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By H. T. Van Ellis

(Butte Meeting, August, 1913.) THE following is a brief description of the cost accounts in effect at the. mines of the Anaconda Copper Mining Co. The accompanying chart, Table I., shows the distribution of labor, materials, and redistributable accounts to the various operating and repair accounts. OPERATING. Development. Owing to the fact that every mine has its peculiarities in formation and methods, the question of arriving at what charges should be included under the head of " Development " is one that has occasioned considerable thought and comment, and in the cost sheet of the Anaconda Copper Mining Co. this, account has been sub-divided to show the expenses of breaking ground, tramming, timbering, shaft sinking, up-raising, and cutting stations and skip chutes. It has always been the policy of the company to charge the entire cost of this work to operations monthly, whether the mines are producing or not, also the cost of the opening up of new mines; and only surface construction and additions are charged to capital, excepting original machinery installed for operating pumping plants. Explanations of the charges to the various sub-accounts follow: Breaking Ground-Work performed in driving cross-cuts from the station, or cross-cuts from the drifts, and diamond-drill work, for the purpose of discovering or developing ore bodies. Tramming.-Cost of tramming waste produced by cross-cuts mentioned above. When waste is hoisted to another level to be used for filling, the charge to this account stops at the station, and when hoisted to surface the charge includes tramming from the collar of the shaft to the dump. Timbering.-Cost of timbering the cross-cuts mentioned above includes the cost of handling and framing such timbers, but does not include the wages of station tenders and top carmen.

Jan 6, 1913

By V. S. Rood, J. A. Norden

The general system of workings at the Utah-Apex is similar to that found in many of the western metalliferous mines. There is a vertical three-compartment shaft extcnding to the surface, from which the various levels have been driven to the orebodies. The 1000-ft. (305-m.) level, about 3/4 mile long, was driven as a haulage and drain adit. Geology The formation is a flat north-dipping series of alternating limestone and quartzite beds. Extensive north-south faulting and fissuring have taken place, resulting in the formation of large replacement orebodies in the crushed zones in the limestone. The orebodies are irregular in shape and size, but follow closely the trend of the mineralizing fissures. The ore consists of galena, pyrite, sphalerite and small values in silver and gold. Large masses of non-commercial pyrite are frequently found in or adjacent to the orebodies, and more or less pyrite is found for some distance in the walls of the orebodies. Lenticular bodies of a black pyritic shale also occur in the zones where extensive faulting has taken place. Mining Methods and Condition of Workings Geological conditions, mentioned before, have made the ground extremely heavy. In mining above the 1000-ft. level, square-set and filling methods were used, but not altogether successfully. The crushing of timbers extended even into the filled portions of the stopes. The filling material itself, consisting of limestone, shale, and pyrite, possessed swelling qualities which added to the difficulty of maintaining

Jan 1, 1920

By M. D. Cooper

FOr the purpose of obtaining some first-hand data in regard to the shooting clown of coal in bituminous 'nines, it was the writer's good fortune to be employed as a shot-firer for almost one year. In all, 6,020 shots were fired by him during this period. All of the work was clone in what is known as the South Main section of the No. 2 Mine of the Ellsworth Collieries Co., Ellsworth, Pa., a subsidiary of the Lackawanna Steel Co. Position of Shot-firing in the Cycle of Operations The established practice of the Ellsworth Collieries Co. calls first for the undercutting of the coal by electric chain machines across the face of the entry or room. This is followed by replacing any posts removed by the machine-runners, or the setting of new posts or timber, as may be required. After this has been done the machine cuttings are loaded into cars. Then the coal is spragged, and a shot hole drilled to the depth of the undercut. Next in order, the shot-firer loads the hole and fires the charge. The working place is then cleaned up, timbered if necessary, the sides and face squared up, and loose material taken down. The face is again ready to be undercut.

Jan 1, 1917

By Joseph Pogue

OVER a period of years the writer has presented a number of studies1 on various aspects of proration, in a progressive attempt to analyze critically and constructively the economic complexities of this interesting institu-tion, which in a decade has revolutionized the economics of oil production in the United States. In the course of the investigations leading to these papers, the changing nature of proration and the principles under-lying its evolution have gradually become clear, so that it is now possible to depart from the analytical method and to construct a synthesis of the steps that, if furthered by the industry, should carry proration past the economic hazards that still surround it to the goal of maximizing the value of the petroleum resource to the industry and the public alike. NATURE OF PRORATION Proration literally means the allocation of demand among competing producers on a pro rata basis, but the term now carries a much broader significance for it is employed to describe the entire process by which the production of crude oil in the United States is regulated. There is naturally much confusion of thought on the subject, for proration is an evolving system of control based upon principles of conservation and equity and embracing a body of practices that are tending to adjust themselves to the needs of the situation but are subjected to varying and divergent influences in the process. As it is now constituted, proration is a planned production measure designed to prevent waste, insure ratable takings, and balance supply and demand. The procedure is administered by State regulatory bodies through use of the police power of the States under authority of State conservation laws; the practice is supported by a considerable degree of voluntary conformance on the part of operators; and the Federal Government has accorded its cooperation by providing advisory quotas, circumscribing imports, checking movements of hot

Jan 1, 1939

By O. C. Ralston

THE use of copper sulfate for improving the flotation behavior of sphalerite is probably at least 15 years old. The original discovery of its activating influence is somewhat obscure. The story goes that in the mill at Mascot, Tenn., its favorable action was discovered by accident, early in 1914, as follows: The original laboratory test work on a sphalerite ore gave favorable flotation results, but after a mill had been built the flotation concentration of the ore was very unsatisfactory. In diagnosing the probable reasons, one fact pointed out was that the laboratory test machine had been constructed of bronze whereas the commercial machine allowed pulp to come in contact only with wood and iron. A plate of sheet copper was hung in the flotation machine and results immediately improved. At first fanciful explanations of electrolytic and electrostatic behavior were given credence, but when the copper plate was removed and a small amount of copper sulfate substituted in the pulp an even more favorable result was obtained. Toward the end of 1914 copper sulfate was also adopted in the acid flotation circuit of the Butte and Superior Copper Co. Just who is responsible for the original discovery the present writers do not know: It seems strange that in that era of flotation litigation this discovery was not patented. While for pragmatic purposes it may be sufficient to know that the mere addition of copper compounds to a flotation pulp is sufficient to activate the flotation of the sphalerite, for scientific purposes it is quite desirable to know more about how the action takes place. It is the purpose of this paper to present certain evidence dealing with the mechanism of the beneficial effect. The description of the effect as activation in contradistinction to depression is now common in both the English and German languages. It makes no assumptions as to whether the zinc sulfide surfaces have been filmed with copper compounds. In fact, the principal differences of opinion expressed in the literature deal with whether there is an actual formation of CuS (or even Cu2S) on the surface of the sphalerite.

Jan 1, 1929

by their overdogmatic picture of geology and their resulting drastic oversimplification and idealization of geologic features. I am in hearty disagreement with the recommendation that geophysics should be done by cooperative work between a geologist and a geophysi-cist. That arrangement would be comparable to doing petrography by having a physicist at the microscope and a geologist sitting by his side. The interpretation of the geological significance of geophysical data can be done efficiently only by a physicist who has become also a good geologist or by a geologist who is also a good geophysicist. Less Well-trained Men The rank and file, composing perhaps two-thirds of the personnel of exploratory geophysics, is not, and should not be, composed of highly trained men. The routine, stereotyped character of the work and the impossibility of promotion of more than a few from these lower ranks even under the best circumstances justify companies in filling the bulk of these rank and file positions with men having only a bachelor's degree at the most. There can be a wide range of training for such positions, although certain lines of study are preferred for certain kinds of work, and different employers have different preferences. For work in gravitational and magnetic prospecting, first preference will be for men having geological training and second for men with civil engineering training. In seismic work, men with geological training are preferred by some employers for computers; physicists, electrical engineers and all whose technical education has covered radio circuits are preferred for the other technical positions. Collegiate training in geophysical prospecting brings no preference and by many employers is given a slightly inferior rating. One large company seldom hires men who have just graduated with a major in geophysical prospecting. This prejudice is based on the reasoning that much of what is learned in college is obsolete or obsolescent, that most of the techniques learned in college will have to be unlearned, because different from those used by the employing company, and that in the long run additional courses in basic physics, mathematics and geology are of more value to a man than the courses on geophysical prospecting. DISCUSSION [This discussion refers to the five papers beginning on page 23 and ending on page 74.1 L. W. Blau,* Houston, Texas.—I have had some rather sad experiences with forecasting. For example, I could not foresee 10 years ago my present occupation, and I do not profess to be able to look ahead 10 years and tell anyone what he will be doing then. Referring to the point raised in the discussion, I do not know, for example, what the price of oil will be 10 years from now. If an appreciable number of

Jan 1, 1940

An Appreciation of Dr. Douglas by Dr. ALBERT R. LEDOUX The Bulletins of the American Institute of Mining Engineers and the program of the International Engineering Congress, held last September at San Francisco, called attention to an important feature in the pro¬ceedings of the Congress; viz., the public presentation to Dr. James Douglas of the John Fritz Medal, for notable achievements in mining, metallurgy, education. and industrial welfare. Dr. Douglas' health, unfortunately, did not permit of his taking the journey to California. While he had been willing that the bestowal of the medal should be a public ceremony, his natural modesty made him shrink somewhat from what he considered something of an ordeal, and he begged those who were to take part in it to use restraint in anything which they might have to say as to his work and attainments. It was, therefore, with some considerable satisfaction on his side that he learned that the medal would be given him without a public, ceremony in New York, or elsewhere. . On Dec. 5, 1915, the writer of this had the pleasure of handing him the medal, certificate, and official letters of transmittal, at his home at Spuyten Duyvil, where lie was surrounded by his children and grandchildren, with one or two of his most intimate friends. He begged the writer to return his thanks to the Committee of Award; and again to express the feeling that nothing in his career merited so great an honor. On this point all of the members of the Institute will share the writer's feeling that Dr. Douglas is too modest. James Douglas was born at Quebec, Canada, in November, 1837. His father Was a distinguished physician and surgeon, employing his skill in the field of philanthropy: He established the first retreat for the insane in the Dominion, to which lie. devoted himself up to the time of his departure from Canada, when it was taken over by the Government. The son spent 2 years in study at the University of Edinburgh, which lie entered in 1855. Returning to Canada, he graduated from Queens University, at Kingston, Ontario, with the degree of Bachelor of Arts, having also studied medicine, and later theology. After his graduation he traveled extensively with his father in Europe and in the Orient, visiting Egypt several time's. They returned with important archaelogical collections, which Dr. Douglas subsequently donated to the Metropolitan Museum of Art in this city. He then returned to Edinburgh, where he continued his course in medicine, surgery being perhaps his chief interest at that time. He was subsequently licensed to preach and his contemporaries bore testimony to his broad philanthropy and to the sympathy which dominated his every act. His taste was distinctly literary; he had carried off a prize at Edinburgh in English literature.

Jan 1, 1916

By Oscar A. Glaeser

It is common knowledge that the iron orebodies of the Mesabi Range lie nearly horizontal and are of trough or blanketlike types. These orebodies are from a few feet to several hundred feet thick and vary from a few acres in extent to the size of the largest one, at Hibbing, Minn., which is over 1 mile wide and 3 miles long. They are covered with sand, boulder and clay overburden and occasionally shallow depths of ledge material, varying in total depth from about 20 to 200 ft. Large areas are not capped with overlying ledge material; the top of the ore lies directly underneath the surface material. Because of the comparatively great tonnage of ore, open-pit mining has made tremendous strides since the first open-pit ore was shipped from this range by the Merritt brothers, from the Mountain iron mine in October, 1892, and along with the great development of open-pit mining on the Mesabi Range has gone a tremendous change in the character of. equipment used. Early Stripping Operations The first stripping at the Burt mine at Hibbing, Minn., started in 1902. The engineers spent a long time in selecting the most suitable location for a small pit area, involving a stripping contract of 350,000 cu. yd. This property afterwards had several million yards of stripping and several million tons of ore removed from it, but inasmuch as it was the first open pit of the Oliver Iron Mining Co. in this district it was necessary to try several different locations for the small pit area, to uncover maximum tonnage and the best grade of ore so as to sell the idea of open-pit mining and discontinue the underground operation then going on. The writer's first open-pit work on the Mesabi Range was in 1903 as an Oliver company mining engineer on a stripping job of 1,500,000 cu. yd. at the Monroe mine, Chisholm, Minn. Here the contractor, an old-timer used to railroad methods, was, to a small extent, using teams of horses hitched to 2-yd. narrow-gage cars and hauling the stripping material from the pit area to outside of the pit limits. The dirt thus moved was loaded by hand. The same contractor was also using 60-ton and 70-ton railroad-type shovels with dippers of 21/2 and

Jan 1, 1930

by their overdogmatic picture of geology and their resulting drastic oversimplification and idealization of geologic features. I am in hearty disagreement with the recommendation that geophysics should be done by cooperative work between a geologist and a geophysi-cist. That arrangement would be comparable to doing petrography by having a physicist at the microscope and a geologist sitting by his side. The interpretation of the geological significance of geophysical data can be done efficiently only by a physicist who has become also a good geologist or by a geologist who is also a good geophysicist. Less Well-trained Men The rank and file, composing perhaps two-thirds of the personnel of exploratory geophysics, is not, and should not be, composed of highly trained men. The routine, stereotyped character of the work and the impossibility of promotion of more than a few from these lower ranks even under the best circumstances justify companies in filling the bulk of these rank and file positions with men having only a bachelor's degree at the most. There can be a wide range of training for such positions, although certain lines of study are preferred for certain kinds of work, and different employers have different preferences. For work in gravitational and magnetic prospecting, first preference will be for men having geological training and second for men with civil engineering training. In seismic work, men with geological training are preferred by some employers for computers; physicists, electrical engineers and all whose technical education has covered radio circuits are preferred for the other technical positions. Collegiate training in geophysical prospecting brings no preference and by many employers is given a slightly inferior rating. One large company seldom hires men who have just graduated with a major in geophysical prospecting. This prejudice is based on the reasoning that much of what is learned in college is obsolete or obsolescent, that most of the techniques learned in college will have to be unlearned, because different from those used by the employing company, and that in the long run additional courses in basic physics, mathematics and geology are of more value to a man than the courses on geophysical prospecting. DISCUSSION [This discussion refers to the five papers beginning on page 23 and ending on page 74.1 L. W. Blau,* Houston, Texas.—I have had some rather sad experiences with forecasting. For example, I could not foresee 10 years ago my present occupation, and I do not profess to be able to look ahead 10 years and tell anyone what he will be doing then. Referring to the point raised in the discussion, I do not know, for example, what the price of oil will be 10 years from now. If an appreciable number of

Jan 1, 1940

By Charles C. Hawes

DETERMINATION OF SILICA OXIDE iron ores usually are found in intimate association with silica and phosphorus compounds. Their quantitative separation and purification sometimes present difficult problems to the chemist. Silicic acids may represent various degrees of dehydration. They are exceedingly weak, but combine with metallic acids and form some of the most stable oxides in nature, the silicates. When iron ores are treated with hydrochloric acid, they yield practically all their iron. However, apart from rare exceptions, varying amounts of insoluble residues of silica, alumina, lime, magnesia and compounds of phosphorus, sulphur, titanium, chromium and others will be left. If the oxides of silicon, aluminum and titanium are present in small quantities, the insoluble residue is generally very small, but the presence of these oxides more usual in larger quantities. Therefore, only a special treatment can break the bond between these elements. Ore Residues Acids remove the soluble constituent of the ore, leaving the insoluble residue, which chemically is rock or gangue and must be treated accordingly. Alkali carbonates are used frequently to break up the residue, but other fluxes have also been recommended, such as a number of lead and boron salts. The introduction of these salts, which offers certain advantages, requires, however, their removal before the other constituents can be analyzed, and this elimination is sometimes difficult. Usually in quantitative analysis silicates are dissociated by fusing them in a platinum crucible with sodium carbonate, thereby forming sodium silicate, Na2SiO3, sodium aluminate, Na2A1204, sodium titanate, Na2TiOs, and carbonates of other elements. All the carbonates are soluble in hydrochloric acid, but also some silicic acid is formed that must be rendered insoluble. To this end the solution is evaporated several times, as the first evaporation still leaves as much as 5 per cent of the silica soluble. Even after a number of evaporations, minute quantities of silica may be found with the iron and alumina present. Perchloric Acid as an Agent for Dehydrating Silicic Acid Perchloric acid, HCI04, (60 per cent), has been used for years as a solvent, but few chemists have used it to dehydrate silica. It is derived from anhydrous perchloric C1207, which is most unstable and dangerous. Perchloric acid is a strong oxidizing agent, which boils at 203°C. It is more effective in rendering silica insoluble than any other known agent, and most rapid in action. After perchloric acid is added to a mixture containing silicic acid, the resultant solution is

Jan 1, 1945

By H. J. Rose

Graphic methods have long been used to advantage in dealing with diverse phases of fuel technology and research. Not only are graphs convenient for presenting data and making calculations, but they are invaluable for deriving generalizations from a mass of data. This is particularly true when relationships are obscure and numerical correlation is poor. This paper describes a new form of graph, the Multibasic Coal Chart, which has been developed to facilitate the study and comparison of coals of all ranks from peat to anthracite on any moisture and purity basis. This type of chart is of unique value for coal classification purposes, since it permits a direct visual comparison of the results obtained when coals are classified by the various systems which have been proposed. Coals are highly variable in character as a result of wide differenees in original vegetal ingredients, degree of metamorphism, and nature and amount of associated impurities. For nearly 100 years, attempts have been made to devise a satisfactory method of classification, and many tables, formulas, ratios and graphs have been suggested. Many of the suggested systems possess considerable merit and have found a limited use, thus promoting a better understanding of coal. However, objections have been raised against each system, and none has received general adoption. When the various systems of classification are compared, it is found that there is an apparently almost hopeless confusion due to: 1. Serious lack of agreement as to the proper moisture and purity basis on which to classify coal. More than ten different bases have been proposed, each of which requires complete recalculat.ion of the analysis data used. 2. Lack of agreement as to what chemical and physical properties are most important and best to use for classification purposes. There is too little knowledge of the degree to which these properties can be correlated.

Jan 1, 1930

By Robert S. Lewis

Park City, Utah, elevation 7200 ft., is on the eastern slope of the Wasatch Mountains about 25 miles southeast of Salt Lake City, elevation 4200 ft. The town and surrounding mining district are served by two railroads: one, 28 miles long, is a branch of the Union Pacific R. R. and joins the main line at Echo; the other, 35 miles long, connects with the main line of the Denver & Rio Grande R. R. at Salt Lake City. The main shaft and important mine buildings, elevation about 8200 ft., of the Silver King Coalition Mines Co. are 11/2 miles by road to the southwest of Park City, and are near the head of Woodside Gulch. The property of this company is a consolidation of several groups of mining claims, and comprises an area that is roughly 4 miles long by 1 mile wide, the long axis of which has a N. 55" E. bearing. Geology A general geologic section through the property shows a basal formation of gray quartzite, called the Weber quartzite, above which seems to lie conformably the Park City formation. Both beds are of Carboniferous age. The Park City strata consist of a number of beds of limestone, with intercalated beds of quartzite, sandstone, and shale. The exact thickness is difficult to determine, but is apparently between 650 and 850 ft. Above the Park City beds and conformable with them lie the Woodside Shales. These thinly bedded fine-grained shales, about 1000 ft. in the thickness, are of no economic importance. They are overlain conformably by the Thaynes formation, which has about the same thickness and is composed of beds of limestone, sandstone, and shale. A thin bed of shale divides the formation into an upper and a lower part; the upper part contains more lime than the lower part. The Woodside shales and the Thaynes formation are of Triassic age. All the beds dip northwest, the dip is usually from 20" to 30°, but may be as great as 40°. In places, intrusions of diorite porphyry have deformed the beds. Marked faulting in zones of a northeast-southwest trend occurred after the intrusion of the porphyry. Later faulting in a

Jan 1, 1925

By John L. Lamont, Walter Crafts

AN investigation has been made of the multiplying factors for some of the more common alloying and deoxidizing elements for use in calculating hardenability of steel according to Grossmann's method.1 The factors for manganese, silicon, and aluminum that were reported in an earlier communication2 have been confirmed by microscopic determination of the half-martensite structure rather than on the basis of an empirically determined hardness corresponding to a half-martensite structure. Measurement of ideal critical diameter by microscopic examination was found to he necessary for other alloying elements, and multiplying factors for nickel, chromium, molybdenum, zirconium, vanadium, titanium, and boron have been determined. The nature and order of magnitude of the multiplying factors reflect the effect of the alloying elements on the structural character of the steel. Except for nickel and vanadium, the multiplying factors agree fairly well with previously published results. Good correlation between actual and calculated ideal critical diameters has been found in developing the multiplying factors and in checking the results against fairly simple steels. However, some discrepancies have suggested the need for a more thorough study of low-carbon and complex steels. TESTING PROCEDURE The investigation was conducted principally on steels made at the Union Carbide and Carbon Research Laboratories, Inc., in high-frequency induction furnaces using Armco iron and standard alloying materials. However, a few open-hearth steels were used in establishing the effect of nickel, and the hardenability factor for boron was based primarily on open-hearth steels. All bars were normalized prior to the machining of Jominy hardenability specimens. The Jominy test was carried out under conditions standard for the test.3 Austenitizing temperatures judged to-be-appropriate for the composi¬tions of the steels were used., Chemical analysis was determined on a sample taken adjacent to the Jominy specimen. Residual amounts of phosphorus, sulphur, nickel, chromium, molybdenum, and copper were determined on only one heat of each group made with the same materials during the same period. "Acid-soluble" aluminum and zirconium rather than total amounts were determined, as it is considered probable that the acid-soluble amount is more representative of the effective alloy. As tin was present to the extent of only 0.002 per cent, its effect was neglected. The method used to determine boron in the steels shown in Table 9* was developed by Galen Porter, Vincent Napoleon, and Thomas R. Cunningham,of the Union Carbide and Carbon Research Laboratories, Inc., and is. a modification of J. Naftel's procedure for boron in soils

Jan 1, 1944

By Emby Kaye

It is the purpose of this paper to outline briefly some of the considerations that enter into the economics of so-called recycling, the generic designation of the relatively recently developed process by which a condensate† is separated from gas-distillate gas at high pressure and the residual gas returned to the reservoir. This subject necessarily embraces not only a discussion of factors that should be considered in projecting a recycling operation, such as estimating reserves, investment and operating costs, but also a comparison of condensate with other types of petroleum. The place of condensate in its relation to the total supply of crude oil is pointed out as well as certain logical methods of product disposal. The cost of drilling wells and lease maintenance is not pertinent to this discussion because income and revenue are in this paper confined to that retained by the plant or plant operator for supplying processing facilities for the gas. Before the development of recycling a great many gas-distillate gas fields in Louisiana and Texas provided no income to their owners. When gas was sold from these reservoirs it was accompanied by irretrievable losses of condensate in the formation. The understanding of the func- tion of retrograde condensation resulted in the introduction of a new commercial petroleum recovery process for these hitherto unexploited fields and now permits the conditioning of this type of wet gas field for the sale of dry gas therefrom without waste. Some Economic Factors The study of a gas-distillate field for possible exploitation necessarily involves the critical appraisal of a number of elements, chief of which will be discussed here: (I) estimate of distillate in place, (2) estimate of distillate that can be brought to the surface, (3) available market, (4) costs. The considerations affecting the estimating of distillate reserves in place are in the main subject to the same errors as are involved in determining dry gas reserves. Determinable data including acreage, sand thickness, reservoir pressure, reservoir temperature, porosity and connate water provide the basis for calculating the volume of gas in place. Ample allowance must be made for connate water, which may occupy from 20 to 35 per cent of the pore space of the sand. The factor of supercom-pressibility is to a considerable extent nullified by the reservoir temperature. It has been considered well advised to allow this factor to serve as a cushion. With the gas reserves calculated, it remains only to assay the distillate content of the gas. Those familiar with the handling of "wet" gas at high pressure readily appreci-ate the variables in sampling gas from

Jan 1, 1942

By Charles C. Rodd

Prior to 1938, proration procedure in Kansas required the physical testing of wells in order to set up a basis for allocating production. Subsequently the use of liquid-level data and bottom-hole pressure data was authorized on certain types of wells as a basis for calculating well capacities, thereby permitting wells to be tested at low rates and with small volumes of production. This paper gives some attention to the equipment used for obtaining liquid-level data but in general it is devoted to the theoretical and physical factors involved in well testing by drawdown methods. These tests are divided into two classifications: (I) liquid-level data used directly to calculate capacities, and (2) liquid-level data and liquid-level measuring equipment used in connection with other data to determine bottom-hole pressure. Equations and calculations for both types are shown. Well capacities calculated from fill-up data have not been used generally but offer a simple means of testing some wells. Theoretical factors and calculations for such tests are shown. In the state of Kansas, proration laws required that the "ability of a well to produce" be given consideration in state allocation orders and for many years this was the only factor used in prorating the allowed oil. The "ability of a well to produce", was the quantity of oil that could be obtained from a well in a prescribed period, usually 24 hr. Early in the history of State-regulated proration, Kansas operators realized that, unless some restriction were placed upon equip- ment, the competition between producers to obtain large well "potentials" might result in a race to install the largest pumping equipment. Consequently, restrictions were placed upon the size of tubing and length of pump stroke that could be used in pumping wells during potential tests. Later, restrictions were placed also upon the size of tubing and chokes that could be used in flowing walls. Despite the restriction setup, better pumping equipment was designed and installed, pumps were improved, and various devices were invoked to obtain high rates of production for short periods of time. By 1937 pumping cycles of forty to forty-five 54-in. strokes per minute were not uncommon, and numerous wells had produced at the rate of 3500 bbl. per day for short periods. Such production was far beyond any rate that could be long sustained. Equipment necessary to take "potentials" was several times larger than that needed for normal producing purposes, and repairs and replacements required by the high pumping speeds were excessive. Also, many operators suspected that the high rates of production main tained during '"potential" tests were conducivc to early water encroachment. By 1938 large-scale physical testing of wells in Kansas ended, the use of the bottom-hole pressure gauge had become common, engineers and operators were becoming familiar with the term ''productivity index," and bottom-hole pressure was being used as a factor in allocation in many areas. There were many drawbacks, however, to large-scale use of

Jan 1, 1943

By Charles C. Rodd

Prior to 1938, proration procedure in Kansas required the physical testing of wells in order to set up a basis for allocating production. Subsequently the use of liquid-level data and bottom-hole pressure data was authorized on certain types of wells as a basis for calculating well capacities, thereby permitting wells to be tested at low rates and with small volumes of production. This paper gives some attention to the equipment used for obtaining liquid-level data but in general it is devoted to the theoretical and physical factors involved in well testing by drawdown methods. These tests are divided into two classifications: (I) liquid-level data used directly to calculate capacities, and (2) liquid-level data and liquid-level measuring equipment used in connection with other data to determine bottom-hole pressure. Equations and calculations for both types are shown. Well capacities calculated from fill-up data have not been used generally but offer a simple means of testing some wells. Theoretical factors and calculations for such tests are shown. In the state of Kansas, proration laws required that the "ability of a well to produce" be given consideration in state allocation orders and for many years this was the only factor used in prorating the allowed oil. The "ability of a well to produce", was the quantity of oil that could be obtained from a well in a prescribed period, usually 24 hr. Early in the history of State-regulated proration, Kansas operators realized that, unless some restriction were placed upon equip- ment, the competition between producers to obtain large well "potentials" might result in a race to install the largest pumping equipment. Consequently, restrictions were placed upon the size of tubing and length of pump stroke that could be used in pumping wells during potential tests. Later, restrictions were placed also upon the size of tubing and chokes that could be used in flowing walls. Despite the restriction setup, better pumping equipment was designed and installed, pumps were improved, and various devices were invoked to obtain high rates of production for short periods of time. By 1937 pumping cycles of forty to forty-five 54-in. strokes per minute were not uncommon, and numerous wells had produced at the rate of 3500 bbl. per day for short periods. Such production was far beyond any rate that could be long sustained. Equipment necessary to take "potentials" was several times larger than that needed for normal producing purposes, and repairs and replacements required by the high pumping speeds were excessive. Also, many operators suspected that the high rates of production main tained during '"potential" tests were conducivc to early water encroachment. By 1938 large-scale physical testing of wells in Kansas ended, the use of the bottom-hole pressure gauge had become common, engineers and operators were becoming familiar with the term ''productivity index," and bottom-hole pressure was being used as a factor in allocation in many areas. There were many drawbacks, however, to large-scale use of

Jan 1, 1943

By Emby Kaye

It is the purpose of this paper to outline briefly some of the considerations that enter into the economics of so-called recycling, the generic designation of the relatively recently developed process by which a condensate† is separated from gas-distillate gas at high pressure and the residual gas returned to the reservoir. This subject necessarily embraces not only a discussion of factors that should be considered in projecting a recycling operation, such as estimating reserves, investment and operating costs, but also a comparison of condensate with other types of petroleum. The place of condensate in its relation to the total supply of crude oil is pointed out as well as certain logical methods of product disposal. The cost of drilling wells and lease maintenance is not pertinent to this discussion because income and revenue are in this paper confined to that retained by the plant or plant operator for supplying processing facilities for the gas. Before the development of recycling a great many gas-distillate gas fields in Louisiana and Texas provided no income to their owners. When gas was sold from these reservoirs it was accompanied by irretrievable losses of condensate in the formation. The understanding of the func- tion of retrograde condensation resulted in the introduction of a new commercial petroleum recovery process for these hitherto unexploited fields and now permits the conditioning of this type of wet gas field for the sale of dry gas therefrom without waste. Some Economic Factors The study of a gas-distillate field for possible exploitation necessarily involves the critical appraisal of a number of elements, chief of which will be discussed here: (I) estimate of distillate in place, (2) estimate of distillate that can be brought to the surface, (3) available market, (4) costs. The considerations affecting the estimating of distillate reserves in place are in the main subject to the same errors as are involved in determining dry gas reserves. Determinable data including acreage, sand thickness, reservoir pressure, reservoir temperature, porosity and connate water provide the basis for calculating the volume of gas in place. Ample allowance must be made for connate water, which may occupy from 20 to 35 per cent of the pore space of the sand. The factor of supercom-pressibility is to a considerable extent nullified by the reservoir temperature. It has been considered well advised to allow this factor to serve as a cushion. With the gas reserves calculated, it remains only to assay the distillate content of the gas. Those familiar with the handling of "wet" gas at high pressure readily appreci-ate the variables in sampling gas from

Jan 1, 1942

By A. J. Teplitz, T. Bardeen

In the course of an investigation of lost circulation, a new tool has been developed which gives a qualitative measure of the relative velocity between the fluid column in the borehole and the tool. The position of a diaphragm in the side wall of the instrument depends on the flow through the device. This position is established by using the conductive borehole fluid in a potentiometric circuit. The instrument has high sensitivity and can detect changes in velocity as low as. 5 ft/min. Lost circulation mud additives do not interfere with the satisfactory performance of the tool. In a number of circulation losses of the pressure induced type, the instrument has shown that the losses were confined to extremely narrow zones (less than I ft), indicating that such ruptures occur in a more or less horizontal rather than vertical plane as has often been assumed. This pinpointing of the zone of loss is important in remedial procedures since it allows the treatment to be applied directly to the point of loss rather than to the entire open hole. The device can also be employed for indicating points of entry of water in producing wells. INTRODUCTION The need for an improved means of locating the positions of lost returns zones became evident during an investigation of lost circulation difficulties in the Gulf Coast area.1 With instrumentation available at the time, it had been learned that, contrary to common belief, the position of the thief zone responsible for a given loss seldom coincided with the point of bit penetration at the time the loss was encountered. In the majority of cases, the losses were found to be occurring at some distance removed from the bottom of the hole —sometimes as much as a few thousand feet. This information, along with other observations made during the investigation, led to improved techniques' for dealing with lost circulation problems. Highlighted, however, among the results of this work and of similar studies subsequently conducted in drilling operations in other parts of the country, was the indication that a considerable portion of the difficulty and expense involved in treating prolonged circulation losses is due to the unsystematic application of remedial measures to one or more apertures of unknown position. Basis of Tests It is worth considering that if the troublesome formation could somehow be transported to the surface where it could be directly observed, there would likely be little difficulty in readily effecting a seal. Although this is a decided oversimplification of the situation, it does appear that the chief obstacles to similar ease of handling of a lost circulation zone in a well are lack of visibility and of ready accessibility. The latter handicap is overcome to a considerable extent by placement techniques already in use, and other procedures now in the process of development are expected to offer further improvement. But in the matter of visual observation, the technique to be presently described appears to afford a quite satisfactory substitute.

Jan 1, 1957

By J. J. Gilman

Rates of prisnzatic plastic glide ( {1010}<2110>) in pure Cd crystals have been measured at temperatures from 158° to 276°C. The glide rate is proportional to the 2.75 power of the applied shear-stress. The activation energy is 29.2 kcal per mol. It is suggested that the rates of prismatic glide in Cd and Zn crystals are determined by the strengths of the atomic bonds across the prism planes. ALTHOUGH zinc and cadmium crystals both have hexagonal structures with nearly the same c/o ratios, their mechanical behaviors are quite different. Whereas zinc becomes quite brittle below room temperature, and cleaves readily on (0001) planes, cadmium is very ductile even at 4.2°K, and cannot be cleaved at any temperature. As part of a search for the explanation of this difference in behavior, a study has been made of prismatic glide in cadmium. It complements a previous study of the same phenomenon in zinc.1 The primary glide plane in cadmium is the basal (0001) plane, and the primary glide direction is the direction of atomic close-packing <2110>. However, if a tensile stress is applied parallel to the basal plane, then the shear stress on the basal plane equals zero so basal glide cannot occur. At low temperatures, deformation by twinning occurs; but at high temperatures, it has been found in this study that gliding on prismatic planes (1010) occurs in the close-packed direction. This is completely analogous with the case of zinc, except that lower temperatures are required. EXPERIMENTAL The experiments were done in nearly the same way as for zinc.&apos; Therefore, only the differences in the two sets of experiments will be described here; for other details the reader is referred to the previous paper. Crystals 6 by 6 mm sq were used that were grown from "Super Purity" 99.999 + pct Cd purchased from the New Jersey Zinc Co. The crystals were grown with their basal planes parallel to both the rod axis and one of the flat sides of the square cross section, A close-packed direction in the basal plane was oriented parallel to the rod axis. Gage sections were carefully machined into the crystals, and the surface damage caused by machining was removed with the same chemical polishing reagent as had been used for zinc. Thus, specimens of the same form and size as the previous zinc ones were produced. The crystals were heated to the test temperatures in a silicone oil bath (fused salts were tried first, but they reacted badly with the cadmium). An Instron tensile-testing machine was used for applying stresses to the crystals at various constant strain-rates. RESULTS The general behavior of cadmium crystals is much the same as for zinc. Only the constants that measure specific properties are different. Just as

Jan 1, 1962

By J. F. Myers, R. J. Tower

"There is nothing new under the sun." All over the world, mineral-dressing engineers are working at their problems, no two of which are alike. Each encounters equipment and process problems. Many devise simple ways and means of overcoming their difficulties. Many of these problems are quite common in the industry, yet, since no one human being seems capable of thinking of everything, these problems at some plants often are looked upon as necessary evils. The purpose of this symposium is to gather together, from competent engineers, devices and practices that have been useful to them. Most of the ideas contributed are not new, yet there is no plant operator, old timer or youngster, who will not find some idea herein that will give him a suggestion for improving his operation. Space does not permit a complete elaboration on all of the contributions offered. Each item is summarized, but this will be ample for those skilled in the art of mineral dressing. A list of contributors appears at the end of the paper, and the superior number at the end of each item identifies its source. General Equipment A signal light to show that a steel bin, containing relatively line, moist ore, is full, can be made by suspending a copper rod in the bin to a sufficient depth to ensure ample contact with the ore. One wire of a 32-volt circuit should be attached to the rod and one to the side of the bin. Sufficient current will flow to make the signal light burn. A 110-volt circuit could be used, but 32 volts ensures safety.10 Fig I shows a circular bin for crushed ore. It is a concrete structure footed on the ground, using no supporting columns. Tailing from the sink-float was used for aggregate. Cross conveyors for discharging ore are not required, nor is a tripper for filling. Segregation is minimized by drawing from different gates. An exhaust fan on top of the bin eliminates condensation due to temperature of the ore.21 A beam with an adjustable point of suspension near the center permits rigging rolls for removal in a very few minutes. This makes unnecessary the lacing of the cable through the hub bolts on one side, around the shaft on the other, and the trouble of balancing the load.8 The ratchet handle on a Symons crusher may be replaced by a drum with a cable wound on it. When the cable is pulled by a crane or hoist it causes the drum to revolve and thus screws or unscrews the bowl. This reduces handwork and materially shortens the time required for the job.&apos; TO Spread ore feed from an apron feeder over a belt conveyor, place a heavy steel bar about midway between the top

Jan 1, 1949