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By J. Elmer Thomas

If 1929 witnessed a growing realization on the part of the oil industry that supply must be balanced against demand, 1930 proved conclusively that excessive inventories constitute a price depressant even with balanced conditions. Increased attention was certainly paid to economic considerations last year, and the achievement of holding daily crude production, with a constantly mounting potential, to levels 500,000 bbl. below the output of the summer before, deserves special mention. The ill-advised accumulation, however, of gasoline stocks, at least 10,000,000 bbl. larger than necessary, nullified the restraint exercised by the producers and finally necessitated drastic downward price revisions. An event of special significance was the appointment by the Federal Oil Conservation Board, last March, of a temporary Committee on Petroleum Economics that attempted a forecast of demand, an estimate of supply, and an allocation of the latter between the principal producing states. Thus for the first time was an economic program for an entire basic industry drafted by an independent body under the auspices of the Federal Government. The report was widely discussed and generally approved, but its schedules were not adopted by the refining division nor by oil producers in the State of Texas until too late to contribute to the industry's prosperity during 1930. If the restraint of November had been exercised in May a profitable year might have been the result: The gasoline price war in California during June, however, illustrated the point that even with a fairly sound statistical position insistent pressure to expand normal marketing outlets must result in losses to all concerned. The balanced program so painfully attained by producers must be maintained by refiners and distributors to be completely effective. Again in November the Federal Oil Conservation Board, acting on the request of the directors of the American Petroleum Institute, called its Committee on Petroleum Economics back into existence to prepare a new estimate for the next six months. An economic program adopted in advance of the winter period of accumulating inventories may aid this large and essential industry toward the profits to which it is entitled

Jan 1, 1931

By Ben. B. Cox

The principal events during the year consisted in the exploitation of the Kirkuk field, the regular operation of the four-million-ton pipe line to the Mediterranean, and the discovery of low-gravity oil on three other structures in the West Tigris (Shergat) area. The Iraq Petroleum Co., Ltd. continued the systematic exploitation and exploration of its Kirkuk field, maintaining a carefully unitized operation. Bottom-hole pressure differentials and low gas-oil ratios were maintained. All crude was produced by flowing The cleaning up following the construction of the Mediterranean pipe line, which began deliveries in August, 1934, was completed during the first quarter of 1935. The line easily maintained its rated capacity for the remainder of the year. The Mosul Oilfields, Ltd., through its operating subsidiary, the B.O.D., Ltd., expanded its exploratory organization from 9 to 16 drilling rigs and discovercd 20" A.P.I. crude on the Sadid, Hibbarah and Qasab anticlines. Whether these discoveries will be commercial pools remains to be proved. The Qaiyarah-Najmah-Jawan field, which was discovered by the I.P.C. in 1928, was extended arid production was found in the Eo-Cretaceous as well as the "Main Limestone" (Eocene, Oligocene and Lower Miocene). Gas caps were found under each of the crests of the West Tigris structures. Negotiations are in progress between the Mosul Oilfields, Ltd. and the Iraq Government for the extension of the Anatolian Railway from the Turkish border to Mosul, with a view to tanking the heavy West Tigris crude to the Mediterranean. The subsidiary of the Anglo-Iranian Oil Co., Ltd.', the Khanaqin Oil Co., Ltd., continued to operate its Naft Khaneh field near the Iranian (Persian) border to supply the local Iraq market through the Rafidain Oil Co., Ltd. Somewhat more than 28 million barrels of crude was produced in Iraq during 1935. Crude delivcred to the pipe line for export during the years 1934 and 1935 was: Year BaRrels 1934................................................. 7,096,669 1935................................................. 27,014,904 Total as at Dec. 31, 193.5.............................. 34,111,573 ° Converted at an avcrage of 7.0 bbl. per ton.

Jan 1, 1936

By John A. Mathews

During the prosecution of the aircraft-production program in 1917 and 1918, the writer visited many plants engaged in the manufacture of motors, planes and parts, in carrying out his duties as chairman of the Committee on Aircraft-engine Forgings. On several occasions, when the question of expansion was discussed, it was noted that there was confusion in the use of the terms: the true coefficient of expansion, a physical constant, and distortion in hardening. One engineer, referring to a steel shown in the accompanying table, stated that he could not consider it for crankshafts because of its excessive coefficient of expansion, while another steel, also Iisted in the table, was said to be especially good because it had no coefficient of expansion, since it came out of the oil bath perfectly straight. Many years ago one of our employees designed a new oil furnace; when asked what became of the products of combustion, he replied: "There ain't any, we burn them all up." While the coefficient of expansion is not without its effect in volume changes in hardened steel, it is not a determining factor in the matter of distortion and going out of shape. Irregular heating, uneven furnace bottoms, and carelessness in withdrawing the part from the furnace, as well as the manner in which the part enters the quenching bath are of greater moment. Generally speaking, also, steels of relatively low hardening temperature will distort less than those requiring higher hardening heats. The coefficient of expansion must be considered in engineering design most frequently when different metals or alloys are used in the same construction. For example, the difference of expansion between a steel crankshaft and an aluminum crank case might be of real importance and a steel with no coefficient of expansion would be much less desirable than one with the normal coefficient. About 15 years ago, the writer made many determinations of the coefficient of expansion at low temperature ranges, usually between 20' and 100" C. Among the materials tested were: Pure forged electrolytic iron, 11.73 parts per million for l° C.; cast aluminum (99.93 per cent. AI.),

Jan 1, 1922

Albert Sauveur, Cambridge, Mass. (written discussion).— In his introductory paragraph, the author states that he has come to bury Beilby, not to praise him. The paper, however, gives the impression that while he may have dug the grave, Beilby is still at large. I am not one of those whom the author calls enthusiastic supporters of Beilby's amorphous theory and in support of this claim quote from a book I am writing: "Attractive as the amorphous theory is, and notwithstanding the ability with which it has been presented and the renown of its sponsors and supporters, it should not be accepted without reservations as a demonstrated fact.... So long as it explains more satisfactorily than other theories a greater number of phenomena in which it may play a part, we should use it in preference to others as the best available. Let us avoid the danger, however, into which too many fall, of accepting as indisputable truths, statements and theories emanating from those whom we hold in great esteem. It is not what those men themselves would wish us to do. I am entitled, I think, to occupy a position in the middle ground. Neither should Howe be classified with the enthusiastic supporters for he has written that the theory should be classed rather among the precious working theories than among those firmly established," a very wise and prudent statement. Jeffries, on the other hand, I would not hesitate to describe as an enthusiastic supporter. The author reproaches the advocates of the amorphous theory with having taken whatever properties they needed and with having assigned them arbitrarily to the hypothetical amorphous phase. He then applics their method to small crystals. If the existence of an amorphous phase is assumed, its greater tenacity and greater hardness is satisfactorily explained in the words of Howc: '(This greater strength is natural, because the amorphous state lacks the cleavages and slip planes which weaken crystalline substances." Can the greater strength and hardness claimed for small crystals be as satisfactorily explained? Nor do I think that the cold deformation of metals through successive slips within the crystalline grains can he accounted for as acceptably by the "small crystals theory."

Jan 1, 1923

By Charles S. Barrett, Robert F. Mehl

It is generally understood by workers in the field of the crystal structure of metallic alloys that terminal solid solutions are of two types, the substitutional and the interstitial. In reviewing the literature, the work of Weissl on the crystal structure of the alpha copper-tin alloys was encountered, in which a new type of terminal solid solution was proposed. In brief, Weiss' findings showed that the density of the alloys calculated from the side of the unit face-centered cube on the assumption of simple substitution—that is, with four atoms to the unit face-centered cell—was much higher than the density measured directly. It was suggested that the assumption of four atoms to the unit cube is not valid for these alloys, and that each unit cube contained less than four atoms; in other words, that one tin atom replaces more than one copper atom, leaving some atomic positions unoccupied. Such a structure, if verified, would have far-reaching significance in the study of the crystal structure of metallic alloys. It would indicate a complexity in terminal solid solutions not hitherto suspected and might encourage work leading to the discovery of other alloys of the same type, and perhaps to types intermediate between it and the two recognized types. It is of importance, therefore, to reinvestigate these alloys with respect to the type of solid-solution structure obtaining therein. Materials and Experimental Method The alloys were prepared from electrolytic copper cut directly from the cathode and the high-purity tin furnished by the U. S. Bureau of Standards for the calibration of thermocouples. No analyses for impurities of these materials or of the finished alloys were made, since such impurities as might be present could have only a wholly inappreciable effect upon the data obtained and the conclusions drawn. The alloys were made by melting the weighed copper charge in a graphite crucible under a KCl-LiC1 flux with later additions of NaC1, using induction heating. When the copper was melted the weighed portions of tin were

Jan 1, 1930

By W. J. Locher

One important means of reducing steel consumption in grinding mills is not mentioned in S.G. Malghan's paper. It is simply to reduce the oxygen content in the mill and pulp. While oxygen dissolved in pulp is not readily reduced without additives, reduced aeration and reduced ventilation of grinding mills are often feasible. It is not necessary to completely eliminate the oxygen to achieve substantial benefits, since corrosion rates vary with oxygen content in a manner analogous to combustion rates as oxygen content increases. It is difficult to generate indisputable quantitative data on the relationship of oxygen reduction in a milling system to changes in consumption of grinding steel. Perhaps this accounts for the absence of technical papers on the effects of reducing oxygen content in grinding mills by reducing aeration of pulp and ventilation of grinding mills. One qualitative observation is that mills operating at a lower percent of critical speed will tend to have lower media consumption for similar fineness of grind without necessarily having an equivalent reduction in power consumption per ton of product. Reduced mill speed would also tend to reduce both ventilation of the mill and entrainment of air in the pulp. Larger grinding mills tend to be more media efficient because they operate at a greater ratio of charge volume to pulp surface area, which will tend to reduce the aeration per unit of pulp volume. The mechanical steps required to reduce aeration of grinding mill pulps depend on the configuration of the grinding circuit and related process. Reply by S.G. Malghan Mr. Locher stated that my paper did not mention the reduction of oxygen content of the pulp as a potential method of decreasing the steel consumption. I would like to bring to the attention of Mr. Locher that an indirect reference was made to the fact that pulp oxidation potential controls the corrosion wear of steel. Though dissolved oxygen is one of the factors that controls oxidation potential, additional discussion was deliberately avoided for the reasons mentioned by Mr. Locher. The most important reason being the difficulty of decreasing and controlling the oxygen concentration of the pulp in a commercial mill.

Jan 1, 1984

By Will L. Clark

He who enters a mining claim within an Indian reservation of the United States of America acquires no rights thereby, because of the fact that the lands within such Indian reservation are not a part of the public domain, and cannot be located or acquired as mineral land. However, where such an entry is authorized as to a particular reservation by an Act of Congress, such claims as may be ontered under such authorization are thereby segregated from the reservation, and the Indian title is oxtinguished. Under the Choctaw Constitution, any citizen of that nation, in other words any Choctaw Indian, who discovered a coal mine, acquired an exclusive right to all coal within a radius of 1 mile. The laws of the Chickasaw nation provided for the formation of corporations to develop coal and other mines, with authority to contract with others to develop and work the mines. Under these laws, leases were made; but Congress subsequently abrogated all existing leases, prohibited all persons from receiving royaltics from such mines, and provided that all coal within the nation should remain the common property of the tribes. , Such leases are now expressly prohibited by an Act of Congress (32 United States Statutes at Large, 655). All leases of mineral lands upon Indian reservations must now be made under regulations promulgated by the Secretary of the Interior, and the royalties must' be paid into the United States Treasury for the benefit of the tribes. In Canada the Indians have no rights to the royal mines and minerals, and the government can make no stipulation with the Indians which would affect the rights of the Province in which the lands are situated. Therefore, while it is true that under our present law no rights can be acquired to a mining claim within an Indian reservation, it seems to be fully within the authority of Congress to make laws, giving such rights to mineral locators as it may deem necessary or expedient. There is a demand for a general law that will permit mining upon Indian reservations, and I am informed that most of the members of both houses of Congress from the Western States are in favor of Congress pass-

Jan 1, 1915

By F. Selig, E. J. Couch

The following points serve to supplement the interesting theoretical study on forward combustion by Thomas, and may be of some general interest. The mathematical model presented by the author can be viewed as a first approximation to the problem of calculating the vertical burned height profile resulting from ignition of the interval | z |<h/2 in a very thick formation. However, the assumption of a given minimum combustion temperature T, would give a better approximation to the vertical burned profile if the burning height were not constrained to stay within the ignited layer. This follows from the fact that both fuel and oxygen are present in the adjacent region, |z|>h/2, and for certain combinations of process variables the temperature is sufficiently high for complete combustion to occur. In this case, the vertical coverage will first become greater than the ignited interval before cutting back to zero as the extinction limit is approached as shown in Fig. 1. Such growth of vertical coverage is possible if the minimum combustion temperature is less than the initial source temperature (r = rj) at the edge (z = h/2) of the ignited interval. But this latter temperature is equal to one-half the source temperature for the case of infinite burned height.&apos;,&apos; Thus growth will occur initially if The fact that the vertical burned height can be greater than the ignited interval complicates the picture considerably, as can be seen by referring to Fig. 1. Here burning occurs in Region A, whereas none was possible in the original mathematical model. At the same time, there is no combustion in Region B, contrary to the assumption of burning in the entire layer |z|<h/2. This apparent inconsistency suggests that the vertical coverage derived from this simple model does not adequately represent the vertical height of the burned zone. A more compatible model will result from the actual stepwise calculation of the burning length (as a function of time) that would give rise to the specified combustion temperature. This problem can be more conveniently attacked by using the temperature distribution, given by the author&apos;s Eq. 12, expressed in the integrated form:

By John Mathews

DURING the prosecution of the aircraft-production program in 1917 and 1918, the writer visited many plants engaged in the manufacture of motors, planes and parts, in carrying out his duties as chairman of the Committee on Aircraft-engine Forgings. On several occasions, when the question of expansion was discussed, it was noted that there was confusion in the use of the terms: the true coefficient of expansion, a physical constant, and distortion in hardening. One engineer, referring to a steel shown in the accompanying table; stated that he could not consider it for crankshafts because of its excessive coefficient of expansion, while another steel, also listed in the table, as said to be especially good because it had no coefficient of expansion, since it came out of the oil bath perfectly straight. Many years ago one of our employees designed anew oil furnace; when asked what became of the products of combustion, he replied: "There ain&apos;t any, we burn them all up." While the coefficient of expansion is not without its effect in volume changes in hardened steel, it is not a determining factor in the matter of distortion and going out of shape. Irregular heating, uneven furnace bottoms, and carelessness in withdrawing the part from the furnace, as well as the manner in which the part enters the quenching bath are of greater moment. Generally speaking, also, steels of relatively low hardening temperature will distort less than those requiring higher hardening heats. The coefficient of expansion must be considered in engineering design most frequently when different metals or alloys are used in the same construction. For example, the difference of expansion between a steel crankshaft and an aluminum crank-case might be of real importance and a steel with no coefficient of expansion would be much less desirable than one with the normal coefficient. About 15 years ago, the writer made many determinations of the coefficient of expansion at low temperature ranges, usually between 20° and 100° C. Among the materials tested were: Pure forged electrolytic iron, 11.73 parts per million for 1° C.; cast aluminum (99.93 per cent. Al.),

Jan 2, 1920

By Gilbert P. Moore

Petroleum operations in Bolivia are still limited to those of the subsidiaries of the Standard Oil Co. of New Jersey. Development work is being carried on at Sanandita and at Bermejo and testing operations in the north. Five wells have been completed at Sanandita. Wells 1 and 2 are producers, 3 and 5, which are north of 1 and 2, are poor wells, and well 4, to the south, was dry. In the Bermejo field, well 5 has just been completed. No information as to the production is obtainable. In the north one string was operated at each of the following locations: Machareti, Camatindi and Camiri. The well completed at Machareti during the year was a failure. The result of the others is not known. It is reported on good authority that a pipe line will be completed in 1931 to connect the Sanandita field with the Lomitas field in the Argentine. This will place Bolivia among the ranks of the producing countries of South America for the first time. This development indicates that some arrangement has been arrived at with the Argentine Government for the importation of Bolivian oil. During 1930 the Bolivian Government declared in effect the new Petroleum Law which had been expected for such a long time. One of the first acts of the military junta, which rose to power through a coup d&apos;état, was to cancel this law, so that Bolivian oil operations are still under the old law of 1921. One new local company was formed to exploit 1,500,000 hectares near the town of Cochabamba. The Bolivia Concessions, Ltd., which had a concession permitting the selection of 17,000,000 acres in eastern Bolivia, is reported to have failed in 1930 and is now being liquidated. Chile During 1930 the Chilean Government entered into a contract with an individual to explore in five distinct zones of the Republic. According to the contract, geologists must be at work there by May 1 of this year and a well must be started by the end of 1931. If the operations are

Jan 1, 1931

By R. A. Brackett

The most effective means of controlling the dust in the drilling of rock has been found after careful investigation to be collection of this dust at the source. By direct collection, all the dust is collected at the collar of the drill hole and deposited into suitable containers. Equipment for handling this work can be either portable or stationary, depending upon the particular requirements and the application. For most work the portable unit is found most advantageous, and with a capacity capable of handling two drills operating simultaneously. Such a portable unit would consist of a metal cap, or hood, placed against the face of the rock through which the drill steel would be inserted. This hood is connected by a flexible rubber hose to a primary separator, where the bulk of the dust is collected. From here a second length of hose connects to the secondary stage of separation, where the fine particles of dust are collected and which is built in as an integral part of the vacuum producer. Hoods are adapted for vertical, horizontal or stope drilling, and mounted so as to become immediately effective when collaring the hole and remain in place continuously. Such dust collectors can be used with either wet or dry drilling. However, in view of the fact that when drilling dry and using the dust collector, the dust count can be maintained within safe limits, wet drilling becomes unnecessary. Furthermore, it has been found that when using the dust collector not only has the dust hazard been eliminated, but also increased footage can be obtained. Samples taken under a wide variation of conditions indicate that where the dust count required is below five million particles per cubic foot, dust collectors will be required. Opreators, in general, accept the use of this additional equipment favorably, and it is generally felt that such means of collecting the dust will soon be universally adopted. Tests made by the Connecticut Department of Health Bureau of Occupational Diseases show dust counts reduced from 203 million particles to 6.05 million by the use of the dust collector, when drilling dry.

Jan 1, 1934

By A. R. Troiano, W. J. Barnett

The existence of a grain size stabilization effect on martensitic type reactions as shown by Scheill in an iron-29 pct nickel alloy and by Troiano and Tokich2 in cobalt prompted a review of other martensitic reactions to determine if this stabilization effect is characteristic of all martensite type reactions. Preliminary work has shown this effect to be present both in the gamma —+ epsilon transformation in an iron-20 pct manganese alloy and the martensite transformation of SAE 4140 and 3 pct Cr-O.40 pct steels. No appreciable effect was found in an SAE 2340 steel. The M, temperature for the gamma —+ epsilon transformation was lowered from 380°F to about room temperature by varying the annealing treatment following cold work as shown in Table I. The effect of austenitic grain size on the M, of three steels is shown in Table 2. M, was deter- mined by the conventional quench-temper method of Greninger and Troiano. In a single crystal the change in external shape concomitant with the homogeneous shear mechanism of the martensite transformation can take place unhindered. In a polycrystalline specimen a restraint of these changes must occur at the grain boundaries. Therefore, the smaller the grain size the greater the shear strain energy necessary for the formation of a martensite crystal. The degree of lowering of M, due to the reduction of grain size is much greater when the change in crystal structure involves only a small energy change, such as face-centered cubic —+ close packed hexagonal (that is, CO and Fe-20 pct manganese alloy). The maximum lowering of M, observed in the steels investigated was 50°F with a change in the ASTM austenitic grain size of 1-2 to 8-9. In comparison, the crystal structure change face-centered cubic —+ body-centered tetragonal involves a considerable energy change. There is little doubt that with much finer grain sizes the increased grain boundary restraint would greatly enhance this stabilization effect. The implications of this phenomenon are multifold. Undoubtedly. under certain conditions it offers a method of stabilizing high temperature phases for room temperature

Jan 1, 1949

Albert Sauveur, Cambridge, Mass. (written discussion).— In his introductory paragraph, the author states that he has come to bury Beilby, not to praise him. The paper, however, gives the impression that while he may have dug the grave, Beilby is still at large. I am not one of those whom the author calls enthusiastic supporters of Beilby&apos;s amorphous theory and in support of this claim quote from a book I am writing: "Attractive as the amorphous theory is, and notwithstanding the ability with which it has been presented and the renown of its sponsors and supporters, it should not be accepted without reservations as a demonstrated fact.... So long as it explains more satisfactorily than other theories a greater number of phenomena in which it may play a part, we should use it in preference to others as the best available. Let us avoid the danger, however, into which too many fall, of accepting as indisputable truths, statements and theories emanating from those whom we hold in great esteem. It is not what those men themselves would wish us to do. I am entitled, I think, to occupy a position in the middle ground. Neither should Howe be classified with the enthusiastic supporters for he has written that the theory should be classed rather among the precious working theories than among those firmly established," a very wise and prudent statement. Jeffries, on the other hand, I would not hesitate to describe as an enthusiastic supporter. The author reproaches the advocates of the amorphous theory with having taken whatever properties they needed and with having assigned them arbitrarily to the hypothetical amorphous phase. He then applics their method to small crystals. If the existence of an amorphous phase is assumed, its greater tenacity and greater hardness is satisfactorily explained in the words of Howc: &apos;(This greater strength is natural, because the amorphous state lacks the cleavages and slip planes which weaken crystalline substances." Can the greater strength and hardness claimed for small crystals be as satisfactorily explained? Nor do I think that the cold deformation of metals through successive slips within the crystalline grains can he accounted for as acceptably by the "small crystals theory."

Jan 1, 1923

The principal events during the year consisted in the exploitation of the Kirkuk field, the regular operation of the four-million-ton pipe line to the Mediterranean, and the discovery of low-gravity oil on three other structures in the West Tigris (Shergat) area. The Iraq Petroleum Co., Ltd. continued the systematic exploitation and exploration of its Kirkuk field, maintaining a carefully unitized operation. Bottom-hole pressure differentials and low gas-oil ratios were maintained. All crude was produced by flowing The cleaning up following the construction of the Mediterranean pipe line, which began deliveries in August, 1934, was completed during the first quarter of 1935. The line easily maintained its rated capacity for the remainder of the year. The Mosul Oilfields, Ltd., through its operating subsidiary, the B.O.D., Ltd., expanded its exploratory organization from 9 to 16 drilling rigs and discovercd 20" A.P.I. crude on the Sadid, Hibbarah and Qasab anticlines. Whether these discoveries will be commercial pools remains to be proved. The Qaiyarah-Najmah-Jawan field, which was discovered by the I.P.C. in 1928, was extended arid production was found in the Eo-Cretaceous as well as the "Main Limestone" (Eocene, Oligocene and Lower Miocene). Gas caps were found under each of the crests of the West Tigris structures. Negotiations are in progress between the Mosul Oilfields, Ltd. and the Iraq Government for the extension of the Anatolian Railway from the Turkish border to Mosul, with a view to tanking the heavy West Tigris crude to the Mediterranean. The subsidiary of the Anglo-Iranian Oil Co., Ltd.&apos;, the Khanaqin Oil Co., Ltd., continued to operate its Naft Khaneh field near the Iranian (Persian) border to supply the local Iraq market through the Rafidain Oil Co., Ltd. Somewhat more than 28 million barrels of crude was produced in Iraq during 1935. Crude delivcred to the pipe line for export during the years 1934 and 1935 was: Year BaRrels 1934................................................. 7,096,669 1935................................................. 27,014,904 Total as at Dec. 31, 193.5.............................. 34,111,573 ° Converted at an avcrage of 7.0 bbl. per ton.

Jan 1, 1936

The pattern of the coal industry west of the Mississippi River, so far as its history is concerned, is entirely different from that to the east of the "Father of Waters." When the Louisiana Purchase was consummated, one of Jefferson&apos;s first thoughts was to ascertain what sort of a country had been purchased, and to that end he sent Lewis and Clark to ascend the Missouri River and to reach the Pacific Ocean if possible, but above all to bring back a report showing the character of the country, its mineral and other resources, inhabitants, etc. This first expedition was supplemented by others to various parts of the vast domain for the same purpose; years later, when transportation routes were necessary to hold and develop the western country, a number of expeditions were sent to explore possible routes for railroads. The records of nearly all of these explorers, as will be shown later, contain references to coal in many localities, the possible value of which was realized but its potential value remained dormant for many years until increasing population and methods of transport made markets available. Missouri was the first state west of the Mississippi in which coal was produced and the names of a number of places show that the French were familiar with the coal deposits there. Lewis and Clark, soon after they left St. Louis, passed "a remarkable Coal Hill on the Larboard Side, called by the French Carbonere, this hill appeares to Contain great quantity of Coal."1 This hill was about seven miles below St. Charles. No other outcrops were seen by them until they had passed the present limits of the state. The Louisiana Gazette of April 9, 1805 contained an article on "The Missouri," author not stated, which said, "the short stay we have generally made among the savage nations has prevented us from making those researches, which would have supplied us with a more extensive information respecting the various mines found on the borders of the Missouri; we know with certainty only those of iron, lead and coal." In 1806 Pike passed through Missouri on his tour to Mexico. On August 17th, along the Osage River he remarked, "here the river-bank is

Jan 1, 1942

We note with sincere regret the death of H. T. Chen,, who was killed by forest fire in the mountainous re-ion of Kokiu-Chang where he had been operating as Engineer in Chief of the Yunnan Tin Trading Co. Mr. Chen graduated in 1911 from the Department, of Mines, .University of California, being the first Chinese Government scholar in mining to attend that institution; and one of the first in America. He came of a distinguished family, many members of Which are in official life in Peking and in his native province of Hunan, all of whom are noted for their classical scholarship. He was himself a Hsiao-tsai or Bachelor of Arts, a coveted degree of the old literati class, Which he won under the Manchu regime when he was still a stripling. His mining work in Yunnan was carried on with only the most primitive facilities and in a distant province, but was, nevertheless, attended with great success and profit for his company. The region is infested with brigands and rebellious troops. who frequently turn marauders and prey upon the countryside, and Mr. Chen has had to go to the mines always with a large armed guard sometimes aggregating 150 men and some hundreds of miners, also armed. Two armed squads of men keep in touch with his base &apos;at Kokiu-Chang every day to get supplies and food, and it is feared that the brigands who have thus been prevented from plundering and mobbing his parties have started &apos;he fires to burn him out, with the disastrous result reported. Mr. Chen has thus given his life to his country in the attempt to win for modern China and Chinese civilization the raw materials of her new industrial life. He did so cheerfully and with full appreciation of the dangers that beset him, and China regards this as one of the most noble sacrifices of her young sons on the altar of patriotism. He is survived by a daughter of two years and by his widow who was also a graduate of the University of California and will be remembered by her classmates as Lucy Kong, 1912.

Jan 7, 1917

By Hallan N. Marsh, Bruce H. Robinson

It is generally believed that the flowing of wells through tubing instead of casing results in the conservation of gas. It is further believed that use of tubing prolongs the flowing life of a well and results in greater ultimate recovery, provided either that there are no adjacent wells, or that any adjacent wells are similarly operated. Recent experience in the flowing of Buckbee zone wells at Santa Fe Springs has not only substantiated both of these beliefs but has led to the further conclusion that the use of tubing results in a greater cumulative flowing production, &apos; even in a highly competitive field like Santa Fe Springs, where the wells concerned are closely offset by wells of both the same and other companies flowing through casing. Further, gas-oil ratio has been so reduced that greater ultimate recovery can be expected. In the belief that such would be the case, the majority of the Buckbee zone wells of one company were brought in through tubing, but enough wells were flowed through casing to form the basis for a comparison. For the purpose of this comparison, wells with flow strings 2½ or 3-in. dia. are designated as tubed wells, while those having flow strings larger than 3-in. dia. are designated as untubed wells. Casing used was mostly of 5 ¾-in. dia., the remainder being of 4¾-in. dia. There were 15 tubed wells and 8 untubed wells and they were scattered over the field in such a way that neither group appears to have any distinct advantage as regards location. Locations of all wells involved in the comparison are shown on Fig. 1. All the Buckbee sand wells of the company are included in the average production curves, with the exception of eight that were unsatisfactory for reasons other than the method of flowing. Findings 1. Buckbee sand wells flowing through casing larger than 3 in. had an average maximum production rate of 4670 bbl. per day, while wells flowed through straight tubing or 3-in. casing had an average maximum production of only 3300 bbl. per day. (See Fig. 2.)

Jan 1, 1932

By David Donoghue

Efforts made in the year 1930 and in previous years restricted production in most of the fields of Texas to a point that was satisfactory, at the beginning of 1931, to the majority of producers and buyers. In the Panhandle, North Texas and West Central Texas districts, a few operators with refinery affiliations or contracts either ignored, or by virtue of injunction suits, did not comply with the Railroad Commission&apos;s orders, and there was some oil sold at less than posted prices, which, with the Oklahoma City difficulties, caused the first general price reduction. More could have been done perhaps to help the situation on the Gulf Coast and in the Laredo district, but natural advantages are not readily surrendered. East Texas Proration troubles in 1930 were insignificant when compared with those of 1931. In January, 1931, efforts were begun to convince the producers and citizens of East Texas of the necessity of curtailment. Opposition quickly developed and meetings were held in the towns of the region and proration denounced vigorously. Notwithstanding a strenuous campaign for additional legislation waged by many producers, the regular session of the State Legislature refused to strengthen the conservation laws and passed only the Marginal Well Bill, designed to prevent the Commission from prorating small wells. The Railroad Commission held a heated hearing on East Texas in the latter part of March. During April the Commission issued three orders based on the Yates plan for the proration of the East Texas field. Each succeeding order raised the allowable for the field. In June the opposition held more mass meetings at which a plan based on acreage was endorsed. Apparently on the theory that any plan was better than none, the Commission issued an order on July 2 embodying some of the features of the proposed plan, limiting production to 250,000 bbl. per day, and dividing the producing area into 20-acre units participating equally in the outlet. Owing to the bringing in of many wells and the many violators of the Commission&apos;s orders, production increased to such an extent that prices went as low as 5c per barrel.

Jan 1, 1932

By N. Cabrera

IN a recent paper Kuczynski&apos; studied the rate at which the crack between a metallic plane and a spherical particle of the same material is filled up gradually when heated at temperatures near the melting point. If x is the radius of contact between plane and sphere (fig. I), Kuczynski shows experimentally that x5 = At [1] where t is the time. Assuming that the mechanism of transport of matter is the volume diffusion of vacant lattice sites, he is also able to prove Eq 1 theoretically. The constant A contains as a factor the self-diffusion coefficient of the metal and he shows that the values for this coefficient deduced from his experiments yield the same activation energy as that calculated by other methods, which is a confirmation of this point of view. Kuczynski has also considered theoretically the law of growth of x which would be expected if surface diffusion were the important mechanism. He suggests that x should then obey a law of the form x7 = At, and claims to be able to decide the mechanism involved from the observed law of growth., The purpose of this note is to prove this incorrect. On the contrary, when the mechanism is surface diffusion Eq 1 is also obeyed, but with a different constant A. Following Kuczynski, we suppose the bottom of the crack (surface A A) to have an average radius of curvature p. As a result of this curvature the concentration of adsorbed atoms in this surface, n(p) per cm2, will be smaller, and the concentration of vacant lattice sites in the neighborhood, N(p) per cm3, will be larger than the corresponding concentrations, n(w) and N(w), for a flat surface. For all practical cases we can write Thomson&apos;s formula in the form n(co)— n(P) N(P)—N(cc) _ 2a-a" n(oo) JV(co) kTp [2] where u is the surface energy of the metal and a the interatomic distance. 1. Let us now consider the mechanism of surface diffusion. We suppose the concentration of ad-

Jan 1, 1951

By L. C. Glenn

The account of oil and gas production in Tennessee, and of the geological factors related to such production, as given by the writer&apos; a few years ago needs to be supplemented by brief statements as to production and development to bring it up to date. Activity in searching for favorable geological structures or in drilling given areas has never been comparable to the intensive work done in states of large production. It is not possible, therefore, to prepare a statement giving the details that may be readily available in such states, but instead one must be content with more general statements. In the past 10 or 12 years there has been a moderate amount of drilling for both oil and gas widely scattered over the state. Of much of this there is no available record. Morgan, Clay, Scott and Pickett counties have had more oil-drilling activity than any other counties, and likewise they have had almost all of the oil production. In Scott and Morgan counties production centers about Sunbright and Glenmary, the oil coming from the St. Louis limestone at a depth of 1200 to 1500 ft. Wells usually are small but generally hold up well. In Clay, Pickett, Fentress, Overton, Macon and Sumner counties there is a large area in which there are many small structural domes, some of which have been drilled. Wells vary from a few barrels to several hundred flush production and last for some years. The oil comes from porous weathered zones, mostly in the Trenton division of the Ordovician, though some comes from lower horizons beneath one or more bentonite beds that serve as horizon markers and are known as the "pencil cave." Wells recently drilled in the Central Basin and in the Western Highland Rim have been dry or have had only shows of oil. The horizons tested are also usually Ordovician in the Central Basin and usually either Ordovician or Mississippian; occasionally also Devonian on the Highland Rim. In the Gulf Embayment area of West Tennessee there has been but little activity. A well near Ridgely said to be over 2200 ft. deep is supposed to have entered Upper Cretaceous sands and clays in the lower

Jan 1, 1934