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By Reinhardt Thiessen

Under sulfur in coal, is usually understood that form of sulfur which is combined with iron and known as pyrite. It occurs in the form of balls, lenses, nodules, continuous layers, thin sheets, or flakes, both in horizontal planes and vertical cleavage fissures. But pyrites also occur as very fine microscopic particles, or nodules, disseminated through the compact coal. This form has had but very little consideration. Finally, there is sulfur in coal in an amicroscopic form (not visible with an ordinary microscope), probably combined with the organic matter that exists in the coal. This form has had considerable attention from a scientific standpoint, but has probably not been recognized enough on the economic side. One or the other, or both, of these two latter forms may comprise the larger part of the sulfur content of coal, especially after it has been washed or otllerwise prepared for use. Pyrites in Microscopic Particles All coals that have been examined by the author contained a varying amount of sulfur in very small globules, or particles, of pyrite. These particles are seen in a thin [section as roughly rounded opaque dots, Figs. 1 to 10. When isolated, they are generally shown to be approximately spherical in shape, with a rough outer surface. They vary in diameter from a few microns to a hundred microns, the majority messuring from 25 to 40 microns; relatively few exceed the latter diameter. They are, therefore, very small objects. Their size is best appreciated by comparing the illustrations, in which they are shown. at a magnifiea tion of 100 diameters, with some known area like the period used in the ordinary printed page. The period is about 0.6 mm. in diameter, and . when magnified 100 times, will cover a circular area of about 2 1/2 in. in diameter, or all but the corners of the illustrations. The illustrations, therefore, represent an area about as large as an ordinary period, and the pyrite globules form but a small part of the total area. Very frequently a number of these particles are joined together in horizontal rows; oc-

Jan 1, 1920

By George S. Rice

INTERESTING developments going on in European coal mines look to: (1) increasing mechanization; 12) concentration of mining; (3) improvement in safety appliances; and (4) studies in bettering roof supports and. incident to this, studies of the way a roof behaves under different conditions of support and methods of mining and back-filling. Mechanization and concentration off mining is being adapted to a considerable extent in Great Britain coincident with the development of conveyors. Belt conveyors, shaker-pan conveyors, and a combination of the two are used. For pitching seams not steep enough for the coal to run in station-chutes, the. shaker-pan conveyor is more popular. For large outputs from a contiguous face, the double-unit system of face layout-that is, the conveyors meeting at a common point-is favored.

Jan 1, 1934

By Bieniawski, Z. T.

The importance of understanding the phenomena associated with rock fracture has long been fully appreciated in rock mechanics. This is clearly apparent from the special attention paid to rock fracture in the comprehensive papers published within the past four years. These papers present a picture of how the knowledge of brittle fracture of rock was gradually enriched and also show that what was often taken for granted three or four years ago is no longer considered as valid today.

Jan 1, 1972

By George M. Fowler, F. E. Gregory, William M. Agar, Joseph P. Lyden

The fact that most of the zinc-lead ores of the Tri-State district are associated with abundant chert in the Boone formation has led us to give much consideration to the manner of occurrence of the chert throughout the formation and to its relationship to the structural and other geologic features having bearing upon the sulfide mineralization. Necessarily the question of the source and the manner of deposition of the chert has come up in the course of these studies. We do not pretend to have arrived at the answer to all the questions regarding the chert. However, we have made a very large number of field observations, which present certain facts about the chert in this district that may be worth elaboration. Whatever theories may be drawn upon to explain the presence and distribution of the chert must necessarily be capable of reconciliation to these facts. The more important theories that have been presented are briefly summarized, and some of them discussed, in this paper. This paper is in three distinct parts, each complete in itself, wherein is recorded the evidence gained from three separate methods of attack. In an earlier paper,(3)‡ we briefly described the chert and its relation-ship to the ore deposits. Chertification, as used in this paper, means the replacement of limestone by introduced silicic acid. It is a common phenomenon in many widely distributed limestones. The products of chertification may be chert, cotton rock, or tripoli, depending upon the extent to which the replacement has been carried. Chertification is used instead of silicifica-tion in order to reserve the latter for the siliceous emanations so common in connection with the sulfide ore deposits of this and many other districts. Broadly, it is meant to include all silicification in this district prior to the introduction of the jasperoid, the latter being contemporaneous with the ore-bearing solutions.

Jan 1, 1935

By William M. Agar, F. E. Gregory, Joseph P. Lyden, George M. Fowler

The fact that most of the zinc-lead ores of the Tri-State district are associated with abundant chert in the Boone formation has led us to give much consideration to the manner of occurrence of the chert throughout the formation and to its relationship to the structural and other geologic features having bearing upon the sulfide mineralization. Necessarily the question of the source and the manner of deposition of the chert has come up in the course of these studies. We do not pretend to have arrived at the answer to all the questions regarding the chert. However, we have made a very large number of field observations, which present certain facts about the chert in this district that may be worth elaboration. Whatever theories may be drawn upon to explain the presence and distribution of the chert must necessarily be capable of reconciliation to these facts. The more important theories that have been presented are briefly summarized, and some of them discussed, in this paper. This paper is in three distinct parts, each complete in itself, wherein is recorded the evidence gained from three separate methods of attack. In an earlier paper,(3)‡ we briefly described the chert and its relation-ship to the ore deposits. Chertification, as used in this paper, means the replacement of limestone by introduced silicic acid. It is a common phenomenon in many widely distributed limestones. The products of chertification may be chert, cotton rock, or tripoli, depending upon the extent to which the replacement has been carried. Chertification is used instead of silicifica-tion in order to reserve the latter for the siliceous emanations so common in connection with the sulfide ore deposits of this and many other districts. Broadly, it is meant to include all silicification in this district prior to the introduction of the jasperoid, the latter being contemporaneous with the ore-bearing solutions.

Jan 1, 1935

The fact that most of the zinc-lead ores of the Tri-State district are associated with abundant chert in the Boone formation has led us to give much consideration to the manner of occurrence of the chert throughout the formation and to its relationship to the structural and other geologic features having bearing upon the sulfide mineralization. Necessarily the question of the source and the manner of deposition of the chert has come up in the course of these studies. We do not pretend to have arrived at the answer to all the questions regarding the chert. However, we have made a very large number of field observations, which present certain facts about the chert in this district that may be worth elaboration. Whatever theories may be drawn upon to explain the presence and distribution of the chert must necessarily be capable of reconciliation to these facts. The more important theories that have been presented are briefly summarized, and some of them discussed, in this paper. This paper is in three distinct parts, each complete in itself, wherein is recorded the evidence gained from three separate methods of attack. In an earlier paper,(3)‡ we briefly described the chert and its relation-ship to the ore deposits. Chertification, as used in this paper, means the replacement of limestone by introduced silicic acid. It is a common phenomenon in many widely distributed limestones. The products of chertification may be chert, cotton rock, or tripoli, depending upon the extent to which the replacement has been carried. Chertification is used instead of silicifica-tion in order to reserve the latter for the siliceous emanations so common in connection with the sulfide ore deposits of this and many other districts. Broadly, it is meant to include all silicification in this district prior to the introduction of the jasperoid, the latter being contemporaneous with the ore-bearing solutions.

Jan 1, 1935

By F. E. Gregory, George M. Fowler, William M. Agar, Joseph P. Lyden

The fact that most of the zinc-lead ores of the Tri-State district are associated with abundant chert in the Boone formation has led us to give much consideration to the manner of occurrence of the chert throughout the formation and to its relationship to the structural and other geologic features having bearing upon the sulfide mineralization. Necessarily the question of the source and the manner of deposition of the chert has come up in the course of these studies. We do not pretend to have arrived at the answer to all the questions regarding the chert. However, we have made a very large number of field observations, which present certain facts about the chert in this district that may be worth elaboration. Whatever theories may be drawn upon to explain the presence and distribution of the chert must necessarily be capable of reconciliation to these facts. The more important theories that have been presented are briefly summarized, and some of them discussed, in this paper. This paper is in three distinct parts, each complete in itself, wherein is recorded the evidence gained from three separate methods of attack. In an earlier paper,(3)‡ we briefly described the chert and its relation-ship to the ore deposits. Chertification, as used in this paper, means the replacement of limestone by introduced silicic acid. It is a common phenomenon in many widely distributed limestones. The products of chertification may be chert, cotton rock, or tripoli, depending upon the extent to which the replacement has been carried. Chertification is used instead of silicifica-tion in order to reserve the latter for the siliceous emanations so common in connection with the sulfide ore deposits of this and many other districts. Broadly, it is meant to include all silicification in this district prior to the introduction of the jasperoid, the latter being contemporaneous with the ore-bearing solutions.

Jan 1, 1935

By Sidney Snook

FLUORSPAR production is the most important industry in a compact area in southern Illinois and western Kentucky bordering the Ohio River. Producers' activities do not usually figure much in the mining news of the country, so that few know that the last year or so has been an unusually active one. Mine shipments more than doubled in 1939 compared with the poor year 1938. The average price changed but little, though it is now about one-sixth higher than at the beginning of last year. The outbreak of war in Europe a year ago lent an immediate stimulus to the industry, though only about 15 per cent of the domestic consumption is normally imported, thanks to a tariff of $8.40 per ton, equivalent to about 30 per cent ad valorem. Be- cause of the increased production and many expansions and improvements in the mines and plants, the period since the beginning of 1939 has been the most important one for the industry in the last 15 years.

Jan 1, 1940

By D. O. Wyble, L. O. Bacon

THERE has been considerable speculation among mining geologists and mining men in general as to the relative merits of gravity methods in iron-ore exploration. Most of the investigations which have been carried out in recent years have been done by mining companies, and few if any of the results have been published. Three gravity surveys have been made in the Iron River-Crystal Falls area,' " one by the U. S. Bureau of Mines, with inconclusive results, and the other two by Radar Exploration Co. for the Cleveland-Cliffs and the M. A. Hanna companies, with results not known to the writers. Both the last-mentioned surveys were detailed investigations, the stations being spaced as close as 10 ft along traverses,' and were made to determine the feasibility of locating iron ore by gravitational methods. Because of the presence of a large body of ore already extensively drilled, Dr. Harold L. James of the U. S. Geological Survey, Iron River, Mich., suggested that a further test of gravitational methods of exploration be made in the Round Lake area of Iron County, see Figs. 1 and 2. This survey indicated a considerable regional gradient and led to a study of the surrounding gravity field and its relation to the major structural features of the syncline within which the iron formation lies. The southwestern part of Iron County presents a series of hills and hollows elongated in a roughly north-south direction. The bedrock topography is of pre-glacial origin. Relief is moderate; a maximum elevation difference of approximately 350 ft was observed during the survey. Major drainage is dendritic with the larger streams: the Brule to the south, the Paint to the north, and the Iron in the central part. Hills are thickly grown with hard- woods, and lowland areas, not under cultivation, are usually covered by second-growth softwoods. The area covered in this paper includes the southern half of Iron County, Mich., with a deep synclinal basin occupying the central part of the area, and the southeast corner of Gogebic County, immediately to the west of Iron County. The upper Huronian iron formation, slates, and graywackes which form the synclinal basin rest upon a greenstone basement. The basin has not been completely outlined by exposures, drill records or other means, as outcrops are scarce and the thick mantle of glacial drift makes geological investigations extremely difficult. Glacial drift varies in depth up to 300 ft or more. The drift is usually thickest under the hills and is thinnest in the depressions and along drainage courses where most of the bedrock exposures occur. The area over which gravity investigations were made is almost, entirely covered by glacial material. Bedrock of the basin consists of a complexly folded series of iron formation, slates, and graywackes. One of the series of slates has a high magnetic susceptibility due to the fine-grained magnetite it contains. This formation can be detected readily. by magnetic methods and provides a marker horizon which can be easily followed. The magnetic slates are stratigraphically above the iron formation, and much of the geological interpretation of the area is based upon the magnetic anomalies they produce.

Jan 1, 1953

By L. O. Bacon, D. O. Wyble

THERE has been considerable speculation among mining geologists and mining men in general as to the relative merits of gravity methods in iron-ore exploration. Most of the investigations which have been carried out in recent years have been done by mining companies, and few if any of the results have been published. Three gravity surveys have been made in the Iron River-Crystal Falls area,' " one by the U. S. Bureau of Mines, with inconclusive results, and the other two by Radar Exploration Co. for the Cleveland-Cliffs and the M. A. Hanna companies, with results not known to the writers. Both the last-mentioned surveys were detailed investigations, the stations being spaced as close as 10 ft along traverses,' and were made to determine the feasibility of locating iron ore by gravitational methods. Because of the presence of a large body of ore already extensively drilled, Dr. Harold L. James of the U. S. Geological Survey, Iron River, Mich., suggested that a further test of gravitational methods of exploration be made in the Round Lake area of Iron County, see Figs. 1 and 2. This survey indicated a considerable regional gradient and led to a study of the surrounding gravity field and its relation to the major structural features of the syncline within which the iron formation lies. The southwestern part of Iron County presents a series of hills and hollows elongated in a roughly north-south direction. The bedrock topography is of pre-glacial origin. Relief is moderate; a maximum elevation difference of approximately 350 ft was observed during the survey. Major drainage is dendritic with the larger streams: the Brule to the south, the Paint to the north, and the Iron in the central part. Hills are thickly grown with hard- woods, and lowland areas, not under cultivation, are usually covered by second-growth softwoods. The area covered in this paper includes the southern half of Iron County, Mich., with a deep synclinal basin occupying the central part of the area, and the southeast corner of Gogebic County, immediately to the west of Iron County. The upper Huronian iron formation, slates, and graywackes which form the synclinal basin rest upon a greenstone basement. The basin has not been completely outlined by exposures, drill records or other means, as outcrops are scarce and the thick mantle of glacial drift makes geological investigations extremely difficult. Glacial drift varies in depth up to 300 ft or more. The drift is usually thickest under the hills and is thinnest in the depressions and along drainage courses where most of the bedrock exposures occur. The area over which gravity investigations were made is almost, entirely covered by glacial material. Bedrock of the basin consists of a complexly folded series of iron formation, slates, and graywackes. One of the series of slates has a high magnetic susceptibility due to the fine-grained magnetite it contains. This formation can be detected readily. by magnetic methods and provides a marker horizon which can be easily followed. The magnetic slates are stratigraphically above the iron formation, and much of the geological interpretation of the area is based upon the magnetic anomalies they produce.

Jan 1, 1953

By A. L. Barnes

Residual oil in watered-out reservoirs is a tremendous reserve which has been unrecoverable by established production methods. A study of the new recovery methods indicated that the forward combustion urocess might- recover oil from such reservoirs; however, no thermal recovery operating experience in a watered-out system was available. The Delaware-Childers pilot thermal test was undertaken to test the feasibility of thermal recovery in this watered-out reservoir. The pilot test consisted of a 2.22-acre, inverted five-spot in the 600-ft deep Bartlesville sand. The reservoir in the pilot area had a porosity of 20.6 per cent, a permeability of 118 md and an average sand thickness of 45 ft. The reservoir contains a 33' API, 6-cp oil. Combustion was started Nov. 22, 1960. The initial air injection capacity was 750 Mscf/D, but it was eventually increased to 2,000 Mscf/D. The test was surrounded by an active water flood; therefore, water production was initially high, but decreased as the heat wave moved toward the producing wells. Oil-bank arrival at an individual well was indicated by a drop in GOR and WOR, and an increase in oil production. Combustion-front arrival was evident at three of the pilot producers, and they were plugged. Cumulative oil production from pilot area wells war over 12,000 bbl. Operational difficulties were negligible and only conventional equipment was necessary. The combustion efficiency of this test averaged over 80 per cent. Results from coring showed that the leading edge of the combustion front tended to be wedge-shaped but a nearly complete sweep of the reservoir was eventually obtained. An isopach map based on evidence from 10 core holes and the existing wells showed that 126 acre-ft had been swept by the heat wave. Using this swept volume, an air requirement of 15.7 MMscf/acre-ft was calculated. It was calculated that 275 ,STB/acre-ft was consumed bv the heat wave. INTRODUCTION There is a large amount of oil remaining in reservoirs that have been water flooded. A study of ways to recover this oil showed that the forward combustion process might be applicable. Results from a number of forward combustion tests have been reported in the literature, but none of these tests were conducted in a watered-out system. The Delaware-Childers pilot thermal test was initiated in 1960 to define the operating characteristics of underground combustion in this watered-out Bartlesville sand reservoir, The purpose of this paper is to present the pilot test results in detail. FORWARD COMBUSTION PROCESS The forward combustion process consists of initiating combustion in the formation surrounding an injection well and driving this heat wave through the formation toward offset producing wells. As the combustion front progresses through the reservoir, oil and formation water are vaporized, driven forward in the gaseous phase, and recon-densed in the cooler part of the formation. These distilled liquids, water of combustion and gaseous combustion products, form a bank or three-phase region ahead of the burning front. This bank pushes mobile reservoir fluids toward the production wells. The rate of movement of the combustion front is controlled by the rate at which the nondistill able residue which serves as process fuel can be completely burned off the sand. The production performance from a heat wave conducted in a watered-out oil reservoir will differ from one conducted in a dissolved gas-depleted reservoir because of the difference in fluid saturations. The primary depleted reservoir contains connate water saturation, relatively high oil saturation and some gas saturation. The watered-out reservoir contains a highly mobile water saturation, residual oil saturation and little gas saturation. As the combustion front moves forward in either type of depleted reservoir, it drives the distillable oil, the water in place and the water of combustion ahead, and burns the nondistillable portion of the oil. The heat-wave process in a watered-out reservoir differs from the process in a

Jan 1, 1966

By W. R. Bean

Probably few, if any, of the many serious problems confronting malleable foundries have been more difficult of solution than the question as to why malleable that is ductile, black in fracture, and normal in all respects before galvanizing should, by that process, be rendered brittle, brilliantly crystalline or "white" in fracture, and of low resistance to shock. So far as we are aware, the technical literature contains no data or discussions on this subject, except two referencesl,2 of a general character. It is apparently a question that every one concerned, producer and consumer alike, has been willing to evade as far as possible. Various theories as to the cause of the deterioration have been given but such checking of these theories as we have done indicates that there was no sound basis for most of them. This work on the galvanizing of malleable was first undertaken in 1916, and has continued until the present time. We now feel that for all practical purposes we have reached a solution and are glad to be able to offer it in a form that can be readily applied to production processes. It is impossible to give here a detailed account of the early work done on this problem. A great number of tests were instituted and an enor-

Jan 1, 1923

By W. R. Bean

Probably few, if any, of the many serious problems confronting malleable foundries have been more difficult of solution than the question as to why malleable that is ductile, black in fracture, and normal in all respects before galvanizing should, by that process, be rendered brittle, brilliantly crystalline or "white" in fracture, and of low resistance to shock. So far as we are aware, the technical literature contains no data or discussions on this subject, except two referencesl,2 of a general character. It is apparently a question that every one concerned, producer and consumer alike, has been willing to evade as far as possible. Various theories as to the cause of the deterioration have been given but such checking of these theories as we have done indicates that there was no sound basis for most of them. This work on the galvanizing of malleable was first undertaken in 1916, and has continued until the present time. We now feel that for all practical purposes we have reached a solution and are glad to be able to offer it in a form that can be readily applied to production processes. It is impossible to give here a detailed account of the early work done on this problem. A great number of tests were instituted and an enor-

Jan 1, 1923

By J. W. Spretnak, V. Kandarpa, G. W. Powell, R. A. Erickson

Neutron-diffraction pattens were obtained at room temperature from two austenitic manganese steels, oxc wth n carbon content of 1.23 zct PC/ and the olher 0.63 wt pct. Analysis of the data showed that the curOan atols (ions) occupy tile octaheadral site. any of the cavbon is in the tetahedral site, tile concentration is too strzall lo be detecled by tzeulr-on d$facton. AS part of a long-range investigation of eutectoid decomposition, a study of the structure of austenite has been undertaken in order to characterize as best as possible the parent phase in the Fe-C system. Austenite is a solid solution of carbon atoms in fcc iron, the carbon atoms being located in interstitial positions. Of the two kinds of interstitial sites, octahedral (0, +, +) and tetrahedral (4, a, $), in this lattice, the larger octahedral sites are usually considered as the probable position of carbon. The strain energy involved in pytting a neutral carbon atom (covalent di; ameter 1.54)' into a tetrahedral site (diameter 0.56A) is considerably greater than that associated with p2tting carbon into the octahedral site (diameter 1.08A). Dayal and arkeen' observed the migration of carbon in iron under the influence of an electric field indicating tha tye carbon is ionized. pe ionic radius of C'4 is 0.15A and that of C" is 0.29. Consequently, it is conceivable that carbon ions could occupy the tetrahedral sites if one considers only the strain energy. Size considerations alone do not provide a complete explanation for the formation of the interstitial solid solutions, however. because metals such as copper, zinc, and cadmium do not appear to form interstitial solid solutions in spite of their large interstitial sites. Evidence which suggests partial ioni-zation of the carbon in austenite has also been obtained by Speiser, Spretnak, and alor who derived formu- lae relating the observed change in lattice parameter to the effective diameter of the solute atom. Assuming the carbon occupies the octahedral site. they computed the effective diameter of carbon to be 1.33A whereas the covalent diameter is 1.54A. petch5 concluded from powder X-ray diffraction experiments that carbon atoms occupy the octahedral sites. His conclusion was based on the general trend observed in the intensity of the diffraction lines as the carbon content of the austenite was increased. However, the major difficulty associated with application of X-ray diffraction to this particular problem is the relatively poor scattering power of carbon. Williamson and smallman' utilized X-ray diffraction to study the line broadening caused by the strain field about carbon atoms inferrite: these investigators concluded that at least 85 pct of the carbon in ferrite occupies the octahedral (0: 3, B) site rather than the larger

Jan 1, 1967

By C. R. Claus, G. A. Standish

Since March. 1945, the Magnolia Petroleum CO. has drilled 39 wells in Southwest Coastal Louisiana. All wells were drilled within a comparatively small radius, but the area provides a large variety of problems. The deepest well drilled was 13,518 ft, and the total depth averaged 10,977 ft. Throughout this period drilling mud control and types of mud handled were: (I) phosphate, (2) red lime (late conversion), (3) red lime starch (early conversion), (4) red lime starch oil emulsion, (5) precision controlled low alkalinity-low lime content. and (6) gel muds for completion purposes. Improvement has been obtained in effecting some or all of the following: (I) more rapid penetration, (2) reduction in drilling hazards, (3) better evaluation of cores and logs, and (4) better completions. The geological sequence of zones penetrated range from recent sediments at the grass roots through the Frio section. Anticipation of high-pressure zones and incompetent formations entails precision control of drilling mud weights, and the unconsolidated nature of the various zones requires constant attention to the filtrate, viscosity, and gel strength values. In the Chalkley field, particularly, this combination of problems exists, where the formation pressures and overburden weight density values are in very close proximity. Design of casing and drilling mud programs must be modified to fit each well. INTRODUCTION Field and research work on drilling fluids has made constant progress, enabling operators to prospect progressively deeper horizons. Numerous papers have been written on the theoretical aspects of drilling fluid devel- opment, but in the field engineers have found it difficult to evaluate the role of specific mud constitutents when dealing in terms of thousand barrel mud systems. For that reason field data is somewhat lagging in technical report writing. However, applications of new techniques in the field have usually paralleled, and in numerous instances preceded, research work. The information obtained by Magnolia Petroleum Co. in the course of drilling 39 wells within a comparatively small area in Southwest Coastal Louisiana provides an excellent opportunity of reviewing a specific example of drilling mud evolution. A large variety of problems has been coped with, the most important result being that every well was successfully drilled to its projected total depth. The discussion begins with the advent of deep drilling in this area in March, 1945, and is concluded with a resume of recent drilling operations in the Chalkley field. The primary purpose of this paper is to describe the evolution in types of drilling fluids as it occurred and its application in the solution of various drilling problems. All of this information and experience resulted in the successful drilling of the three wells in the Chalkley field, where a combination of the most sound techniques was necessary in carrying drilling operations to the projected total depths. Other operators along with service company engineers have contributed considerably through the interchange of ideas and information to this paper, but the data and conclusions which are contained are based on first-hand observation of Magnolia Petroleum Company's drilling operations. The 39 wells drilled by Magnolia Petroleum Co. average in depth 10,977 ft per well, while the maximum depth penetrated was 13,518 ft. The cost of drilling fluids have varied from $8,700 to $165,000, with the over-all drilling costs ranging from $74,000 to $543,000 per well. This wide variance illustrates the unpredictable nature of each well and the effects on over-all cost when high density muds are required to control

Jan 1, 1955

By R. W. Gurry

IN the course of a series of measurements of the rate of diffusion of carbon in austenite at about 960°C. (1760°F.) and 1110°C. (2030°F.), it became necessary to determine carbon concentration when austenite is saturated with graphite, because of indications that the hitherto accepted value of the solubility of graphite in this temperature range is too low. Specimens of carbonyl iron were saturated at temperature in a hydrogen-toluene atmosphere which was in equilibrium with graphite. The carbon content of the steel was measured either by combustion or by the loss of weight after substantially complete decarburization in an atmosphere of hydrogen saturated at room temperature with water vapor. The absence of carbide or graphite as a phase at temperature was demonstrated by microscopic examination of saturated specimens that had been drastically quenched. The mean result of concordant measurements is that gamma iron saturated with respect to graphite contains 1.39 per cent carbon at 957°C. (1755°F.) and 1.89 per cent at 1110°C. (2030°F.). These two values, plotted along with what appears from the literature to be the best value (0.69 per cent) at the iron-graphite eutectoid temperature (738°C. or 1360°F.), yield a curve that is almost linear, and which, continued upward through a short interval, leads to a limiting solubility of 1.98 per cent at the iron-graphite eutectic temperature 1135°C. (2075°F.) instead of the commonly accepted value of about 1.7 per cent. EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDURE The samples of carbonyl iron, with the exception of those for microscopic examination, were cylinders 3.8 cm. long, 0.475 cm. in diameter. They were placed in a graphite holder and suspended in a vertical furnace, the temperature of which was controlled precisely by means of the resistance of the platinum winding.1 In the empty furnace the range of temperature over a distance of 4 cm. at the heat center was 9°C. (16°F.) but at a given location the temperature remained within ±0.5°C. (0.9°F.); it was measured by inserting a platinum-rhodium couple calibrated at the melting point of palladium, 1555°C. Since the presence of the sample probably improved the uniformity of temperature, it was decided to consider the average temperature of the sample to be 3°C. lower than the maximum measured in the empty furnace with the same setting of the controller. Data were obtained in the vicinity of two temperatures, 960°C. (1760°F.) and 1110°C. (2030°F.). The samples for microscopic examination, 2.2 cm. long, 0.475 cm. in diameter, were suspended individually on pure iron wire; for these no temperature correction was applied. The carburizing gas passed into the furnace was dry, oxygen-free hydrogen saturated at room temperature with

Jan 1, 1942

By Jack F. Harang, P. B. Leavenworth

Development during the year 1941 on the Texas Gulf Coast resulted in the dis covery of 27 new fields as compared to 26 fields for the year 1940. Drilling.—During the year, 1405 wells were drilled. Of this number, 1031 were completed as oil wells with 375,000 bbl. daily of new production; 50 were com pleted as gas wells and 324 were failures. The most active area was Jackson County, where 375 wells were drilled and 336 of them accounting for 190,000 bbl. daily of new production. Types of Fields.—Of the 2 7 new fields, 14 are considered to be oil fields, 8 are listed as gas-distillate fields and 5 as gas fields. This may be compared to 26 fields found in 1940, of which 14 were oil fields and 12 gas-distillate fields. Producing Sections.—Frio discoveries retained their predominant position by having 10 Frio fields discovered in comparison to 6 fields in the Wilcox, 4 in the Yegua, 5 in the Miocene and 2 in the Jackson. In the previous year 15 Frio fields were found, 4 in the Wilcox, 2 each in the Yegua, Cook Mountain and Miocene, and I in the Jackson. Production.—Production increased over 1940 approximately 10 per cent, being 113,726,893 bbl. for the year 1941 and 104,127,247 bbl. for 1940. The statistics in Tables I and 2 include distillate and condensate as oil production because no separate reports have been compiled. It is hoped that this separation may be possible some day, but as a great many fields produce both oil and distillate and these arc commingled in pipe lines, separation of statistics will be more difficult than for other areas. New Fields Big Hill, Jefferson County.—Stanolind Oil and Gas Company's No. I George D. Anderson was completed as a gas well from a Frio sand at 8705 to 8720 ft., on Dec. 24, 1941, after having been drilled to a depth of 9500 ft. Additional development is being carried on but it is not possible to evaluate this discovery at this time. Brushy Creek Field, Lavaca County.— Shell Oil Corporation's No. I D. G. McManus was completed as the discovery well in the Brushy Creek field on Oct. 29, 1941, from a Wilcox sand through perforations at 7225 to 7230 ft., making gas and 180 bbl. of 59° gravity distillate. This well was bottomed at 10,998 ft. in the Wilcox. No statement can be made at this time as to the importance of this discovery. Chenango Field, Brazoria County.—J. N. Rayzor et al. completed their No. I Sarah J. Christian through perforations at 8564 to 8572 ft. in a Frio sand, for 453 bbl. of 37.7° gravity oil, on Feb. 6, 1941, after having drilled to 9564 ft. Several wells were drilled in this area during the year but failed to establish important production. This is considered a minor discovery. Clodine Field, Fort Bend County.—Providence Oil Company's No. I Hatfield was the discovery well of the Clodine field, being completed through perforations at 7499 to 7502 ft. for 108 bbl. of 51.2° gravity distillate, on June 19, 1941. The well was bottomed at 8090 ft. Several wells

Jan 1, 1942

By P. B. Leavenworth, Jack F. Harang

Development during the year 1941 on the Texas Gulf Coast resulted in the dis covery of 27 new fields as compared to 26 fields for the year 1940. Drilling.—During the year, 1405 wells were drilled. Of this number, 1031 were completed as oil wells with 375,000 bbl. daily of new production; 50 were com pleted as gas wells and 324 were failures. The most active area was Jackson County, where 375 wells were drilled and 336 of them accounting for 190,000 bbl. daily of new production. Types of Fields.—Of the 2 7 new fields, 14 are considered to be oil fields, 8 are listed as gas-distillate fields and 5 as gas fields. This may be compared to 26 fields found in 1940, of which 14 were oil fields and 12 gas-distillate fields. Producing Sections.—Frio discoveries retained their predominant position by having 10 Frio fields discovered in comparison to 6 fields in the Wilcox, 4 in the Yegua, 5 in the Miocene and 2 in the Jackson. In the previous year 15 Frio fields were found, 4 in the Wilcox, 2 each in the Yegua, Cook Mountain and Miocene, and I in the Jackson. Production.—Production increased over 1940 approximately 10 per cent, being 113,726,893 bbl. for the year 1941 and 104,127,247 bbl. for 1940. The statistics in Tables I and 2 include distillate and condensate as oil production because no separate reports have been compiled. It is hoped that this separation may be possible some day, but as a great many fields produce both oil and distillate and these arc commingled in pipe lines, separation of statistics will be more difficult than for other areas. New Fields Big Hill, Jefferson County.—Stanolind Oil and Gas Company's No. I George D. Anderson was completed as a gas well from a Frio sand at 8705 to 8720 ft., on Dec. 24, 1941, after having been drilled to a depth of 9500 ft. Additional development is being carried on but it is not possible to evaluate this discovery at this time. Brushy Creek Field, Lavaca County.— Shell Oil Corporation's No. I D. G. McManus was completed as the discovery well in the Brushy Creek field on Oct. 29, 1941, from a Wilcox sand through perforations at 7225 to 7230 ft., making gas and 180 bbl. of 59° gravity distillate. This well was bottomed at 10,998 ft. in the Wilcox. No statement can be made at this time as to the importance of this discovery. Chenango Field, Brazoria County.—J. N. Rayzor et al. completed their No. I Sarah J. Christian through perforations at 8564 to 8572 ft. in a Frio sand, for 453 bbl. of 37.7° gravity oil, on Feb. 6, 1941, after having drilled to 9564 ft. Several wells were drilled in this area during the year but failed to establish important production. This is considered a minor discovery. Clodine Field, Fort Bend County.—Providence Oil Company's No. I Hatfield was the discovery well of the Clodine field, being completed through perforations at 7499 to 7502 ft. for 108 bbl. of 51.2° gravity distillate, on June 19, 1941. The well was bottomed at 8090 ft. Several wells

Jan 1, 1942

By R. Priestner, R. F. Krause

Solid, cylindrical crystals of a iron have been fractured at 10°K by the simultaneous application of tension and torsion stresses. Thus, a complex distribution of normal (sN) and shear (ss) stresses existed in a cleavage plane at fracture. In every crystal the clearage-plane normal was inclined to the specimen axis, so that a unique point, M*, in the operative cleavage plane was defined where the quantities sn and s2 N + s2 S) were maximized. It is shown that the maxirrzum resolved normal stress on the cleavage plane at fracture decreased as the resolved shear stress in the cleavage plane at M* increased. Thus, a normal stress la?*! for fracture was not satisfied. A fracture law which takes shear stress into account. and which predicts that (s2 N +s2S) should be constant, is to be preferred. However, the data is best represented by a linear dependence of sN on sS, sS which 110 physical significance can be attached. It is suggested that the fracture-nucleating -mechanism is a short-range one. A critical stress law has not yet been unequivocally established for the propagation of cracks in metals. Measurements of the tensile fracture stresses of variously oriented zinc single crystals1 failed to establish the normal stress law expressed by In Eq. [1], sN is the fracture stress, P, resolved normal to the fracture plane, and 0 is the angle between the fracture -plane normal and the stress axis. Similarly, a comprehensive investigation failed to verify the normal stress law for the tensile fracture of a-iron single crystals.' However, a subsequent investigation,3 using iron from the same ingot, presented fracture data which obeyed the normal stress law. It has been shown previously4,5 that the Griffith criterion for fracture6 does not predict such a normal stress law. This result is of particular significance in considering the fracture of metals, such as zinc and iron, which may fail by cleavage. In these metals fracture propagates in a well-defined "cleavage" plane, whether or not an applied stress is normal to it. When the cleavage-plane normal deviates from the direction of application of a uniaxial stress, for example, the crack propagates under the combined action of normal (sN) and shear (ss) stresses. When the presence of a resolved shear stress in the crack plane is taken into account, the Griffith criterion is expressed by4

Jan 1, 1967

By Clarence S. Ross

INTRODUCTION THIS chapter on the rô1e of physical-chemical processes in ore deposition presents unusual difficulties because it attempts to discuss the theory of processes that are very imperfectly under- stood, but which are among the most fundamental problems now before the student of ore formation. It is generally believed that a great variety of ore deposits are in some way derived from igneous rocks; but we desire to know the mechanism of their splitting off from the parent magma, the physical and chemical character of the material that acts as a medium for transfer from magma to the point of deposition, the manner of deposition, and the methods of replacement and removal of the invaded rocks. This problem is difficult for the field geologist because it concerns forces that for the most part have long since ceased to act. It involves a complex system of which the time for completion extends from the first development of the parent magma through its intrusion, its slow cooling and crystallization, and the final escape of its last residuum, a time probably represented by millions of years. In space the processes extend from profound depths of the abyssal magma which can never be directly observed, through the horizons characterizing deep-seated igneous rocks and ore deposits; those formed at moderate depths; and ends with surficial ones and surface thermal springs. The geologist usually can study the effect at but one of these horizons: he must attempt to fit his puzzle together while seeing but a few parts at a time. Thus he must deal with many isolated phenomena, as if they were the result of many physical and chemical systems; when in fact his problem involves a single exceedingly complex system, and will only be understood when that entire complex system is understood. The geophysicist is handicapped because he must attempt to interpret an extraordinary complex system, involving physical and chemical conditions which he can never hope to duplicate fully, through the study of many exceedingly simple systems.

Jan 1, 1933