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By A. J. M. Ross

Backfilling of stopes and other underground openings in the Homestake mine with sand tailings was undertaken primarily to reduce surface subsidence, which was wrecking much of the surface plant and a substantial part of the town, and to make possible maintenance of openings into the top of pillar stopes as mining progressed. The progress of this type of filling has been rapid and the results very satisfactory. Sand is now used in filling timbered stopes, shrinkage stopes, and abandoned drifts and crosscuts. A permanent pipe-line system for transporting sand tailings into the mine by gravity has been installed. The close filling of all stopes has resulted in important benefits other than the two major ones. The ore bodies in the Homestake mine occur as replacements in one distinctive layer of the metamorphosed pre-Cambrian sediments along a group of minor folds that together form a complex anticline that pitches at 35" to 40' to the southeast. The ore bodies are extraordinary for their magnitude. Widths of over 300 ft. have been mined and continuous ore has been followed for over 1200 ft. along the strike on some of the upper levels. Mining has been by shrinkage stoping with square-set mining of crowns and pillars. In the standard plan, shrinkage stopes 60 ft. in the direction of strike and the full width of the ore have been taken up to within 25 ft. of the level above. After filling, the crown has been mined by square-set methods, as have also the 40-ft. pillars between shrinkage stopes. In former days, when the supply of ore seemed inexhaustible, the mining of pillars was allowed to lag far behind because of the high cost. Many pillars were rather badly fractured on the level and in some places between levels. Coarse waste was used for backfilling all stopes, but in pillars it became increasingly difficult to maintain haulageways for the transportation of this fill over the top of the stopes as mining progressed. The cost of maintaining these crosscuts was excessive and in many pillars practically impossible. Therefore it became the practice to fill pillar stopes by tapping the back and sides of the stopes.

Jan 1, 1940

By E. B. Hunt, T. M. Geffen, C. R. Stewart, V. J. Berry

Laboratory data .show that the gas-oil ratio performance of non-uniform porosity limestones produced by solution gas drive is sensitive to producing rate and to fluid properties. Nan-uniform porosity limestones are those for which laboratcry solution and external gas drive tests yield considerably different relative permeability ratio characterislics. The oil recovery performance by solution gas drive depends directly on the number of gas bubbles formed. Laboratory rates of pressure decline, which are 100 to 10,000 times greater than normal field rates. cause the formation of an unusually large number of gas bubbles. This results in abnormally high oil recovery efficiencies. Since it is impractical to reproduce the number of bubbles formed under field conditions, laboratory solution gas drive data on non-uniform porosity limestones are therefore not directly applicable to field operations. However, certain laboratory data can be used to make a conservative estimate of field performance. The concepts presented in this paper indicate the possibility that increased field oil recoveries may he obtained from non-uniform porosity limestones by rap- idly reducing reservoir pressure for a short interval of time. It has yet to be established that significant improvements in oil recovery from such reservoirs can he realized by varying the pressure decline rate within limits possible in the field. However, the possibility that recovery may be increased in this manner warrants further study. INTRODUCTION Limestone reservoir rocks can be divided into two general classes according to the nature of their pore space. One class has a comparatively uniform pore system composed mainly of voids between grains of the rock (intergranular type porosity). The other class, in addition to having intergranular porosity, has a secondary pore system composed of combinations of solution cavities, fractures, etc., and is considered to have non-uniform porosity. It has been shown in a previous publication' that the laboratory measured gas-oil flow behavior of uniform type porosity limestones is essentially the same for a test simulating a field solution gas drive as for one simulating an external gas drive. For non-uniform porosity type limestones a significant difference in gas-oil flow behavior was found. More efficient behavior was

Jan 1, 1955

By A. J. M. Ross

Backfilling of stopes and other underground openings in the Homestake mine with sand tailings was undertaken primarily to reduce surface subsidence, which was wrecking much of the surface plant and a substantial part of the town, and to make possible maintenance of openings into the top of pillar stopes as mining progressed. The progress of this type of filling has been rapid and the results very satisfactory. Sand is now used in filling timbered stopes, shrinkage stopes, and abandoned drifts and crosscuts. A permanent pipe-line system for transporting sand tailings into the mine by gravity has been installed. The close filling of all stopes has resulted in important benefits other than the two major ones. The ore bodies in the Homestake mine occur as replacements in one distinctive layer of the metamorphosed pre-Cambrian sediments along a group of minor folds that together form a complex anticline that pitches at 35" to 40' to the southeast. The ore bodies are extraordinary for their magnitude. Widths of over 300 ft. have been mined and continuous ore has been followed for over 1200 ft. along the strike on some of the upper levels. Mining has been by shrinkage stoping with square-set mining of crowns and pillars. In the standard plan, shrinkage stopes 60 ft. in the direction of strike and the full width of the ore have been taken up to within 25 ft. of the level above. After filling, the crown has been mined by square-set methods, as have also the 40-ft. pillars between shrinkage stopes. In former days, when the supply of ore seemed inexhaustible, the mining of pillars was allowed to lag far behind because of the high cost. Many pillars were rather badly fractured on the level and in some places between levels. Coarse waste was used for backfilling all stopes, but in pillars it became increasingly difficult to maintain haulageways for the transportation of this fill over the top of the stopes as mining progressed. The cost of maintaining these crosscuts was excessive and in many pillars practically impossible. Therefore it became the practice to fill pillar stopes by tapping the back and sides of the stopes.

Jan 1, 1940

By E. DeGolyer

THE petroleum production of the world for 1924 again passed the billion-barrel mark, as it did in 1923. A preliminary estimate of production is 1,016,000,000 bbl., a decrease of 1,100,000 bbl., or less than 1 per cent. from the 1,017,100,000 bbl. produced in 1923, the year of greatest production. FIG. 1.-TOTAL WORLD AND UNITED STATES PRODUCTION. Production in the United States decreased 18,500,000 bbl., the. first decrease in yearly production since 1906. Mexican production decreased almost 10,000,000 bbl. Russia, Persia, Roumania, Venezuela, and Peru increased their production by an amount almost great enough to offset the decline in the United States and Mexico. The decline in the production in the United States and Mexico was considerably less than anticipated by leading geologists, economists, and statisticians; nor did the increase in consumption entirely meet the expectations of estimators. Early in the year, the statistical department of one of the most important oil companies forecast a draft on stocks, from an excess of demand over supply, of about 80,000,000 bbl. Instead of decreasing our stocks, they were increased by about 33,000,000 barrels.

Jan 3, 1925

By D. M. Jamieson, M. P. Pearse, E. R. A. Plumstead

In 1948 the shaft sinking record in the Republic of South Africa was held by the Van Dyk Consolidated Mines Ltd. for a ventilation shaft with a footage of 461 ft sunk during the month of August 1941. This record remained for some ten years; but in the ensuing nine years it was broken no less than 13 times. Table I gives shaft sinking records throughout the world for the 21 years, 1940 to 1960. History shows that the wide, deep, timbered rectangular shaft had passed its peak of popularity by 1948, although it still had a great deal to commend it, both from the sinking and operational points of view. In sinking, it is easy to clean manually, and water can be handled by bailing when wet ground has to be negotiated; its shape also lends itself to equipping concurrently with sinking. In operation it provides the most convenient "in line" hoisting arrangement, and if the ventilation requirements so demand, it offers the simplest solution in that it can be divided into upcast and downcast sections. Furthermore, in the case of a multi-level mine, the shaft compartments can be reduced conveniently if the full area of the shaft is not required to serve all levels.

Jan 4, 1963

By R. W. Woodward, G. K. Burgess

minum bronze. Nearly all copper-base alloys are improved by rolling processes, but the copper-aluminum alloys seem to possess equally good properties when cast or rolled; this is a remarkable metallurgical fact. Another important property of these copper-aluminum alloys is their resistance to alternating stress. Many tests indicate that their resistance is greater in this respect than that of some steels, and I have seen instances when cast aluminum-bronze bolts have outlived five steel bolts in foundation work subject to severe shocks. I mention these various instances to indicate that work originally started as research for substitution of one material for another frequently develops 212 article which has properties not possessed by the original metal or alloy. I have dwelt particularly on the aluminum bronzes because recently I have done more special work on them than on other alloys, but I believe that the use of aluminum itself, in many combinations of metals, is a very important subject for investigation. Undoubtedly, after the war, the cost of aluminum will be reduced from its present price, and considering its low specific gravity it offers a very interesting and important field for research in the non-ferrous business. Naturally, if combinations containing aluminum can be developed in view of a probably increasing supply of metal, the cost will be reduced. This will benefit the industry generally and will immediately conserve tin. Bronzes, Bearing Metals, and Solders G. K. Burgess* and R. W. Woodward,† Washington, D. C.— From a metallurgical standpoint, there are several ways in which a reduction of the tin consumed in commercial non-ferrous and white-metal alloys can be effected. First, a reduction of the tin content of the alloy; second, substitution of part or all of the tin content by some other metal; third, a substitution of a different type of alloy, which in some cases also involves a change in mechanical design. The Bureau of Standards has been studying these methods of conservation for tin alloys, particularly in regard to babbitts and bearing metals, bronzes, and solders. Much of the information sewed by the Bureau was obtained from answers to questionnaires sent to manufacturers and users of these materials, so that, in general, any of the following suggestions or recommendations can be considered as being practical and as having already been thoroughly tried. Bearing Metals There is no question that the tin content of nearly all bearing metals can be reduced to some extent, and in some cases actually eliminated

Jan 1, 1919

By Richard Amberg

While the old-time melter was satisfied to bring his metal out in the desired condition, and therefore took care to have the slag liquid enough, the importance of a thorough knowledge of the slag is at present recognized in all up-to-date melting-shops. Formerly slag or cinder was considered a necessary evil, accumulating in some mysterious way wherever a man was striving to produce a clean metal. Nowadays we deliberately aim at a well-defined slag, which varies with the nature of the process and the product. In steel-making we need slag for two main purposes, namely, refining and protecting the metal. To refine metal, essentially oxidizing and reducing processes are required, while to protect the metal we need a reducing or, still better, a neutral atmosphere. Although an absolutely neutral condition between steel, on one side, and the containing vessel and the slag, on the other, is an imaginary conception, the various furnaces in use for the production of liquid steel maybe arranged with respect to the attainment of this ideal in about the following order of merit: converter, open-hearth, crucible, and electric furnace. In dealing with the subject we will find it convenient to avail ourselves of the terms of physical chemistry, which yield a simple conception of the matter and an expedient way of expression. Slag and metal at large are not mixable with each other, and we will therefore call them the two " immiscible phases," though there are certain compounds which dissolve in both phases under conditions to be considered later. Reactions be-

Jan 1, 1913

By R. F. Hewlett

All ore reserve estimates are based on some system for assigning an area of influence to each drill hole. Commonly used methods of calculation are the polygonal, triangular, statistical analysis, and cross-sectional. Each of these methods is based on different volumetric considerations and the weighting of grade with tonnage varies with each method. Because the characteristics of each mineral deposit are different, a preliminary survey of these characteristics should be made for each individual deposit to determine which method or methods should be used. In this project the several methods were not only compared with one another, but also against actual production records. Basic data was derived from a mined out portion of the Silver Bell pit near Tucson, Ariz. All calculation was carried out on a digital computer, and the first step was development of computer programs which would yield the desired information. The second step was the coding of input data into punched card form. Cost and speed of computer operation were measured, and these results are given with the computer program summaries on page 38.

Jan 1, 1961

By H. E. Dunn, C. M. Cosman, J. H. Brennan

Up to the beginning of World War I, the American ferro-alloy industry was in its infancy and largely dependent on Europe. During that War, capacity was over expanded. Later recovery and commercial and scientific development have resulted in an industry which in 1957 produced 1.8 million tons of ferro-alloys. THE ferro-alloy industry is today an important element of the industrial structure of the United States. Its output is valued at almost half a billion dollars annually and its products are basic not only to National defense but also to the peacetime standard of living. This has not always been so. The ferro-alloy industry from late in the last century has grown from small beginnings, nurtured by the demand for stronger, tougher materials; by the search for steels capable of absorbing severe impact loads and resisting corrosive media and high temperatures; and also by the need for electrical and electronic specialties. Conversely, the ferro-alloy industry has grown because it developed improved steels and alloys by extensive research, and because it was able to show to steel makers the advantages accruing from the more extensive and the more economical use of alloying elements. The industry has grown in scope from producing a few grades of ferro-alloys of the more common metals-manganese, chromium, vanadium, silicon, titanium, tungsten, and molybdenum-until there are today some 150 compositions of ferro-alloys available to the steel maker, including such elements as columbium, zirconium, and boron. In 1912 the industry produced 360,000 tons of alloys valued at about $12,000,000, while 1957 production figures show an output of 1.8 million tons worth $440,000,000. In the United States, the history of an industry is largely the history of the companies making up this industry; hence, this paper will briefly trace the development of the most important ferro-alloy-producing companies. Quite varied have been the reasons that caused the different companies to move into the ferro-alloy field; the Willson Aluminum Co., seeking methods of producing aluminum, succeeded with the production of calcium carbide, and their developing electric furnace skills led them to the production of ferro-silicon and ferrochromium alloys. Willson was the predecessor of the Electro Metallurgical Co. of Union Carbide. Two Pittsburgh undertakers, interested in vanadium as an alloying agent for steel, set about to find a mine and, ranging as far as Peru, fathered American Vanadium Co., the predecessor of Vanadium Corp. of America Experiments of the

Jan 1, 1961

By N. E. Norman

During the past few years the underground mining industry and the big hole drilling industry have been involved in a flirtatious courtship, but until recently this courtship did not appear to be taken too seriously by either party. However, many of the promises made by the big hole industry are beginning to come true. Improvements have been made steadily in techniques of mechanical boring of large diameter shafts, raises and tunnels, thus making the big hole industry a more stable partner in the eyes of the mining industry. The mining industry too has made many changes in planning that make mining more attractive to the big hole industry. If there is to be a marriage between big hole drilling and mining, we should certainly take a look at the background of the big hole drilling industry, and examine the three main features of big hole drilling to determine how each applies to mining. Shaft Drilling Since 1950, numerous large diameter shafts have been drilled using rotary drilling techniques. Most of the larger diameter shafts have been drilled for the AEC for underground nuclear testing purposes. However, since 1960 several shafts have also been drilled for various mining companies, particularly in the United States. In 1967, rotary drilling shafts were either completed or in progress at the mining companies listed in Table I.

Jan 6, 1968

By R. W. Smith, T. J. Smolik

Recent work indicates that fluosilicate ions and or fluosilicate amine complex ions play important roles in fluoride activation of bery and feldspars in cationic flotation systems. In an attempt to further confirm conclusions reached in this earlier work, an infrared and X-ray diffraction study of the action of fluorides in cationic flotation of silicates was undertaken. It should be noted that in recent years considerable use has been made of infrared spectroscopy in studies of surface phenomena,2-4 and these studies have established the excellence of the technique. In the present study infrared spectra were obtained for various products of the reaction of HF and dode-cyclamine hydrochloride with quartz, microcline and beryl. These spectra were compared with one another and spectra of several inorganic and organic substances. In addition to infrared spectra, X-ray diffraction patterns were run on many of the reaction products obtained. A model 137 B Perkin Elmer Infracord double beam spectrophotometer containing sodium chloride optics was used to obtain the spectra. Infrared samples, except for the dodecylamine sample, were prepared by thoroughly mixing the substance to be analyzed with purified KBr in steel vessels on a Wig-L-Bug amalgamator. One-half in. pellets weighing 100 mg were than pressed under vacuum. Details concerning percentage of the substance to be analyzed in the pellets are indicated on the spectra. In all cases except for dodecylamine a KBr pellet was placed in the reference beam of the spectrophotometer to cancel bands due to possible impurities in the KBr. The dodecylamine sample on which an infrared spectrum was obtained was prepared by placing pure dodecylamine between two salt plates. X-ray diffraction patterns were obtained with a Norelco instrument, using a copper target tube, nickel filter and Geiger tube detector. The samples were ground into powders and either placed on glass slides with glue or placed into regular powder sample holders for diffraction studies. Goniometer scanning speed varied from 1°/min to 1/8°/min. EXPERIMENTAL RESULTS AND DISCUSSION Infrared spectra of microcline, beryl and quartz were obtained first and are shown in Fig. 1. These spectra agree reasonably well with previously reported spectra.5,6 The microcline (Fig. 1 a) and beryl (Fig. 1 b) were from good Black Hills crystals. The quartz (Fig. 1 c) was from a large, clear Brazilian crystal. It is not clear whether absorption bands of minerals are due to molecular vibrations, lattice vibrations or both. Fig. 2 shows infrared spectra of dodecylamine (Fig. 2 a) and dodecylamine hydrochloride (Fig. 2 b). The dodecylamine spectrum checks quite closely with that reported in Sadtler.8 Little is known of the spectra of hydrochloride salts of amines,9 and a spectrum of dodecylamine hydrochloride could not be

Jan 1, 1965

By S. C. Robinson

International interest in storage and retrieval of geological data stems from a desire to tap this large and potentially valuable, but little-used resource. The data will be used primarily for development and testing of geological concepts and theory; secondarily as a basis for assessing mineral potential and even individual mineral deposits; thirdly for establishment of world-wide norms averages and standards; and fourthly as a search tool leading to sources of specific data and to repositories of specimens etc. International committee activities are designed to establish acceptable general standards for reference numbering, geographic location, geological terminology, coding etc. ; and to develop progressively the types of data (parameters) that should be recorded in specialized archival files in such fields of world-wide interest as palaeontology, mineral deposits, petrochemistry, stratigraphy, mineralogy, palaeomagnetism, physical geochronology etc. Establishment of world data banks analogous to those in oceanography may come later; for the present we hope to achieve some degree of agreed consistency in national and local data banks throughout the world, and to establish an international index to these banks as first steps in facilitating international exchange. For purposes of this paper, data are defined as facts, reproducibly measured or objectively described.

Jan 1, 1969

By Hsun Hu

C. G. Dunn (Geneva1 Electvic Reseavclz Labo,vatory)-Dr. Hu16 has obtained a number of rolling and annealing texture results that partly agree with those of Dunn17 and Dunn and Kohl8 for experiments of a similar nature. I would like to discuss some of the points of agreement as well as some of disagreement and then present some unpublished data as a contribution to the work on textures. Firstly, there is agreement on the components produced during a 70 pct cold-rolling reduction of a (110) [001 ] single crystal; there is agreement on the forma- tion of a (110) [001] recrystallization texture provided recrystallization occurs at 800°C or higher; and there is agreement on the formation of (120) [001] components provided recrystallization occurs below 600°C. There is some disagreement on the low-temperature recrystallization since I also obtained a substantial amount of a (110) [001] component while the author obtained only (120) [001] components. I also discussed the differences between low- and high-temperature recrystallization (which included further annealing changes in the samples on long

Jan 1, 1962

By S. E. Bronisz, J. O. Brittain

Experiments have been carried out to study the effect of an applied stress on strain aging in steel. It was found that the stress-induced strain aging reaction proceeds rapidly in the temperature range of 0° to 60°C. The variation of stress-induced strain aging with plastic strain, aging time, and temperatures is reported. The activation energy for the stress-induced strain aging was found to be 10,000 cal per mol for the steel used in this investigation. VARIOUS observations1-5 have been made of the influence of an applied stress upon the yielding of iron and steel. However, there have been only cursory studies of the effect of an applied tensile stress upon strain aging in iron and steel1,2 The following represents the results of a preliminary study of strain aging as influenced by the application of an external tensile load during the aging process. For the most part, previous experimental work on strain aging can be classified into two parts. First, the experimental technique involved a direct determination of mechanical properties of a suitable specimen that has been plastically deformed to a constant strain and aged generally at a temperature of the order of 200°C, with the aging times varying from about 1/10 to 2 hr.6-8 The second classification of strain aging experiments involves an indirect determination of strain aging by means of physical property such as electrical resistivity or internal friction as a function of the aging time at a constant temperature and strain.9-12 The latter results have

Jan 1, 1961

By R. C. Croft

Chlorination is frequently employed as a method of chemical attack and separation of the constituents of minerals. Occasionally, bromination has been used similarly. Separation of metal halides resulting from the use of either of these halogens generally entails difficult fractional distillation of the halides. Recovery of the halogens for re-use has often been attempted in the case of chlorine by oxidation of chlorides. Though attractive thermodynamically, this method of recovery fails due to the formation of stable oxychlorides. Although a little less reactive than either chlorine or bromine, iodine offers advantages in the field of mineral treatment. It has been shown, for example, that iron may be removed completely from ilmenite by iodinating the latter in the presence of carbon or hydrogen at temperatures near 800°c where good reaction rates are obtained. Under these conditions titanium does not form an iodide and is not transported in the vapour phase as is the Fe12 formed. Other good separations obtained between zinc and iron in willemite and tin and tungsten in scheelite concentrates confirm that separations of metal iodides by sublimation are more specific than similar separations attempted by distillation of volatile chlorides. Readiness of iodides to form stable vapour-phase complexes appears to contribute to this specificity. The very low stabilities of most metal oxyiodides permit quantitative recovery of iodine by oxidation of metal iodides. In the case of Fe12 derived from iodination of ilmenite, full recovery of iodine can be achieved by air oxidation of this compound at temperatures ranging from 350 to 500° C.

Jan 1, 1973

By C. P. Watson

Economics has been defined as the useful application of wealth or material resources. The search of alchemists in the Middle Ages for s formula by which base metals might be transmuted into gold was no more intensive than has been the search by all branches of the oil industry for methods whereby the rnatcrial resources of West Texas in the nature of sulfur-bearing oil might be usefully applied. The purpose of this paper is to present in brief space developments that are conceded to possess economic significance. History The first discovery of oil in commercial quantities in the Permian Basin of West Texas was the Westbrook field in Mitchell County in 1920. Three years later the discovery well in the Big Lake field was cornpleted as a small pumper (70 bbl.) at a depth of 3028 ft. In 1925, discovery of the Powell or World pool in Crockett County stimulated activities in the Permian Basin, further establishing the importance of the Permian limestones as sources of production. The years 1925 and 1926 were marked by a period of extensive leasing and drilling activities. At the close of 1926 more than 7,000,000 acres had been leased and discovery wells completed in the Hurdle, Hendricksand Yates fields, definitely establishing the importance of the Permian Basin as a source of production from free-flowing wells. Review of Fields The producing fields in the Permian Basin are grouped on three distinct lines of folding. These may be separately identified as the Big Lake-Powell fold; the Yates, Hurdle, and Church-McElroy area and the Winkler County development. Production is derived from a porous limestone stratigraphically uniform, encountered at depths varying from 900 to 3100 ft. Lenticular sand bodies above the lime in Howard County have resulted in the

Jan 1, 1928

By L. T. Sanchez, W. T. Rogers

This paper presents the results of a production experiment evaluating the effect of the use of oxygen in the bessemer converter with respect to its relation to blowing time, amount of steel scrap or cold pig iron which can be melted and teeming temperatures of the molten steel. THE simplest and probably the most efficient and economical means for producing steel from molten pig iron is the bessemer converter. This process is essentially a mechanism for bringing oxygen into contact with the molten metal thereby oxidizing the elements silicon, manganese, and carbon. The source of oxygen is that contained in the air and is limited by that amount. In theory, there is an intermediate chemical reaction due to the mass action of iron and air which is represented by the equation: 2Fe + O2- = 2Fe0 The FeO then becomes the oxidizing agent and reacts with the silicon, manganese, and carbon to produce silicon dioxide (SiO,), manganese oxide (MnO), and carbon monoxide (CO), in the order mentioned. The balancing of the various chemical reactions shows that in the ordinary bessemer process more than sufficient oxygen is delivered to satisfy these reactions, which indicates that a further increase in the oxygen content of the air would serve no useful purpose. In spite of this reasoning, however, it will be demonstrated that when melting stelel scrap, commercially pure industrial oxygen introduced into the normal air blast will permit the melting of a larger proportion of steel scrap than is possible with air alone and also will increase the production rate by a substantial reduction in blowing time. It will also be shown that when melting cold pig iron, it is possible to melt up to twice as much pig iron with the use of oxygen as can be melted without added oxygen with a nominal increase in blowing time. At the plant where this study was made, oxygen is purchased from a nearby supplier and piped directly into the plant. It is supplied to the bessemer converter by being introduced directly into the blast line through an automatic control system which may be adjusted by the bessemer operator or "blower." Normally, iron is supplied by five blast furnaces to an open hearth shop containing twelve 165-ton capacity stationary furnaces and a bessemer converting shop having three 30-ton converters. The molten metal from the blast furnaces is allocated to one shop or the other in a manner to best provide for maximum production. At various times, it is desirable to direct the maximum amount of available blast furnace production to the open hearth shop. This has the effect of reducing the production of the bessemer shop. When this condition exists, it is desirable to supplement the reduced iron charge at the bessemer with steel scrap or cold pig iron to the maximum possible extent in order to maintain high total ingot production. This condition becomes aggravated when one of the blast furnaces is taken out of production for any repair job and particularly for extended periods such as when relining is necessary. The purpose of the investigation and experimentation with oxygen was to determine whether or not it would contribute to increased flexibility in the use of the raw materials, molten iron, steel scrap, and cold pig iron. In addition to the effect of oxygen on flexibility of operation, it was also necessary to determine the relation of its use to production rate or "blowing time," final finishing temperature of the steel or "teeming temperature," and steel quality.

Jan 1, 1953

By R. V. Norris

IT was stated in a former paper1 that an intensive study of anthracite costs was being made by the engineers of the United States Fuel Administration. The results of this-study are now available and are offered as a supplement to the former paper. Anthracite costs as reported, for the 6-months period, December, 1917, to May, 1918, inclusive, as compiled by the Federal Trade Commission, were used as a base, and charts similar to those described in the-former paper were made for the standard white ash anthracite and for red ash and Lykens valley coals. ADJUSTMENTS The adjustments of cost from a reported to a price-fixing basis, as described for the bituminous methods, were applied but showed only minor adjustments as necessary. The great spread in anthracite prices on the varying sizes, which for the 6-mo. period under review ranged in average from $5.244 for nut to $2.074 for barley coal, makes the question of the percentage of sizes produced at the different collieries a vital one. The realization with the same prices for each size must be within very wide limits, when it is considered that the percentage of prepared coal reported from different collieries varied from over 80 per cent. to below 30 per. cent. for fresh-mined coal. Hence, as the spread in prices for the various sizes must be predicated on some percentage, it is essential to find some method of adjustment to allow for this variation. The logical method of adjustment is to calculate actual costs to costs as of the standard percentage of sizes, so that the margin between the adjusted costs and the average realization shall be the actual margin for each colliery between its actual costs and actual realization clue to its particular percentage of sizes. As a base for realization the actual percentage of sizes for fresh-mined coal for the 6-mo. period was adopted. This percentage is given in Table 1.

Jan 2, 1919

By C. Cronquist

Since April, 1962, Shell Oil Co. has operated a peripheral line-drive waterflood of the 10.750-ft lower Tuscaloosa (Cretaceous) Denkman sand in the Little Creek field. Located in southwestern Mississippi in the lower Tuscaloosa trend, the field was discovered by Shell in Jan., 1958. Among the largest in the trend, the accumulation is controlled stratigraphically and occurs in an extensive series of alluvial-point bar deposits across a nose that dips gently to the south. The crude oil is 39" API gravity and was highly undersaturated at initial conditions. Early production behavior indicated a depletion drive with slight water influx; primary recovery wm estimated to be 25 million bbl, or 24.5 percent of stock-tank oil originally in place. A.s a result of a favorable mobility ratio and remarkably uniform rock properties, the volumetric sweep eficiency in the waterflood has exceeded 90 percent. Despite the high connate water saturation (56 percent), the displacement efficiency by water injection has been quite efficient, contrary to traditional concepts. Based on observed field flood-out performance, ultimate recovery is calculated to be 46 million bbl. As anticipated, the production rate began declining during 1964 due to a continu ing reducrion in the number of producing wells as flood fronts advanced across the field. Cumulative recovery as of Jan., 1968, was 44.8 million bbl; waterflood operations ~hould be complete by 1970. Introduction Most waterfloods described in reservoir engineering literature involve pattern operations, the most common of which is the five-spot pattern. Only occasiona'lly are linear drives described, even though there probably are increasing numbers being put into operation. Increasing use of linear floods may reflect the accelerating trend towards early application of fluid-injection programs when linear drives are more efficient, as was the case at Little Creek. However. the Little Creek operation is unusual in several respects. It is one of a few successful waterfloods conducted in sands with connate water saturations approaching 60 percent, and it is among the deepest successful water-floods being operated anywhere. Development The Little Creek field was discovered in Jan., 1958, in the lower Tuscaloosa trend in southwestern Mississippi (Fig. 1). The discovery well, Shell-Lemann No. 1, was drilled on a seismic closure about 2 miles southeast of lower Tuscaloosa production at Sweetwater. The well was completed in the Denkman sand at 10,752 ft, and on initial potential it flowed 588 BOPD of 39" API crude on a %+-in. choke; psi was 730 and GOR was 442:l. Development proceeded rapidly on 40-acre spacing, and by the end of 1958 the field was producing approximately 9,100 B/D from 56 wells. Almost all this production came from the northern half of the field. The southern part was discovered in Nov., 1958, at a location almost 2 miles from previously established production. Subsequent drilling established an apparent conneotion about half a mile wide between the twd areas. Development of the field was practically complete by 1961 with the drilling of 155 producers and 35 dry holes. Some early wells were completed open hole but moslt are completed with casing cemented through the productive interval and perforated for production. Geology The lower Tuscaloosa structure in this area is a north-south nose with maximum dips of about 2" on the flanks. There is no discernible faulting at the producing horizon. Productive limits of the field are shown in Fig. 2, which is contoured on a marker just above the main productive zone. A common water level at 10,415 ft subsea was logged at both the northwest and southeast ends of the field. There is a gross oil column of nearly 100 ft (Fig. 2). Since there is less than 40 ft of closure, it is apparent that bhe accumubtion is controlled stratigraphically, being limited by a sand pinch-out across the creslt of the nose. The total produc-

Jan 1, 1969

By K. A. Natarajan, I. Iwasaki

The meaning and the utility of redox potential (Eh) measurements in sulfide flotation systems are examined. Since some preliminary plant Eh and laboratory flotation data were available, experiments were made to establish the pH range at which a platinum electrode might be used for such measurements without much difficulty in aerated systems. Triangular wave voltammetry was used to study the surface conditions of the electrode immersed in pyrrhotite suspensions at different pH. The measured Eh both at the plant and the laboratory is interpreted in terms of the experimental water-oxygen line.

Jan 1, 1974