seal. Field Practices The approach to the sanding-up problem usually has been the mechanical obstruction of the movement of the sand grains.

Jan 1, 1947

By P. Beardmore, A. H. Holtzman, M. B. Bever

Specimens of the alloy CU3AU in the ordered and disordered states were subjected to explosive loading at shock pressures in the range from 160 to 475 kbars. The resulting changes in the resistivity, stored energy, microhardness, and microstructure were determined. By comparing the effects of explosive loading on ordered and disordered specimens a separation of structura1 and configurational changes has been made. In the pressure range from 290 to 370 kbars, representing a small increment of strain, the degree of long-range order in the ordered alloy decreased sharply. This change is attributed to the generation of shear stresses in excess of the theoretical shear strength of the alloy. Disordered CU3AU under explosive loading behaves in a manner considered to be characteristic of fee solid-solution alloys generally. The response of metals to high-velocity deformation and, in particular, to explosive loading has attracted much interest in recent years.' In general, metals are substantially strengthened by the passage of shock waves although the permanent strains are small. Explosive loading induces this strengthening by causing the metal to undergo rapidly a transient strain in a narrow region, first in the shock front and then in the rarefaction wave, which releases the pressure. The transient strain is given by e = 4/3 In V/Vo, where Vo and v are the specific volumes in the uncompressed and compressed states.2 The process produces many defects, which account for the strengthening. For the investigation reported here, an ordered alloy was chosen because it was expected to give sensitive indications of the near-neighbor effects produced by shock waves. The ordered alloy CU3AU was of special interest because of past work on the effects of conventional deformation on this alloy.314 The disordered alloy was included as a standard for comparison and as an alloy typical of a solid solution containing short-range order. The effects of explosive loading were followed by measurements of the resistivity, stored energy, and microhardness, and by metallographic examination. EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDURES Preparation of Specimens. Part of an ingot of the alloy Cu3Au prepared previously4 was cold-rolled with several intermediate anneals in vacuum to a final thickness of 0.042 in. Specimens of dimensions 2.0 by 1.0 by 0.042 in. were machined from this strip. After a recrystallization treatment of 1 hr at 565oC, half of the specimens were disordered by heating in evacuated Pyrex capsules for 1 hr at 460°C and quenching into water. Although they contained short-range order, they will be referred to as 'disordered" to indicate the absence of long-range order. The rest of the specimens were cooled slowly from 380°C to induce long-range order. The grain size of the ordered and disordered specimens was 0.012 mm. Explosive Loading. This was carried out at the Eastern Laboratory, Explosives Department, E. I. du Pont de Nemours & Co., by a driver-plate procedure described elsewhere.2 Two ordered specimens were stacked alongside two disordered speci-

Jan 1, 1964

By G. F. Sager, B. J. Nelson

Magnesium alloy forgings offer higher and more uniform mechanical properties than heat treated magnesium alloy castings and are used principally for light weight parts that may be stressed in fatigue or subject to impact loads, or where space limitations do not permit the use of the necessarily bulkier magnesium alloy castings. Compositions and Properties of Magnesium Forging Alloys The nominal compositions and properties of the principal commercial magnesium forging alloys are given in Table 1. The two that are most commonly used are AMC58S and AM65S. The former has the highest strength and is, therefore, employed for heavy duty applications. However, the forging of this alloy and of AMC57S ordinarily requires the use of slow speed hydraulic presses. The forging alloy AM65S combines good, although somewhat lower, mechanical properties with excellent forging characteristics. This alloy can be forged on hammers, upsetters, rolls, and mechanical presses, as well as on hydraulic presses. These characteristics make it particularly useful for many applications. Manganese Segregation in AM65S The alloy AM65S contains 5 pct tin, 3 1/2 pct aluminum, and a small amount of manganese, the manganese being added to insure satisfactory resistance to corrosion. Some manganese segregation was occasionally encountered in this alloy. In many applications, such segregation is of no particular consequence, but when forgings are acid dipped prior to the application of various chemical coatings, the segregated particles of manganese constituent may stand in relief. The resultant surface roughening may impair appearance and is undesirable in forgings employed in the textile industry, where very smooth surfaces are essential to avoid the catching and breaking of fine threads. An effort was therefore made to determine the cause of manganese segregation in this alloy and find a method for its elimination. Radiographic examination of a series of cast ingot sections and extruded samples of the AM65S type having manganese contents ranging from zero to about 0.7 pct revealed no appreciable manganese segregation when the manganese was less than about 0.4 pct. A small amount was observed with a manganese content of 0.46 pct and considerable with manganese contents of 0.6 pct or higher. Attempts to eliminate the manganese segregation by variations in the melting and casting conditions were unsuccessful and it soon became apparent that the trouble was attributable to the fact that the manganese contents that caused segregation were in excess of the amounts that would remain in solution at temperatures encountered in the melting and/or casting operations prior to the complete solidification of the ingots. A knowledge of the amounts of manganese that would be soluble in molten alloys of the AM65S type at various temperatures was obviously desirable. The liquid solubilities of manganese in binary Mg-Mn alloys and in Mg-Al-Mn and Mg-Zn-Mn alloys have been determined by Tiner and others,* but no data on the solubility of manganese in molten magnesium alloys containing tin and aluminum are given in the literature. For this reason, an investigation to determine the solubility of manganese in a magnesium alloy containing 5 pct tin and 3.5 pct aluminum (AM65S type) was undertaken.

Jan 1, 1950

By Adrian C. Dorenfeld, Theodore Balberyszski, Strathmore R. B. Cooke

This paper reports results of studies of sulfidiza-tion of base-metal oxides and silicates with gaseous sulfur, hydrogen sulfide gas and pyrite and of their subsequent flotation with xanthate collectors. It has been established that a 100% conversion of the oxides of lead, zinc, copper and manganese into their respective sulfides is possible and is a function of reaction time and temperature. Sulfidization of chrysocolla (with malachite and azurite inclusions) resulted in a product containing covellite, chalcocite and digenite in proportions depending on conditions of sulfidization. Reacting cassiterite with gaseous sulfur, H2S or pyrite at various reaction temperatures resulted in its partial conversion to a tin sulfide. Flotation of the products of sulfidization indicated that their behavior is similar to that of natural sulfide minerals, the recovery being a function of the con-version of the oxides to their respective sulfides. The gradual depletion of high-grade sulfide mineral deposits has turned the attention of the mineral industry to the recovery of metals from the oxides and silicates. Anionic (fatty acid) and cationic collectors have in some cases made flotation of nonsulfides possible, although, in general, flotation of oxide ores is not as yet an economic process. Consequently, many attempts have been made to sulfidize the surface of the relevant oxide mineral and thus make it amenable to to In recent years, Bautista and sollenberger4 have investigated the conversion of a number of oxides to sulfides by reacting them with molten sulfur. This paper presents the results of .investigations carried out at the School of Mineral and Metallurgical Engineering at the University of Minnesota to study the flotation characteristics of some sulfidized minerals. It is divided into two parts: The first describes the sulfidization of a number of oxides and a silicate, and the second presents the flotation behavior of the products of sulfidization. SULFIDIZATION OF METAL OXIDES AND SILICATES Experimental Procedure: SULFIDIZATION WITH HYDROGEN SULFIDE GAS — Sulfidization with H2S gas was carried out in a horizontal tube furnace (Fig. 1). The temperature of the furnace was regulated by means of a Variac and determined with a chromel-alumel thermocouple. The constant temperature zone in the furnace was about 6 in. in length, and it was within this zone that the experiments were carried out. The gases employed were supplied from standard compressed gas cylinders, and passed through a glass-wool filtering tower before entering the Pyrex reaction tube. Gaseous products were bubbled through a water tower (used as a flow indicator) and excess H2S was burned off at the end of the outlet tube. Samples of reagents or minerals were placed in a 3-in. Alundum boat and inserted within the constant temperature zone of the furnace. Nitrogen gas (6 ppm O2 content) was passed through the tubes at room temperature to remove air in the tube, and continued to pass while the furnace was heating up. When the required temperature was reached, H2S was allowed to enter the tube and the supply of nitrogen was shut off. At the end of the reaction period, the reverse procedure was carried out, the samples being cooled to room temperature in a nitrogen atmosphere. The flow rate of H2S gas was maintained fairly constant in all experiments, although the rate was not determined. SULFIDIZATION WITH SULFUR POWDER - To study the sulfidization of minerals with sulfur (liquid or gaseous), samples of the mineral, together with a measured quantity of sulfur powder, were placed in a stainless steel (SS316) reaction vessel (Fig. 2). The reaction vessel was heated in a vertical resistance coil furnace, the temperature being regulated through a Variac. At the end of the experiment the vessel was cooled to room temperature before the sample was removed. Cooled products were leached with CS2 to remove any free sulfur. SULFIDIZATION OF TIN CONCENTRATES - Fifty gram samples of sulfidized tin ore were prepared by mixing -48 mesh Bolivian tin concentrate with -48 mesh Ottawa sand in various proportions and sulfi-dizing these samples with H2S in the horizontal tube

Jan 1, 1969

Thus far virtually the sole theme of the conservationist has been the preservation of natural resources. Little thought has been devoted to the conservation of America's most significant asset-her people. True, considerable effort has been devoted to conserving man's physical strength by the invention and application of labor-saving machinery. Notable progress has been made also in the conservation of man's health through important discoveries in medicine. However, little if any positive success has been achieved in the conservation of the most valuable attributes of man-intellect, skills, manpower. Human resources are interrelated and interdependent. There is no monopoly on knowledge or skills' or human energy. No one must sell them short. All the knowledge and all the skills and all the energy possessed by all men are required to render all the services needed by all men. One of the major sources of wasted manpower is found in the nation's schools, with an educational system based on the outmoded theory of uniform education for all. Actually, if democracy means free initiative for the individual, and unlimited progress at the maximum rate of speed of which the individual is capable, then our public schools are not democratic in-

Jan 1, 1950

By Joseph G. Wargo

An investigation of trends in exploration expenditures for a selected group of mining companies was undertaken for the interval 1968-1971. These trends were compared with financial factors that are associated with various groups of companies and the implications of these trends are indicated. The sample consists of 21 mining companies, of these, 19 are listed on the New York Stock Exchange and 2 are listed on the American Exchange. Twenty are American, one is Canadian. All are fundamentally "mining companies" in that they derive the bulk of their income from the ex- traction, sale, and at times, fabrication of metals from their own mines. This is in contrast to companies which have mineral exploration departments but derive the bulk of their revenues from sources other than mining, such as oil and gas sales. No companies which can be considered strictly as exploration companies are included in the sample. This definition held up in 1968, however, its strict application became more difficult through the years. In 1971, three or four of the companies were changing their character in that they were phasing out of the mining business and deriving a substantial part of their income from activities other than mining.

Jan 5, 1973

By Fernando A. Buttazzoni, Jorge C. Munita

INTRODUCTION To provide a background for discussing long-range financial and operational planning in the mining industry, we would like to begin by describing the role of planning in Codelco. Having taken part in Codelco's planning process since its inception in 1976, we believe that useful conclusions may be drawn for the experience we shall relate. Although Codelco is a state-owned copper producer with an important role in the Chilean economy, and is consequently very much at the core of national economic planning, the following discussion is not related to government planning but to planning in an operationally and commercially autonomous business concern with all the characteristics of a private enterprise. The only way in which Codelco differs from private business is that its financial successes or failures have a more direct impact on the countryls ability to participate in international trade, to meet its international financial commitments and to achieve economic and social growth. Thus, what follows is a presentation of the conceptual features of the planning process at Codelco and a description of the current state of planning in the company. It is understood that certain conceptual components are basic to any formal strategic planning process, and that the components of Codelco's planning process are therefore generally applicable in similar companies. First, the mission and scope of operation of the company must be defined, and goals must be set to achieve leadership in the business activities in which it engages. Having set this framework, the company must constantly scrutinize those internal elements and conditions that are essential to fulfill its mission and achieve leadership. In Codelco this means considering the actions which can best serve to define future capacities, taking into account declining ore grades and determining optimal production levels; watching over the productivity and skills of its labor force, and; keeping abreast of technological developments in non-ferrous mining and processing. If the company is proficient in these three areas, it will be cost efficient and there- fore competitive. Codelco must also watch over the business environment in which it operates. The company sells concentrate, blister and fire-refined copper, wirebar, cathodes and wire rod and must study the behavior of the market to attune its product mix to the demand existing for these various commodities in the international market and the copper consuming industries in general. By examining the internal and external environment in which the company conducts its production and commercial operations, it is able to diagnose its strengths and weaknesses, to identify the hazards it must overcome to stay ahead in the copper trade, and to take full advantage of business opportunities as they arise. CHARACTERISTICS OF CODELCO-CHILE Although our subject is Codelco, readers should keep in mind that there are many other copper producing operations in Chile, all in the private sector, and many valuable deposits that may be exploited in the future. Codelco is the only public sector copper producer, although there is one other state enterprise that operates smelting and refining facilities principally to serve a large number of very small producers of copper concentrate. In the mid-19801s, Codelco is the largest copper mining company of the world and the largest producer and exporter of copper with yearly sales totalling close to US$ 1.8 billion in 1983. Moreover, it is a highly profitable copper company at a time when the world copper industry as a whole has reported losses for several years. Codelco-Chile is a fairly new organization. The history of the four mining operations it manages is much longer: El Teniente was opened in 1912, Chuquicamata in 1915, Salavador in 1959 -- with installations of the old Potrerillos mine dating from 1927 -- and Andina in 1970. Having had separate owners, the management systems of the

Jan 1, 1985

By E. A. Gulbransen, K. F. Andrew

The gas-metal reactions of zirconium are very interesting. The metal is extremely stable at room temperature to reactions with the several gases present in air and the metal will stay bright indefinitely. However, at temperatures of several hundred degrees higher the metal reacts readily with oxygen, nitrogen and hydrogen. This behavior, in addition to the fact that zirconium is one of the higher melting point metals which might have high temperature applications under the proper conditions, resulted in the work reported in this communication. There are several factors which indicate that zirconium might have good oxidation resistance at elevated temperatures. These are: (1) the high melting point of approximately 1860°C, (2) the high melting point of the oxide of approximately 2675°C, (3) the high degree of thermodynamic stability of the oxide to chemical reaction and the low decomposition pressure of the oxide and (4) the possible formation of a continuous oxide film since the volume ratio of oxide to metal is greater than unity. The unfavorable factors are: (1) the metal reacts to form nitrides, hydrides and carbides, (2) the oxide is soluble at elevated temperatures in the metal and (3) the oxide ZrO2 undergoes crystal structure transformations at high temperature. The oxidation resistance of this metal is not only a question of the rate of film formation but is complicated by the fact that the oxide and other reaction products dissolve in the metal which in turn will affect the physical and mechanical properties of the metal. The protection of the metal to nitride formation must be considered separately from the oxide problem. One unfavorable factor is that the volume ratio of the nitride to the metal is about unity. This indicates that a discontinuous film might be formed. This paper will present measurements on the rates of reaction of the metal with O2, H2 and N2 over a wide temperature and pressure range. The reaction in high vacuum and the stability of the several compounds formed will be presented. The results are correlated with fundamental rate theory and with the physical and chemical structure of the metal and film. Literature Although many papers have been published on the chemical reactions of zirconium with various gases, comparatively few are concerned with the protective nature of the metal and its reactions at normal pressures. The studies in the pressure range below 0.01 mm of Hg gas pressure are largely of interest in the nature of the adsorption of gases by hot filaments in high vacuum apparatus. The reactions of zirconium in this pressure range have been reviewed by Fast8 and by RaynOr.27 In spite of certain differences of opinion as to the maximum adsorption temperatures for various gases, the low pressure range is qualitatively understood. Some of these papers will be mentioned briefly here. 1. LOW PRESSURE Ehrke and Slack' find that oxygen reacts above 885°C and hydrogen above 760°C. Nitrogen does not react up to a temperature of 1527°C. Fast9 on the other hand observes that oxygen is absorbed above 700°C and nitrogen at temperatures exceeding 1000°C. Hydrogen is absorbed from 300" to 400°C and liberated between 500" and 800°C. It is readsorbed at 862°C and released above 862°C. Hukagawa and Nambo22 find a rather complicated picture for the absorption of oxygen. A rapid initial absorption is found between 180" to 230°C. Further oxygen is not taken up until a temperature of 450°C is reached. The optimum temperature for complete absorption is 650" to 700°C. Nitrogen is found to be completely adsorbed at 600°C. However some of the gas is evolved at higher temperatures. Their data on the absorption of hydrogen indicate some of the gas is removed at 550°C. Guldner and Wooten17 in a study of the low pressure reactions of zirconium with various gases observed that the reaction with oxygen occurs at temperatures above 400°C and that the oxide is formed. The reactions with carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide occur rapidly at temperatures of about 800°C with the oxide and carbide being formed. Zirconium reacts at temperatures of 400°C slowly and at 800°C rapidly to form the nitride and with hydrogen and water at 300°C to form the hydride and a mixture of the oxide and hydride respectively. 2. NORMAL PRESSURE DeBoer and Fast3 in a study of the electrolysis of oxygen in zirconium find that the metal absorbs up to 40 at. pct of oxygen without forming a new phase. The solubility of nitrogen in the lattice has been studied by de Boer and Fast4 and Fast10 and is found to be considerable. At higher temperatures the oxide dissolves in the lattice at an appreciable rate according to Fast10 and the zirconium surface becomes active. De Boer and Fast4 and Hägg18 have studied the solubility of hydrogen and find that at room temperature the solubility corresponds to ZrH1.95 Desorption occurs on lowering the pressure. Hydrogen is stated to be more soluble in the ß-form and the

Jan 1, 1950

By J. W. Fredrickson

VERY little information is available in the literature concerning the solubility of magnesium in titanium. Aust and Pidgeon&apos; report the solubility of titanium in magnesium to be 0.0025 pct at 650°C and 0.015 pct at 850°C. X-ray diffraction studies failed to detect any evidence of solid solubility. Based on the fact that the addition of titanium to magnesium increases the c/a ratio of magnesium, Busk&apos; suggested that the Mg-Ti system, like the Mg-Zr, is a peritectic. Eisenreich- eported the solubility of titanium in magnesium to be 0.003 pct at 655°C and 0.064 pct at 760°C. Removal of hydrogen from the melt increased the solubility of titanium to 0.115 pct at 800°C. Eisenreich proposes a peritectic-type diagram for the high magnesium side of the system. Recent work&apos; with Ti-Mg diffusion couples indicate that the solid solubility of titanium in magnesium is extremely small and that there is limited solid solubility of magnesium in titanium. Experimental work on the Ti-Mg system is complicated by the fact that the boiling point of magnesium is considerably below the melting point of titanium. Consequently, the usual alloying methods are impractical. Alloying was accomplished in this investigation by sheath-rolling compressed compacts." The alloys were made from titanium sponge and high purity magnesium. Chemical analysis of the sponge showed 0.04 pct Mg, <0.005 pct Al, <0.001 pct Cu, 0.05 pct Fe, 0.022 pct Mn, <0.0025 pct Ni, 0.007 pct Si, <0.005 pct V, and <0.01 pct Zn. All heat treating was conducted in a protective atmosphere by encapsulating the specimens in fused silica ampules under a partial pressure of helium. Equilibrium was achieved by holding the specimens at temperature for periods of 24 to 120 hr. The alloys were hot rolled, cold rolled, and annealed prior to solution heat treatment. Fig. 1 shows the constitutional diagram obtained for the Ti-Mg system up to 1.5 pct Mg. Oxygen was known to be present in the alloys; therefore, it is necessary to consider the alloys as ternary rather than binary and the diagram should be viewed as a plot of a section through the Ti-Mg-0 system. Other investigatorso have shown that the addition of oxy- gen to titanium stabilizes the a phase. The data presented in Fig. 1 indicate that the addition of magnesium to titanium tends to stabilize the p phase. Armour Research Foundation7 has shown that the addition of magnesium to zirconium lowers the a transus and is classified as a p stabilizer in that system. Magnesium is soluble in solid titanium to the extent of at least 1.5 pct in both the a and /3 phases. No intermetallic compounds or magnesium-rich phases were observed either by light microscopy or X-ray diffraction. However, this does not negate the possibility that such phases exist at higher alloy concentrations.

Jan 1, 1956

By Christian F. Baiz

INTRODUCTION Industrial minerals can have similar financing requirements to those needs of metaliferrous and coal mining projects. One of the outstanding differences is the understanding of the many different markets that these industrial minerals represent. There are in excess of 30 principal industrial minerals ranging in terms of annual production from the largest quantity such as sand and gravel, to possibly the smallest quantity of production of a legitimate industrial mineral which may be defined as industrial and rough gem diamond. (See Tables 1 and 2) Project finance techniques, analytical methods, and information requirements are covered elsewhere in this Chapter and Chapter 10. Some comments on equity finance aspects follow. EQUITY AMOUNT The amount of equity in a financing transaction provides a cushion to the lender in case the project runs into trouble. Generally speaking, the greater the amount of risk in a project, the more equity a lender will require. The amount of cash equity in a project financing transaction is between 25 and 40 percent. The amount of leverage (debt/equity) is negotiable based on such factors as the strength and extent of the sponsor&apos;s undertakings, of the project&apos;s economics, and the term of a strong sales contract. Naturally, a borrower seeks to obtain d loan with as little equity required as can be negotiated. Zero percent equity is usually associated with a take-or-pay contract (a hell-or-high- water unconditional commitment under which the purchaser must pay for the commodity as though it were shipped regardless of whether it is actually mined or shipped) with a financially strong corporate entity i.e., the parent company or an end user. As a take-or-pay contract is tantamount to a guarantee of payment, the banker views the credit basis of the loan as being other than the borrower&apos;s mining operation and therefore will analyze the creditworthiness of the institution purchasing the commodity on the basis of its corporate balance sheet. Do not confuse a take-or-pay contract with a take-if- tendered or take-and-pay contract. Another means in the United States of obtaining zero percent equity is the carved out production payment financing, typical of coal mine financing. This involves the sale, or conveyance, by the owner of the mineral property of a production payment to a nominally capitalized company. The nominally capitalized company is formed solely to buy the production payment and usually borrows 100 percent of the purchase price from a lender. Equity amounts of 10 to 20 percent generally are found in transactions which employ techniques such as an advance sale or a subordinated lease/loan. These agreements are viewed as quasi equity by most banks for several reasons. First, the proceeds represent a cash infusion early in the project&apos;s life - usually prior to the bank lending any funds. Thus, the repayment schedule is "behind" that of the bank debt. In the case of an advance sale, repayment is in the form of a long-term supply contract with favorable terms, usually priced close to the mining operation&apos;s costs. There is also usually a requirement that all costs of the project be paid for by the loan or equity, often making the sponsors financially responsible for any cost overruns. Cost overruns are a major risk in any project, large or small, and are often due to unforeseen factors such as wildcat strikes, a piece of faulty equipment, or any event which delays completion, e.g., remote location, weather, etc.. . The question of how overruns are covered can be negotiated. For example, in addition to the original debt/equity ratio of the project, there can also be a cost overrun ratio that will

Jan 1, 1985

By H. Shaw

GRAVITATIONAL measurements made by means of the Eötvös torsion balance over any area enable a representation to be obtained of the total gravitational effects over the surface of that area arising from the combination of all sources of gravitational disturbance. The investigation of gravitational anomalies occurring in the upper layers of the earth&apos;s crust, in this way, has been attended with considerable success, and, especially in areas in which no undesirable disturbing factors were present, it has been possible to locate geological structures and mineral deposits with remarkable accuracy and also to delineate their confines and to indicate their depth below the surface with a certain amount of precision. Before this can be done successfully, however, it is necessary to determine the gravitational effect arising from all other extraneous .anomalies in order that these may be satisfactorily eliminated. Disturbing features giving rise to these gravitational anomalies may be divided into two classes, according to whether they are situated at or below the surface. The former are determined readily by a detailed leveling of the ground surface, and may be satisfactorily eliminated provided the specific gravity of the terrain material is known, but the latter are generally unknown, and can only be ascertained with difficulty. When, therefore, the observations obtained by means of the Eötvös torsion balance have been corrected for all surface irregularities, known as terrain and topographical effects, there remain residual gravitational values which are due entirely to subterranean conditions. The task of interpreting these results consists in disentangling the various subsurface anomalies, and subsequently in computing and recombining the effects of these various masses in order to verify the interpretation. When the gravitational anomalies are due to large and comparatively simple structures it is a matter of little difficulty to arrive at a satisfactory interpretation of the subterranean conditions, but in more complex areas, where the geological conditions are more complicated and several irregular features exist, the process of disentangling the various constituents of the complex mass arrangement is more difficult and requires the expenditure of considerable time and labor.

Jan 1, 1929

By JOSEPH MACDONALD

STRIPPED of its romantic possibilities, mining is a commercial business, carried on for the profit there is in it, and the business of the manager, in its ultimate analysis, is to make the profit as large as possible. The general manager of a mining company should keep himself personally familiar with all the details of its operations. If be fails to do so, chaos results, labor becomes inefficient, costs go up, and profits go down. Nowhere is this emphasized more than in Mexico. If the mining operations are extensive and complex, involving, besides the work of mining the ore, its transportation and treatment by various milling operations, and the marketing of the products, the business, to be carried on properly, must be divided into a number of main departments, which are subdivided into minor departments. Each main department should be under the immediate charge of a superintendent, or a foreman, and each minor department under a shift-boss. Organized in this way, and with all the principal centers of activity connected by telephone, the manager can keep in touch at all times with the details of every branch of the business, and be in a position to perform effectively the full duty of manager. The ?total cost of mining operations may be broadly divided under the heads of Labor, Supplies, and Marketing. Of these, it will be found, on averaging a number of cases, that the cost of labor will be about two-thirds of the total cost. The importance, therefore, of an efficient labor-department will be apparent. This department must be sub-divided and organized differently, according to the peculiar conditions at each mine, and no one system, however well suited for one particu-

Jan 1, 1909

By K. E. Brown, A. R. Hagedorn

Continuous, two phase flow tests have been conducted during which four liquids of widely differing viscosities were produced by means of air-lift through 1%-in. tubing in a 1,500-ft. experimental well. The purpose of these tests was to determine the effect of liquid viscosity on two-phase flowing pressure gradients. The experimental test well was equipped with two gas-lift valves and four Maihak electronic pressure transmitters as well as instruments to accurately measure the liquid production, air injection rate, temperatures, and surface pressures. The tests were conducted for liquid flow rates ranging from 30 to 1,680 BID at gas-liquid ratios from 0 to 3,-270 scf/bbl. From these data, accurate pressure-depth traverses have been constructed for a wide range of test conditions. As a result of these tests, it is concluded that viscous effects are negligible for liquid viscosities less than 12 cp, but must be taken into account when the liquid viscosity is greater than this value. A correlation based on the method proposed by Poettmann and Carpenter and extended by Fan-cher and Brown has been developed for 1¼-in. tubing, which accounts for the effects of liquid viscosity where these effects are important. INTRODUCTION Numerous attempts have been made to determine the effect of viscosity in two-phase vertical flow. Previous attempts have all utilized laboratory experimeneal models of relatively short length. One of the initial investigators of viscous effects was Uren1 with later work being done by Moore et al.2,3 and more recently by Ros.4 However, the present investigation represents the fist attempt to study the influence of liquid viscosity on the pressure gradients occurring in two-phase vertical flow through a 1¼-in., 1,500 ft vertical tube. The approach of some authors has been to assume that all vertical two-phase flow occurs in a highly turbulent manner with the result that viscous effects are negligible. This has been a logical approach since most practical oil-well flow problems have liquid flow rates and gas-liquid ratios of such magnitudes that both phases will be in turbulent flow. It has also been noted, however, that in cases where this assumption has been made, serious discrepancies occur when the resulting correlation is applied to low production wells or wells producing very viscous crudes. Both conditions suggest that perhaps viscous effects may be the cause of these discrepancies. In the first case, the increased energy losses may be due to increased slippage between the gas and liquid phases as the liquid viscosity increases. This is contrary to what one might expect from Stokes law of friction,&apos; but the same observations were made by ROS4 who attributed this behavior to the velocity distribution in the liquid as affected by the presence of the pipe wall. In the second case, the increased energy losses may be due to increased friction within the liquid itself as a result of the higher viscosities. The problem of determining the li- quid viscosity at which viscous effects becomes significant is a difficult one. Ros4 has indicated that liquid viscosity has no noticeable effect on the pressure gradient so long as it remains less than 6 cstk. Our tests have shown that viscous effects are practically negligible for liquid viscosities less than approximately 12 cp. Actually there is no single viscosity at which these effects become important. These effects are not only a function of the viscosities of the liquids and of the gas but are also a function of the velocities of the two phases. The velocities in turn are a function of the in situ gas-liquid ratio and liquid flow rate. Furthermore, the role of fluid viscosities in either slippage or friction losses will depend on the mechanism of flow of the gas and liquid, i.e., whether the flow is annular. as a mist, or as bubbles of gas through the liquid. These mechanisms are also a function of the in situ gas-liquid ratios and the flow rates. It would thus seem that the best one could hope for is to determine a transition region wherein the viscous effects may become significant for gas-liquid ratios and liquid production rates normally encountered in the field. The viscous effects might then be neglected for liquid viscosities less than those in the transition region but would have to be taken into account when higher viscosities are encountered. There are numerous instances where crude oils of high viscosity must be produced. The purpose of this study has been to evaluate the effects of liquid viscosities on twephase vertical flow by producing four liquids of widely differing viscosities through a 1 % -in. tube by means of air-lift. The approach used in this study was as follows:

Jan 1, 1965

By G. Ferrara

The reserves of lead and zinc ores in the metalliferous district of Iglesias in south-western Sardinia are today estimated at about 30 million tons, grading from 4 to 10% Pb + Zn. Of these reserves, about 40% are in the mines owned by AMMI Sarda S.p.A. The working of these resources goes back to ancient times. Not infrequently, traces of old Roman workings and remains of ancient implements are come upon in the higher parts of some of the ore bodies. Exploitation of these mines on larger scale, however, dates from the middle of the 18th century. Initially, the more accessible zones of the ore bodies and the richer ores were worked - the galena and the rich oxidized ores (calamine* with 25-35% Zn), which were often found in large masses, the enormous empty cavities of which still remain. The poorer grade deposits have been gradually rendered workable by the development of technology - the perfecting of the

Jan 1, 1970

By G. Mempel, D. C. Yang, D. W. Fuerstenau

This paper describes details of the design and operation of a batch tumbling mill which has been used for a number of years in the laboratories at the University of California. In order that the energy expended for grinding can be measured accurately, this specially constructed laboratory mill has sensitive torque measuring apparatus. Torque measurements are given for a variety of conditions with this particular mill. In recent years, there have been numerous and fairly extensive investigations of grinding in tumbling mills reported in the literature. Most of these investigations have been carried out in mills with widely differing dimensions. As a result, comparison of results obtained from various investigations has been virtually impossible. If similar mills were used by different investigators, a considerable step forward would be taken in grinding research. A specially constructed laboratory mill with sensitive torque measuring apparatus has been used for a number of years in the laboratories of the University of California. The purpose of this paper is to describe details of the design and operation of this batch tumbling mill so that other researchers, who might be interested in obtaining data for intercomparison, could construct a similar device for their own research. Furthermore, since torque instrumentation is quite expensive, torque measurements are given for a variety of conditions with this particular mill so that those who may not wish to duplicate torque measuring apparatus can make reasonably accurate torque estimates merely by duplicating the loading conditions. It is not intended in this paper to present theoretical derivations of energy consumption in ball mills. This has been done e1sewhere.l-3 CONSTRUCTION OF THE MILL In order to eliminate rust problems with wet grinding, the mill and grinding media are made of stainless steel. The mill shell was rolled from 1/2-in. steel plate. The inside dimensions are 10-in. diam and 11-1/2-in. length, similar to the mill used by Charles.4 It is equipped with eight lifter bars (1/4-in. in height) whose dimensions are given in Fig. 1. The lifter bars have been bolted into the shell so they can be removed for experiments without lifter bars; however, all data presented here are for the mill with lifters. One end of the mill is fitted with two 1/2-in. diam removable plugs for filling the mill with liquid for wet grinding experiments. The mill is mounted on ball bearing rollers as can be seen in Fig. 2. The pillow block bearings are single-row self-aligning sealed ball bearings with 1-1/4 in. hole diam. The bearings supporting the mill shell are single row sealed ball bearings with

Jan 1, 1968

By C. B. Manula, R. Venkataramani

Application of computers to present-day open-pit mining with bucket wheel excavators (BWE) is discussed. The development of the wheel excavators and their use in mining are discussed along with the necessity for building a computer model of the bucket wheel and the mathematical formulation of the problem. The simulation procedure, testing the model, and test results are summarized. Even though the mining industry in 1966 produced more ore than ever before, current extraction rates are only a fraction of what is expected in the later years of the 20th century. Nearly 90% of all metals and mineral products consumed last year was recovered by open-pit mining. This has placed great pressure on this segment of the industry which has, consequently, resulted in some spectacular developments. With increasing size of projects, the need for increased sophistication of engineering, planning, management, and administration of modern mining installations has never become more apparent. The design of complete systems for the mine and plant that fit the mold of today&apos;s business and social environments is undergoing an evolutionary process. Traditional concepts in mine development and operations are being sidestepped in favor of new ideas and principles. As the overburden thickness increases, materials handling presents a major problem to mining companies, especially those concerned with the mass production of ore and waste from low-grade deposits. The profit margin here is likely to be significantly less as to take chances with capital investment. Constant efforts are needed to improve upon productivity if the ore is to be economically mined. The development of vast low-grade deposits and thick overburden deposits calls for better tools to handle the enormous amount of materials. A natural solution to this problem is the use of bucket wheel excavators (BWE), which employ a continuous cutting head to feed the materials handling system. High productivity, versatility, economy of operation, and adaptability to most types of haulage systems combine to make BWE&apos;s attractive for large earth-moving operations. "Operating costs are being pushed down by the impact of giant haulage units, by high-speed conveyors, and computerized railroads. Matching all these with the continuous output of BWEs, one can visualize increased production at much lower costs." Historical Background The wheel excavator, which was patented in Germany in 1913, made its first appearance in an open-pit lignite mine in 1920. From this early beginning, however, BWEs were slow coming into practice. Initial developments were dampened by many design problems. From 1936 onward, major developments in design improved the wheel&apos;s ability, capacity, and versatility. A literature survey shows that wheel excavators are being used in Australia, Zambia, South Africa, the Congo, India, Indonesia, Czechoslovakia, Russia, Great Britain, Guyana, Yugoslavia, Morocco, Germany, Canada, and the U.S. for mining and loading chalk, lignite, clay, sandstone, phosphate, broken ore of iron, coal, shale, loose and semi-loose rock overburden.&apos; A recent LMG* BWE at work in a German lignite mine weighs 6790 tons with an hourly capacity of 11,000 cu m. Although the BWE has wide applicability, its application to new mining areas poses a problem. Because of the large capital investment involved in BWE application and the narrow profit margins in mining low-grade ores or coal at depth, little margin of error can be tolerated in the selection, design, and operation of these machines. The questions that need to be answered prior to installation of a BWE for a mineable deposit are: 1.) What are the anticipated BWE performance characteristics? 2) Which method of BWE operation is most efficient? Attempts to answer these questions require a thorough knowledge of the mining system and the BWE operation. One approach is the building of a computer-ori-ented simulation model to determine how information and policy create the character of the BWE system under consideration. BWE Operation Modern BWEs generally excavate in blocks. Fig. la shows a BWE working in an established cut. The wheel is positioned to travel on the pit floor in line with the top edge of the old highwall. As it advances, a new highwall is exposed in the direction of excavation. Digging is done by rotating the wheel, swinging it from side to side in long parallel arcs, and "crowding" into the bank, by advancing the entire machine, or by the travel of the digging boom if an automatic crowd is available (Fig. lb). A second way by which the wheel can be advanced into the bank is by the falling cut method. A brief description of each of these methods follows. Cut with a Crowding Machine: At the end of every swing, the digging boom can be extended by the thickness of cut desired and the boom swung back in the reverse direction. Obviously, the thickness of bank excavated does not vary with the boom position; therefore, the slewing motion of the boom is fairly constant for uniform output. The thickness through which the digging boom can be advanced into the bank is theoretically calculated from the formula&apos;

Jan 1, 1971

By L. W. Saperstein, Y. J. Wang

The development of computer programs to solve complex ventilation networks has reached a point of refinement where these programs become a necessary tool of the ventilating engineer. Such a program is presented. This program has an increased efficiency over its predecessors; it also includes the important facility of fixed quantity branches. This is in addition to the earlier capabilities of free-splitting, internal or external fans, and natural ventilation pressures. The program is written in Fortran IV with double-precision arithmetic and is listed here. Sample problems with input and output are also given. The recent, and presumably continuing, official interest in mine safety is bound to result in more stringent control requirements for ventilation. Anticipating this requirement, the Dept. of Mining, The Pennsylvania State University, has developed a computer program for the solution of complex mine ventilation networks. It is the opinion of this department that the program has sufficient merit to warrant its use in normal industrial operating conditions. Although the undergraduate mining engineering students of this department are routinely trained to use the program, it was felt that this training did not present a fast enough means of dissemination; consequently, this paper was written. The conception of the program is not new;1; however, the present version incorporates features that changes it from a scientific endeavor to a useful operating tool. These features include those of earlier programs, such as free-splitting, external or internal fans, and natural ventilation processes plus the important ability of handling fixed quantity branches, and of increased efficiency giving reduced cost. The facility for fixed quantities will be discussed in more detail. The solution of any network depends upon satisfying Kirchchoff&apos;s laws. These state that the sum of flow at any junction is zero, and that the sum of the pressure drop in branches totals the pressure drop in the mesh constituted by those branches, that is that the pressure drop around any mesh is zero. The terminology is derived from Synge," and is, in fact, that used by Topologists. A branch is any airway of uniform characteristics; a junction is where two or more airways meet (the minimum number of two airways is useful for describing the point where a low resistance airway changes into a high resistance one due to some physical constriction); a mesh is a path, along some branches, that returns on to itself, but does not need to traverse the same branch twice in order to do so; and a tree describes all those branches in a network which, while connected through all the junctions, do not form any meshes. Obviously the branches-in-tree are open-ended and can be shown to be one less than the number of junction (J-1). The branches-out-of-tree, also called basic branches, are equal to the number of basic meshes and are M = N — J + 1, where M is the number of meshes and N is the number of branches. The major difference between this network and an electrical one is that the law attributed to Atkinson for pressure drop is utilized rather than Ohm&apos;s law. Atkinson stated that the pressure drop (potential) is equal to a resistance factor multiplied by the quantity squared. This is written H = RlQlQ where H is the head loss. Q? is written in this factored fashion so that H will always have the same sign as Q. A negative sign is used to indicate that flow in a branch is opposite to that of its containing mesh. A mesh takes the direction of its basic branch. Utilizing Atkinson&apos;s law in Kirchchoff&apos;s second law and bearing in mind that the first law must remain satisfied, the program will determine all quantities, or head losses as they are related, for the branches of the network. The program uses a Geuss-Seidel form of in-teration, starting from an arbitrary Q and using a correction factor of the type first suggested by Professor Hardy Cross&apos; that will handle the nonlinear equation of Atkinson&apos;s law. A fuller description of the interative process is included in Wang and Hartman.&apos; Iteration continues until the correction factor is less than or equal to a preset error (E) or until a maximum number of iterations (MAXIT) have been reached. Utilizing an E of 50 cfm, sample problems have had rapid solutions. Rapidity of solution is also ensured by the method of selecting meshes and basic branches. This is done by the computer, which chooses the highest resistance branches, fixed quantity branches, and those containing fans, as basic branches. Natural ventilation pressures are handled as fans of constant pressure and may be assigned to any branch. The computer will generate a fan characteristic by polynominal fitting if a few operating points from the desired fan are input. A fan may be placed in any branch of the network, except those with fixed quantities. The strength of the present program over its earlier versions is its ability to handle fixed quantity branches. This means that certain branches can have their quantity determined, or preset, by the ventilating engineer. Operating under this constraint, the program will analyze the network and output the pressure change necessary to achieve this desired quantity. A call for positive head loss would require an auxiliary fan; negative head loss would require a regulator. This represents a powerful tool for the ventilating engineer who must insure that certain quantities of air pass across the operating faces or through working stopes. McPherson6 suggested that a ventilation program would be useful for determining in advance which branches were receiving inadequate air, and that subsequent calculations would then indicate the necessary corrections. The present program makes these corrections. Thus the mine manager can know immediately the consequences of changes to his system;

Jan 1, 1971

By W. A. J. M. Van Waterschoot Van Der Gracht

The commercial production of petroleum in Germany is confined to the North German plain, in the Hereynian foreland, and the intramontane Permian salt basin of Thuringia, south of the Hare Mountains. Petroleum is produced in the former only in connection with salt domes, upthrust through Tertiary and Mezozoic strata of great thickness. In the basin of Thuringia petroleum is found in a Permian dolomite underlying a salt formation. It is exclusively in the peripheric zone of a few of the salt plugs in the North German plains region that commercial oil has so far been developed, notably in the following fields, all in the general region northeast of the city of Hanover: (1) Hänigsen-Obershagen-Nienhagen, south of Celle; producing from horizons in the Upper Triassic, the Middle Jurassic and the Lower Cretaceous; (2) Oberg, south of Peine; producing from horizons in the Middle Jurassic and Lower Cretaceous; (3) Oelheim-Eddesse, north of Peine; producing from horizons in the Upper Triassic, Lower and Middle Jurassic; (4) Wietze, west of Celle, where the main producing horizon is in the Lower Cretaceous. In some of these oil fields production from surface seepages was mentioned as early as 1669 (Oberg). Commercial production of importance dates only from recent time.

Jan 1, 1932