Search Documents

NEW, MEMBERS The following list comprises the names of those persons who became members during the period July 10, 1916; to July 31, 1916: BOYD, ROBERT RUSSELL Supt:,-Arizona -Commercial Min Co., Globe, .Ariz. BRADLEY, HENRY FRANKLIN, Chem, American Smelt & Ref. Co. Murray,:Utah: BROWN, THOMAS ELLIS, JR..:'. L .:.::..55 Hill, St;; Morristown, N. J. CARY, WEBSTER P., Expert Operator,-General Engineering. Co:, Salt Lake City, Utah. CLARK, ALONZO WEBSTER 3223_ Scottwood Ave., Toledo, Ohio. CORP, CLIFFORD Old Dominion Copper Min. & Smelt. 60., Globe, Ariz. CROMBIE, W. RANSOM, Min. Engr Detroit Copper Min. Co., Morenci, Ariz. DELANEY, EUGENE A., Chief Engr., Berwind-White. Coal Mining -Co., Windber, Pa ELBELT, WILLIAM HENRY, Dept. Foreman., Chino Copper Co., Hurley, N. Mex. FOSTER, L. JULIO, Mgr., Minas i Fundicion ; ?La Junta," San Bernardo, Chile, South America. GASKILL, JAMES PHILLIPS, Genl. Mgr.,.Ajo Cons. Copper Co., Ajo, Ariz., via Gila, Ariz. .

Jan 9, 1916

By H. D. Hodges, J. K. Godbey

In order to better understand the fracturing process, bottom-hole pressures were measured during a number of typical fracturing operations. A recently developed system was used that allows simultaneous surface recording of both the bottom-hole and wellhead pressures on the same chart. The results from six fracruring treatments are summarized on the basis of the pressure data obtained. Al-though no complete analysis is attempted, the value of accurate pressure measurements is emphasized. Important characteristics of the bottom-hole pressure record do not appear at the wellhead because of the damping effect of the fluid-filled column. In four of the six treatments described, the formations apparently fractured during the initial surge of pressure with only crude oil in the well. The properties of the fluids used during the treatments are given and the fluid friction losses are obtained directly from the pressure records. This technique is also shown to be adequate for determining when various fluids, used during the process, enter the formation. INTRODUCTION Hydraulic fracturing for the purpose of increasing well productivity is now accepted in many areas as a regular completion and workover practice. Numerous articles have appeared in the literature discussing the various techniques and theories of hydraulic fracturing'. In general, three basic types of formation fractures are recognized today. These are the horizontal fracture, the vertical fracture, and fractures along natural planes of weakness in the formation'. Any one or all three of these fracture types may be present in a fracturing operation. However, with only the wellhead pressure record as a guide, it is difficult at best to determine if the formation actually fractured, and is almost impossible to determine the type of fracture induced. These difficulties arise in part because the wellhead pressure record, especially when fracturing through tubing, does not accurately reflect the pressure variations occurring at the formation. Several factors contribute to this effect and preclude the possibility of using the wellhead pressure as a basis for accurately calculating the bottom-hole pressure. These factors are: 1. The compressibilities of the fluids which damp the pressure variations. 2. The changes in the densities of the fluids or apparent densities of the sand-laden fluids. 3. The flowing friction of the various fluids and mixtures, which is dependent on the flow rates and the condition of the tubing, casing, or wellbore. 4. The non-Newtonian characteristics of a sand-oil mixture and its dependence upon the fluid properties, the concentration of sand, and the mesh size used. 5. The unknown and variable temperatures throughout the fluid column. Because of these reasons it was determined that in order to obtain a more accurate knowledge of the nature of fracturing, the bottom-hole pressure must be measured along with the pressure at the surface during a fracturing treatment. Even with accurate pressure data, a reliable estimate of the nature of fracturing is still dependent upon knowledge of the tectonic conditions. However, the hydraulic pressure on the formation is basic to any approach to a complete analysis. In order to accomplish this objective a system was developed to record the wellhead and bottom-hole pressures simultaneously at the surface. By recording both pressures on a dual pen strip-chart recorder, it was possible to greatly expand the time scale so that rapid pressure variations would be faithfully recorded. By such simultaneous recording, time discrepancies inherent in separate records are eliminated, thus overcoming one of the most difficult problems associated with bottom-hole recording systems. This paper illustrates the results obtained by using this system during six typical fracturing operations. All of these tests were taken in wells that were treated through tubing. By a direct comparison of the wellhead and bottom-hole pressures, the importance of obtaining complete pressure information during a fracturing treatment is emphasized. THE INSTRUMENTATION AND PROCEDURES The bottom-hole pressure measuring instrument consisted of a pressure-sensing element, a telemetering section, and a lead-filled weight or sinker bar. The pressure-sensing element used was an isoelastic Amerada pressure-gauge element. By using an isoelastic element, no temperature compensation was necessary in the tests described, since the temperature was believed to be well below the maximum temperature limit of 270°F. The rotary output shaft of this helical Bourdon tube element was coupled to a precision miniature potentiometer. The rotation of the pressure-gauge shaft thus changed the resistance presented by the potentiometer

By Frank H. Reed, P. W. Henline, Harold W. Jackman

A sumMary of the consumption of coal in 1945 shows that the coke industry ac-counted for 17 pct of the total coal used. No substitute for coke and the blast furnace in the reduction of iron ore has gained sufficient prominence so far to be given serious consideration. However, while the same slot-type ovens are being built and used now as were in use a few years ago, the problem of obtaining suitable coking coals, both high- and low-volatile, has forced many operators to revamp coal-blending facilities. Until the beginning of World War 11, high-temperature ooke plants were able to secure the required high-volatile and low-volatile coals from two or three seams and from three or four mines. Thus, many of our coke oven plants were able to operate with storage bins for two coals only. The vari-pnce in raw materials was not great, and uniformity of blend was a relatively simple problem. Since the beginning of World War 11, many and important changes have taken place. Demand for all coals increased greatly. Production, though kept as near maximum capacity as possible, could not meet the demands for coal generally, and particularly for the various kinds of coal which have proved to be satisfactory for specialized uses; coals were allocated as nearly as possible in the order of greatest need; storage piling was reduced to the minimum necessary to keep plants in operation; uniformity of quality could not be maintained, and with this last, uniformity of composition of blends for coking could not be maintained. Whereas before the war producers of metallurgical coke could fill their needs from three or four mines, by the end of the war it was not unusual to find shipments to a single coke oven plant coming from as many as 30 different mines, in a single month. Since many of the mines producing both high- and low-volatile coal for high-grade metallurgical coke are rapidly nearing de-pletion, the problem of seeking new sources and of blending a number of coals in each plant for the production of high-temperature coke is facing practically every producer in the United States at the present time, and is one which will probably continue for many years to come. Midwestern byproduct coke ovens in the Chicago and St. Louis areas use annually from 12 to 15 million tons of bituminous coals which are transported 500 to 700 miles from the Appalachian coal fields of Pennsylvania, West Virginia, and eastern Kentucky. Approximately two-thirds of this coal is high-volatile bituminous. The critical transportation problem confronting the nation in 1943, and the growing scarcity of the best Appalachian coking coals, prompted the Illinois Geological Survey to propose a research program in which would be studied the coking properties of blends of low-sulphur, high-volatile Illinois coal with the high- and low-volatile coals from the eastern fields. Such blends containing Illinois coal, if substituted for the all-eastern blends normally coked,

Jan 1, 1949

By Aureal T. Cross

THIS paper is a review of the published literature on research in coal geology, principally exclusive of resource studies, which appeared or became available during 1950 and the latter part of 1949. This report is not to be construed as being complete. The papers referred to in the bibliography are those among many more, which were read either in full or in abstract. Undoubtedly other papers were published which either escaped the author's notice or were not available to him. Those which were seen in abstract only (about one fourth of those listed) were not available in time for the inclusion of more than a notice. An outline of all papers listed in the bibliography has been arranged by subjects and reasonable subdivisions with some papers cited under more than one subject. Most papers are indexed according to the principal subject of discussion or research only as to an unusual or noteworthy section of the entire report. There will likely be some disagreement as to the quality or merit of some of the papers selected and the specialist may be supercritical of the outline or organization of papers in his field. It may be that attention has occasionally been drawn to papers reporting old information or conclusions of questionable value. Conferences and Meetings One of the best indications of the growing interest in coal geology problems in the United States is the increasing number of times this field has been the focus of attention at conferences and meetings. Notable among these are the joint meeting of the Society of Economic Geologists and the Geological Society of America at El Paso, November 1949, at which the principal thesis was concerned with low rank carbonaceous fuel deposits, especially of western United States. Among the papers given which are already available were those presented by Barghoorn,'" Parry? Roe? and Parks."' At the annual meeting of the Botanical Society of America in New York, December 1949, a joint meeting of the Paleobotanical and Microbiological Sections was held for which a symposium on Microbiology in Relation to the Geologic Accumulation of Organic Complexes was organized. Publication of the six papers presented by Ralph G. H. Siu, Elso S. Barghoorn, Irving Breger, Claude E. ZoBell, James M. Schopf, and A. C. Thayson is anticipated. At the regular meetings of the Paleobotanical Section at the same time, several other papers of interest reported on coal ball studies, partial coalification of petrified wood, and floras. In Chicago, April 1950, a symposium on Applied Paleobotany was held by the Society of Economic Paleontologists and Mineralogists in conjunction with the American Association of Petroleum Geologists. The five papers presented at this meeting dealt with the use of Paleozoic plant microfossils for stratigraphic work, J. M. Schopf, Devonian-Missis-sippian fossils of the black shales, Aureal T. Cross, Mesozoic plants of stratigraphic value, Th. Just, plant microfossils of the Tertiary, L. R. Wilson, and studies of the Brandon lignite, Elso S. Barghoorn. Early publication of these in the Journal of Paleontology is expected. The Nova Scotia Research Foundation and the Nova Scotia Dept. of Mines sponsored an excellent 3-day conference in June 1950, which dealt with several aspects of coal geology. Papers on coal classification, P. A. Hacquenbard, structure and sedimentation problems in Nova Scotia, T. B. Haites, new techniques of thermal analysis, W. L. White-head, geochemical investigations of Nova Scotia coals, Irving Breger, the role of fossil plant spores in coal correlation and the stratigraphy of the coal-bearing strata of the Appalachian Region, Aureal T. Cross, were given. Some discussions of these papers by those in attendance were recorded, and the entire proceedings is being prepared for publication. In September 1950, an unusual 3-day field conference was held by the Ohio and West Virginia Geological Surveys under the sponsorship of the Coal Geology Committee. This study of the stratigraphy, sedimentation, and nomenclature of the Upper Pennsylvanian and Permian coal-bearing strata of southeastern Ohio, southwestern Pennsylvania, and northern West Virginia was augmented by two discussions on associated rocks (clays and shales) and stratigraphic nomenclature at Wheeling and Morgantown, West Va. An extensive guidebook was prepared, and transcriptions of the Morgantown meeting were made. As a follow-up of the September field conference, a round-table discussion was held on this general topic at a special open meeting of the Coal Research Committee in conjunction with the November meeting of the Geological Society in Washington. Short prepared statements to invite discussion were given on each of several topics by L. M. Cline, Carl 0.

Jan 1, 1953

By Aureal T. Cross

THIS paper is a review of the published literature on research in coal geology, principally exclusive of resource studies, which appeared or became available during 1950 and the latter part of 1949. This report is not to be construed as being complete. The papers referred to in the bibliography are those among many more, which were read either in full or in abstract. Undoubtedly other papers were published which either escaped the author's notice or were not available to him. Those which were seen in abstract only (about one fourth of those listed) were not available in time for the inclusion of more than a notice. An outline of all papers listed in the bibliography has been arranged by subjects and reasonable subdivisions with some papers cited under more than one subject. Most papers are indexed according to the principal subject of discussion or research only as to an unusual or noteworthy section of the entire report. There will likely be some disagreement as to the quality or merit of some of the papers selected and the specialist may be supercritical of the outline or organization of papers in his field. It may be that attention has occasionally been drawn to papers reporting old information or conclusions of questionable value. Conferences and Meetings One of the best indications of the growing interest in coal geology problems in the United States is the increasing number of times this field has been the focus of attention at conferences and meetings. Notable among these are the joint meeting of the Society of Economic Geologists and the Geological Society of America at El Paso, November 1949, at which the principal thesis was concerned with low rank carbonaceous fuel deposits, especially of western United States. Among the papers given which are already available were those presented by Barghoorn,'" Parry? Roe? and Parks."' At the annual meeting of the Botanical Society of America in New York, December 1949, a joint meeting of the Paleobotanical and Microbiological Sections was held for which a symposium on Microbiology in Relation to the Geologic Accumulation of Organic Complexes was organized. Publication of the six papers presented by Ralph G. H. Siu, Elso S. Barghoorn, Irving Breger, Claude E. ZoBell, James M. Schopf, and A. C. Thayson is anticipated. At the regular meetings of the Paleobotanical Section at the same time, several other papers of interest reported on coal ball studies, partial coalification of petrified wood, and floras. In Chicago, April 1950, a symposium on Applied Paleobotany was held by the Society of Economic Paleontologists and Mineralogists in conjunction with the American Association of Petroleum Geologists. The five papers presented at this meeting dealt with the use of Paleozoic plant microfossils for stratigraphic work, J. M. Schopf, Devonian-Missis-sippian fossils of the black shales, Aureal T. Cross, Mesozoic plants of stratigraphic value, Th. Just, plant microfossils of the Tertiary, L. R. Wilson, and studies of the Brandon lignite, Elso S. Barghoorn. Early publication of these in the Journal of Paleontology is expected. The Nova Scotia Research Foundation and the Nova Scotia Dept. of Mines sponsored an excellent 3-day conference in June 1950, which dealt with several aspects of coal geology. Papers on coal classification, P. A. Hacquenbard, structure and sedimentation problems in Nova Scotia, T. B. Haites, new techniques of thermal analysis, W. L. White-head, geochemical investigations of Nova Scotia coals, Irving Breger, the role of fossil plant spores in coal correlation and the stratigraphy of the coal-bearing strata of the Appalachian Region, Aureal T. Cross, were given. Some discussions of these papers by those in attendance were recorded, and the entire proceedings is being prepared for publication. In September 1950, an unusual 3-day field conference was held by the Ohio and West Virginia Geological Surveys under the sponsorship of the Coal Geology Committee. This study of the stratigraphy, sedimentation, and nomenclature of the Upper Pennsylvanian and Permian coal-bearing strata of southeastern Ohio, southwestern Pennsylvania, and northern West Virginia was augmented by two discussions on associated rocks (clays and shales) and stratigraphic nomenclature at Wheeling and Morgantown, West Va. An extensive guidebook was prepared, and transcriptions of the Morgantown meeting were made. As a follow-up of the September field conference, a round-table discussion was held on this general topic at a special open meeting of the Coal Research Committee in conjunction with the November meeting of the Geological Society in Washington. Short prepared statements to invite discussion were given on each of several topics by L. M. Cline, Carl 0.

Jan 1, 1953

By G. M. Schwartz, G. A. Thiel

THE first record of the quarrying of dimension stone in Minnesota dates back to 1820 when limestone was quarried locally for part of old Fort Snelling. Limestone quarries were operated at Stillwater, Mankato, and Winona as early as 1854. Granite was quarried first at St. Cloud in 1868, and within a few years thousands of tons were shipped to widespread points. Rough dimension stone for large buildings furnished the first important market, but beginning in 1886 paving blocks were in demand. The largest shipment was in 1888, when 1925 cars were shipped from the St. Cloud area. Quartzite was quarried first at New Ulm in 1859 and somewhat later at Pipestone and elsewhere in southwestern Minnesota: The productive dolomite quarries at Kasota were opened first in 1868 and have continued as large producers of a variety of stone to the present time. At present, the industry is controlled by relatively few operators, and for that reason detailed figures on dimension stone are not released for publication. A general idea may be obtained from the data in the Minerals Yearbook for 1948. The figures for total stone produced in Minnesota are 1,804,000 tons valued at $5,090,652. Probably the largest item in the latter figure is received from dimension stone. A better idea of the situation, in relation to the country as a whole may be gained by using the data for 1930 when more companies were operating in Minnesota, and complete figures were published. In that year Minnesota produced granite valued at $2,668,119 and ranked third among the states in value. Minnesota's production of granite was almost exclusively for dimension stone. In the same year Minnesota produced 300,000 tons of limestone (dolomite) valued at $840,860, and this likewise was mainly dimension stone. In finished limestone Minnesota ranked second among the states in 1930. Sandstone and minor amounts of quartzite are the only other dimension stones that have been produced in Minnesota, but the quarries are now inactive. The commercial stones of Minnesota have been described in two reports by Bowled and by Thiel and Dutton.2 The early history of quarrying in Minnesota and extensive notes on the various rocks are given by N. H. Winchell.3 Small limestone and dolomite quarries were numerous throughout the area of Paleozoic rocks in southeastern Minnesota. Early production was largely dimension stone. With the increased use of Portland cement, most of these ceased production, and today only those at Kasota and Winona remain in operation. In recent years many quarries have reopened and new ones started, but these are devoted to the production of crushed rock and agricultural lime. As the application of modern quarrying and finishing methods increased, small companies in the granite business have dropped out, and the remaining companies have modernized their plants, purchased old quarries, and opened up new ones, thus furnishing a wide variety of granites suitable for most of the customary uses. It is the purpose of this review to present notes on' the geology and operations of each of the quarries now operating within the state. Granites and Related Igneous Rocks The term granite as used in this report includes granites, gneisses, diorites, gabbros, and other igneous rocks. The granites of greatest economic importance are found in three widely separated regions, see Fig. 1. 1-Central Minnesota in the region of the city of St. Cloud, 2-the upper Minnesota River valley region, 3-the northeastern portion of the state, commonly referred to as the Arrowhead region. The St. Cloud Region: The rocks of the St. Cloud region are mainly granites and related rock types such as monzonites and quartz diorites. The stones may be grouped into three major types, namely, pink granite, red granite and gray granite. Most of the pink granite occurs in the area to the southwest of St. Cloud. The rock is best described as stone with large pink crystals set in a finer grained black and white background. The minerals of the matrix occur in remarkably uniform sizes, and the pink crystals are sufficiently uniform in. their dis-

Jan 1, 1952

By Francis Lucas

EACH year we gather in this auditorium to honor the memory of a . distinguished American metallurgist and educator. I cannot bring to you reminiscences of Prof. Henry Marion Howe as other lecturers have done. It was not my good fortune to enjoy the privilege of studying and ,working under his direction. As I have reflected on the published works of Professor Howe, it has seemed to me that his mind was trained on the nature of metals and on the mechanism which produced known but unexplained effects. He was interested in controlling and regulating the causes so as to produce specific effects, useful in serving mankind. I recall an afternoon in May, 1925, when, at the invitation of Mrs. Howe, I visited his former home, Green Peace at Bedford Hills, N. Y. The purpose of my visit was to receive at the hands of the widow -an engraving of Professor Howe, a reproduction of a painting from life. Mrs. Howe showed me his study. The walls of this large attractive room, brilliantly illuminated by the spring sunshine, were literally covered with the scrolls of honors and of decorations which had been conferred on Professor Howe by governments, academies, universities, societies and. institutions the world over. As we walked about the room, she pointed out the significance of each honor and recited a few details of each occasion. I sensed the pride with which Mrs. Howe, then in the late autumn of her life, told me of her husbands' achievements, of his struggles, of his disappointments and of his successes. There was a surprisingly familiar note in the recital to which I was listening. I have found the same theme running as a disconnected thread through the written accounts of the lives of most men of science. We then went to the drawing room to chat for a few minutes before I said my farewells. As we seated ourselves, Mrs. Howe turned to me and asked: "Mr. Lucas, what of this great microscope of yours? Cannot it be applied to the study of disease? What a great blessing it would be if it could be directed to relieve the suffering of mankind."

Jan 1, 1931

By Francis Lucas

EACH year we gather in this auditorium to honor the memory of a. distinguished American metallurgist and educator. I cannot bring to you reminiscences of Prof. Henry Marion Howe as other lecturers have done. It was not my good fortune to enjoy the-privilege of studying and working under his direction. As I have reflected on the published works of Professor Howe, it has seemed to me that his mind was trained on the nature of metals and on the mechanism which produced known but unexplained effects. He was interested in controlling and regulating the causes so as to produce specific effects, useful in serving mankind. I recall an afternoon in May, 1925, when, at the invitation of Mrs. Howe, I visited his former home, Green Peace at Bedford Hills, N. Y. The purpose of my visit was to receive at the hands of the widow an engraving of Professor Howe, a reproduction of a painting from life. Mrs. Howe showed me his study. The walls of this large attractive room, brilliantly illuminated by the spring sunshine, were literally covered with the scrolls of honors and of decorations which had been conferred on Professor Howe by governments, academies, universities, societies and institutions the world over. As we walked about the room, she pointed out the significance of each honor and recited a few details of each occasion. I sensed the pride with which Mrs. Howe, then in the late autumn of her life, told me of her husbands' achievements, of his struggles, of his disappointments and of his successes. There was a surprisingly familiar note in the recital to which I was listening. I 'have found the same theme running as a disconnected thread through the written accounts of the lives of most men of science. We then went to the drawing room to chat for a few minutes before I said my farewells. As we seated ourselves, Mrs. Howe turned to me and asked: "Mr. Lucas, what of this great microscope of yours? Cannot it be applied to the study of disease? What a great blessing it would be if it could be directed to relieve the suffering of mankind."

Jan 1, 1931

By C. A. Stickels, C. M. Yen

Secondary recrystallization was investigated in vacuum-melted electrolytic iron to which 70 pm N was vacuum-meltedadded. The secondary texture is "near {554}<225>" for material cold-rolled 75 to 90 pct, the sharpness of the texture increasing with increased rolling reduction and with decreased annealing temperature. At reductions of 95 and 97.5 pct the secondary texture is &apos;"near {322)(296)". Both secondary orientations also exist as major components of the primary re-crystallization texture. Development of a strong "near {554) (225)" secondary texture appears to depend on the evolution of the Primary texture to a transition texture depleted in orientations near the secondary orientation before the onset of secondary growth. A variety of qualitative experinzents have been used to show that nitrogen is important in limiling primary grain growth. The presence of nitrogen does not seem essential for the establishment of a transition texture, but a loss of nitrogen during annealing may facilitate growth of grains in the secondary orientation. Secondary grains we shown to form initially at the specimen surface. This is not thought to indicate that surface energies are important in the growth process. It is proposed that the quasi-two-dimensional character of surface grains permits discontinuous growth parallel to the surface before secondary growth of interior grains is possible. An earlier study of recrystallization textures in 90 pct cold-rolled electrolytic iron showed that secondary recrystallization occurred after annealing for several days at 700C1 This type of secondary recrystallization, which had not been reported previously, results in the formation of a strong texture, best described by the indices "near {554}(225)". The purpose of the present work was to investigate the effect of various processing variables on secondary recrystallization in this material and determine the mechanism of secondary grain growth. LITERATURE REVIEW An understanding of the mechanism of a secondary recrystallization process depends on knowing: 1) how grains in the secondary orientation come to be in the primary recrystallization texture; 2) why normal grain growth does not occur; and 3) what factors determine the strength of the secondary texture. For secondary growth of grains of a particular orientation, a certain minimum fraction of the grains must be in that orientation after primary recrystallization. This requirement is apparently satisfied "naturally" in certain systems, i.e., when the primary texture obtained by rolling and recrystallizing material initially randomly oriented contains a sufficient fraction of primaries in the secondary orientation. However, in other cases, e.g., {110}<001> and {100}<001> secondary growth in silicon iron,2 it is necessary to enhance the fraction of primary grains in the secondary orientation by rolling and recrystallizing textured material. In the present case, the "near {554}<225>" orientation is contained within the spread of orientations found in the primary recrystallization texture of iron or bbc iron-base alloys. In systems where the main driving force for secondary growth is the reduction in total grain boundary energy, secondary growth is observed only when normal grain growth is minimized. Four ways in which normal grain growth can be limited are: 1) Limitation by a strong primary texture. When a very strong primary texture consisting of a single component or twin-related components develop, most primary grains are separated from one another by relatively immobile small-angle grain boundaries. The classic instance of this is secondary growth into the primary cube texture in some fcc metals. 2) Limitation by precipitates. Precipitates present in the proper volume fraction with a suitable dispersion will limit primary grain growth. The role of MnS inclusions in impeding normal grain growth in Si-Fe is well-documented.5 3) Limitation by sheet thickness. Normal grain growth slows drastically when the mean grain diameter is of the same order as the sheet thickness. This effect has been used to obtain secondary recrystallization in thin sheets of high-purity silicon iron.&apos; 4) Limitation by solute impurities. It is well-established that certain impurity elements in solution can have a large effect on grain boundary mobility.&apos; However, there does not seem to be any secondary recrystallization process in which primary grain size stabilization has been shown to be due to the drag exerted on grain boundaries by dissolved impurities. In certain systems, e.g., secondary recrystallization in silver,&apos; the means by which normal grain growth is limited has not been identified, and solute-impurity limitation might be suspected. In order to understand the factors which determine secondary texture strength in three-dimensional growth, it is necessary to examine in more detail the current picture of general secondary recrystallization processes. Following Cahn,9 it is assumed that the primary grains have a range of sizes and that secondary growth of one of the large grains in this distribution is possible when it exceeds a critical size with respect to its neighboring grains. The critical size depends on the ratio ?S/?p, where ?s is some sort of average grain boundary energy between the potential secondary and the primary grains and ?p is some sort of average grain boundary energy between primary grains. For a constant primary grain size, the critical size for secondary growth increases as ?$/?p increases. May and Turnbull5 have incorporated the

Jan 1, 1969

By Nick Holonyak

Halogen vapor-transport synthesis of Ga(As,-,Px) and its preparation into laser junctions are described. Electrical and optical properties of Ga(As,-,PX) laser junctions are discussed. The present limitations in these properties are related to material proble?vzs and the very early state of development of Ga(As,-,PX), and are discussed in this context. Inhonzogeneity problems, fluctuation of As :P ratio, and problems with deep-level contaminants are described and related to Ga(As,-,PX) junction performance. Laser junctions are demonstrated which operate to wavelengths as short as 6470 A (77°K). The prospect that Ga(As,-,P,) will operate to wavelengths perhaps 100A shorter is mentioned. IN this paper we wish to describe some of the more important features of almost 1 year of experience in the preparation and properties of Ga(As,-,P,) p-n junction lasers. Because much data so far available are far from complete, some of the results still must be considered tentative and subject to correction and revision as work on Ga(As,-,P,) crystal problems progresses. Although the electrical, optical, and device properties of Ga(As,-,P,) junction lasers are understandably of considerable interest, the work to date points out that by far the most serious problems extant and those deserving first attention are problems involving the growth, doping, and perfection of Ga(As,-,P,) crystals. One of the most formidable of these is to grow Ga(As,-,P,) sufficiently free of deep levels, either due to contaminants or to structural imperfections, to allow fabrication of laser p-n junctions which can be cooled and not suffer from "freeze-out" of carriers on deep levels (and consequent double-injection behavior). In addition to the problems of growing crystals adequately free of deep levels and generally of the highest perfection, so that the best possible laser junctions can be realized, the further goal remains of increasing the phosphorus content well beyond 40 pct in an attempt to determine the practical lower wavelength limits of laser action in the Ga(As,-,P,) system. Even though the laser junctions prepared in Ga(As,-,P,) are of importance in their own right, we have considered them at this point mainly a means to study the growth and crystal problems of the material. It can be concluded that the laser junctions now available are almost completely limited by the purity and structural deficiencies of Ga(As,-,P,) crystals, and cannot be fairly compared with, for example, GaAs p-n junction lasers until Ga(As,-,P,) crystal growth has been more extensively developed. The basis for the statements above will become evident in the following sections which describe Ga(As,-,P,) crystal and junction preparation, and laser-junction properties. G(As,-,P,) CRYSTAL GROWTH As previously reported,2 we have found it convenient to employ the halogen vapor-transport process3 for synthesizing Ga(As,-,P,) crystals for use in laser junctions. Commercially available GaAs and Gap, separately prepared by halogen vapor tranport, are sealed in the desired ratio in a quartz vessel with a quantity of column-VI donor and a small quantity of metal halide which supplies the halogen for transport. The sealed ampoule, as shown in Fig. 1, is heated at a temperature in the range from 1025" to 1100°C at the position of the source GaAs and Gap. The GaAs and Gap are simultaneously vapor-transported and deposited as Ga(As,-,P,) at one end of the ampoule

Jan 1, 1964

By Aureal T. Cross

THIS paper is a review of the published literature on research in coal geology, principally exclusive of resource studies, which appeared or became available during 1950 and the latter part of 1949. This report is not to be construed as being complete. The papers referred to in the bibliography are those among many more, which were read either in full or in abstract. Undoubtedly other papers were published&apos; which either escaped the author&apos;s notice or were not available to him. Those which were seen in abstract only (about one fourth of those listed) were not available in time for the inclusion of more than a notice. An outline of all papers listed in the bibliography has been arranged by subjects and reasonable subdivisions with some papers cited under more than one subject. Most papers are indexed according to the principal subject of discussion or research only as to an unusual or noteworthy section of the entire report. There will likely be some disagreement as to the quality or merit of some of the papers selected and the specialist may be supercritical of the outline or organization of papers in his field. It may be that attention has occasionally been drawn to papers reporting old information or conclusions of questionable value. Conferences and Meetings One of the best indications of the growing interest in coal geology problems in the United States is the increasing number of times this- field has been the focus of attention at conferences and meetings. Notable among these are the joint meeting of the Society of Economic Geologists and the Geological Society of America at El Paso, November 1949, at which the principal thesis was concerned with low rank carbonaceous fuel deposits, especially of western United States. Among the papers given which are already available were those presented by Barghoorn,16 Parry,180 Roe,153 and Parks.162 At the annual meeting of the Botanical Society of America in New York, December 1949, a joint meeting of the Paleobotanical and Microbiological Sections was held for which a symposium on Microbiology in Relation to the Geologic Accumulation of Organic Complexes was &apos;organized. Publication of the six papers presented by Ralph G. H. Siu, Elso S. Barghoorn, Irving Breger, Claude E. ZoBell, James M. Schopf, and A. C. Thayson is anticipated. At the regular meetings of the Paleobotanical Section at the same time, several other papers of interest reported on coal ball studies, partial coalification of petrified wood, and floras. In Chicago, April 1950, a symposium on Applied Paleobotany was held by the Society of Economic Paleontologists and Mineralogists in conjunction with the American Association of Petroleum Geologists. The five papers presented at this meeting dealt with the use of Paleozoic plant microfossils for stratigraphic work, J: M. Schopf, Devonian-Mississippian fossils of the black shales, Aureal T. Cross, Mesozoic plants of stratigraphic value, Th. Just, plant microfossils of the Tertiary, L. R. Wilson, and studies of the Brandon lignite, Elso S. Barghoorn. Early publication of these in the Journal of Paleontology is expected. The Nova Scotia Research Foundation and the Nova Scotia Dept. of Mines sponsored an excellent 3-day conference in June 1950, which, dealt with several aspects of coal geology. Papers on coal classification, P. A. Hacquenbard, structure and sedimentation problems in Nova Scotia, T. B. Haites, new techniques of thermal analysis, W. L. Whitehead, geochemical investigations of Nova Scotia coals, Irving Breger, the role of fossil plant spores in coal correlation and the stratigraphy of the coal-bearing strata of the Appalachian Region, Aureal T. Cross, were given. Some discussions of these papers by those in attendance were recorded, and the entire proceedings is being prepared for publication. In September 1950, an unusual 3-day field conference was held by the Ohio and West Virginia Geological Surveys under the sponsorship of the Coal Geology Committee. This study of the stratigraphy sedimentation, and nomenclature of the Upper Pennsylvanian and Permian coal-bearing strata of southeastern Ohio, southwestern Pennsylvania, and northern West Virginia .was augmented by two discussions on associated rocks (clays and shales) and stratigraphic nomenclature at Wheeling, and Morgantown, West Va. An extensive guidebook was prepared, and transcriptions of the Morgantown meeting were made. As a follow-up of the September field conference, a round-table discussion &apos;was held on this general topic at a special open meeting of the Coal Research Committee in conjunction with the November meeting of the Geological Society in Washington. Short prepared statements to invite discussion were given on each of several topics by L. M. Cline, Carl O.

Jan 1, 1952

By N. A. Gokcen, John Chipman

SILICON is the most commonly used deoxidizer and an important alloying element in steelmak-ing; hence a detailed study of this element in liquid iron containing oxygen is of considerable interest. The equilibrium between silicon and oxygen in liquid iron has been studied by a number of investigators but generally with inconclusive or incomplete results. The variation of the activity coefficients of silicon and oxygen with composition is entirely unknown. Published investigations deal with the reaction of dissolved oxygen with silicon in liquid iron and the results are expressed in terms of a deoxidation product. For consistency and convenience in comparison of the published information, the deoxidation product as referred to the following reaction is expressed in terms of the percentage by weight of silicon and oxygen in the melt in equilibrium with solid silica: SiO (s) = Si + 2 O; K&apos;l = [% Si] [% 012 [I] Theoretical attempts to calculate the deoxidation constant for silicon in liquid iron from the free energies of various reactions yielded results which were invariably lower than the experimental values. Thus, the deoxidation "constants" calculated by McCance,1,2 Feild,3 Schenck, and Chipman were of the order of 10, which is below the experimental values by a factor of more than 10. Experiments of Herty and coworkers" in the laboratory and steel plant resulted in an average deoxidation constant of 0.82x10 &apos; at about 1600°C. The technique employed in their investigation was crude and the reported temperature was quite uncertain. The concentration of silicon was obtained by subtracting silicon in the inclusions from the total. Since at least some of the inclusions resulting from chilling must represent a fraction of the silicon in solution at high temperatures, such a subtraction is not justifiable. Results of Schenck4 for K&apos;1 from acid open-hearth plant data yielded a value of 2.8x10-5, which was later revised as 1.24x10 at 1600°C. Similarly Schenck and Bruggemann7 obtained 1.76x10-5 at 1600OC. The discrepancies and errors involved in the acid open-hearth plant data as compared with the results of more reliable laboratory techniques were attributed by these authors to the lack of equilibrium and the impurities in liquid metal and slag, and are sufficiently discussed elsewhere." Korber and Oelsen" investigated the relation between dissolved oxygen and silicon in liquid iron covered with silica-saturated slags containing varying concentrations of MnO and FeO. The deoxidation products obtained by their method scatter considerably, and their chosen average values of 1.34x10, 3.6x10-5, and 10.6x10-5 1550°, 1600°, and 1650°C, respectively, represent the best experimental results which were available until quite recently. Darken&apos;s10 plant data from a steel bath agree approximately with their data at 1575° to 1625°C. Zapffe and Sims" investigated the reaction of H2O and H2 with liquid iron containing less than 1 pct Si and obtained deoxidation products varying by a factor of more than 20. Inadequate gas-metal contact and lack of stirring in the metal bath should require a longer period of time than the 1 to 5.5 hr which they allowed for the attainment of equilibrium. Furthermore, their oxygen analyses were incomplete and irregular and confined to a few unsatisfactory preliminary samples. Their results did indeed indicate that the activity coefficient of oxygen is decreased by the presence of silicon, although they made no such simple statement. They chose to attempt to account for their anomalous data by the unlikely hypothesis that SiO is dissolved in the melt. Hilty and Crafts" investigated the reaction of liquid iron with acid slags under an atmosphere of argon, making careful determinations of silicon and oxygen contents at several temperatures. Despite erroneous interpretation of the data at very low silicon concentrations, their data represent the most dependable information on this equilibrium that has been published. In the range 0.1 to 1.0 pct Si, their data yield the following values for the deoxidation product: 1.6x10-5, 3.0x10- &apos;, and 5.3x10 at 1550°, 1600°, and 1650°C, respectively. The purpose of the work described herein was to study the equilibrium represented by eq 1 as well as the following reactions, all in the presence of solid silica: SiO2 (s) + 2H2 (g) = Si + 2H2O (g);

Jan 1, 1953

By R. A. Meussner, C. T. Fujii

Chromium solution in wustite depresses the oxygen activity in a nonideal manner and expands the lattice slightly. Gravimetric measurements of the equilibrium compositions of wustite containing 0.00 to 1.38 wt pct Cr define the oxygen potential (CO2-CO atm) and the limits of the phase field at 1000°C. These data extrapolate to a maximum solubility of 2 wt pct Cr. The lattice parameter data, room-temperature measurements of quenched samples, differ significantly from those in the literature. Both pure and chromium wus-tites contract at uniform and equal rates as the oxygen content (metal deficit) increases. The a. US metal deficit relationships are straight lines showing none of the curvature previously reported. At constant metal deficit, the a. expands by 0.002? on alloying with 0.4 to 0.5 wt pct Cr but is insensitive to further chromium additions: a small expansion rather than a marked contraction. These results require a modification of the accepted alloying mechanism. IN the high-temperature oxidation of Fe-Cr alloys in Ha-H,and CO2-CO atmospheres the vapor transfer of oxygen from the continuous wustite outer scale to the porous inner scale/alloy interface sustains the high oxidation rates.1"3 The driving force for this transport is the difference in the oxygen activity of the outer wustite and that at the inner scale/alloy interface. In pure CO2, as well as in CO2-CO atmospheres, carburization of the alloy accompanies this oxidation. Current efforts to evaluate the parameters controlling this carburization have shown that the process is not simple; i.e., the carbon concentration in the alloy initially increases rapidly, reaches a maximum, and then decreases slowly as the oxidation time is extended. This is the same pattern reported by McCoy for the more complex oxidation-carburization of stainless steels and an Fe-Cr alloy in CO2 at lower temperatures.4 These changes in the carburization process occur while the overall oxidation rate and the lattice parameters of the scale layers remain constant. If this invariance of the lattice parameter is assumed to indicate a constant scale composition and thus a constant oxygen potential, the carburization results are not easily explained. Electron microprobe traces across the thickness of these outer scales, however, have revealed distinct chromium gradients penetrating 10 to 50 µ from the inner surface where the chromium concentrations were estimated at a few tenths percent. The variation of the chromium cmcentration on the inner surface of the scale, and the resulting change of the oxygen activity, during the oxidation process is considered to be important in defining the carburization process. Thus, to gain an understanding of the complex oxidation-carburization proc- ess, it was necessary to measure the properties of wustite containing known amounts of chromium (chromium wustite). Although the general features of the Fe-Cr-0 equilibrium diagram between 900° and 1300°C have been fairly well established by Richards and white: Wood-house and White,6 Seybolt,7 and Katsura and Muan,8 there have been no detailed studies of the limits of the chromium wustite phase field or the properties of these alloyed wustites. The recent results of a limited study of chromium wustite by Levin and wagner9 indicate that more than 0.67 wt pct Cr is soluble in wustite above 850°C and that this alloying is accompanied by a substantial lattice contraction. This change in the lattice parameter was not evident in the X-ray diffraction patterns of wustite layers from the oxidation experiments;1,3 the lines were sharp even though a chromium gradient existed in the scale. The present paper describes gravimetric equilibrium experiments which delineate the boundaries of the chromium wustite single-phase field at 1000°C and define the changes in the oxygen activity and the lattice parameter of wustite as functions of chromium and oxygen contents. The lattice parameter data of chromium wustite obtained from these equilibrium and special quenching experiments differ considerably from those reported.9 Those for pure wustite show significant differences from the widely accepted data of Jette and Foote.10 Since the causes of these differences are not easily assignable, and since the literature contains many sets of data on wustite which if not in conflict are at best not in harmony, the experimental procedures are discussed in the present paper. EXPERIMENTAL Oxide Preparation. The specimens used in these studies were porous pellets compacted from high-purity (Fe,Cr)2O3 or Fe2O3 powders. These powders were prepared from electrolytic chromium (99.8 pct purity) and electrolytic iron purified by consumable-electrode, vacuum arc-melting processing (299.9 pct purity).11 The oxides were produced by standard analytical procedures: solution of the metals in acids (HC1, then HNO3 added), coprecipitation of the hydroxides (NHaOH), and filtering and washing these precipitates. Initial dehydration of the coprecipitated hydroxides was done in a porcelain evaporating dish heated by a Meker-type burner, final dehydration by firing in a recrystallized alumina crucible at 1000" to 1050°C for 20 hr in an electrically heated furnace. Spectrographic analysis detected the following impurities: silicon, 0.01 pct or less; aluminum, 0.001 pct to trace; manganese and copper, 0.0001 pct to none. Each of these levels is at least one order of magnitude lower than in commercially available CP grade ferric and chromic oxides. Fluorescence analy-

Jan 1, 1969

By C. W. Washburne

Recently, Messrs, Mills and Wells1 published a thorough chemical study of the waters associated with oil in parts of the Pennsylvania, Ohio, and West Virginia region. Many of their conclusions are of general application and the writer wishes to discuss some of these. Messrs. Mills and Wells show that the composition of the deep brines oi the Appalachian fields is such as would be produced by the evaporation of sea water and the precipitation of sodium chloride, combined with reactions with hydrocarbons and other substances. The brines are altered, also, by considerable mixing with meteoric water. They give good reasons for believing that the concentration of the brines was produced by evaporation in the rock pores induced by migrating gas, much of which probably escaped to the surface of the ground. This hypothesis was considered by the writer in a former paperJ2 in which main stress was laid on a second hypothesis, that the excess of chlorine in the deep brines may have been due to the entrance of solutions rich in magnesium and calcium chloride which ascended from a deep, possibly intratellurie, source. Messrs. Mills and Wells present good arguments for the first hypothesis. Underground evaporation by ascending gases probably will be accepted as the best available explanation of the concentration and composition of deep well waters. They have not considered the possibility that salt waters in deep sands may be concentrated by the diffusion of water vapor through gas into shale. The writer has given reasons3 for believing that capillary forces concentrate gas and oil in the larger openings of rock, such as the pores of sandstones embedded in shale. The gas underground must be nearly saturated with water vapor at all times, because it always is in contact with the interstitial water of enclosing shales and of the sandstone. Experimental studies of soil moisture have shown that approxi-

Jan 1, 1921

By Frederick W. DeVries

Since we first agreed to present this talk we have learned that some of you may have been covering ground we intend to discuss: Bob Schechter, Daryl Tweeton, Don Seidel, Herb Burgman; however, the ideas were original when we began, "novel" as in the title of the talk, and whether our results are news or merely corroborative, we feel they point a direction that could be valuable to all. We worked with many of you in the past on using hydrogen peroxide in in-situ uranium leaching. Our talk today is not directly related to peroxide; it is, I hope, illustrative of Du Pont&apos;s interest in providing service to this industry in any way we can. The scouting work we are presenting was stimulated by field inputs: First, ammonium carbonate leaches cause restoration problems, primarily because ammonium ions exchange on clays with calcium. Second, sodium carbonate solutions, especially in South Texas deposits, can cause intolerable swelling of clays. From discussions with Dr. van Olphen, who wrote the book on clay chemistry, we inferred by comparison of the radii of the hydrated ions of the elements in these clay systems, that since potassium had about the same radius as ammonium, and sodium was much larger, potassium occupied a unique position to solve both problems. We have shown: FIGURE 1 Potassium bicarbonate systems leach uranium without loss of permeability found with sodium Potassium salts are very effective in restoring ammonia-leached sites Before reviewing the details of our work, which was performed by Hazen Research, Inc., I should like to stress its scouting nature. We are trying to assist the in-situ industry by pointing out new, potentially important directions. But, as with our previous work on sodium silicate to restore permeability, we feel the development phases can generally best be carried out in cooperative programs with companies directly involved with operations. DISCUSSION Test Parameters Now for the details: Our leaching tests were designed to note pressure-drop changes across the ore sample as the uranium was leached. Figure 2 shows the apparatus. The [ ] packed length was 20.5 inches (52 cm) with fifteen hundred grams of ore in the two-inch (5 cm)-diameter bed. Pressure drop was measured by manometer and feed rates were maintained constant with a tubing pump. The samples, from a South Texas leach site, were sealed in "Zip Loc" bags, frozen with "dry ice", crushed (still frozen) through six mesh, and blended before placement into the columns. The ores analyzed as shown here: FIGURE 3 Ore Analyses [Sample A Sample B U308 015% 0122% Mo 0004% 0086% Se0012% <0001% Fe3,078%076% Fee- 098% 044%]

Jan 1, 1979

By L. L. McDaniel

Copper smelters of various kinds have operated in the Morenci district since 1872, but all have been abandoned with the exception of the present Morenci Smelter of Phelps Dodge Corporation, which was completed in 1942. During the five-year period starting in 1937, the Morenci ore body was prepared for open pit mining, pilot mill test work was carried out, and a complete reduction works, of which the Smelter is a part, was designed and erected. Actual construction work on the Morenci Smelter was started in the fall of 1940, and warming up of the units began on April 1, 1942. Charging of the reverberatory furnaces commenced on April 18, 1942, and the first anode copper was produced on April 26, 1942. The smelter was originally designed to handle the production of the Morenci Concentrator on a 25,000 ton per day program, but by the time the smelter was in operation, plans were already underway to increase the smelter capacity to handle the production of the concentrator which was being enlarged to 45,000 tons a day capacity as a war-time necessity. This extension to the smelter was completed and the new units were put in operation toward the beginning of 1944. The original smelter consisted of a smelter crushing plant, bedding plant, two direct-smelting reverberatory furnaces with two waste-heat boilers on each furnace, three converters, an anode department, a stack, and all of the usual accessory smelting equipment. The extension consisted of increasing the bedding plant from three to five beds, the reverberatory department from two to four furnaces, and from four to eight waste-heat boilers, and the converter department from three to six converters. A third converter aisle crane was added and additions were made to the flue systems and conveyor systems throughout the smelter; but no change was made in the smelter crushing plant or the anode department, and the same stack was used for all additional Smelter units. A blister casting machine was installed at that time in the south end of the converter aisle to handle excess and emergency production above the capacity of the anode department and in 1947 a converter aisle skull breaker and a lime burning plant were added as the final units for a complete plant. The choice of direct smelting over calcine smelting for the Morenci Smelter was made after careful study by members of the Western organization of Phelps Dodge Corporation and after test runs on direct smelting of Morenci concentrate had been made at the Douglas Smelter of Phelps Dodge Corporation. The Morenci furnace charge is made up of comparatively high grade concentrate with no ores of smelting grade available and with only flux, a small amount of copper precipitate and the usual amount of smelter secondaries to be smelted with the concentrate. The simplicity of direct smelting for this charge and the large amount of waste-heat steam available from direct smelting operations were factors influencing the decision to adopt direct smelting for Morenci. The design of the Morenci Smelter and the type of units selected followed best experience at the Douglas Smelter of Phelps Dodge Corporation. A description of the original smelter before operations started was given in an article in the May 1942 issue of Mining and Metallurgy. The purpose of the present article is to describe the enlarged Morenci Smelter, with a discussion of metallurgy and operating practice and to show tabulations of operating and metallurgical results obtained. Because of beginning operations during the early years of World War 11, many problems caused by labor shortage were encountered, but no major difficulties developed in starting the new plant. However, because of labor shortage, full scale Smelter production was not reached until the fall of 1946. Fig 1 shows a general plan of the Morenci Reduction Works. The arrangement of the smelter equipment is shown in Fig 2, a sectional view of the smelter is shown in Fig 3, and the smelter flow sheet is shown in Fig 4. Metallurgy The metallurgy of direct smelting, being more or less fixed by the character of the charge, is not subject to the control available in calcine smelting. Slags may be modified by the addition of suitable fluxes, but the grade of the matte is determined almost entirely by the iron:copper ratio of the concentrate. The direct smelting operation involves distributing the wet concentrate along the sidewalls and in the bath of a reverberatory furnace by means of some suitable feeding device and raising the temperature of the charge so that first the moisture is driven off, then the first-atom sulphur is eliminated, and finally the sulphide portion of the charge melts and runs into the bath, carrying with it the non-sulphide portion which has been partially fluxed to form a suitable slag. The fusion of the non-sulphide portion is completed by contact with the irony converter slag which is regularly being poured into the reverberatory furnace. The smelting rate of the charge is influenced by the mineralogi-cal composition of the sulphide portion of the concentrate and by the composition and amount of the non-sulphide portion including the fluxes added. The copper in Morenci concentrate is chiefly in the form of chalcocite, intimately associated with pyrite, and non-sulphide content is very low so that

Jan 1, 1950

By L. D. Clark

Pay-out, the ratio of capital expenditure to annual cash return can be very revealing when employed to gage the merits of a proposed mining venture. It is a quantity, numerically but not physically equal to a factor, by which cash return may be discounted to equal required investment. The fewer the pay-out years, the greater the average annual earning power of the project. Considerable material has been written in the past about the most important and difficult problem mining management faces in evaluation of a property: the optimum production rate for the venture. What daily capacity should be adopted for the proposed operation that it may be the most rewarding to those underwriting it? H.C. Hoover has said, "The most important objective is the least cost per ton mined; and minimum working costs can only be gained by the most intensive production." Theoretically and practically, the quicker the ore is removed, the more profitable should be the venture because of the saving in fixed charges, the consequent lower unit costs and the interest unearned by the profit from the unmined ore. Yet, such performance will be tempered by policy and a restraint imposed by the ratio of capital expenditure to annual cash return. * The &apos;Annual net profit after taxes but including depreciation and depletion allowances. former will be based upon an analysis of the economic climate anticipated, with its many ramifications including the demand for the product, prices, tax laws, the conduct of labor and related wage scales. The variables and intangibles involved in estimating the optimum production rate for a mine do not readily lend themselves to mathematical relationships or equations and the problem can become complex indeed. The more readily applicable and relatively faster appraisal method will be used which, in addition to being reasonably adequate in most cases, will serve as a guide, should a more expanded and detailed estimate be desired. The first question is what is company policy with respect to the rate of investment return? This will depend on that significant period of time referred to as the pay-out, which can be defined as the estimated interval during which capital investment is returned through application of annual cash return to its recovery. Expressed another way, it is the ratio of capital expenditure to the annual cash return. For example, if the capital investment is $C and the annual cash return is $A (after Federal tax), then $C/$A = the pay-out period in years. That is to say, if $C = $1,500,000 and $A = $214,000, then which is the mathematical expression for the period of time it takes to recover the funds originally invested in a mining enterprise. The relationship yp = $C/$A can be useful — an expression which requires only the significant tern yp to be fixed; in other words, the long range investment policy. For what is the pay-out period but an expression of that policy in terms of the speed, within practical limits, with which an individual or company may want to recover capital expenditure? A policy by which pay-out will be fixed is imperative. This ratio must lie within relatively narrow limits governed by what is economically feasible. It cannot be too low, rendering the ratio impractical or absurd, nor too great, delaying the return of capital for reinvestment beyond a commensurate interval. What pay-out will govern this policy? Federal corporate taxes would seem to present the best measure. Consider mining in Canada where new mines are exempt from Federal income tax for 3½ yr from date of first production. This exemption expressly allows The Act states: "A corporation . . . i s not required to include the profits . . . for the period of 36 months commencing with the day on which the mine came into production in reasonable commercial quantites." a company to recover capital expenditure during the early stages of production. With such an incentive, it is logical to strive for as much capital redemption as possible during this period. Thus, 3½ yr would be a major contribution to the pay-out in Canada. Furthermore, it generally takes from 1½ to 3 yr to develop

Jan 1, 1963

By E. R. Borcherdt

IT is notable that the first large-scale mine operation equipped entirely with detachable bits was the Badger State mine of the Anaconda Copper Mining Co. in Butte, Montana, just 30 years ago. This mine in 1922 was producing approximately 1200 tons of ore per day. Much of the data presented in C. L. Berrien&apos;s article&apos; describing the development and installation of the Hawkesworth detachable drill bit were obtained from these operations. As in any pioneering effort, no precedent existed and many difficult problems required solution, so that the changeover to detachable bits at all Butte hill mines was not completed for 6 years. There was widespread disbelief as to the probable efficiency of the new installation. Some attempts were made in 1931 by the owners of the Hawkesworth patents to interest Ontario gold mine operators in the bit. These efforts were not successful, but they undoubtedly stimulated thinking which resulted in the invention and patenting of several well-known Canadian detachable bits, one of which is now a widely used throwaway bit. The success of the Butte installation also led to the development of the threaded type of bit connections by several well-known manufacturers, and in 1935 these bits were introduced to the mining industry on a national scale. The original Hawkesworth bit was not provided with a water hole but, depended upon water passing through the clearance opening between the tongue in the bit and the groove in the rod to flush cuttings from the drill hole, see Fig. 1. In December 1935 it was found that this method of introducing drilling water to the bit face resulted in high dust counts. To correct this a water hole was drilled on the central axis of the bit, passing through the tongue. Unfortunately, quenching water would rise through the small water hole, spot-hardening the tongue to cause breakage, never completely eliminated. In the fall of 1936 large-scale tests indicated that savings would be effected by use of a threaded type of bit, which was therefore adopted as standard for all Butte mines. This type of bit was used until 1947, when it was superseded by a one-use slip-on type. Since the first use of the Hawkesworth bit every detachable bit of importance has been investigated, and where advantages which might reduce costs or increase efficiency were indicated, substantial tests of the bit were carried on in the Butte mines. When tests demonstrated the advisability of changing from one kind of detachable bit to another the change was made at one level or in one area each day until the new rod and bit equipment was used throughout the mine. This involved a minimum of cost and disruption of drilling. Intelligent selection of a detachable bit to obtain optimum results requires careful consideration to achieve a balance between the three principal types of equipment used in the drilling process: 1—drill bits, 2—drill steel, and 3—drilling machines. Optimum results imply maximum output and minimum cost per unit of output. Since every rock type differs in drillability and it is generally impractical to provide equipment for more than one or two types of rock which may occur in one operation, selection of equipment must encompass average drilling conditions. However, on exceptional occasions several widely differing conditions may make it mandatory to provide equipment best suited to each condition. The choice of rock-drilling equipment is a most controversial subject and one that is further complicated by unreliable and frequently misleading performance claims. Small operators without the means for making accurate evaluations of equipment frequently suffer from these over-enthusiastic claims. It is apparent from experience in rock drilling throughout the world that rock drillability is not alike in any two places, and that selection of proper equipment can only be made after conducting thorough trials of various types of equipment. Some recent drilling tests in tactite and hornstone at the Darwin, California mine of the Anaconda Co. present some interesting clues on rock drillability. Microscopic examination of thin sections of these rocks reveals that mineral composition and rock texture are equally important in governing drillability. The Darwin hornstone is at times so abrasive that the carbide bit cutting edges become flattened to 3/32 in. in 2 to 4 ft of drilling, and some carbide bits were dulled to this point after 9 to 10 in. of drilling. This wear was determined to be the proper point for resharpening to eliminate carbide insert breakage or breakage of the steel rod when drilling with 1½ to 1?-in. bits, with a drifter of 2 3/4-in. diam and 90 to 100 psi air pressure, see Supplement A. Before considering the merits of various bit designs it may be well to review the mechanics of drilling rock with percussion drills. A sharp bit cuts by penetration and chipping. The amount of penetration governs the amount of chipping and depends upon the contact area of the cutting edge, the foot-

Jan 1, 1954

By R. D. Caudle, Yoginder P. Chugh, V. K. Agarwala

Longwall coal mining is a growing mining technique in the United States. However, very little premining exploration data are collected presently by coal companies to 1) select coal winning equipment, 2) select and design face supports and supports in gate and tail entries, or 3) optimize operational parameters such as length, width, and orientation of face. The authors are of the opinion that much of the data needed for mine planning and design for longwall mining can be obtained during exploration. In this paper, the authors identify the data requirements, discuss how these data can be obtained during exploration, propose an exploration program and estimate the cost to obtain the necessary data.

Jan 1, 1982

By C. C. Miller, A. B. Dyes

The cost of finding and developing new reserves is continually rising. We must meet these rising costs with more economical operations. This can he accomplished if we revise our ideas of proper well spacing and well allowable to consider the concept of optimum well spacing. According to this concept, the optimum spacing is the one which leads to the maximum present worth for a reservoir when ail factors affecting total cost and total revenue are considered and when the wells are produced in the most eficient manner. Application of this principle efficiently utilizes available well potential and properly considers the recovery eficiency in addition to fixing the spacing on the basis of the amount and value of the oil to he recovered. This Study presents an analysis of one producing zone containing low gravity crude to illustrate the effect of these factors on the present worth and on the optimum economic spacing under two production drives—-evolved gas and water drive. The maximum present worth occurs when the optimum number of wells for open-flow operation is employed. Frequently, this optimum development cal1s for very wide spacing and the ideal field rates are not unreasonable. Under other circumstance. where proration is necessary, an optimum combination of well spacing and well allowable exists which permits production at relatively high rates. The optimum well density in a field depends on the recovery efficiency and the valule of the oil. In solution gas-driven reservoirs this optimum spacing for operation at high producing rates can vary from extremely wide spacing to handle viscous low gravity oil in thin formations to relatively close spacing in thick sands where good recoveries are expected. Because of the better recovery from water-driven fields, the optimum spacing in these fields is closer than in solution gas-driven fields. Also, the water encroachment pattern is dependent upon the well spacing, and an adequate numher of wells is needed to assure a good sweep eficiency. The economic optimum well density in a water-driven field is high enough for this purpose. INTRODUCTION From year to year domestic oil becomes more difficult to find. The fields we do locate are frequently smaller and deeper than older fields and the costs for men, material and equipment are continually rising. To replenish our reserves we must continue to search for and develop new fields, but experience has shown we cannot expect prices to rise in proportion to costs. Consequently, we must meet increasing costs by more economical operations. A vigorous effort is being made within the industry to improve exploration methods, to cope with the problems of deeper drilling, and to obtain a secondary yield from older fields. Many significant contributions have resulted from these efforts. The economic operation of new fields can be further improved by developing these fields on optimum spacing and producing the wells at higher rates. This would avoid the drilling of unnecessary wells and provide additional capital for seeking new oil. While the benefits of these practices are obvious, the problem of defining the optimum development of a field for natural depletion can become very complex. A study of the effect of well spacing and several reservoir variables on economic worth of a specific field is reported here to illustrate the problem and to show the magnitude of the benefits to be realized. This study is necessarily limited to the field conditions selected and is not intended as a general solution of the well spacing problem. It does, however, indicate factors to be considered, the trends to be expected, and the direction in which we should proceed in developing new fields. NO consideration is given to land and legal considerations which might arise. METHOD OF ANALYSIS The optimum method of developing and producing a field is to use the combination of spacing and prora-tion which gives the maximum return. In addition, we do not want to lose recovery. These considerations of maximum return and maximum recovery present no serious conflict. The value of each method of operation is conveniently expressed in terms of its present worth. According to the present worth method of evaluation,&apos; an acceptable annual percentage return is assigned to the operation, and all incomes, capital costs, and expenses are discounted at this rate to the start of the operation. This net value is the present worth. If we apply the same discount rate to several alternate methods of operation, the one yielding the greatest present worth is the best method. If we express net income in terms of price per barrel of oil produced, drilling and equipment costs on a well basis, and expenses as cost per well year, this evalu-