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By H. G. Doll

A new electrical logging method called Laterolog is described which provides for better recording of formation resistivity. In this method a current, preferably of constant intensity, is forced into the formation perpendicularly to the wall of the hole as a sheet of predetermined thickness by means of a special electrode arrangement and of an autonlatic control system. The essential advantages of the Laterolog over the regular resistivity logs are explained. With the Laterolog, the mud column has much less influence than with conventional methods. The Laterolog is, therefore. particularly useful in wells drilled with highly conductive mud. Moreover. when the electrode system is located opposite a bed of moderate or small thickness, the disturbing effect of the adjacent formations becomes practically eliminated, provided the bed is thicker than the sheet of current. which itself is usually a few inches to a few feet thick. The sequences of beds are. therefore, much more sharply differentiated, and, in many cases, it is possible to read directly from the logs values close to the true resistivities of the formations without further corrections. Field examples are shown to illustrate the results of the method in various types of formations. INTRODUCTION As soon as it was introduced into the petroleum industry, electrical logging roved to be a powerful instrument for the delineation of the strata traversed by bore holes and for correlation of such strata." Research and engineering efforts were mostly devoted at this early time to the design of the techniqurs which could provide the best data for these purpoes. Later, attention was directed toward the quantitative analy5i.s of electrical logs, in order to obtain information on. reservoir characteristics, and, in particular, on oil and water saturation.3,4 Efforts have been made, accordingly, with a view to improving the already existing methods, or to finding new methods which could satisfy these new requirements." Quantitative analysis implies a determination as accurate as possible of the true resistivity of the formations. In fact, however; the "apparent resistivity" recorded in front of a given bed by a conventional electrical logging method is frequently quite different from the true resistivity of this bed. This is due to the combined influence of the mud column, of the adjacent formations both above and below the bed, and of the invaded zone, in which the original fluid has been more or less replaced by mud filtrate. When the beds are thick enough, and, as is frequently the case in sand and shale formations, when their resistivity is not much greater than that of the mud, it is generally possible to obtain their true resistivity directly on the electric log, or at least to obtain an approximate value which can be corrected without undue difficulty by means of recently published charts known as "departure curves."" When the beds are thin, and particularly when, in addition. their resistivity is substantially greater than that of the mud column, the apparent resistivities recorded on conventional logs are seriously affected, and it is generally very difficult, if at all possible, to estimate their true resistivity with a good enough accuracy. In the most severe cases, such as are encountered in holes drilled through hard formations with muds of high salinity, the conventional logs are so distorted and rounded that they do not even show clearly the houndaries of the different beds. In order to overcome the effect of the mud column and of the adjacent formations, it is possible to make use of appro. priate systems whereby the measurements involve a comp3ratjvelv thin slice of space at the level of the measuring device. A mention is due, in this respect, to a measuring system. called the "guarded electrode;" invented by C. Schlumberger over 20 years ago. The system, schematically represented in

Jan 1, 1951

By H. G. Doll

A new electrical logging method called Laterolog is described which provides for better recording of formation resistivity. In this method a current, preferably of constant intensity, is forced into the formation perpendicularly to the wall of the hole as a sheet of predetermined thickness by means of a special electrode arrangement and of an autonlatic control system. The essential advantages of the Laterolog over the regular resistivity logs are explained. With the Laterolog, the mud column has much less influence than with conventional methods. The Laterolog is, therefore. particularly useful in wells drilled with highly conductive mud. Moreover. when the electrode system is located opposite a bed of moderate or small thickness, the disturbing effect of the adjacent formations becomes practically eliminated, provided the bed is thicker than the sheet of current. which itself is usually a few inches to a few feet thick. The sequences of beds are. therefore, much more sharply differentiated, and, in many cases, it is possible to read directly from the logs values close to the true resistivities of the formations without further corrections. Field examples are shown to illustrate the results of the method in various types of formations. INTRODUCTION As soon as it was introduced into the petroleum industry, electrical logging roved to be a powerful instrument for the delineation of the strata traversed by bore holes and for correlation of such strata." Research and engineering efforts were mostly devoted at this early time to the design of the techniqurs which could provide the best data for these purpoes. Later, attention was directed toward the quantitative analy5i.s of electrical logs, in order to obtain information on. reservoir characteristics, and, in particular, on oil and water saturation.3,4 Efforts have been made, accordingly, with a view to improving the already existing methods, or to finding new methods which could satisfy these new requirements." Quantitative analysis implies a determination as accurate as possible of the true resistivity of the formations. In fact, however; the "apparent resistivity" recorded in front of a given bed by a conventional electrical logging method is frequently quite different from the true resistivity of this bed. This is due to the combined influence of the mud column, of the adjacent formations both above and below the bed, and of the invaded zone, in which the original fluid has been more or less replaced by mud filtrate. When the beds are thick enough, and, as is frequently the case in sand and shale formations, when their resistivity is not much greater than that of the mud, it is generally possible to obtain their true resistivity directly on the electric log, or at least to obtain an approximate value which can be corrected without undue difficulty by means of recently published charts known as "departure curves."" When the beds are thin, and particularly when, in addition. their resistivity is substantially greater than that of the mud column, the apparent resistivities recorded on conventional logs are seriously affected, and it is generally very difficult, if at all possible, to estimate their true resistivity with a good enough accuracy. In the most severe cases, such as are encountered in holes drilled through hard formations with muds of high salinity, the conventional logs are so distorted and rounded that they do not even show clearly the houndaries of the different beds. In order to overcome the effect of the mud column and of the adjacent formations, it is possible to make use of appro. priate systems whereby the measurements involve a comp3ratjvelv thin slice of space at the level of the measuring device. A mention is due, in this respect, to a measuring system. called the "guarded electrode;" invented by C. Schlumberger over 20 years ago. The system, schematically represented in

Jan 1, 1951

By Walter A. Backofen, Donald H. Avery

Intense primary and cross-slip traces were observed in easy glide on Cu: 6 pct-A1 single crystals deformed in tension. A mechanism of cooperative source operation is developed which recognizes that both the applied stress and that resolved from dislocation arrays contribute to the stress on a source. By considering the stress from arrays, the activation of secondary systems in easy glide and the difference in appearance of slip markings on pure and solid-solution crystals are explained. Furthermore the cross-slip system is predicted to be second favored during easy glide for a large range of orientations. FROM many studies of easy glide in fcc metal crystals, a pattern of observations has developed which still requires full explanation. In pure copper, aluminum, and silver, the easy-glide, slip traces are fine and uniform with steps 50 to 100A on the primary* system.1-4 Yet it has not been at all clear why slip in the pure materials should occur in this way. On the contrary, one might expect, with simple slip and a low hardening rate, that the weakest sources on the primary system would operate extensively to produce strong slip traces. In a brass, however, intense slip steps up to 0.5 are found on both primary and cross-slip system4,6-9 seeger10 has pointed out that in a material of low stacking-fault energy such as a brass, extensive easy-glide cross-slip could not be thermally activated, but rather must originate on the cross-slip plane. In further explanation, the wilsdorfs4 and seeger10 noted that only the cross-slip system would not harden differently than the primary, whatever the latent hardening tendencies of other systems; therefore, in brass, which exhibits high latent hardening, the cross-slip is the only secondary system which could be expected to operate extensively, once it became active. The explanation of how the cross-slip system, on which the applied stress is low, becomes activated has been related, in a nonspecific way, to pileups by Hirsch11 and Honeycombe.l2 In the work to be described, deformation traces on solid-solution Cu: 6 pct A1 single crvstals were studied with conventional light microscopy and a mechanism proposed to explain both the observed activation of secondary systems in easy glide and the difference in appearance of slip markings on pure and solid-solution crystals. EXPERIMENTAL In preparing the Cu-A1 single crystals, rectangular bars approximately 0.4 in. by 0.4 in. by 6 in. were first machined from ingots made by vacuum melting copper of 99.999 pct and aluminum of 99.99 pct purity. They were then packed in powdered graphite and the crystals grown in a modified Bridgman apparatus at a rate of 5 mm per hr under an atmosphere of purified nitrogen. Crystal perfection as indicated by Laue back-reflection spots was good except for the last inch to freeze, which was discarded. Orientations so determined are shown in Fig. 1. Tensile specimens with a reduced gage section were obtained by masking the ends with electrical tape and chemically polishing in a solution of 20 pct HNO3, 24 pct HAc, 52 pct H3PO4, 2 pct Hcl, and 2 pct H20 at room temperature.13 Finally, the specimens were electropolished in a 30 pct ortho-phosphoric acid bath at 12 v. Tensile deformation was performed in an Instron testing machine at a strain rate of approximately 1 pct per min. During easy glide, extensive cross-slip was observed with all crystals, in spite of the low Schmid factor on this system, and in no case was any other secondary trace encountered. A certain sequence of slip-line development was associated with the extension. At yielding, intense primary traces passing completely through the crystal developed at some point on the gage section, generally near the grips; weak cross-slip traces also appeared, extending from the primary traces into the adjacent undeformed crystal, Fig. 2. Further extension led to primary traces adjacent to the first-formed and connecting with those of the cross-

Jan 1, 1963

By Tokio Yanagida

Major parameters relating to the operating of the conventional calcine-charged reverberatory f'ce process such as distribution coefficients of major elements among slag, matte, blister, and gases, temperatures and weights of intermediates, and heat losses of furnaces were measured and determined. A computer program to estimate heat and material balances at the process was prepared utilizing these data, showing a good agreement with actual results.

Jan 1, 1984

By E. L. Jr. Spain

This study was undertaken primarily to determine the reasons for certain varia-tions in the soundness of gravel aggregate taken from a number of widely separated points on the Tennessee River. Under laboratory tests, concrete made with these various aggregates it some cases exhibited marked differences in specific gravity, crushing strength and durability. Gravel was studied in detail from Chattanooga to the mouth of the river and to a lesser extent from Chattanooga to Knoxville. The causes of variation were determined, and variational curves were constructed, which accurately predict the composition of aggregate at any point on the river and therefore its relative suitability for use in concrete. The aggregate at any point is suited for making sound concrete; the variance of suitability is due to varying percentages of sandstone and weathered material, which are less sound than other constituents. INTRODUCTION When it is stated that the aggregate from one point is inferior to that from another, it must not be construed to mean that the gravel is unfit for use. The classification upon which such aggregate ratings are based is largely arbitrary, thus inferiority or superiority is merely relative. Samples of gravel were selected from stockpiles at the dams of the Tennessee Valley Authority under construction, from the stockpiles of private companies along the river, and from samples taken by the gravel-exploration barge of the T. V. A. One hundred or more gravels of each size studied were selected at random by taking small handfulls while walking around the piles. These were separated according to the differ-ent mineral or rock constituents present, and the percentage of each constituent was obtained by counting. At least three such samples were taken from each size, and all checked with one another within a few per cent. The results were then averaged. In order to check on the accu-racy of such sampling, a whole sample was taken from one point after the gravel was thoroughly mixed. The two methods gave approximately identical results.

Jan 1, 1937

By Walter Crafts

ALTHOUGH many elements reduce the tendency to porosity in steel castings, manganese, silicon, aluminum, calcium, titanium and zirconium appear to be most generally suitable for the purpose. The manganese and silicon contents are usually maintained in a fairly constant range. Sili-con-killed castings often are made to be sound with little or no addition of the stronger degasifiers. In many cases, however, it is more practical to utilize the stronger degasifying elements, aluminum, calcium, titanium and zirconium. Since they greatly modify the composition, shape, and distribution of the nonmetallic inclusions, and thereby the ductility, the strong deoxidizers must be used in such a way as to form the least harmful types of inclusions. As the reasons for failure always to obtain good results have not been obvious, an effort has been made to determine the mechanism of solidification of steels deoxidized to produce certain types of inclusions. Diagrams representing the mechanism of their formation have been constructed from the appearance of the nonmetallic con-stituents and have not only illustrated the limiting features of specific deoxidizing treatments with respect to inclusion formation and ductility, but have also indicated a relation between inclusions and resistance to hot tearing. Three different types of deoxidation treatment have been used for obtaining sound castings with relatively high ductility. The first method is to make and cast the steel under such conditions that deoxidation with silicon and a small addition of a strong deoxidizer assures soundness. The effective addition that will promote soundness without causing the formation of intergranular inclusions varies with the furnace practice and composition, but may be limited to about 0.025 per cent Al, Zr or Ti. Up to 0.10 per cent Ca and 0.15 per cent V are also used for this purpose. The inclusions in these steels are characteristically glassy silicates and round or irregular sulphides. As pointed out by Sims and Lillieqvist,1

Jan 1, 1940

By W. H. Emmons

THE exploration of deposits of the metals will never become an exact science. There will always be an element of uncertainty in prospecting and developing mines. In countries where the surface has been closely scrutinized, most of the deposits whose outcrops contain valuable metals have probably been discovered. Many metalliferous deposits, however, are normally so much altered at the surface that the true significance of their outcrops is likely to be obscured. If a deposit is not exposed, its presence may become known by some one of its characteristics that is different in kind or in degree from a similar feature of the associated rock. Thus, a deposit that is not exposed may be discovered because of its magnetic property. So few minerals are strongly magnetic that the value of magnetic surveys is limited, but the dip needle has nevertheless proved of great aid in locating magnetic belts, and these in some regions are associated with workable iron ores. The Cuyuna Iron Range of Minnesota, which does not exhibit any outcrop of iron ore, was discovered by drilling "areas of attraction" that are due to belts of magnetic rocks associated with the iron ores. In some regions the use of the clip needle is justified, even if it does no more than reveal the strike of the rocks, since a knowledge of the latter enables the driller to locate and point his holes to advantage. The measures of gravity by the use of the pendulum are so accurate, or the limit of error is so small, that one might detect the presence of a concealed tabular deposit approximately at the surface, 34 ft. (10.36 m.) thick, having a density double that of the surrounding rocks. However, not many deposits have a density twice that of ordinary rocks and a thickness as great as 34 ft.; if they lie a short distance below the surface the density or the thickness must be even greater. Consequently, there is not much hope of sufficiently developing the gravity method of detecting deposits of heavy ores to make it of practical value. If the limit of error could be reduced to about one-tenth the present factor, and if the rather tedious and painstaking methods of determining gravity that are now in use could be simplified, the method would promise some degree

Jan 3, 1917

By Walter Crafts, W. D. Forging, John J. Egan

Although many elements reduce the tendency to porosity in steel castings, manganese, silicon, aluminum, calcium, titanium and zirconium appear to be most generally suitable for the purpose. The manganese and silicon contents are usually maintained in a fairly constant range. Silicon-killed castings often are made to be sound with little or no addition of the stronger degasifiers. In many cases, however, it is more practical to utilize the stronger degasifying elements, aluminum, calcium, titanium and zirconium. Since they greatly modify the composition, shape, and distribution of the nonmetallic inclusions, and thereby the ductility, the strong deoxidizers must be used in such a way as to form the least harmful types of inclusions. As the reasons for failure always to obtain good results have not been obvious, an effort has been made to determine the mechanism of solidification of steels deoxidized to produce certain types of inclusions. Diagrams representsing the mechanism of their formation have been constructed from the appearance of the nonmetallic constituents and have not only illustrated the limiting features of specific deoxidizing treatments with respect to inclusion formation and ductility, but have also indicated a relation between inclusions and resistance to hot tearing. Three different types of deoxidation treatment have been used for obtaining sound castings with relatively high ductility. The first method is to make and cast the steel under such conditions that deoxidation with silicon and a small addition of a strong deoxidizer assures soundness. The effective addition that will promote soundness without causing the formation of intergranular inclusions varies with the furnace practice and composition, but may be limitled to about 0.025 per cent Al, Zr or Ti. Up to 8.10 per cent Ca and 0.15 per cent V are also used for this purpose. The inclusions in these steels are characteristically glassy silicates and round or irregular sulphides. As pointed out by Sims and Lillieqvist,1 the formation of fine intergranular inclusions, which are detrimental to ductility, limits the amount of strong deoxidizers that may be added.

Jan 1, 1940

By John J. Egan, W. D. Forging, Walter Crafts

Although many elements reduce the tendency to porosity in steel castings, manganese, silicon, aluminum, calcium, titanium and zirconium appear to be most generally suitable for the purpose. The manganese and silicon contents are usually maintained in a fairly constant range. Silicon-killed castings often are made to be sound with little or no addition of the stronger degasifiers. In many cases, however, it is more practical to utilize the stronger degasifying elements, aluminum, calcium, titanium and zirconium. Since they greatly modify the composition, shape, and distribution of the nonmetallic inclusions, and thereby the ductility, the strong deoxidizers must be used in such a way as to form the least harmful types of inclusions. As the reasons for failure always to obtain good results have not been obvious, an effort has been made to determine the mechanism of solidification of steels deoxidized to produce certain types of inclusions. Diagrams representsing the mechanism of their formation have been constructed from the appearance of the nonmetallic constituents and have not only illustrated the limiting features of specific deoxidizing treatments with respect to inclusion formation and ductility, but have also indicated a relation between inclusions and resistance to hot tearing. Three different types of deoxidation treatment have been used for obtaining sound castings with relatively high ductility. The first method is to make and cast the steel under such conditions that deoxidation with silicon and a small addition of a strong deoxidizer assures soundness. The effective addition that will promote soundness without causing the formation of intergranular inclusions varies with the furnace practice and composition, but may be limitled to about 0.025 per cent Al, Zr or Ti. Up to 8.10 per cent Ca and 0.15 per cent V are also used for this purpose. The inclusions in these steels are characteristically glassy silicates and round or irregular sulphides. As pointed out by Sims and Lillieqvist,1 the formation of fine intergranular inclusions, which are detrimental to ductility, limits the amount of strong deoxidizers that may be added.

Jan 1, 1940

By V. H. Wilhelm

Greater stabilization in the petroleum industry was effected during 1934 through stricter compliance with curtailment measures and the establishment of the Pacific Coast Petroleum Agency. Various estimates of individual, company and state reserves revealed the fact that they were inadequate to sustain the present rate of production over a lengthy period, therefore drilling operations were increased during the year both in proved and wildcat territory. This greater activity resulted in the addition to reserves at Mountain View, Mount Poso and Edison in Kern County, Santa Barbara in Santa Barbara County and Playa del Rey in Los Angeles County. Additional reserves were also established in the Long Beach and Santa Fe Springs fields, in Los Angeles County, due to operators being successful in isolating small prolific sand bodies, formerly disregarded during the flush production periods.

Jan 1, 1935

By I. Ionel Gardescu

During the latter part of 1930 an agreement was reached among operators in Rumania to curtail the production of oil to about 100,000 bbl. per day. This agreement lasted only a few months and 1931 shows a new peak in production with an average yield of 136,900 bbl. per day as against an average of 116,600 bbl. per day for 1930. The total production for 1931 was 49,210,000 bbl.; an increase of 18.4 per cent over the previous year's production. It is interesting to compare the percentage production of the major companies to the potential production figures determined by the Government in September, 1930 (Table l), on the basis of which the proposed curtailment was to have been made. The three companies listed first in this table show an increase in average production for 1931 over their estimated potential production rating. This increase might be attributed at least in part to the recent development of the Boldesti field, which is controlled by these companies and of which the production at present is nearly 10 per cent of the total oil output for Rumania. Among the other fields, Moreni still holds first place with an output of 33.6 per cent, followed by Gura-Ocnitzei with 29.3 per cent. In both these fields the main source of oil is from the deeper Meotic sands. Other

Jan 1, 1932

By Ernest Kirkendall

THE amount of research done in the last few years on the subject of diffusion in solid metals is significant of the importance of this problem. To review the literature dealing with diffusion is unnecessary here. Desch1 in 1912 reviewed the work that had been done on diffusion in solids and gave a bibliography of the literature published before that time. Mehl's paper in 1936 2 is an excellent review of diffusion in metals and contains a large bibliography. Of importance also for its review and bibliography is an article by A. I. Krynitsky.3 While considerable material has appeared in the literature on diffusion in brass, the amount of information is not great compared to that pertain-ing to some of the other alloys. Most of the information published is of a qualitative nature; that which is quantitative varies considerably. Thus the quantitative determination of the rates of diffusion of copper and zinc in alpha brass by a new method appeared worth while. In the present investigation the rate of diffusion of zinc in approxi-mately the same composition alpha brass has been determined at three temperatures.

Jan 1, 1938

By M. R. Tek

General equations relating the pressure drop necessary to sustain the flow of a fluid through a porous matrix at a given rate have been developed. The results indicate that at high values of flow rate the pressure-flow behavior may not necessarily satisfy the usual Darcy equation. The mathematical analysis, carried through the micro-pore geometry and extended through the macro-reservoir scale, indicate that Darcy's law, of limited applicability to certain ranges of Reynolds numbers, can be generalized through the inclusion of some additional parameters. The "generalized Darcy equation" has also been formulated in dimen-sionless form permitting the evaluation of its predictive accuracy with regard to literature data. A comparison between predicted and experimental values indicates that the generalized Darcy equation predicts the pressure drops with good agreement over all possible ranges of Reynolds numbers. INTRODUCTION The limits and the nature of validity of Darcy's law' has been a subject of every-day interest to the industry for many years. It is well known that as the Reynolds number, characteristic of the fluid flow through porous media, becomes large, Darcy's law gradually loses its predictive accuracy and ultimately becomes completely void. For the last 20 years much has been said and written on this subject. Unfortunately little has been accomplished to bring about a satisfactory agreement, at least on the nature of the threshold of validity of Darcy.'s law. Fluid dynamists, geo-physicists, and engineers all had their individual views, explanations, interpretations and concepts on the subject. To some, a mechanistic analogy with pipe-flow proved a satisfactory explanation.' To others,' turbulence, in its random character, was incompatible with the geometric structure of consolidated porous systems. To some,4 turbulence merely represented a factor influencing the permeability measurements and again to others5,6,7 em-pirical or semi-empirical correlations proved satisfactory from an engineering viewpoint. Deviations from Darcy's law at high flow rates have been studied by systematic experiments by Fancher, Lewis, and Barnes.' In an article on the flow of gases through porous metals, Green and Duwezs conclude that the onset of turbulence within the pores appears unsatisfactory to explain deviations from Darcy's law. This view is held by many others. While the subject remained controversial for many years, the development of vast natural gas reserves throughout recent years further justified considerable interest on this problem from the standpoint of gas reservoir behavior. As large amounts of field data became available from the operation of many gas fields, it became evident that the steady-state behavior of gas wells was not, in general, in agreement or compatible with Darcy's law. This suggested a careful reconsideration of all mechanisms which may account for pressure drops in addition to viscous shear. In a series of articles9,10 . Hou-peurt indicated that deviations from Darcy's law may be explained on the basis of kinetic energy variations and jetting effects without resorting to assumptions on turbulent flow conditions. Another article by Schneebeli11 indicates that special experiments by Lindquist clearly demonstrated that the onset of turbulence does not necessarily coincide with conditions of deviation from Darcy's law. This view is also held by M. King Hubbert.12 Starting with the basic pressure-flow relations suggested by Houpeurt, the derivation, development and extension of analytical expressions to -supplement and generalize Darcy's law has been the objective of this work. MATHEMATICAL ANALYSIS Derivation of Dimensionless Pressure-drop, Flow-rate Relations In considering the flow of a fluid through a porous matrix geometrically represented by a succession of capillary passages in the shape of truncated cones,810 an approximate expression may be derived relating viscous and inertial, i.e., total pressure drop to the physical properties of the fluid, geometric properties of the rock matrix and the rate of flow: ?P/?r = µ/k V [ 1 + c(m4 - 1) p V/16n" mµ w] ..........(1) Let us formally set: c (m4 - 1) / 16n" m = a d ......(2) Such a representation is equivalent to assert that the term [c(m4 — 1)/ 16n"m], variable with various porous media and probably highly variable within a given porous medium, may be macroscopically defined as equal to a lithology factor times the aver-age grain diameter d. In view of the usual grain and pore size distribu-

Jan 1, 1958

On Feb. 16, 1948, the Board of Directors of AIME authorized the publishing of "Technical Notes" in METALS TECHNOLOGY. The purpose is to provide prompt publication of wry short items of the following general types: 1. Results of short investigations which do not warrant a paper. 2. The conclusions of extensive investigations of insufficient general interest to justify a regular paper. 3. Conclusions arising in the course of an investigation, which, because of interest to others in the field, the author wishes to present prior to completion of the investigation. 4. Pertinent factual comment (not mere argument) on the subject matter of previous "Notes." Such Notes will be subject to the approval of the Auxiliary and AIME Publications Committees, but can be handled more promptly than regular papers because they need not be referred to readers. The recommended maxi- mum length is 500 words; notes in excess of 1,000 words will not be considered for this type of publication. A graph or photograph may be included as part of the note when particularly illustrative. As with regular papers, contributions to the new section should be submitted to the Secretary of the AIME.

Jan 1, 1948

The Molycorp operation at Mountain Pass, California, is unique in that it is the only place in the world where bastnasite is mined. The orebody is a metamorphic carbonatite; the mineral of importance is bastnasite, a fluocarbonate containing principally cerium, lanthanum, neodymium, and praseodymium, with small amounts of samarium, gadolinium, and europium. In addition, appreciable quantities of barite, calcite, and strontianite are present. Molycorp had mined and processed the bastnasite ore since the early 1950s at a rate of about 100 tpd by a unique hot flotation process in a plant originally used for cyanidation of gold ore. The concentrate was primarily used in high quality glass polishing, lighter flints, ceramics, and in specialty steel making. Then in the early 1960s, Molycorp and the Colorado School of Mines Research Foundation developed a solvent extraction process to recover europium from the bulk rare earth concentrates. In 1965 a new SX plant was constructed to produce this material for use as a red phosphor in color television tubes. Because of the demand for this material, a new 500 tpd concentrator was designed and constructed in 9 ½ months. Then, because of a sharply increased demand for europium, the plant was expanded to 1200 tpd only four months after completion of the original construction. The crushing section of the new plant was designed similarly to those portable units used in road construction and arrived on the site in ten major pieces. Foundations were concrete piers; and after their completion, the entire crushing plant composed of primary and secondary crushers, conveyors, and a screen was erected in fourteen days by a crew of ten men assisted by a mobile crane. Pit-run ore is loaded into 35-ton trucks by a 7 yd (5.4 cu m) loader, trans- ported to .the crushing plant, and dumped into the 65 -ton concrete pocket. A 42 in. by 20 ft (1.07 m by 6. 1 m) apron feeder feeds ore to the 30 in. by 42 in. (760 rnrn by 1070 mm) single toggle jaw crusher. Crushed ore is trans- ferred by a scissors conveyor to a 5 ft by 14 ft (1.52 m by 4. 27 m) double- deck screen which produces a final ¾ in. (19 rnrn) product with the oversize being treated in a 4 ¼ ft (1. 3 m) standard cone crusher. Cone crusher product is returned to the first scissors conveyor to join the primary crusher product. Dust collection is by a wet scrubber, and an operator's control room is located to overlook the primary. The entire crushing is in the open, and a 30-ton mobile crane is used for maintenance. Molycorp’s two-stage crushing plant is an excellent example of functional design for a small mining and milling operation.

Jan 1, 1978

By H. N. Kalia, J. B. Gresham

Several attempts have been made in the past 60 years to commercialize the vast oil shale deposits of the US. However, the industry has yet to become economically viable. To date, it has not been possible to produce oil from oil shales at a competitive price compared with oil produced by conventional methods. The development work, nevertheless, has been fruitful in furthering the art of thick bed mining and technology of in situ retorting. The in situ method has the potential of recovering oil from thick beds, and the resource recovery potential is much greater than that from underground mining and surface retorting. In situ methods require that the shales/marlstones be fragmented in place to induce adequate porosity and permeability to allow in situ heating of the fragmented shales. This can be accomplished by using explosives. However, it has been found that the existing blasting systems, though very efficient, have some drawbacks. The explosives become insensitive when shot in multiplevertical decks. They can also become insensitive when spaced horizontally at close proximity to other charges. Also, since the blasting is done in a very limited free face, the delay time that can be allowed between charges is also quite limited. Consequently, it is not always possible to routinely predict the performance of the blasting system. Furthermore, since it is not possible to undertake secondary blasting, it is imperative that the blast design function properly. Recent successful retorting by Occidental Petroleum Co. Of Retorts 7 and 8 suggests that some of these problems may have been overcome. This paper addresses some aspects of in situ retorting and problems that have impeded the development of a viable oil shale industry in the US.

Jan 1, 1986

By V 7. 0 / 300 dpi

DRILLING in the Oligocene potash basin of Alsace prior to 1927 had shown important differences of level in the salt beds thus encountered. To explain this a somewhat unsatisfactory hypothesis of faulting had been advanced. During the latter part of 1926 and the beginning of 1927- our firm was engaged by two organizations for the purpose of trying to supplement, by an electrical survey, the geological data thus far collected. As a re-sult of this exploration it was possible to affirm that salt dome structures were present in the Oligocene basin of the Upper Rhine, something heretofore absolutely unknown in that region. Two salt domes were actually outlined, one, near Meyenheim, was made the subject of a communication to the Academy of Sciences, by G. Friedel2; the other, near Hettenschlag, was briefly dis-cussed by C. and M. Schlumberger3 before the same academy. The purpose of this paper is to indicate the strati-graphic and structural conditions of the area where these salt domes were found; to discuss the results of the electrical survey which led to the location of the domes, and indicate the new geological outlook which such a discovery suggests.

Jan 9, 1928

Jan 1, 1887

By JOHN R. SUMAN

OVERWHELMING proof of the importance of oil in a modern national economy is afforded by the present European War. Treat¬ies and national boundaries have been cynically violated to secure greater supplies of the precious fuel. Petroleum substitutes have been desperately, and far from successfully, sought. The whole German military theory of the drang nach Osten, the drive to the East, is directed at cutting the British supply of oil and securing a supply for Germany. This is a war of machines, and the machines of war feed hungrily on oil. In view of this fact, it is surely comforting to know that we are living today in a nation which has surpassed all the rest of the world not merely in unearthing the raw supplies of petroleum which lie beneath its surface but also in every phase of the industry in mining, refining, processing, production, and distribution.

Jan 1, 1941

By H. R. Hoffman

SINCE slag is a necessary product of the reactive oxygen additions necessary to the present-clay quality steelmaking, the study of the control of its volume is being attempted. With other varying factors that may affect the volume of slag kept as nearly constant as possible, the object of this investigation is to determine what effect the one factor of varying the amounts of iron-ore additions and the time of the additions may have upon the volume of slag in producing an acid electric steel heat.

Jan 1, 1947