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By R. W. Gurry

WHEN a steel in the austenitic state, with all its carbon in solution, is maintained, at constant temperature, in contact with a gas that removes the carbon from the surface, yet without otherwise altering the composition of the steel, the change in weight of the specimen, after any period of exposure, is a direct measure of the amount of carbon it has then lost. The purpose of the present paper is to show how, by application of established mathematical reasoning based on the fundamental diffusion law and on certain postulates, this loss of weight yields a complete picture of the distribution of carbon throughout a specimen of regular shape after any period of exposure, with all the accuracy required in any practical occurrence of decarburization. Precisely the same is true for the gain in weight during the reverse process of carburization, or for the gradual gain or loss of any element, so long as the steel comprises only a single phase at temperature, provided always that the experimental conditions conform to the postulates. The change in carbon content from surface to center of the specimen is always continuous, when everything is in solution, even though under the microscope the decarburized zone (or carburized rim) may appear to be sharply defined. The experimental procedure is described and some typical results are presented, which are then interpreted by application of the diffusion law. EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDURE Initially an endeavor was made to follow the gain of weight during the process of carburization in a hydrogen-toluene atmosphere, but it was soon found that the specimen became coated with graphite, which could not be removed without some loss of metal; therefore it was decided to continue carburization until the steel was saturated throughout, to remove all graphite from the surface of the specimen, and then to follow the loss of weight during decarburization in a moist hydrogen atmosphere at the same temperature as that used for carburizing. The carburizing procedure has been described in an earlier paper;1 it suffices to state here that the carburization lasted about 140 hr. at 760°C. (1760°F.) and 44 hr. at 1110°C. (2030°F.), these periods being long enough-on the basis of the calculations presented later-to ensure that the specimen was about 99.9 per cent saturated at each temperature. The specimen was a cylinder about 3.8 cm. long and 0.475 cm. in diameter; the materials were carbonyl iron, a commercial low-metalloid iron, and a steel with 3.6 per cent nickel and the usual proportion of other elements. The fully carburized specimen, after cooling at the top of the furnace tube, was placed in a lathe and sandpapered to remove all graphite; then the diameter was measured with a micrometer caliper, and the initial weighing (corresponding to complete saturation) was made. By means of a

Jan 1, 1942

By W. C. Krumbein

GEOLOGICAL problems are approached from a geometrical (space relations) viewpoint, a kinematical (time sequence) viewpoint, or a dynamical viewpoint. The first two require sound training in conventional geology and in field methods. The third approach requires a solid foundation of chemistry, physics, and mathematics. Modern training for geologists should include close integration of basic sciences with geological principles. INTRODUCTION Our knowledge of the earth has increased tremendously during the last half century. We know more about its surface configuration, the distribution of its natural resources, the procession of living forms that inhabited it in the past, the chemical composition of its oceans, the areal distribution of its surface rocks, the movements of its atmosphere, and so on. Not only do we know more facts about the earth, but we have a better understanding of the processes that take place on and within it, such as the nature of earthquakes, the thermodynamics of the atmosphere, the chemical equilibria involved in the formation of igneous rocks, the mechanics of stream flow, the dynamics of the earth's origin, and so on. Many sciences contributed to the sum total of this knowledge, including such established disciplines as geology, geography, physics, chemistry, astronomy, biology. Out of this accumulation of new knowledge grew also a group of new sciences, such as seismology, oceanography, meteorology, volcanology, hydrology. Collectively these latter are known as the geophysical and geochemical sciences, and to a large extent they began as branches of geology. Until the turn of the century, for example, the study of earthquakes (seismology) was a part of geology, although as early as 1846 Mallet, a physicist, had suggested that the subject could be investigated by elastic-wave theory. Comparatively little progress was made along these lines until the seismograph was developed near the turn of the century; since then, additional earthquake data have accumulated rapidly, but more important, the interpretation of these data essentially has kept pace with their accumulation. In similar fashion, meteorology, was generally considered a branch of geology as recently as one or two decades ago. Considerable progress had been made in such aspects as weather forecasting, but the science dates its recent rapid rise from the year 1911, when Bjerknes first applied the principles of dynamics to the analysis of air masses. The rapid development of such disciplines as oceanography, volcanology and hydrology was due in part to the application of principles of chemical equilibrium, of dynamics, and of thermodynamics to earth problems, by men who were essentially physicists or chemists by training. The last half century, therefore, and particularly the last two decades, saw the influx of numerous chemists and physicists into the realm of the earth sciences. In the meantime the main body of geology itself showed a marked growth, and

Jan 1, 1941

By AIME AIME

THE Western States Joint Convention opened at Denver on Sept. 20, with about 400 registered the first day. Monday was devoted to the American Mining Congress, and the afternoon session was taken up with a discussion of the public land laws of the United States. Hubert Work, Secretary of Interior, and William Spry, Commissioner of the General Land Office, presented a comprehensive review of the origin and operation of the laws and argued against any general change in the system. Charles E. Winter, Congressman from Wyoming, marshalled the arguments in favor of turning over the public lands to the states within which they lie, and George H. Dern, Governor of Utah, presented a well-reasoned argument in favor of allowing the school sections to pass to the states regardless of their mineral or non-mineral character. The debate made it clear that in the West especially, there is strong feeling against any further development of the policy of reserving and leasing the public lands. Tuesday forenoon was devoted to the Silver Producers Association, F. H. Brownell and Charles A. Thomas being the principal speakers, and in the after- noon the American Association of Petroleum Geologists met with Alex. W. McCoy presiding, and Glenn C. Clark, J. V. Howell, and J. W. Beede presenting papers.

Jan 1, 1926

By T. Prof. Egleston

IF we may characterize the aim of metallurgists twenty years ago by any one point towards which their efforts were especially directed, we should say it was the idea of adapting "waste products" to some useful purpose, while the energy of to-day seems rather to take the direction of so arranging processes as to have no " waste products." The iron-master of this decade no longer speaks of the waste gases

Jan 1, 1873

By N. S. Keith

Some time ago, a firm engaged largely in the manufacture of copper sulphate, applied to me for information as to the practicability of obtaining the copper from their mother liquors by means of electricity ; having reference, more especially, to obtaining the electric current from some magneto-electric or dynamo-electric machine. The mother liquors were the result of several solutions of commercial scrap copper, containing impurities, the quantity of which

Jan 1, 1879

By Jesse E. Wyrick

Gases and vapors are being safely stored in caverns constructed in salt formations. The storage of gas is cost competitive with other methods of gas storage and offers many advantages. Storage can be designed for high gas recovery rates and many operating caverns allow gas recovery rates in excess of 300 million cubic feet per day. Fenix & Scisson has constructed or consulted on many of these storage projects and presents some case histories beginning with the conversion of a bedded salt cavern to gas storage in 1961. Discussion includes basic considerations for storage construction, confirmation, and operation.

Jan 1, 1985

By Charles Willard Hayes

Shortly after the discovery of black phosphate on Swan creek, in Hickman county, Tennessee, prospectors familiar with the Florida phosphate came to the region and began the search for rock similar to that found in Florida. Among these was Mr. E. Slattery, who located at Linden, in Perry county. He gave a piece of the Florida rock to Mr. C. C. Sutton, and the latter discovered on Tom's creek a deposit which bore a strong

Jan 1, 1896

By H. C. Juvkam-Wold

The aquifer depressurization system uses a number of wells surrounding a mine shaft to reduce the aquifer pressure in the vicinity of the shaft. The effect of various parameters such as number of wells, wellbore diameter, time, and well location is discussed. It is concluded that, with a properly designed depressurization system, the aquifer pressure and the water inflow rate to the shaft may be reduced to less than 15% of their potential values in the absence of wells.

Jan 1, 1983

By H. C. George

CAREFUL- sampling and good judgment as to probable recoveries are important factors in estimates of ore reserves, based on prospecting drilling results, but other factors are equally as important and may be more misleading and perhaps disastrous if not properly interpreted. Some of these are: 1. The case where no, ore is shown in the "sludgings," when, as a matter of fact, the drill has passed through a thick sheet of ore which has been broken up and washed away into open crevices. In numerous cases, later mining operations have shown that this has happened. This condition may be discovered by shooting the drill .hole at the point where the open crevices occur, but shooting should not be done until after the drill hole is completed, because the resulting shattered formation may salt the drill hole at lower levels. 2. The case where rich cuttings are shown for a thickness of 20 or 30 ft., when ore was encountered in only the first sludging. Owing to soft or loose formation, the ore from the first sludging has salted the lower sludgings. The presence of large pieces of ore and a similar ratio between zinc and iron assays in the lower sludgings frequently indicate this condition. In the lower sludgings, the presence of oxidized ore in unaltered limestone sometimes shows this condition. 3. The case where the drill hole shows a considerable thickness of ore; but owing to the presence of a vertical sheet of ore, perhaps not more than 1 in. thick, at the place where the drill hole is located, the good assays resulting might be misleading. If this condition is suspected, the drilling of several more holes within a distance of 10 or 15, ft. will usually show it.

Jan 1, 1921

By K. A. Grace

Reserves are the basic foundation of any mining enterprise, but a lack of understanding of the concept of resources and reserves is still a frequent cause of failure in mining ventures. A review of the development of the resource-reserve concept emphasizes the necessity for a common language, and the classification system as set out by the US Geological Survey and Bureau of Mines is advocated as the basis for this. Because of its strong economic connotation, the term reserves should be severely restricted in its use, and should encompass mining and processing factors. Modifications to the basic definition of reserves to accomplish this are proposed. Caution must be used in the quantification of undiscovered or hypothetical resources, particularly in juxtaposition with known resources data.

Jan 1, 1985

By Joel J. Lloyd

The storage and retrieval of geological information is represented by a "Babel" of systems. If the energy and expense that is being expended is to be fully exploited by the earth science community, a common language and common practise is required. Interfacing, applicable in the crossover of scientific disciplines and of polyglot data collections, is neither practical nor economic in the handling of English language information. Whether a single input/output center or a locus of interlocking subcenters is established, is irrelevant. The capture of fugitive information and recapture of lost data is paramount. Existing national committees and international commissions are cognizant of the problem and are engaged with it. The time required to reach agreement may merely complicate the problem. It may prove necessary for a group of individuals to face up to the situation and take the indicated action -- facing the criticism that will probably fall on their heads. The cost of rectifying immediate mistakes may be far less than the delayed execution of a long studied plan. System designs are considered in terms of input elements and output products, various mechanical operating modes are presented, and the economics of organization and maintenance are discussed.

Jan 1, 1969

By James L. Kelly

Stripping of the Twin Buttes copper deposit started in 1965. Total material removed for the first 10 yr of operation is approximately 879 million tons. The sulfide concentrator has treated about 45 million tons. The Twin Buttes mineral zone was concealed under several hundred feet of recent alluvium. Beneath this post-minera1 cover, Paleozoic limestone, siltstone and quartzite, and Mesozoic metaarqillite, arkose, conglomerate, and volcanic rocks are intruded by an igneous complex of quartz monzonite and diorite. All rock units are erratically mineralized, principally with copper and molybdenum. Strongest copper mineral favors the Paleozoic calc-silicated limestone and siltstone, often preferential to individual beds.

Jan 1, 1978

By S. Arthur Krom

(Wilkes-Barre meeting, June, 1911.) RECENT experiments indicate that the usual type of concentrating-table is not only poorly adapted to produce the desired results, but also is based upon an incorrect principle, namely, the use of riffles to perform the work of stratifying the various minerals. We have heard a good deal about riffles for concentrating-tables; exhaustive experiments have been made to discover the proper form of riffle, or to prove the superiority this or that form; disputes and patent-litigation have arisen over the matter of riffles, and thus many have been led to believe that the riffle is the saving-device upon which the process of concentration depends. In the present paper it is proposed to show that the riffle is greatly overrated as to the part it performs in the concentration of minerals, and that, in the near future, it may possibly be eliminated entirely from that process. The experiments in question have shown that the troublesome riffle can be considered of secondary importance at the most, and should be so classed in the construction of a concentrating-table built upon the right lines. The action of any form of riffle on a concentrating-table is such as to upset and retard the process of settling and stratifying the various minerals on the table-deck. From the deck of a riffled table no concentrates can be delivered until the deck is "bedded," that is, until a sufficient amount of metallic values have been fed to the table to spread over a large portion of the deck, forming a substratum of the heavier minerals. This substratum must be maintained by the feed within quite narrow limits, and directly proportional to the rate of discharge from the table, in order that the bed shall not be lost. On the other hand, the riffles having a very lim-

Jul 1, 1911

By R. E. Zinkham, R. J. Goodwin

A mathematical study has been made of the amount of support a cement sheath could provide to casing cemented into the earth. Several assumptions were required to make the analysis, but only two of them are limiting: (I) the pipe must be completely surrounded with cement, and (2) any mud filter cake between the cement and formation has the same physical properties as either the cement or formation. The calculations showed that little support would be provided to the pipe before an unsupported cement sheath failed in tension; however, when the cement is confined between the pipe and wellbore and is loaded in compression, the pipe could receive a considerable amount of support. In fact, the theoretical results indicate the lower grades and larger sizes of pipe could have their working pressures doubled when reasonable compressive loads were applied to a surrounding cement sheath. These data are shown in six charts. Other down-hole conditions such as setting the cement under pressure, increased temperature and cement confinement all tend to increase the potential usefulness of the sheath. Because of size limitations, a laboratory program to verify the most important results of this mathematical study would be very difficult. However, small-scale field tests would be practicable. This paper shows that, if a solid cement sheath can be obtained in the field by either primary cementing or by repair after detection of flaws by surveys such as the new cement-bond logs, the use of this approach to reducing pipe costs merits further consideration. INTRODUCTION A modification in casing design practices is proposed which may either reduce the amount and grade of steel required to contain a specified internal pressure or permit the working pressure to be increased for a specified weight and grade of pipe. One of the more important considerations in casing design is its resistance to collapse; however, Bowers' and, more recently, O'Brien and Goins' have shown many casing programs are unnecessarily conservative in this respect, and they have indicated how savings can be made by designing for more realistic down-hole conditions. Earlier, Saye and Richardson howed that pipe costs could be reduced by considering the cement sheath as a part of the casing string when collapse resistance was being calculated. More recently, Rogers4 has raised the question as to whether a cement sheath might be considered in the design for burst resistance of the cemented casing. Calculations have been made for the increased burst resistance a cement sheath would provide for casing in a wellbore, and the results show that a sizable amount of support could be obtained in some instances. These data are presented in addition to a discussion of several other factors that are considered to affect the burst strength of pipe supported by cement. Two types of support are treated: Case I for tensile loading of the unconfined cement sheath, and Case for compressive loading of the confined cement sheath. ANALYTICAL TREATMENT AND RESULTS CASE I—TENSILE STRESSES IN AN UNCONFINED CEMENT SHEATH Conditions like this would most likely occur in a greatly enlarged portion of the hole where the cement was not in immediate contact with either the formation or a thin and hard mud cake. The mathematical analysis for this condition, as shown in the Appendix, rests on the following concepts. Pressure inside a unit length of pipe causes: (1) a tensile or tangential stress to be exerted over the longitudinal cross-sectional areas of the pipe and cement; and (2) an equal amount of strain in both the pipe and cement that is uniformly distributed over the wall thickness of each. This analysis was then used to make several calculations for a cement sheath around 51/2-in. OD pipe. The results are illustrated in Fig. 1, which shows that a tensile stress of 500 psi is imposed on a 5-in. thick sheath when the casing contains a pressure of only 1,450 psi. It also shows that a 10-in. thick sheath would be stressed to 500 psi in tension when the pipe contained a pressure of only 2,350 psi. Alternatively, if the stress analysis is made by means of the Lame thick-wall cylinder theory, the inner fibers of the 10-in. thick sheath will be stressed to 500 psi in tension when the pressure in the pipe is only 990 psi. This, of course, reveals that an unconfined sheath is of little support to the pipe in burst; however, an entirely different result is obtained when the cement is confined between the pipe and formation.

By R. H. Olds, B. H. Sage

The transient flow of gases in long pipe lines is a problem of industrial interest. The present discussion deals with the application of the conservation of momentum and material to the transient flow of gas in conduits which are long with respect to their diameter. Solutions of the resulting equations include consideration of variations in friction and specific volume of the fluid as functions of time and position along the conduit. The changes in state along the pipe line are established as a function of time. The methods proposed may be extended to other situations. The flow of compressible fluids under steady conditions' has been considered in detail. Primary emphasis was placed on the development of simple means of taking into account the non-uniform flow' realized in long conduits under such conditions. Binder2 discussed the essential differences between the flow of compressible and uoncompressible fluids. Bonilla" proposed direct methods of solution for equations describing isothermal flow in long pipes. Similar considerations limited to steady flow have been discussed by Ruth.' Palsgrove 5 sugrested a graphical means of solving specific problems relating to the flow of gases in conduits of uniform section. Some of the basic concepts of the flow of a compressible viscous fluid in straight tubes have been described by Kuo.6 Problems of this type require knowledge of the equation of state of the fluid. In many cases it liar been convenient to assume that the fluid follows the relationship ascribed to a perfect gas. The treatment of unsteady flow of compressible fluids is less complete. This state of affairs result* from the fact that the differential equations relating pressure and flow rate with time and position for unsteady flow are nonlinear in character.' Muskat and Wyckoff presented an excellent treatment of the situation in laminar Bow where inertia forces were not of controlling importance. Somewhat earlier Hurst9 discussed the uncteady flow of fluids in petroleum reservoirs. Helhering-ton. MarRoberts. and Huntington'" established experimentally the pressure distribution and accumulative flow rate of natural gas through an unconsolidated sand. Recently Joffe11,12 conhitlcretl the specific problem of the flow of natural gas in relatively long.,. pipe lines for unsteady conditions with emphasis upon the economic feusibility of the storage of gas in such a reservoir. These discussions were based upon approximations of the partial differential equations applying to the condititons of flow. The results were descriptive of the physical situation and indirated the effertiveness of large pipe lines as cyclic storage facilities for natural gas. The advent of analog computers" has increased materially the practicality of solving nonlinear partial differential expressions. Several iterative numerical and graphical methods14,15,16 have been developed to solve nonlinear equations. However, it appears that the pair of simultaneous nonlinear partial differential equations involved in problems of this nature are not directly susceptible to solution by presently available analog computer or formal iterative numerical techniques. Nevertheless. graphical analyses afford a means of obtaining data of engineering value without special equipment. MATHEMATICAL CONSIDERATIONS Since the length of the conduit is large in comparison to the cross section in the cases to be considered, it is possible to treat the characteristics of the flow as independent of position in the cross section of the conduit. This possibility follows since the energy- connected with the velocity profile is small compared to that required to overcome the friction associated with its movement throughout the length of the line. Average values of the pressure. velocity. kinetic energy. momentum, and specific volume may he assigned to the fluid at any particular cross section. From a mathematical viewpoint this may be expressed in the following way for velocity: µ = µ(?X)..........(1) The uncertainties introduced by such assumptions usually are negligible when the ratio of length to diameter is greater than the order of 1.000. On this basis a volume element ma!. be considered to occupy the entire cross section of the conduit. Such an element is presented in Fig. 1.

Jan 1, 1951

By R. H. Olds, B. H. Sage

The transient flow of gases in long pipe lines is a problem of industrial interest. The present discussion deals with the application of the conservation of momentum and material to the transient flow of gas in conduits which are long with respect to their diameter. Solutions of the resulting equations include consideration of variations in friction and specific volume of the fluid as functions of time and position along the conduit. The changes in state along the pipe line are established as a function of time. The methods proposed may be extended to other situations. The flow of compressible fluids under steady conditions' has been considered in detail. Primary emphasis was placed on the development of simple means of taking into account the non-uniform flow' realized in long conduits under such conditions. Binder2 discussed the essential differences between the flow of compressible and uoncompressible fluids. Bonilla" proposed direct methods of solution for equations describing isothermal flow in long pipes. Similar considerations limited to steady flow have been discussed by Ruth.' Palsgrove 5 sugrested a graphical means of solving specific problems relating to the flow of gases in conduits of uniform section. Some of the basic concepts of the flow of a compressible viscous fluid in straight tubes have been described by Kuo.6 Problems of this type require knowledge of the equation of state of the fluid. In many cases it liar been convenient to assume that the fluid follows the relationship ascribed to a perfect gas. The treatment of unsteady flow of compressible fluids is less complete. This state of affairs result* from the fact that the differential equations relating pressure and flow rate with time and position for unsteady flow are nonlinear in character.' Muskat and Wyckoff presented an excellent treatment of the situation in laminar Bow where inertia forces were not of controlling importance. Somewhat earlier Hurst9 discussed the uncteady flow of fluids in petroleum reservoirs. Helhering-ton. MarRoberts. and Huntington'" established experimentally the pressure distribution and accumulative flow rate of natural gas through an unconsolidated sand. Recently Joffe11,12 conhitlcretl the specific problem of the flow of natural gas in relatively long.,. pipe lines for unsteady conditions with emphasis upon the economic feusibility of the storage of gas in such a reservoir. These discussions were based upon approximations of the partial differential equations applying to the condititons of flow. The results were descriptive of the physical situation and indirated the effertiveness of large pipe lines as cyclic storage facilities for natural gas. The advent of analog computers" has increased materially the practicality of solving nonlinear partial differential expressions. Several iterative numerical and graphical methods14,15,16 have been developed to solve nonlinear equations. However, it appears that the pair of simultaneous nonlinear partial differential equations involved in problems of this nature are not directly susceptible to solution by presently available analog computer or formal iterative numerical techniques. Nevertheless. graphical analyses afford a means of obtaining data of engineering value without special equipment. MATHEMATICAL CONSIDERATIONS Since the length of the conduit is large in comparison to the cross section in the cases to be considered, it is possible to treat the characteristics of the flow as independent of position in the cross section of the conduit. This possibility follows since the energy- connected with the velocity profile is small compared to that required to overcome the friction associated with its movement throughout the length of the line. Average values of the pressure. velocity. kinetic energy. momentum, and specific volume may he assigned to the fluid at any particular cross section. From a mathematical viewpoint this may be expressed in the following way for velocity: µ = µ(?X)..........(1) The uncertainties introduced by such assumptions usually are negligible when the ratio of length to diameter is greater than the order of 1.000. On this basis a volume element ma!. be considered to occupy the entire cross section of the conduit. Such an element is presented in Fig. 1.

Jan 1, 1951

By Ta M. Li

In Gila County, Ariz., the Jaquays Mining Co. still finds the mining of asbestos a worthwhile and economical venture. At a time when domestic productive capacity is being reduced because of rapidly rising costs and tough environmental dust standards, this firm has dramatically brought its mine and mill operation into full productive capacity and compliance with both Federal and State regulations. Jaquay's Mining Corp. owns four underground mines in the Tonto National Forest, located approximately 32 miles north of the Globe-Miami District in Arizona. Only one mine, the El Dorado, is presently active. It mines an estimated 45,000 tpy of ore and waste. From this figure about 3000 tpy of fiber (No. one crude to Grade 4T) and fiberized shorts (No, seven) are recovered at the firm's mill, located in Globe, Ariz. Based on current ore reserves, the El Dorado mine has an estimated life between 15 to 17 years, assuming current mining rates and stable market conditions.

Jan 3, 1975

By Sylvia Whitehead, G. M. Schwartz, J. N. Gundersen

Sylvia Whitehead (Petrologist, The Broken Hill Propriety Co. Ltd., Melbourne, Australia) — Examination of thin sections of jaspilites from numerous banded iron formations in Australia has revealed no evidence to suggest that silicate minerals have formed by reaction between magnetite and silica. Textural relations indicate that part of the magnetite crystallized very early in the history of the rocks, probably during diagenesis, and remained stable under conditions of metamorphism altering only to hematite or limonite under conditions of oxidation and weathering. Many jaspilites also contain later magnetite which is almost certainly of metamorphic origin. Wherever magnetite is present in quartz rich bands containing little or no silicate or carbonate, it is very fine grained and occurs generally as isolated, well formed octahedral crystals or as small crystalline aggregates. These show no evidence of corrosion or reaction with the quartz even in rocks where adjacent bands contain silicate minerals of moderate to high metamorphic grade. Concerning the silicate minerals, it is reasonably certain that bands of very fine grained stilpnomelane

Jan 1, 1963

Jan 1, 1937

By R. A. Morse, W. O. Keller

The properties of limestone reservoir rocks such as the distribution and degree of continuity of the pore systems, and the relative volumes and permeabilities of the systems making up the complex cause large variations between performance of individual limestone reservoirs and their susceptibility to secondary recovery methods. The effects of these factors on the mechanism of fluid flow cannot be adequately evaluated with presently developed concepts, laboratory data, and geological information. The observance and interpretation of the performance of individual limestone reservoirs provides, at present, the most adequate approach for evaluating the integrated effects upon performance of the many. now immeasurable variations in the properties of limestone reservoirs. INTRODUCTION The development and application of techniques for increasing the efficiency of oil recovery from natural reservoirs is a problem of primary importance to the industry. During the past several years, a great deal of effort has been expended by the technical personnel of the industry toward the improvement of present known methods of oil recovery. and evaluating the factors which control the susceptibility of particular reservoir types to economic application of secondary recovery methods. Providing adequate and accurate laboratory data on the properties of the reservoir rock and its contained fluids. together with good production statistics, are available, methods have been evolved for estimating with reasonable accuracy the performance of an oil reservoir under either continued natural depletion or conditions imposed by introducing additional displacing fluid into the reservoir from an extraneous source through the injection of gas and/or water. The susceptibility of limestone reservoirs to secondary recovery by gas injection is very much dependent upon gas-oil relative permeability relationships for the reservoir in question. In a rock formation in which the porosity is of the intergranular type such as is found in sand stones and some non-fractured dolomites, a representative sample of the pore structure can be obtained in a small core plug. In this type of reservoir, it has been shown that relative permeability data obtained from laboratory experiments can be Properly applied to evaluate the flow relationships actually observed during the depletion of a reservoir. In addition, a good idea of the fraction of the reservoir which will be swept by the injected gas may be obtained from the spacing pattern used and the permeability profile of cored wells. From these data, it has been demonstrated that reliable estimates of performance and recoveries under gas injection operations can be made for reservoirs in which the Porosity is of the intergranular type. Limestone reservoirs on the other hand often present much more complex problems. One reason that the performance of limestone reservoirs is so variable is that there may be, in reality. two or more pore systems, the integrated performance of which will depend upon the physical properties of each system and their inter-relationship. For instance, in a limestone reservoir, the main pore structure, as far as void spaces for storage of hydrocarbons is concerned, may be represented by the intergranular openings of the rock. Usually in limes and dolomites, the intergranular pore openings are very small and the matrix permeabilities extremely low. Often, as in the case of Many dolomite and oolitic lime reservoirs, this is the only pore system, and performance is observed to be very similar to that of a sand stone of similar permeability. However, in the great majority of' the limestone reservoirs, there is present, in addition to the intergranular pore system, a complementary system of openings caused by fracturing or solution.',' The openings in the latter system are usually many times more permeable than the intergranular pore system due to their much larger size, and may contribute almost all the fluid carrying capacity of the formation, even though their volume may be a very small part of the total pore space in the reservoir. Obviously, the performance of such a complex under either primary or secondary control will deend upon the distribution and degree of continuity of both systems, the relative volumes and permeabilities of the

Jan 1, 1949