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By Ta M. Li, Russell A. Carter

The first century of mining in northern Idaho's Couer d'Alene District will soon he drawing to a close. Like so many other great raining districts, it has been a period accompanied by a rich and colorful history. From its early days as a gold rush camp, the district has evolved into the leading silver producer in the US, but the going has not been easy: early-day labor disputes, the challenge of mining for profit in some of the deepest mines in the Western hemisphere, and the constant search for new reserves at great depths have taken their toll of mines-and miners-along the way. To these traditional mining problems have of late been added the burden of inflationary cost increases, pollution control, and reclamation. A recent visit to the district by MINING ENGINEERING, how ever, revealed that the deep commitment of the operating companies and the quiet competence and vitality of their engineering personnel are key factors in the continued prosperity of the district.

Jan 7, 1976

By J. L. Green

Virginia-Carolina Chemical Corp., in its Florida Operations, uses both roller mills and ball mills in dry grinding of phosphate rock. The roller mills have been in operation since 1954 in the Mining Department. The ball mills were installed and put in operation in 1960 in the Harding Concentrate Superphosphate Plant. The roller mills in the Mining Department are used to grind phosphate rock for outside customers. This involves short notice orders of varying grinds, grades and types of rock. The ball mills grind phosphate rock for use in V-C's own phosphoric acid and concentrated superphosphate plant. These mills grind generally two types of rock for one grind. In 1959, a 10% speed-up was made in the operating speed of the roller mills. This paper deals with the operational gains and resulting cost savings which evolved from this speed-up, and compares the present operations of the roller mills and of the ball mills in grinding phosphate rock. In January 1959 it was decided to determine the feasibility of reducing the grinding cost on the roller mills, per ton of rock ground, by speeding up the mill 10%. At this time, one mill was completely reconditioned so it would be in top condition. Extensive tests were then run both before and after the mill speed-up to determine the resultant cost savings. These tests showed that, due to this 10% speed-up, the mill capacity was increased approximately 20% and grinding power costs per ton were reduced approximately 10%. Table I shows the results of these tests. Each test run actually represents several of the same type rock and grind, averaged together. Each test run lasted approximately three hours. The validity of these runs has been confirmed by subsequent operation in grinding over 1,000,000 tons of phosphate rock. Accurate records have been kept on power consumption and repairs as well as tons produced. Two types of feed rock were used for the tests — pebble phosphate rock and flotation phosphate concentrate rock. The pebble phosphate rock size is approximately 80-90% plus 20 mesh. The flotation concentrate phosphate rock size is approximately 15% plus 20 mesh and 95% plus 100 mesh. The same two types of rock feed were used for all the test runs. Test Nos. 1, 2, and 3 were run at the original mill speed of 85.5 rpm on the vertical shaft. Test No. 1 was run with a feed of high grade flotation concentrates; the desired fineness attempted was 70% passing 200 mesh. Tests No. 2 and No. 3 were run with a feed of low grade pebble. Test No. 2 was run for a desired fineness of 70% passing 200 mesh. Test No. 3 was run for desired fineness of 50% passing 200 mesh.

Jan 1, 1963

By Samuel M. Shallcross

The principal function of the Bell limestone mine, of the American Lime & Stone Co., at Bellefonte, Pa., is to supply raw material to the company's modern rotary kiln plant at Bellefonte. Because mining costs are naturally higher than many open quarries with more favorably lying strata, it cannot compete, except to a limited extent, in the markets for road material and fluxing stone. In the broad sense, mining does have an advantage over the average open quarry when the end products are designed for and controlled by process and final inspection for the exacting demands of the industrial and chemical markets. Approximately 80 per cent of the output of the Bell mine is sold in the industrial and chemical markets. And as higher standards are set each year for construction and agricultural work, the remainder of the mine output goes to these two classes. Mining produces more fines than open quarries, and these fines are difficult to market; on the other hand, owing to absence of contaminating clay and impure rock, a greater percentage of the output of a mine is marketable. Because of the great production of fines, rotary kilns for lime burning are necessary when the stone must be mined. In 1921 the American Lime & Stone Co. operated 19 quarries and 72 lime shaft kilns spread over an area of 40 miles between Bellefonte and Altoona, Pa. At that time the lime-production capacity of the 72 kilns amounted to approximately 700 tons per day. After 15 years the company operates three rotary kilns and six shaft kilns, with a combined output of approximately 500 tons of lime per day, concentrated in its single Bellefonte plant (Fig. 1). Its only stone-producing plants are now the limestone mine at Bellefonte and a construction-stone open quarry at Union Furnace, near Tyrone, Pennsylvania. Since the middle of 1922, the management of the American Lime R. Stone Co. has been under the direction and ownership of the Warner Company, of Philadelphia. To the Warner Company's experience, gained through successful operation of lime plants in eastern Pennsylvania for many years, and the successful solution of material-handling problems

Jan 1, 1937

By Karl A. Bauer, Cornelis Bezemer

The deposition of calcium carbonate scale on surface and subsurface production equipment creates an operation problem in many oil fields. The formation water in which the carbonate-scale-forming components are initially dissolved becomes supersaturated with calcium carbonate as a result of the drop in pressure during production. The continuous flow of a supersaturated solution through the production equipment results in the growth of a dense layer of calcium-carbonate crystals. For a scale layer to be built up, the supersaturated formation water should contact the walls of the production equipment. The tendency for scale to be deposited, therefore, will be low, if the crude has a low water cut and if the water is finely dispersed in the oil. A scale problem will occur, if at a high water cut part of the water is present as free water. The rate of scale deposition will then be approximately proportional to the rate of free water production. Depending upon where the formation water becomes supersaturated, scale may be deposited in the flow line only, in both flow line and tubing, and in some cases even in the perforations and in the formation near the wellbore. In the South Sumatran fields (Indonesia) the main difficulties encountered due to the deposition of calcium-carbonate scale have been restriction of flow through tubings and flow lines, wear and abrasion of plungers and liners, and stuck plungers or wellhead valves. So far, the only methods of combating the *Presently associated with Brunei Shell Petroleum Co., Ltd.. Seria. scale problem have been routine acidizing and additional well pulling. As for the pumping wells, it was estimated that some 50 percent of the total well-pulling effort was directly attributable to scale deposition. The most promising alternative was to prevent the deposition of calcium carbonate scale by means of chemicals. Inorganic polyphosphates such as sodium hexametaphosphate and trisodium polyphosphate are known to retard the formation of scale by the "threshold action". They are adsorbed on specific faces of the crystal nuclei and thus prevent crystal growth, thereby stabilizing supersaturation. Polyphosphates are effective at very low concentrations ( a few ppm), and far less than stoichiometric quantities are required to keep the scaling ions in solution. Recent investigations on barium sulfate scale1 have confirmed this mechanism. The types of polyphosphate mentioned can be applied as concentrated aqueous solutions either squeezed into the formation, lubricated down the annulus or injected via macaroni string. Several squeeze jobs with polyphosphate solutions have been carried out in the South Sumatran fields, however, with disappointing results. Lubrication down the annulus and injection through a macaroni string were not considered attractive in this area because of the kind of equipment and the degree of supervision these techniques require. Polyphosphates are also available in a granular, glassy form, which, in contrast with the readily soluble types already mentioned, show an extremely low

Jan 1, 1970

By B. A. Wilcox

ThERE are several reports in the literature which indicate that both solid-solution hydrogen and hydride precipitates can promote low-temperature em-brittlement of tantalum.1-3 For example, Imgram et al.2 showed that hydrogen additions in the range of 140 to 580 ppm promoted a ductile-to-brittle transition at slightly above room temperature in both wrought and recrystallized tantalum. This contrasts with the observation that tantalum of norma1 purity is very ductile, even at liquid-nitrogen temperature. Imgram et al. also found that hydrogen additions caused a deterioration of notch tensile properties of tantalum. The purpose of this communication is to present some limited evidence that hydrogen can also cause fatigue embrittlement of tantalum. The material used in this investigation was wrought, stress-relieved (1000°C, 1 hr), are-melted tantalum rod (5/8-in. diameter) containing the following impurities in weight percent: 0.005 C, 0.007 02, 0.0005 H2, 0.003 N2, 0.08 Cb, 0.01 W, and 0.01 Fe. Hydrogen charging was done in an atmosphere of flowing dry hydrogen for 3 hr at 600°C, followed by an homogenizing anneal in purified argon for 15 min at 600°C, and cooling in an argon atmosphere. Typical micro-structures of the hydrogen-free and the hydrogen-charged materials are shown in Fig. 1(a) and Fig. 1(b), respectively. Fig. 1(b) shows the appearance of hydride precipitates which, in many cases, formed preferentially parallel to the rod axis. The hydride dispersion was uniform across the diameter of the specimen. The fact that the precipitate was a tantalum hydride was tentatively confirmed by X-ray diffraction on a metallographically prepared surface. After hydrogen charging, chemical analyses by vacuum fusion revealed the hydrogen content to be 0.0295 wt pct. In addition, the oxygen and nitrogen contents were slightly raised to 0.0095 O2 and 0.005 N2.

Jan 1, 1964

By H. C. H. Darley

The principal causes of unstable boreholes* have been known for many years. For example, in a paper published in 1938, Halbouty and Kaldenbachl listed nearly all the classes of troublesome shales that we know today. Much progress has been made since then, but we still have difficulty in identifying the cause of hole problems and consequently in selecting the right technique for combatting them. This subject was discussed at length by Kelly2 in a recent paper and much valuable information was provided. In the Shell Laboratory it was felt that there was a need for a better understanding of the basic mechanisms underlying the various forms of hole instability, and accordingly, a study was undertaken. This entailed reviewing the physics and chemistry of shales, developing tests for characterizing shales, and constructing a model to study borehole stability. Full simulation of underground conditions was not attempted; for example, we used reconstituted shale specimens, and often simple solutions or suspensions rather than practical drilling muds. Such procedures are necessary in order to establish mechanisms, but caution must be exercised in applying the results to the more complex conditions in the field. Part I — Compaction Swelling and Dispersion of Shales Compaction of Sediments Shales are formed by the compaction of sediments. Water is expressed as sediments are buried by subsequent layers, and the degree of compaction is proportional to the depth of burial, provided the water is able to escape easily to permeable formations. The younger sediments, when recovered at the surface, soften and disperse when mixed with water; the older shales have undergone diagenesis (alteration of the clay minerals, secondary cementation, etc.), and remain hard and unaffected by water. In this paper we shall apply the term "shale", as the drilling engineer does, to everything from clays, which are highly reactive to water, to completely lithified materials such as claystones and slates, which are completely inert. However, because these materials behave quite differently when encountered in the drilling well, it is desirable to develop a simple means of characterizing them. The feature that distinguishes the various shales is their dispersibility in water —soft clays disperse readily, harder shales disperse slowly when agitated, the lithified materials will not disperse at all unless milled. In the dispersibility test used in our study, a weighed amount of dry shale particles in the 12-to-100-mesh-size range was placed in a tube filled with distilled water and allowed to soak for 16 hours. The

Jan 1, 1970

By G. E. Perry, R. D. Seba

The steam soak process is the most widely applied and most successful thermal supplemental recovery process in use today. This process, which consists of injection of steam in various quantities into a well that is subsequently used as a producer, can be repeatedly applied to the same well. The treatment, if successful, will increase the production rate of the well for a given period. For this reason, the steam soak process should be considered primarily as an acceleration method rather than as a method for producing oil that could not be recovered by primary means. However, application of this process to reservoirs containing viscous crude may produce oil that otherwise would have zero present value or would be produced at such low rates by primary methods that it would not be profitable. A major necessity for the successful application of the steam soak process is a source of natural energy. This source of energy may exist in one or more of the following forms: expansion of fluids, compaction, gravity drainage. This study was undertaken to determine the effect of gravity drainage on steam soak production and recovery and to develop a method for predicting production rates, ultimate recovery, and heat requirements when applying this process to a reservoir in which the primary driving mechanism is gravity drainage. (For additional discussion of some of the factors that affect recovery of viscous oils by the steam soak process, see Ref. 5.) Model The model developed for analyzing the performance of the steam soak process in gravity drainage reservoirs is a modified form of that developed by Matthews and Lefkovits.1,2 The model used in this study consists of two concentric cylindrical volumes of productive formation with cap and base rock of impermeable material. The inner cylinder, extending from the radius of the wellbore to some predetermined radius, is referred to as the hot zone; and the outer cylinder extending from the exterior boundary of the hot zone to the outer drainage boundary will be referred to as the partially heated zone. Fig. 1 is a schematic cross-section of the model, indicating its thermal properties. Horizontally the reservoir is divided into two regions, the upper region having a high gas saturation and residual liquid saturation, and the lower region containing a high liquid saturation. The boundary between these two regions is referred to as the free surface, which drops and changes shape as fluid is produced from the reservoir. The model was used to analyze the steam soak process by applying the following assumptions: 1. The horizontal formation is composed of one or more homogeneous noninterconnected layers containing incompressible fluids. Each layer is treated separately. 2. The hot zone is heated by the initial soak and is maintained at the steam temperature corresponding to atmospheric pressure by resoaking. 3. The height of the free surface at the producing well is at all times zero (producing well is pumped off). 4. The position of the free surface at the start of

Jan 1, 1970

By Frank Rieber

THE study of earthquakes long ago developed the fact that by studying the travel times of the various groups of waves from the same earthquake, as received on seismographs at varying distances, major discontinuities in the earth's crust could be reasonably well defined. Using this original discovery, and adapting the mathematical methods originally devised in seismology for determining the depth below the surface at which such discontinuities occur, other investigators were able to develop a new branch of seismology which promises to be extremely useful in extending the boundaries of our information on local conditions below the earth's surface. As an outstanding example of the applications of this work, we have the so-called "seismograph" exploration of the Gulf Coastal region, which has resulted in the discovery of a large number of salt domes, from many of which oil fields may be developed. The original seismological investigations, from which different major discontinuities in the earth's crust were deduced, as well as these later successful experiments in locating salt-dome structures, involve relatively simple problems. In each case we are dealing with surface materials in which elastic waves will be propagated with a fairly definite velocity. Under this material we have something quite different, in which the elastic waves will be propagated with a much higher velocity. The transition from one medium to the other is likewise relatively abrupt. For example, in the Gulf Coastal region the sedimentary formations have a velocity of 6000 or 7000 ft. per sec., while the velocity of elastic waves in the cap rock of a salt dome may exceed 15,000 ft. per sec. Under such conditions, delineation of the formation is a relatively simple matter, and, furthermore, there is very little opportunity for ambiguous results.

Jan 1, 1928

By J. Moore, D. Gault, R. V. Lugn

Impact of small projectiles with velocities between 0.9 and 7.3 km per sec on basalt produce craters chiefly by the ejection of fragments. Weight-size distributions of the ejecta are linear for part of the size range of the fragments. Cumulative weight-size distributions of the ejecta from different craters vary because of erratic formation of large fragments and a large percentage of ejecta below 0.1 mm. In the range of velocities studied, the crater depth is approximately proportional to the 0.75 power of velocity of the projectile. This relationship may represent a transition regime between the fluid impact regime and the undeformed projectile impact regime. The volumes per unit of projectile energy of the craters produced are comparable to those reported for lower speed projectile impact and drill bits. An experimental investigation of projectile impact on rock is being conducted jointly by the Ames Research Center of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration and the U.S. Geological Survey. Projectiles are launched with light-gas guns at the Ballistics Range of the Ames Research Center. The craters and ejecta produced in these experiments are being studied by the U.S. Geological Survey. Steel, aluminum and polyethylene projectiles weighing from 0.25 to 0.015 g were accelerated to velocities of 0.88 km per sec (2,900 fps) to 7.3 km per sec (24,000 fps) with a light-gas gun, using hydrogen as the propellant medium. Projectiles impacted the targets normal to plane rock surfaces in an atmosphere of air with a nominal pressure of 25 to 50 mm of mercury. The metal projectiles were mounted in supporting four-piece nylon sabots, which guided the projectiles down the launching tube. After launch, aerodynamic drag acted to separate the sabots from the projectiles. Impact velocities were determined with time measurements and spark photographs of the projectiles in flight. Ejecta were collected in lucite and aluminum containers placed around the target block. A small hole in the containers permitted projectile entry. Impact of projectiles of the size employed produced craters in the rock targets chiefly by ejection of fragments. The craters are small, roughly conical depressions with crushed and intensely fractured rock at the bottoms of the depressions. The ejecta are composed of pieces of the projectile and rock fragments ranging in size from a few tenths of a micron or less to several centimeters in maximum dimension. In this paper, the structural features of the craters, the weight-size distributions of the recovered ejecta, and crater depth and crater volume relationships are described. DESCRIPTION OF CRATERS Typical craters (Fig. 1) produced by experimental projectile impact in basalt are shallow, wide base

Jan 1, 1963

By H. S. Price, J. C. Cavendish, R. S. Varga

A numerical formulation of bigh-order accuracy, based on variational methods, is proposed for the solution of multidimensional diffusion-convection-type equations. Accurate solutions are obtained without the difficulties that standard finite difference approximations present. In addition, tests show that accurate solutions of a one-dimensional problem can be obtained in the neighborhood of a sharp front without the need for a large number of calculations for the entire region of interest. Results using these variational methods are compared with several standard finite difference approximations and with a technique based on the method of characteristics. The variational methods are shown to yield higher accuracies in less computer time. Finally, it is indicated how one can use these attractive features of the variational methods for solving miscible displacement problems in two dimensions. INTRODUCTION The problem of finding suitable numerical approximations for equations describing the transport of heat or mass by diffusion and convection simultaneously has been of interest for some time. Equations of this type, which will be called diffusionconvection equations, arise in describing many diverse physical processes. Of particular interest here is the equation describing the process by which one miscible liquid displaces another liquid in a one-dimensional porous medium. The behavior of such a system is described by the following parabolic partial differential equation:

Jan 1, 1969

By C. F. Weinaug, R. W. Farley, J. F. Wolfe

A rapid, accurate method for predicting the dew points of gas condensate systems and their subsequent normal and retrograde phase behavior with pressure decline has been developed. The method predicts dewpoint pressure, volume percent liquid, condensate content of produced gas, and the liquid and gas compositions at pressures below the dewpoint pressure. Use of a modified form of the BWR equation of state, which was established by regression calculations on experimental data from several gas condensates, provides depletion behavior predictions that are significantly improved over predictions using K-values based on convergence pressures and Standing's correlation for density. INTRODUCTION Prediction of complex hydrocarbon-mixture thermodynamics is fundamental to reservoir and gas process engineering. In particular, accurate descriptions of phase behavior are needed to plan production operations for gas-condensate reservoirs. Although analysis of reservoir behavior during producing and cycling operations can be made for simple reservoir models, extensions of these studies to more complex reservoir systems are still difficult, both with regard to numerical techniques and the phase behavior of the fluids. This report presents a mathematical method for handling the complex phase relationships encountered in retrograde condensates; it represents an advance in reservoir behavior technology in that it will aid the development of closed-form mathematical representations of total production systems. A typical phase diagram for a complex hydrocarbon mixture is shown in Fig. 1. When the reservoir temperature T, is higher than the critical temperature Tc, and lower than the critical-condensation temperature Tct' the mixture is a gas condensate. Decreasing the pressure on a condensate while maintaining nearly constant temperature will result in two phases forming at the dew point. Further decrease in pressure will cause additional liquids to be formed. This phenomenon is called retrograde condensation. As pressure continues to decrease, normal phase behavior regions are encountered (liquid vaporizes as the pressure decreases) until the low-pressure dew point is encountered. When a gas-condensate reservoir is produced, gas is withdrawn and the volume of fluids in the reservoir remains nearly constant as the pressure declines. Heavier components tend to accumulate in the liquid phase as a result of retrograde condensation, while lighter components tend to concentrate in the vapor phase. Thus, as the gas is produced the composition of the gas and the condensate

Jan 1, 1970

By C. G. Cheriton

The Bathurst mining district is located near the town of Bathurst on the north shore of the province of New Brunswick in eastern Canada. This region is the northeasterly extension of the Appalachian mountain system. The area is heavily forested and covered with a fairly uniform layer of glacial gravels and boulder clay. The relief is low, increasing to a few hundred feet in the north west and several hundred feet in the extreme southwest. Thus, rock outcrops are scarce and occur mostly along streams and ridges. These factors made conventional prospecting difficult and resulted in the district becoming an excellent place for the application of regional geological studies, air photo techniques, airborne and gound geophysical methods and soil sampling. Late in 1952, The Brunswick Mining and Smelting Company discovered a very large base metal sulphide body presently known as their No. 6 orebody. Early in 1953, another and even larger sulphide body was discovered and is known as the No. 12 ore body. Mining exploration was very active thoughout 1953 and in 1954, The American Metal Company discovered the orebodies which have been developed into The Heath Steele 'Mines. The location of these deposits is shown on figure one. In the latter part of 1954, The Anaconda Company became interested in the district and decided to make a geological study of this new and promising base rrietal area. The following paper presents the story of the application of modern geological and geophysical techniques, leading to the discovery of a large sul-nhidp liodv. The Bathurst district is generally underlain by the Tetagouche group of Middle Ordovician rocks.

Jan 1, 1961

By L. E. Fish, G. S. Wyman

CHUQUICAMATA open-pit mine is capable of producing a total of 105,000 tons daily. When the sulphide plant is operating to capacity the distribution of this quantity will be approximately 30,000 tons sulphide ore, 30,000 tons oxide ore and 45,000 tons of waste. At that time the combined capacity of the oxide and sulphide plants will be about 540 million lb of copper per year. Twenty one benches have been opened to date and all are still active except the three top ones at the northeastern limit of the pit. These have been pushed back to final slope line. The pit is 8850 ft long, 3540 ft wide and 980 ft deep. Benches are not all developed to a standard height as the large development shovels used in cutting new benches have been of different size and range. At this time new benches 521 ft high are being developed with an' 11-yd shovel. Ore haulage through the greater part of the pit operation has been on down grades to the crushing plant. With the opening of bench F-4 in April 1944 the first adverse-grade ore haul was encountered. Of the total tonnage now being mined, 35 pct comes from the four benches that are below the level of the crushing plant yard. Waste had been dumped on the same or nearly the same level as the bench from which it was removed up to the opening of bench F-4. Waste from this and lower levels is hauled to the level of the crusher, yard where it must cross the flow of ore traffic to reach the only available dumping space to the east of the mine. The average ore haul is 3.13 miles one way shovel to crusher, and the average waste haul from that portion handled by railroad is 3.32 miles one way from shovel to waste dump. Waste that is being removed by truck haulage from the upper part of the -mine is hauled an average of 1 mile. Ore loaded by trucks is hauled 3/4 mile to a car loading ramp and then by rail to the crushing plant. Drilling and Blasting There are two types of development for blasting being used: One for opening new benches and the other for bank shooting. The former consists of 9a in. diam churn-drill holes drilled 11.8 ft center to center in rows 10.2 ft apart with the holes staggered in the rows thus giving an equilateral-triangle pattern of 11.8 ft on a side. After the first block, 492 ft long by 71.5 ft wide, is shot in the pattern described above, the cut is advanced by smaller shots consisting of four rows of holes spaced 23 ft center to center with the rows 23 ft apart. These shots are fired in conjunction with side shots in which the holes are drilled 33 ft center to center and 29.5 ft back from the toe, thus squaring up the bank for subsequent shooting. An average bank shot consists of about 60 holes drilled in two rows parallel to the face, 30 holes to

Jan 1, 1952

By L. H. Simons, H. H. Spain

I NT RODUCTION Theory indicates that linear water-floods should exhibit scaling and stabilization properties in both oil-wet and water-wet porous media'. Experimental verification of these proper-ties in oil-wet media was obtained some time ago', and more recently, Perkins', employing a high permeability unconsoli dated sand and a low oil-to-water viscosity ratio, has obtained flooding data in a water-wet medium which follow the pattern of scaling and stabilization. Also, Root and Calhoun3 have found similar trends in the displacement of gas by liquids from unconsolidated sands. In general, however, the experimen-tal evidence appears still somewhat conflicting since scaling and stabilization of water floods in water-wet media has not been observed in most of the studies to date'.".'. The purpose of this paper is to provide a more comprehensive picture of waterflood behavior in water-wet media and to corroborate the validity of the scaling and stabiliza-tion concepts. The need for differentiating between the intrinsic nature of water-oil displacements inside a porous medium and perturbating secondary end effects is discussed, pertinent experimental procedures are outlined and the results of flooding tests conducted at low and at high oil-to-water viscosity ratios on con- solidated, water-wet Alundum cores are analyzed. END EFFECTS IN WATER-WET MEDIA Outlet End Effects The peculiar feature of the outlet end effect in water-wet cores is that it not only results in an excessive wetting phase saturation at the outflow face,'.' but that it also retards the moment of water breakthrough: i.e., causes an undue delay in the appearance of water in the produced effluent. Conditions existing in a water-wet core when water first arrives at the outflow face are schematically shown in Fig. 1. At this flooding stage the saturation distribution, Fig. la, has not yet been distorted by the outlet end effect. A water-invaded pore at the outlet core face, opening into the oil-filled void space between the end of the core and the end plate of the flooding cell, is illustrated in Fig. lb. The curvature of the water-oil interface is concave toward the outlet, and the pressure on the water side of the interface is lower than on the oil side by an amount equal to a certain capillary pressure (Fig. lc). Before the water (of this particular pore) can be produced from the core, it is apparent that the pressure in the water phase must exceed that in the oil outside the core. Accordingly. when water first reaches the outlet face, it will not leave the core but will accumulate inside, and only oil will be produced. Eventually, as the water injection is continued. sufficient pressure is built up in the water to reverse the curvature of the interfaces in the outlet pores, and only then will water be produced from the core. This stage, illustrated in Fig. 2. corresponds to the conventional "water breakthrough" observed in flooding experiments. For purposes of discussion, it is convenient to distinguish between the flooding stage at which water first arrives at the outlet face of a core (Fig. 1) and the stage at which water is first produced from the core ( Fig. 2). The former will be referred to as "water arrival" and the latter water breakthrough. In oil-wet media

By E. H. T. Whitten

Fundamental principles of trend surface analysis are briefly reviewed. Recent analyses of several granite masses illustrate the method of estimating the quantitative regional composition and also variation trends. Mineralogi-cal, bulk chemical, and other quantitative variates can be employed. Such results should improve gravimetric surveys (etc.) relying on correction terms based upon estimated rock composition. For the first time realistic estimates of the mean composition of rock bodies can be made with the aid of trend components. Deviation maps hold promise for delimitation of disseminated mineralized areas. Deviations comprise residual "anomalies" after removal of trend components. In petrogenetic work such deviations have been shown to reflect local influences (e.g., contamination of magma by assimilation of xenoliths or country rocks of the envelope). Similarly, mineralization should be reflected as deviations standing out from background trends. Actual examples are given. Present results largely involved projection of data onto a horizontal plane, but if sufficient data are available use of three spatial coordinates increases accuracy for prediction in "unexposed" areas. Regression analysis shows that statistical correlations between variates for regionally distributed specimens are often strong (particularly with percentage data). Hence, in preliminary surveys more easily determined variates may sometimes be employed to gain first estimates of the distribution of components more economically significant. The sampling plan is of paramount importance. Unless a suitable sampling plan is devised and adhered to rigorously during collection of the samples, all subsequent analysis is liable to strong bias and to yield spurious estimates of the truth. For a wide variety of purposes it is becoming necessary to assess the quantitative composition and variability of rock masses and mineralized zones of various types. In petrology and petrography this is something of a break with tradition, because virtually all descriptions heretofore have been qualitative. Although vast amounts of qualitative data have been compiled, little is known about the quantitative behavior of rock components. However, if variability of rocks could be understood and expressed with sufficient accuracy, there would be considerable advantage to both economic and petrogenetic problems. For example, if, on the basis of a limited series of observations, the three-dimensional geometry of a disseminated orebody (or ore-bearing formation) could be predicted accurately, it would be possible to extrapolate with confidence the structure into unexposed areas. The following example based upon the geometry of an igneous cone sheet illustrates the point. The significant rock-unit gives outcrops at a number of points on the exposed surface ABCD (Fig. 1A). Study of n exposures may enable a geologist to predict that the rock-unit is circular in form and thus indicate where the unit can be expected in unexposed terrain. Such observations are made at sites with u, v coordinates, but, if subsurface information is available at sites with uvw coordinates, it will eventually become possible to predict accurately the three-dimensional form of the rock mass. Geologic rock masses or mineral deposits are not generally as regular and symmetrical in geometric form as the body illustrated in Fig. 1A. However, even where the broad limits of a major rock mass are known, a more acute problem arises in attempting to obtain detailed quantitative estimates of its internal variability; it is difficult to predict the variability of a mass from a limited number of observa-

Jan 1, 1961

By D. Turnbull, H. N. Treaftis

Precipitation of tin from Pb-Sn alloys (lead-rich) occurs by the nucleation and growth of hemispherical cells which consist of tin lomelloe interspersed in the depleted solid solution. Nucleation and growth of these cells and the tin interlamellar spacing at various compositions and temperatures have been investigated. The interlamellar spacing increases approximately as the reciprocal of the logarithm of the supersaturation ratio. For constant initial tin concentration the concentration of cell nuclei increases with decreasing temperature to a limiting temperature-independent value. The kinetic results support the view that the cell growth rote is governed by the diffusion of tin along the cell boundary. In the main, the results confirm the authors' earlier deductions, drawn from resistometric and calorimetric data, about the precipitation mechonism. IT has been shown1, 2 that tin (ß) precipitates from lead-rich (a) PbSn solutions by the nucleation and growth of cells (cellular or discontinuous precipitation). These cells consist of tin lamellae, with a spacing 1, interspersed in a depleted a solution. Reorientation of a also accompanies cell growth. The kinetics of cellular precipitation of tin from lead have been measured by resistometric2, 3 and ca1orimetric1, 3 techniques. The time-transformation isotherms (t equals time; x, volume fraction of specimen transformed) of the initial rapid precipitation, which drains about 60 pet of the tin from solution, have been described by a kinetic law having the form x = 1 —exp (—bt n) [I] where n usually has the value 3.0. It was shown" that this law and the other kinetic facts can be explained satisfactorily if it is assumed that the cells grow at a constant rate and that all the cells nucleate in a time negligible in comparison with the period of cell growth before impingement. Thus, for hemispherical cells b = (2/3)pNG3 [21 where G is the rate of cell growth in cm per sec, and N is the number of cell nuclei per unit volume. The rapid rate of cell growth at low temperatures can be accounted for"' if it is assumed that the dissolved tin drains to the lamellae edges by diffusion along the sweeping cell boundary rather than by diffusion through the a crystal (volume diffusion). For cell growth governed by cell boundary diffusion it was shown, approximately G=2(X° - X° / X° ) DBA / l2 where A equals the thickness of the cell boundary; D R, the coefficient of diffusion of tin atoms within the boundary; and X° and X, are the atom fractions of tin in the supersaturated and saturated solutions, respectively. Zener8 had already shown that, where

Jan 1, 1959

By H. H. Stoek

MINE models have three distinct uses: 1. As exhibits in expositions and museums. 2. As exhibits in law suits. 3. As illustrations in teaching mining engineering. All three uses are in a sense educational. The third, or distinctively teaching function, has not been extensively developed in America as it has been abroad, chiefly because of the cost of the models and the scarcity of model makers. In connection with expositions, such as the Columbian, the Louisiana Purchase, and the Panama-Pacific, a number of very good mine and metallurgical models were prepared with funds furnished by State commissions, by mining organizations or mining companies. At the close of these, expositions, some of these models have been deposited in National or State museums or in educational institutions, but too many of them have been lost, or have been stored, away in some mining company's office or in the basement of some State building, where they have been lost sight of and have gradually fallen to pieces. A visitor to a German mining school is impressed by two facts: 1. The mining laboratories are in general inferior to those in America. 2. The mining museums are infinitely superior -to ours, particularly in models exhibited. One may reply to this comparison by saying that a museum is necessarily a work of time. From the historical standpoint this is, of course, true, but it is not necessarily true in connection with a working museum intended to illustrate current practice. For instance, the oldest mining school in Germany, that at Freiberg, has much excellent historical material, but very little on modern practice, while Berlin, one of the youngest German mining schools, has a most extensive and valuable collection of modern appliances and models. This is true in spite of the fact that one of the best-known model shops is at Freiberg, from which many of, the models to be seen in America have come. Because many of the models in American mining schools have come from

Jan 4, 1917

Jan 1, 1966

By S. R. B. Cooke, H. S. Choi, I. Iwasaki

In a previous article1 the function of various fatty acids as collectors for iron ores was reported for the two alternate processes; (a) the flotation of iron-oxide minerals, and (b) the flotation of calcium-activated siliceous gangue. The selectivity of separation was shown to be markedly dependent not only on such common parameters as pH and the levels of collector and activator addition, but also on the structure and the degree of unsaturation of the acids used. The iron ores employed consisted primarily of hematite, goethite, and quartz and as the effectiveness of any one acid on the separation depends on the individual response of each constituent mineral toward the given collector, a comprehensive knowledge of the floatability of the individual minerals is desirable for the interpretation of the results obtained. The mechanism by which a collector ion becomes attached to a mineral-solution interface has been a subject of much investigation. From quantitative studies of the properties of the electrical double layer on mercury2 and on several solid surfaces3,4,5,6 , the adsorption of some flotation reagents at the mineral-solution interface is beginning to be understood. For example, it has been demonstrated from streaming potential measurements made on quartz5 and corundum6 that the interfacial electrical condition is strongly dependent on the pH. Thisoccurs presumably through the following electrolytic reaction at the interface, and in the presence of a flotation collector, controls the floatability of the solids. A concurrent investigation of the flotation behavior of goethite and of quartz carried out at the School of Mines and Metallurgy7 has shown a positive correlation with the electrokinetic behavior of these minerals. The purpose of the present investigation was to collect general information on the floatability of hematite, and to investigate the function of various 18-carbon aliphatic acids on the floatability of hematite, goethite, and of activated quartz. Electrophoretic mobility measurements, simplified flotation tests using a modified Hallimond tube, and contact angle and frothability measurements were employed. The results are of direct application in the interpretation of the batch flotation results on natural ores as

Jan 1, 1961

By R. L. Fullman, J. W. Cahn

A method is derived for obtaining the distribution of sphere diameters and plate thicknesses (or pearlite spacings) from size distribution functions obtained along randomly oriented lines. The method described offers several advantages over existing methods. IT is often of interest to measure not only the average particle size but also the distribution in sizes of particles dispersed in an opaque material, such as an alloy. Particles of a single size will exhibit a range of apparent sizes on the plane of polish. If the sample contains a distribution of particle sizes, the distribution of observed sizes on the plane of polish is related to the distribution of actual particle sizes by an integral equation, For example, a distribution of sphere sizes, N(r),

Jan 1, 1957