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By W. B. Mather

Literature dealing with rock drilling presents a mass of conflicting data. The principal cause of the confusion is attributed to varying definitions of the hardness factor of rock and cutting media. The future development of more efficient drilling methods demands that this problem be solved. The first step in the solution is the compilation of complete data on the physical properties of rocks.

Jan 2, 1951

By D. A. Dahlstrom

Application of the cyclone to separation of undesirable -200-mesh clay, silt, and high-ash fractions from coal slurries was found to possess many economic and process advantages. Up to 93.3 pct removal was attained at rates of 113 to 155 gpm per sq ft of cross-sectional area.

Jan 2, 1951

By Roger H. McConnel

Throughout the world in 1950 there has been extensive exploration for metals, with emphasis on iron, copper, gold, lead, and zinc. Among the features most apparent in reviewing exploration and development are the staggering sums required, the over-riding influence of government policies throughout the world, and the need for intensified search.

Jan 2, 1951

New Products Equipment

Jan 2, 1951

By Raymond Brandon, Marshall Pease

A pattern for providing a large utility, The Detroit Edison Co., with an adequate fuel supply is outlined. From the standpoint of both fuel procurement and utilization, consideration has been given competition relationships, fuel properties as well as operating conditions that must be met to provide dependable service and reliable plant operation.

Jan 2, 1951

Low metal prices prevailing at the beginning of 1950 stimulated the search for improved mining methods. More experience was gained during the year with such new developments as the jackleg drill, millisecond delays as applied underground, trackless mining, and Diesel powered equipment. One of the outstanding innovations in mining practice was the starting of the Round Mountain "dry land gold dredging operation." The Government is now inviting the mining industry to open up every available source of new metal supply and this circumstance will undoubtedly speed the development of new machines. New methods will also result but it is doubtful if economic efficiency will be at its peak.

Jan 2, 1951

Time Now For Thinking In these turbulous times a natural restiveness is created among the younger men of the mining profession. Many of them are veterans of World War II and the question is raised in their minds as to whether or not to go back into military service. There is time to think about this question now and it is advisable to do so in order that snap decisions may be avoided if war is declared.

Jan 2, 1951

Iron Ore Resources of the World (Die Eisenersvorrate der Welt)_ By G. Einicke. Verlag Stahleisen, Dusseldorf, 1950. 418 p., with 192 tables and an atlas volume containing 100 p. of reaps. 66 German Marks.-A notable work in which the latest available information on iron ore deposits has been compiled by diligent work, continent by continent, country by country. The author reveals the effect of geological formations, iron content of ore, accessability, cost of transportation, political and economic considerations. Ore beds of importance to the German iron and steel industry are given more space than others. The bibliography contains almost 250 references. A tragic comic feature is the author's complaint that as soon as a map of iron ore resources of a country has been completed, the country's boundaries are changed. Reviewed by W. Trinks, Carnegie Institute of Technology. Industrial Research Laboratories of the United States. National Research Council, Washington, D. C. Ninth Edition. 1950. 445 p. $5.-Contains information on the research laboratories of 2845 industrial and commercial organizations, including names of research executives, location of labs, types of activity, whether any consulting services are offered. There are two appendices, one of which lists data on government labo ratories which cooperate with industry, and the :)ibex naming universities and colleges offering research services to industry.

Jan 2, 1951

By C. F. Hardy, D. R. Mitchell

Bolts held up roofs as mining machines went on to set new records, but rising labor costs still plagued operators.

Jan 2, 1951

By Simon D. Strauss

Production and consumption of nonferrous metals in the United States during 1950 were at peak levels for the postwar period, as is shown in Tables I, II, and III. The trend of production was upward through most of the year. At the year end, with the possible exception of the Tri-State zinc-lead district, the large mining operations in the country were running at capacity. The absence of serious labor interruptions during the year was an important contributing factor in the increased out-put of metals, since in each of the previous postwar years there had been a number of major strikes which affected production adversely.

Jan 2, 1951

BASIC open-hearth slags have no obviously unique features when compared with slags from other metallurgical operations. Open-hearth slags form and exist at temperatures ranging from 2500 to 3100 F (1370 to 1700 C). In the course of an open-hearth heat, the liquid slag changes slowly and continuously in chemical analysis-the changes reflecting changes in temperature, changes in metal analysis, solution of charged materials, solution of feed additions, and solution of refractories. Through- out the process, the slag performs specific primary functions that are responsible for a large measure of the technical and economic importance of basic open-hearth steelmaking. It is intended in this chapter to present the chemical reactions by which the primary functions of basic open-hearth slags are carried out, to describe the physical and chemical principles governing the extent to which these reactions proceed and can be regulated, and finally to indicate the limitations imposed on other features of the process by the fulfillment of the primary functions. Basic open-hearth slags perform three primary functions. First and foremost, the slag provides a means of removing phosphorus from the liquid metal. The ability to remove phosphorus is largely responsible for the widespread use of the basic open- hearth process. Second, the slag serves as a controlling factor in transferring the oxygen required for the other oxidizing reactions. Third, the slag provides a means of eliminating some sulfur from the open-hearth bath. While the extent of sulfur removal is not comparable to that of phosphorus, the ability to remove some sulfur contributes much to the value of the process. The effectiveness with which the slag fulfills its functions varies with temperature and composition. Since operating temperatures are fixed largely by the specified nature of the product and the equipment, the speed and extent to which the functions of the slag are carried out depend largely on its composition. The necessity for regulating slag composition to accomplish the re-

Jan 1, 1951

By R. S. French, W. R. Hibbard

M. Balicki—As one who some years ago spent much time searching for an alloy with high thermoelectric power that would be suitable for heat energy-electric energy converter based on the principle of a thermoelectric pile, I would like to make a few comments touching upon that aspect of this excellent paper. The specifications which one of the authors has formulated so aptly do not appear to me as complete, and I would like to add to them the following two demands: (1) Melting point not less than 500°C and (2) elongation on 2 in. at least 5 pct. Condition 1 would insure good thermodynamic efficiency of the pile by permitting a reasonably high temperature of the hot junction and at the same time making it suitable for such application as salvage of vast amounts of energy which is lost in the form of sensible heat of waste gas leaving industrial and other furnaces. Condition 2 is also a very important one; particularly, because of the fact that all elements and alloys which exhibit attractive thermoelectric properties seem to be as a rule very brittle. The design, erection, and maintenance of a pile incorporating a brittle material in one of the most crucial parts of the converter would be a very difficult and costly affair indeed. To illustrate this point I may mention great difficulties I encountered when trying to make thermocouples of silicon. Casting of 1/4-in. rods in iron or graphite mould yielded only broken pieces which had to be welded into a bar. Such a bar had to be handled very carefully during the determinations. Raising the molten silicon by vacuum into a silica tube and solidifying it there solved the problem of stability as well as that of electrical insulation of a bar. On tests this bar (98.5 pct Si) showed dE/dT = — 275.5 microvolts per degree C vs. copper. Thermocouples made of this grade of silicon and pure nickel developed 0.39 v when temperature of the hot junction was approximately 1000°C. The possibility Dr. Gonser has mentioned of trying to impart to metals good thermoelectric properties by alloying them with silicon, has been considered. The preliminary survey which I have made was, however, disappointing. Perhaps, it will be advisable to record the results obtained (table VI), as this might save repetition of search in fields already covered.

Jan 1, 1951

By C. D. Williams

The following paper deals with some of the aspects of the law as it relates to the oil and gas industry in the Province of Alberta, but it should be stated here that consideration of this large subject will be confined to discussion of only those laws, rules, and regulations which affect actual exploratory operations. The paper will not touch on those branches of the law which deal with such matters as income tax, customs, and other kind red subjects which are of a highly technical nature and which are more properly the field of the specialist. Generally speaking, any system of law consists of certain major components. There must be, firstly, a national authority capable of ensuring the existence of the state itself and of maintaining the stability and continuity of its institutions; secondly, a philosophy of government covering the relationship of the state to the individual and of the individuals to one another; thirdly, a body of law to effect the purposes of the philosophical principles; and, fourthly, a judiciary to arbitrate any disputes that may arise from such relationships. All of these components and the system itself are, of course, subject to a varying degree of modification with the changing times and with the influence upon them of other systems of law. Now. while it is true to say that all systems of law comprise these similar basic features, it is apparent that the end result of any two systems of law in their impact upon the individual may be quite different.

Jan 1, 1951

By Bruce Chalmers

INTRODUCTION TIE most important practical problem with which Physical Metallurgy is faced is the control of the mechanical properties of alloys. The most difficult aspect of this problem is the development of new alloys with the properties that are required for meeting exacting engineering requirements. A great measure of success has been achieved by following the empirical method and most, if not all, of the present variety of alloys have been developed by the process of experiment and observation or trial and error. It may, however, be that this method will become. less productive as time goes on, and that eventually it should be replaced by a process based on an understanding of the factors that determine the properties, so that alloys can be 'designed' to meet the requirements. This method of investigation will not be possible until a much better fundamental understanding of metals has been gained, and this will come only about as a result of a great deal of detailed research. The subject of Physical Metallurgy can be divided, as follows, into two parts: we may consider the factors which determine the structure, in the broadest sense, of an alloy. These include the composition and also the treatment to which the material has been subjected. The second aspect is the influence of the structure on the mechanical and other properties. In order to make an effective contribution in this field, it is necessary for an individual or a group to concentrate on a specific and very restricted topic. It is proposed to discuss in some detail the particular subject in which the writer and his colleagues are working.

Jan 1, 1951

By Fred Horne

1N THIS PAPER, the writer proposes to limit his comments to few generalized phases of the subject, based on his personal experience in the midwestern United 'States and in one section .of the Coal Branch in Western Alberta. The following statistics are submitted to show the importance that strip mining has assumed in the coal mining industry of the United States. In 1914, 1,281,000 tons of strip coal were produced, amounting to 0.3 per cent of the total production. In 1948, the total was 13~,505,000 tons, representing 23.3 per cent. In 1949, the percentage figure dropped slightly and this can be partially accounted for by the labour disturbances prevalent throughout the year. In 1914, there were 48 power shovels and draglines being used in the stripping of coal; in 1949 there were 3,712, not to mention other types of coal stripping equipment such as bulldozers, tractors and scrapers, rotary excavators, and stackers. At the bituminous coal mines in Western Canada, strip mining was introduced only a few years ago, two of the major reasons for its development being the need for increased production during the war and post-war years and the need to hold the line on increasing production costs, but even in these few years the percentage of strip production has in-creased to such an extent that some mines that, five or six years ago, were producing all their tonnage from underground operations are today obtaining up to 80 per cent of their total output from strip mines.

Jan 1, 1951

By John W. Buch

Safety and cost in mining coal beds under the extreme pressures found at depth, full extraction to conserve resources, and even surface subsidence to minimize damage of improved areas have directed much well-deserved attention, in the United Kingdom; to roof-control methods. Because the effects of pressure will be felt intensely as our Pennsylvania anthracite mines grow deeper, the senior author took advantage of an opportunity afforded by a mission to Europe3/ to observe, to a limited extent, the effects of pressures found in deep mines and the manner in which they are con trolled. Organized research relating to strata control has been carried on in Great Britain for nearly 25 years. These activities have been ably outlined by Dr. D. W. Phillips.4/ Physical properties of coal-measure rocks, movements of roof and floor, and types of face and roadway supports have been investigated. Same of the forces induced by the extraction of coal have been measured. The results of this research have been publicized and openly discussed, and much progress has been made in establishing a better factual understanding of roof-control problems and their solution.

Jan 1, 1951

By The Mill Staff

Introduction The Hollinger cyanidation mill commenced operating in June, 1912, and 49,779,978 tons of solids had been discarded by the end of 1950. The present tailing disposal plant has been in operation since 1924 and holds 39,762,250 tons. The tailing disposal plant is on the property of Kayorum Gold Mines, Limited, about a mile and a quarter south of the mill. The area available for tailing covers 640 acres and is roughly l ¼ miles long by ¾ mile wide. Tailing was first deposited on the McKay veteran claims, l mile long by 1/2 mile wide, which were later included in the Kayorum property. This site sloped from northeast to southwest, the slope amounting to 106 feet between the northeast corner and the low land to the southwest. The low land was wet and a considerable area was covered with muskeg up to 17 feet deep. It was drained by a brook running across the property in a southwesterly direction. Later, when more ground was needed, the low-lying mining claims adjacent to the south and west boundaries were acquired to allow for the extension of the plant. This entailed some extra difficulties and expense that would not have been encountered had the whole of the present site been acquired with the original purchase. At the present time, the top of the tailing deposit stands at two elevations, but eventually the tailing deposited on the extension to the original plant will be raised to the same height as the older deposit. Previous to 1924, all of the tailing was deposited on Low land and in lakes near the mil1. Between 1924 and 1926 an increasing tonnage was sent to the McKay claims until, in 1926, all of it was being sent there. In 1936, the area of the deposit was extended and shortly afterwards all of the tailing was deposited on the new site.

Jan 1, 1951

By J. A. Hafford, J. K. Kerver, J. G. Richardson, P. M. Blair, J. S. Osoba

This paper presents the results of laboratory measurements of relative permeabilities to oil and gas on small core samples of reservoir rock by five methods, and describes the influences of such factors as boundary effect, hysteresis, and rate upon these measurements. The five methods used were the "Penn State," the "single core dynamic," the "gas drive," the "stationary liquid," and the "Hassler" techniques. In those methods in which the results are subject to error hecause of the boundary effect, the error may be minimized hy the use of high rates of flow. In order to avoid complexities introduced by hysteresis, it is necessary to approach each saturation unidirectionally. Observed deviations of relative permeabilities with rate can be explained as a manifestation of the boundary effect, and disappear as the boundary effect vanishes. The results indicate that all five methods yield essentially the same relative permeabilities to gas. Of the four methods applicable to the determination of relative permeability to oil, three, the Penn State, single core dynamic, and gas drive, gave relative permeabilities to oil which were in close agreement. The Hassler method gave relative permeabilities to oil which were consistently lower than the results obtained by the other methods. INTRODUCTION The relationship between the effective permeability of a reservoir rock to each of the fluids flowing through it and the corresponding fluid saturation is an important characteristic of the reservoir rock. Knowledge of this characteristic is and gas reservoirs and of the ultimate recovery to be expected extremely important in the prediction of the behavior of oil under various operating conditions. These effective permeabilities are usually expressed as the "relative permeability" to a fluid phase, defined as the ratio of the effective permeability to the permeability of the rock to a single phase at 100 per cent saturation. Relative permeability-saturation relations are not the same for all kinds of reservoir rock, but may vary from formation to formation, and within the different portions of a heterogeneous formation. In studying the performance of a specific reservoir, it is necessary, then, that the relative permeability characteristics of the individual portions of the reservoir be measured. These measurements may be made in the laboratory on small core samples from the reservoir. Various techniques have been proposed for the measurement in the laboratory of relative permeability-saturation relations. In varying degree, difficulties attend the use of all of the methods which have been proposed. It is the purpose of this paper to discuss the factors which influence the measurement of relative permeability, the difficulties encountered in several methods, and to present comparative results obtained by the use of various techniques. FACTORS WHICH INFLUENCE THE MEASUREMENT OF RELATIVE PERMEABILITY It is necessary that the relative permeability data measured in the laboratory yield the same relative permeability-saturation relationships that would govern the flow of fluids through the sample if it were to occupy its original position in the reservoir. Since the core sample upon which the laboratory measurements are made is not surrounded by similar core material as it was in the reservoir, an error in measuring the relative permeabilities may arise from the "boundary effect" which results from a discontinuity in capillary properties of the system at the effluent end of the core. Again, the rates of

Jan 1, 1951

By B. B. Wood, M. J. Rzasa, E. W. Hough

An apparatus for the determination of fluid-fluid interfacial tension by the pendant drop method has been constructed. The apparatus is refined beyond those previously described in that the samples are introduced into an evacuated windowed cell without contacting air or mercury. Interfacial tension data are reported for the water-methane system between 74 and 280°F and 15 and 15,000 psi. The variation of wettability of the stainless-steel dropper tip with pressure and temperature was observed incidentally to the measurements. INTRODUCTION The most refined previous apparatus --for the determination of fluid-fluid interfacial tension at reservoir conditions was built by Hauser and Michaels.' These authors used the pendant drop method, previously investigated by Andreas, Hauser, and Tucker.' Recently, Fordham3 has made the pendant drop method an absolute one by numerical integration of the differential equation of drop shape. It is necessary to know the difference in density of the two fluids and the acceleration due to gravity in order to evaluate the interfacial tension from measurements of drop dimensions. Contact angle is not involved in the measurements by this method. Some precise tests of the method have been made at atmospheric pressure and 77°F by Douglas," who found agreement with established values to within about 0.1 per cent for water and air, cyclohexane and air, benzene and air, and benzene and water. No values of interfacial tension from the recent pendant drop apparatusJ have been published by Hauser and Michaels. However, values for the water-benzene and water-decane systems are given in Michaels' thesis5 or Dressures from 15 .to 10,000 psi and temperatures from 73 to 268ºF. Some determinations on gas-oil and gas-water systems in the range of 15 to 4,000 psi and 78 to 178°F have been made by Hozott,' by the drop-volume method. The capillary rise method has been used to investigate the interfacial tension in gas-oil systems at 88°F to several thousand psi by Swartz.7 Other determinations in gas-oil systems at pressures under 1,000 psia have been made by Jones: and Beecher and Parkhurst.9 The scarcity of data for pressures above 5.000 psi is apparent. APPARATUS An assembly drawing of the working section of the interfacial tenqion apparatus is given in Fig. 2. 'The endanant drop (A) is housed in a pressure chamber having glass windows (B). An agitator (6) is provided. The metal parts of the apparatus coming into contact with the sample are made of AISI: Type 316 steel. Drain grooves are provided around the whdows so that the sample in contact with the O-rings is not returned to the working section when the pressure is reduced. A schematic arrangement of the apparatus is given in Fig. 3. The working section containing the pendant drop (A) is filled by samples from bombs (B) with the aid of the vacuum system (C). The O-ring sealed pistons (D) used to separate the sample from the hydraulic fluid are shown together with the pressure production and measurement system (E). A front view of the apparatus is shown in Fig. 1. Most of the hydraulic system is at the top of the panel. The pump and displacement piston are at the lower right. The Variacs for the air bath heaters. the camera. and the vacuum gauge are a1so visible on the panel. The working section together with a window closure and a drop-forming tip closure are shown in Fig. 9. The carbon arc light source with filter is visible in the upper part of the picture. Two sides of the air bath with the impeller and a part of the convection shield can also be seen. The assembled air bath is shown in Fig. 10.

Jan 1, 1951

By Dwight H. Seely, Louis R. Records

A process for low-temperature dehydration of natural gas utilizing Joule-Thomson effect in expansion through a throttling orifice has been tested in a full-scale field installation. The results of these tests are presented in the form of performance curves from which the process may be easily evaluated. The effect of separation temperature on condensate recovery from the process is also shown. INTRODUCTION The transportation of natural gas from producing well to the consumer has always encountered the problem of hydrate prevention. This problem has become increasingly important in the past ten years due to the rapid increase in produced gas volumes, production pressures, transportation pressures and distance from producing wells to consumer. Natural gas, as normally produced from gas or gas-condensate wells, is saturated with water vapor at well-head conditions of temuerature and pressure. The solution of the hydrate problem require; but one basic process — dehydration of the gas to a water content which will result in a water dew-point below the minimum temperature to be encountered from the producing well to the point of consumption. Much of the recent development of gas and gas-condensate reserves in the Gulf Coast Area has been in locations which are accessible only by water. High well-head pressures, pipeline construction and maintenance costs and the desirability of final central gas-condensate separation facilities have stimulated the development of dehydration equipment which can be installed at each well and which will permit hydrate-free transportation of both gas and condensate in the same line to central facilities. There are four types of natural gas dehydration processes now used: 1. Adsorptive processes. 2. Absorptive processes. 3. Chemical reaction processes. 4. Refrigeration processes. The first three of these processes are indirect in that they require use of adsorbents, absorbents or reactive chemicals. These materials require regeneration and part of the total gas stream is consumed in the regenerative process. Indirect processes have a wide range of flexibility as defined by allowable operating pressure and temperature, but most are not easily adapted to automatic operation. The refrigeration process described in this paper was designed for installation at the producing well-head. It requires no regenerative cycle and with normal well-head temperatures no external source of heat. The flexibility of this process is limited only by the pressure drop which may be allowed between well-head and transportation line. THEORY There are three basic physical concepts involved in the low temperature dehydration process. These are: 1. Formation of hydrocarbon hydrates. 2. Joule-Thompson effect resulting from the expansion of gaseous mixtures through a throttling orifice. 3. The equilibrium composition characteristics of water vapor and gaseous hydrocarbon mixture.. The chemical composition and physical structure of hydrate; have been described by several investigators.3,4,5,10 Specific conditions of temperature, pressure and composition as well as the requirements for turbulence and presence of free water necessary for hydrate formation have been described by Katz.6 Natural gas hydrates, as they are found in plugged gas pipe lines, have the appearance of packed snow. The mass of these hydrates has low continuous porosity and permeability. Joule-Thomson effect. or the reduction in temperature which occurs when natural gas is throttled throusll a restrictive orifice, is the basic phenomenon which permits efficient use of refrigeration for the purpose of dehydrating natural gas. Joule-Thomson coefficients for gafeous mixture; of methane with ethane and with butane have been reported by Buder.-I~olzer, Sage and Lacey.2 Brown1 predicted temperature drops for pressure drops from enthalpy-entropy calculations. Aside from this work there were no fundamental data found which would be applicable to natural gas mixtures of varying spe-

Jan 1, 1951