Search Documents

By F. C. Miller

The metallurgical fuel of Colorado, Utah, and New Mexico has been a Veiny tardy member in the caravan of western industrial progress. The history of western coke has naturally been closely related to the development of the metallurgy of iron and steel and the precious metals, in the State of Colorado. It was at Leadville, with a population of 300 in 1877, that the Sentinel was published by Richard S. Allen. The Sentinel gave very full accounts of the various mineral discoveries at the new town of Leadville, which found their way to the more widely circulated journals of the East, and attracted the attention of many people. At the close of 1878, a census slowed a total of 5040 persons. The first smelter was established in 1877, at Malta, two miles from Leadville, by A. R. Meyer, but was not successful. It was succeeded by the Harrison Reduction Works, in 1878. The La Plata began with one furnace in June, 1878, and in 1879 had four furnaces in active operation. These furnaces used charcoal for fuel, and, because of hot tops, suffered a tremendous loss in lead and silver. This difficulty was overcome by the erection of 50 single-bank 10-ft. beehive ovens at Crested Butte, Colo., in 1880. The slack coal sent to these ovens was very pure, and yielded a coke carrying as little as 4.5 per cent. ash. Among the pioneers in the Leadville district were Grant, Eddy, James, Billings, Eiler, and Dickson. To these men the West owes the present expansion of its mining industry, and the erection of metallurgical processes for the treatment of precious metals. On Mar. 1, 1876, Pueblo was connected to the Atchison, Topeka & Sank Fe by the Pueblo & Arkansas Valley branch. The first smelter was erected in Pueblo by Mather and Geist. This modest plant grew into the immense Pueblo Smelting and Refining Co., now a part of the American Smelting and Refining Co. Coke for these small furnaces was made from unwashed Engleville coal, in 186 single-bank 12-ft. ovens at El Moro, in the Trinidad district, and it was not uncommon for the percentage of ash to exceed the percentage of fixed carbon in the coke. On Jan. 23, 1880, the Colorado Improvement Co. consolidated

Jan 1, 1920

By E. J. Duggan

It is a coincidence that the two plants in this country for treating copper ores by ammonia leaching came into existence at almost the same time, that of the Kennecott Copper Corporation at Kennecott, Alaska, in March, 1916, and that of the Calumet & Hecla Mining Co. in July of the same year. The success of both from their very beginning attests the merits of the process under widely different sets of conditions. As would be expected, in the time they have been operating these two pioneers in this field have greatly perfected their methods and improved their technic. The early difficulties inevitably encountered in undertakings of this nature have been largely surmounted and the process may now be considered to be well seasoned and matured. There have been no other commercial plants built in this country and but one elsewhere, the Bwana M'Kubwa in Northern Rhodesia, for the reason that this method of treatment may be employed on comparatively few ores. However, it has certain advantages, some of which are inherent to sand leaching processes generally and some to ammonia leaching in particular. Among these may be enumerated: (1) the avoidance of fine grinding; (2) the small amount of water required; (4) a high-grade product; (5) little likelihood of deleterious gangue constituents and fouling of solutions. It is true that great progress has been made in recent years in the flotation of the ores that come within the province of ammonia leaching. Nevertheless ammonia leaching has its possibilities and these may be overlooked in the present tendency toward the use of flotation for all ores. Probably the chief requisite to its further extension to suitable ores will be a cheap source of steam. Ammonia, the only reagent required, is unlimited in supply, readily transported and the price that is likely to obtain in the future should not make its cost at all onerous. Choice of Method for Kennecott Ores The Kennecott ores are typical limestone replacement deposits. The milling ores have a copper content of approximately 8 per cent in a limestone dolomite gangue. About half the copper occurs as sulfide, mostly chalcocite with some covellite, and the remainder in the form of the two carbonates, malachite and azurite. A comparatively coarse grind followed

Jan 1, 1934

By K. Tangri, M. Chaturvedi

The addition of 0.5 wt pct Cu to Zr-2.5 Cb alloy increases the as -quenched hardness of the hexagonal martensitic a' phase, produced by water-quenching bccß-Zr phase, by about 35 pct. This strengthening has been attributed to the solid -solution hardening of the matrix. On aging ternary martensite, a' phase reverts to equilibrium a and Zr2Cu and ß-Cb precipitate out, mainly at the twin and grain boundaries, causing a secondary hardening of the matrix. COLD-worked Zircaloy-2 pressure tubes have been in use in power reactors for a considerable period of time. The search for a better material led to the development of Zr-2.5 wt pct Cb alloy which in the quench-aged condition develops 50 pct more strength than that of cold-worked Zircaloy-2, however, its corrosion resistance in water and steam in the temperature range of 316" to 400°C, in absence of neutron flux, is inferior to that of zircaloy-2.' Work carried out by Ells et al.1 and Dalgaard2 has shown that the corrosion properties of Zr-2.5 wt pct Cb alloy can be considerably improved by the ternary addition of 0.5 wt pct Cu. This paper is concerned with the effect of 0.5 wt pct Cu on the formation of martensitic a and its aging characteristics in a Zr-2.5 wt pct Cb alloy. MATERIALS AND EXPERIMENTAL TECHNIQUES Zr-2.5 Cb-0.5 Cu (referred to as the ternary alloy) and Zr-2.5 Cb (referred to as the binary alloy) alloys, supplied by the Chalk River Nuclear Laboratories of the AECL were used. The detailed chemical analysis is given in Table I. Cold rolling and swagging with frequent intermediate anneal of 1000°C were used for the initial fabrication of the alloys. All the heat treatments were carried out after the specimens were wrapped in zirconium foils and encapsulated in silica tubes under a vacuum of 5 x 10-6 mm of Hg. For optical metallography and hardness measurements specimens were mechanically and then chemically polished in a 45 pct HNOj, 45 pct HzO, and 10 pct HF solution. Hardness was measured on a Vickers hardness tester using a 10-kg load. For each specimen at least fifteen indentations were made in order to obtain a representative value. The phase identification and structural analysis were carried out using X-rays and electron diffraction techniques. Wires of 1.5 mm diam reduced to 0.12 mm diam by chemical etching were used for making Debye-Scherrer powder patterns using Cu Ka radiation in a 114.6 mm diam camera. Carbon extraction replicas were prepared by etching the specimens, after depositing a layer of carbon on the metallographic specimen, in one part HF and thirty parts ethyl alcohol. Thin films were prepared by electropolishing heat-treated 3/4 by 1/2 by 0.005 in. thick strips using a modified Bollman-Window technique. The 10 pct perchloric acid-90 pct methyl alcohol bath was kept at -50°C and polishing was done at 5 to 10 V. The thinned specimens were washed in ethyl alcohol at -30º to -40°C and dried between filter papers. Replicas and thin films were examined in a Phillips 300 G electron microscope. For resistivity measurements thin strip specimens 0.02 by 0.3 by 10.0 cm long were used. The potential leads were spot welded to the specimens in order to maintain a fixed length for the initial and the final resistivity measurements. The resistivity was measured by a Kelvin bridge in a temperature controlled room. The temperature was maintained at 72º ±1°F and the accuracy of the resistivity measurements was 0.03 µa-cm. RESULTS As-Quenched Structures. In order to produce a homogeneous matrix to study the precipitation reaction the solution-treatments of both the alloys were carried out in the -field region. From the Zr-Cb phase diagram due to Lundin and cox3 ß/a + ß phase boundary for Zr-2.5 wt pct Cb alloy is 820°C. Ells et al.1 have reported this boundary for Zr-2.5 Cb alloy containing 1100 ppm 0 to be at 920°C. Also, the addition of 0.5 wt pct Cu reduces this temperature by 50°C. Therefore, the solution-treatments were carried out at 1000°C to ensure that the alloys were in ß-phase region. The soaking time was 1 hr and the specimens were water-quenched. The as-quenched hardness of the binary alloy was 245 Vpn whereas, that of the ternary alloy was 330 Vpn. The X-ray diffraction studies indicated that the as-quenched structure of both the alloys consists of martensitic hexagonal phase a', with a c/a ratio of 1.591, and some retained ß-Zr. The presence of a' phase was further confirmed by thin film electron microscopy. Electron micrographs of typical ß-quenched structures of the ternary and the binary alloys are shown in Figs. 1 and 2, respectively. Fig. 3 shows the diffraction pattern from an area similar to that shown in Fig. 1. Although, the as-quenched hardness of the ternary alloy is about 35 pct greater than that of the binary alloy, the structure of both the alloys seems to be the same. The matrix of both alloys is heavily twinned and shows very few dislocations. Furthermore, there is no evidence of any precipitation taking place in either of the two specimens during quenching from the solution-treatment temperature. Aging Behavior of Martensitic a'. The aging kinetics of the ternary alloy were followed by resistivity and hardness measurements. The as-quenched values

Jan 1, 1970

By A. Blake Caldwell

Tyrone-a complete mining and concentrating facility built by Phelps Dodge Corp.-straddles the Continental Divide where surface water on either side flows in opposite directions although all water is taken from and returned on the northwest side of the Divide. At the outset, Tyrone was saddled with a problem of an adequate water supply, and the Gila River some 23 miles distant appeared to be the logical source. This in itself presented a major obstacle to Phelps Dodge because of the distance water had to be pumped and because of an adverse head which had to be overcome between the Gila River and the two 4-million-gal-capacity terminal water supply tanks at the mill. Having acquired water rights on the Gila River and in order to control the seasonal fluctuations in water volume, the company built the Bill Evans, off stream, earth-filled dam. This reservoir will contain 2100 acre-ft of water when full and it was constructed by the Hamilton Construction Co. for Phelps Dodge. The dam impounds fresh water for the Tyrone plant's use and four vertical turbine pumps (4500 gpm each) lift the water 275 ft from the Gila River into the reservoir. Since construction, Phelps Dodge has optioned the lake to the New Mexico State Game Commission for recreational purposes. In addition to the lake, land around the reservoir has been optioned to the State Game Commission for public use. The lake has already been stocked with trout and by next summer some keepers should be available for the taking.

Jan 12, 1969

By B. E. Morgan, C. K. Dumbauld

The need for a low-strength cementing composition for use in well cementing is reviewed and results are presented of laboratory and experimental field tests of a modified cement having a controlled ultimate tensile strength of approximately 200 psi. The modified cementing composition may he prepared from either high early strength or normal portland cements by the addition of bentonite clay and a suitable agent for dispersing and controlling the set of the slurry. Substitution of the modified cement for conventional slow-set cements may give better completion results in many wells because the modified cementing composition has lower set strength, lower slurry density, and greater slurry stability than conventional cement slurrieh. The lower ultimate strength allows greater penetration with less shattering of the set cement when perforating casing and cement. The lower elurry density allows the placement of longer columns of cement slurry, and the greater slurry stability reduces the possibility of having an uncemented section caused by the settling of cement particles before the cement set.. INTRODUCTION High strength lias always been one of the accepted criteria of a good cement. During the early use of portland cement in well cementing. emphasis was placed upon securing cements with higher strengths. In 1931, Barkis' reported that, "Normal oil well cements have been improved to develop greater strengths and uniformity of product, which has aided in producing successful jobs in cementing the deeper strings." As long as most wells were completed by the open-hole method. the use of cements having high strengths seemed desirable, and there was no objection raised against high-strength cementing compositions. For a number of years. how-ever, the industry has been completing a large numher of wells by setting and cementing casing through productive horizons and then obtaining production by gun-perforating the section of casing opposite the desired interval. Although this method has been generally successful, difficulties have been experienced in some cases in completing or recompleting wells because of apparent lack of adequate penetration by the bullets through the casing and surrounding sheath of cement and into producing formation. In addition to the penetration trouble: there have been indications that fracturing and shattering of the set cement by perforating might he a contributing factor in causing the failure of some jobs to exclude water or gas from oil producing zones. The possibility that cements having high set strengths were contributing to til difficully ill obtaining satihfartory perforating results has re. ceived attention during recent years. Gun perforating tests conducted in 1944 showed that the depth of bullet penetration into set cement varied with the hardness of the cement, the greater the strength of the cement the less being the penetration. In 1946, Farris2 pointed out that high strength cements were not needed in well cementing, and in 1947, data published by Oliphant and Farris3 showed that set cement was perforated without shattering at approximately 150 psi tensile strength. whereas at approximately 300 psi tensile strength severe cracking and shattering occurred. Oliphant and Farris suggested that wells be perforated at the proper time interval after placement of the cement so that the set cement would have the desired strength. Several difficulties may he encountered in trying to perforate a cement job at the correct time to catch the tensile strength near 150 psi. The rate of strength development of different cements varies considerably. This fact is illustrated by results of tensile strength measurements presented in Fig. 1. These data show that at 175°F the tensile strengths of three conventional slow-set cements varied from 75 to 235 psi at the end of 12 hours. After 24 hours, the tensile strengths varied from 200 to 455 psi. The rate of strength development is affected. also. by the temperature of the forniation, and this adds to the uncertainty of perforating at the rorrect time, since accurate well cementing temperatures may not he known in many cases. Furthermore, in the recomple-tion of wells it is sometimes necessary to perforate cement which has set for a long period and has developed maximum or final strength. In view of the apparent need for a cementing composition having a controlled ultimate strength, an investigation was

Jan 1, 1951

By R. A. Morse, W. O. Keller

The properties of limestone reservoir rocks such as the distribution and degree of continuity of the pore systems, and the relative volumes and permeabilities of the systems making up the complex cause large variations between performance of individual limestone reservoirs and their susceptibility to secondary recovery methods. The effects of these factors on the mechanism of fluid flow cannot be adequately evaluated with presently developed concepts, laboratory data, and geological information. The observance and interpretation of the performance of individual limestone reservoirs provides, at present, the most adequate approach for evaluating the integrated effects upon performance of the many. now immeasurable variations in the properties of limestone reservoirs. INTRODUCTION The development and application of techniques for increasing the efficiency of oil recovery from natural reservoirs is a problem of primary importance to the industry. During the past several years, a great deal of effort has been expended by the technical personnel of the industry toward the improvement of present known methods of oil recovery. and evaluating the factors which control the susceptibility of particular reservoir types to economic application of secondary recovery methods. Providing adequate and accurate laboratory data on the properties of the reservoir rock and its contained fluids. together with good production statistics, are available, methods have been evolved for estimating with reasonable accuracy the performance of an oil reservoir under either continued natural depletion or conditions imposed by introducing additional displacing fluid into the reservoir from an extraneous source through the injection of gas and/or water. The susceptibility of limestone reservoirs to secondary recovery by gas injection is very much dependent upon gas-oil relative permeability relationships for the reservoir in question. In a rock formation in which the porosity is of the intergranular type such as is found in sand stones and some non-fractured dolomites, a representative sample of the pore structure can be obtained in a small core plug. In this type of reservoir, it has been shown that relative permeability data obtained from laboratory experiments can be Properly applied to evaluate the flow relationships actually observed during the depletion of a reservoir. In addition, a good idea of the fraction of the reservoir which will be swept by the injected gas may be obtained from the spacing pattern used and the permeability profile of cored wells. From these data, it has been demonstrated that reliable estimates of performance and recoveries under gas injection operations can be made for reservoirs in which the Porosity is of the intergranular type. Limestone reservoirs on the other hand often present much more complex problems. One reason that the performance of limestone reservoirs is so variable is that there may be, in reality. two or more pore systems, the integrated performance of which will depend upon the physical properties of each system and their inter-relationship. For instance, in a limestone reservoir, the main pore structure, as far as void spaces for storage of hydrocarbons is concerned, may be represented by the intergranular openings of the rock. Usually in limes and dolomites, the intergranular pore openings are very small and the matrix permeabilities extremely low. Often, as in the case of Many dolomite and oolitic lime reservoirs, this is the only pore system, and performance is observed to be very similar to that of a sand stone of similar permeability. However, in the great majority of' the limestone reservoirs, there is present, in addition to the intergranular pore system, a complementary system of openings caused by fracturing or solution.',' The openings in the latter system are usually many times more permeable than the intergranular pore system due to their much larger size, and may contribute almost all the fluid carrying capacity of the formation, even though their volume may be a very small part of the total pore space in the reservoir. Obviously, the performance of such a complex under either primary or secondary control will deend upon the distribution and degree of continuity of both systems, the relative volumes and permeabilities of the

Jan 1, 1949

By B. J. Kochanowsky

TO improve blasting methods it is necessary to know how the explosive force acts and how rock resists this force. Because of the tremendous power developed within milliseconds and the great number of other factors directly affecting the technical and economic results, an analysis of the fundamentals of blasting theory is difficult. But since the rules used for layout design and for calculations of size of explosive charges are based on theoretical assumptions, complete knowledge of blasting theory has great practical importance in mining. Analysis of Blasting Theory: It is interesting to note the opinion of blasting experts with respect to contemporary blasting theories. F. Stussi; Professor of the University of Zurich, stated: "We do not have enough experience yet to change our army engineering regulations in blasting and base it on new fundamentals. It is our duty to collect more practical data and to do more research in blasting to close this gap." K. H. Fraenkel,2 editor of the Manual on Rock Blasting published in 1953 in Sweden and written by well-known Swedish, German, Swiss, and French blasting and explosive experts, said: "To the best of our knowledge no suitable formulas for civil blasting work are to be found in the American, French or German literature." Present blasting theory is based upon two assumptions. 1) The blasting force of explosive acts in concentrical and spherical form. 2) Rock resistance against the explosive force is directly proportional to the strength characteristics of the rock. The first classical formula based on theoretical fundamental in blasting theory for explosive charge calculation was introduced by Vauban, a military engineer who lived 300 years ago. It was Vauban who proposed the famous formula L = w3 q, where L is the explosive charge, w = line of least resistance, and q = specific explosive consumption proportional to the weight of rock. Later engineers used q as proportional to the strength of the rock. Since Vauban's time different suggestions concerning blasting theory have been proposed. However, the principles stated at that time so affected the thinking of later generations that his formula is still in use and practically unchanged. The first controversy concerned the form of crater. It was found that geological features of rock affected its form. The factor q was analyzed thoroughly by Lares3 and later by Ohnesorge," Weichelt,5 Bendel,6 and others, but the assumption remained that resistance against explosive force is directly proportional to the strength of the rock blasted. The greatest controversy, which has not yet been settled, concerned w. It was noted that w3 is more appropriate for long lines of resistance and w2 for lines of resistance less than 15 ft. Based on the assumption that the explosive force acts concentrically and spherically, spacings between charges were limited to distances not greater than the length of line of least resistance. Sometimes larger spacing is recommended, but this is due to the advantageous geological and physical properties of rock and not to the action of an explosive force as such. In addition to the classical formula, empirical formulas are used widely. These state that the explosive charge is directly proportional to the volume of blasted rock in cubic yards, and the amounts of explosive required are usually expressed in pounds of explosive per cubic yard of rock. Empirical and classical formulas are contradictory. In the empirical formula, but not in the classical formula, explosive charge is taken proportional to all three space axes: line of least resistance, spacing, and bench height. In spite of this contradiction, both formulas give good results. This is possible because as now practiced the explosive charge calculation for heavy burdens need not be highly accurate. Each, open pit or quarry, usually works with a certain relation between bench height and line of least resistance and between charge spacing and line of least resistance. When these relations are changed, however, the specific explosive consumption q changes greatly. This is one of the reasons why the principles on which the formulas are based appear to be incorrect. In addition to the formulas discussed, others exist and are based more or less on the same theoretical

Jan 1, 1956

By C. K. Dumbauld, B. E. Morgan

The need for a low-strength cementing composition for use in well cementing is reviewed and results are presented of laboratory and experimental field tests of a modified cement having a controlled ultimate tensile strength of approximately 200 psi. The modified cementing composition may he prepared from either high early strength or normal portland cements by the addition of bentonite clay and a suitable agent for dispersing and controlling the set of the slurry. Substitution of the modified cement for conventional slow-set cements may give better completion results in many wells because the modified cementing composition has lower set strength, lower slurry density, and greater slurry stability than conventional cement slurrieh. The lower ultimate strength allows greater penetration with less shattering of the set cement when perforating casing and cement. The lower elurry density allows the placement of longer columns of cement slurry, and the greater slurry stability reduces the possibility of having an uncemented section caused by the settling of cement particles before the cement set.. INTRODUCTION High strength lias always been one of the accepted criteria of a good cement. During the early use of portland cement in well cementing. emphasis was placed upon securing cements with higher strengths. In 1931, Barkis' reported that, "Normal oil well cements have been improved to develop greater strengths and uniformity of product, which has aided in producing successful jobs in cementing the deeper strings." As long as most wells were completed by the open-hole method. the use of cements having high strengths seemed desirable, and there was no objection raised against high-strength cementing compositions. For a number of years. how-ever, the industry has been completing a large numher of wells by setting and cementing casing through productive horizons and then obtaining production by gun-perforating the section of casing opposite the desired interval. Although this method has been generally successful, difficulties have been experienced in some cases in completing or recompleting wells because of apparent lack of adequate penetration by the bullets through the casing and surrounding sheath of cement and into producing formation. In addition to the penetration trouble: there have been indications that fracturing and shattering of the set cement by perforating might he a contributing factor in causing the failure of some jobs to exclude water or gas from oil producing zones. The possibility that cements having high set strengths were contributing to til difficully ill obtaining satihfartory perforating results has re. ceived attention during recent years. Gun perforating tests conducted in 1944 showed that the depth of bullet penetration into set cement varied with the hardness of the cement, the greater the strength of the cement the less being the penetration. In 1946, Farris2 pointed out that high strength cements were not needed in well cementing, and in 1947, data published by Oliphant and Farris3 showed that set cement was perforated without shattering at approximately 150 psi tensile strength. whereas at approximately 300 psi tensile strength severe cracking and shattering occurred. Oliphant and Farris suggested that wells be perforated at the proper time interval after placement of the cement so that the set cement would have the desired strength. Several difficulties may he encountered in trying to perforate a cement job at the correct time to catch the tensile strength near 150 psi. The rate of strength development of different cements varies considerably. This fact is illustrated by results of tensile strength measurements presented in Fig. 1. These data show that at 175°F the tensile strengths of three conventional slow-set cements varied from 75 to 235 psi at the end of 12 hours. After 24 hours, the tensile strengths varied from 200 to 455 psi. The rate of strength development is affected. also. by the temperature of the forniation, and this adds to the uncertainty of perforating at the rorrect time, since accurate well cementing temperatures may not he known in many cases. Furthermore, in the recomple-tion of wells it is sometimes necessary to perforate cement which has set for a long period and has developed maximum or final strength. In view of the apparent need for a cementing composition having a controlled ultimate strength, an investigation was

Jan 1, 1951

By R. A. Morse, W. O. Keller

The properties of limestone reservoir rocks such as the distribution and degree of continuity of the pore systems, and the relative volumes and permeabilities of the systems making up the complex cause large variations between performance of individual limestone reservoirs and their susceptibility to secondary recovery methods. The effects of these factors on the mechanism of fluid flow cannot be adequately evaluated with presently developed concepts, laboratory data, and geological information. The observance and interpretation of the performance of individual limestone reservoirs provides, at present, the most adequate approach for evaluating the integrated effects upon performance of the many. now immeasurable variations in the properties of limestone reservoirs. INTRODUCTION The development and application of techniques for increasing the efficiency of oil recovery from natural reservoirs is a problem of primary importance to the industry. During the past several years, a great deal of effort has been expended by the technical personnel of the industry toward the improvement of present known methods of oil recovery. and evaluating the factors which control the susceptibility of particular reservoir types to economic application of secondary recovery methods. Providing adequate and accurate laboratory data on the properties of the reservoir rock and its contained fluids. together with good production statistics, are available, methods have been evolved for estimating with reasonable accuracy the performance of an oil reservoir under either continued natural depletion or conditions imposed by introducing additional displacing fluid into the reservoir from an extraneous source through the injection of gas and/or water. The susceptibility of limestone reservoirs to secondary recovery by gas injection is very much dependent upon gas-oil relative permeability relationships for the reservoir in question. In a rock formation in which the porosity is of the intergranular type such as is found in sand stones and some non-fractured dolomites, a representative sample of the pore structure can be obtained in a small core plug. In this type of reservoir, it has been shown that relative permeability data obtained from laboratory experiments can be Properly applied to evaluate the flow relationships actually observed during the depletion of a reservoir. In addition, a good idea of the fraction of the reservoir which will be swept by the injected gas may be obtained from the spacing pattern used and the permeability profile of cored wells. From these data, it has been demonstrated that reliable estimates of performance and recoveries under gas injection operations can be made for reservoirs in which the Porosity is of the intergranular type. Limestone reservoirs on the other hand often present much more complex problems. One reason that the performance of limestone reservoirs is so variable is that there may be, in reality. two or more pore systems, the integrated performance of which will depend upon the physical properties of each system and their inter-relationship. For instance, in a limestone reservoir, the main pore structure, as far as void spaces for storage of hydrocarbons is concerned, may be represented by the intergranular openings of the rock. Usually in limes and dolomites, the intergranular pore openings are very small and the matrix permeabilities extremely low. Often, as in the case of Many dolomite and oolitic lime reservoirs, this is the only pore system, and performance is observed to be very similar to that of a sand stone of similar permeability. However, in the great majority of' the limestone reservoirs, there is present, in addition to the intergranular pore system, a complementary system of openings caused by fracturing or solution.',' The openings in the latter system are usually many times more permeable than the intergranular pore system due to their much larger size, and may contribute almost all the fluid carrying capacity of the formation, even though their volume may be a very small part of the total pore space in the reservoir. Obviously, the performance of such a complex under either primary or secondary control will deend upon the distribution and degree of continuity of both systems, the relative volumes and permeabilities of the

Jan 1, 1949

By David Yob

INTRODUCTION This paper is intended to fulfill three major purposes. The first of these purposes is to narrate the improvements to the ventilation of Northeast Churchrock Mine and the subsequent reduction of the radiation levels. The second major objective is to pass on to persons unfamiliar with the ventilation of radon and radon daughter producing mines some of the most important characteristics of airborne radiation and the control thereof. The third objective is to describe the use of a computerized digital mine ventilation simulation. This description is not only of the usage, but also some of the important methods and techniques involved in the usage. This paper is not intended for the persons with extensive experience in these areas. However, to those persons who are just becoming involved with either ventilation of mines with airborne radiation problems or persons interested in computer simulation, this paper should be of some interest. It is the author's experience that most of the information on either computer simulation or airborne radiation control either assumes an extensive knowledge on the part of the reader, or does not address the direct application of the information contained in these articles. It is for that reason that this paper intends to concentrate on the actual application of the topics covered. INITIAL STATUS In the first quarter of 1980, the author and others became involved with the ventilation effort of the Northeast Churchrock Mine. At this time, this team began an investigation of the mine ventilation with the intent of reperforming a mine pressure survey. During the course of this investigation, it was determined that the ventilation system was inadequate. During this first quarter, the responsibility for ventilation of the mine was transferred to the author and his team. It was determined that the system that was in use was that of the single entry or haulage return type. In this type of system, there is very little direct control of the airflow, and it is not an effective type of ventilation for mines that experience problems due to airborne radiation. In a single entry, or haulage return, system there is no separate return system provided. In the system, as we found it, the only source of intake air to the ore level working areas was from the track level. This intake air was forced into the ore level, or stope level, via bulkhead fans installed on raises from the track. This air, after being used in the working areas, was then allowed to find its own way back to the exhausting vent holes. There was essentially no control of this air from the bulkhead fan discharge to the vent hole. The only control used was by the sizing of the fans on the raises. The main portion of this air used the haulage and access drifting for return. Due to the large horsepower used in these bulkhead fans and the large resistance both between the areas to the vent holes and inadequate intake ducting, the stope level pressure was higher than the track level. This pressure differential caused a severe recirculation between the stope level to the track level. This recirculation also caused a severe pre-contamination problem to the supposedly fresh intake air, making his air nearly unusable for working area ventilation. [ ] It was found at the time our ventilation effort began, that the radiation levels were high enough to make compliance with the four working-level month per year standard impossible. For this reason, we had to spend several months driving costly development drifts to implement a completely different type of ventilation system. Before describing the system that was implemented to solve the problems that were discovered during our initial investigation, some discussion of the characteristics of airborne radiation due to radon and radon daughters is needed. RADON CHARACTERISTICS AND RELATED TECHNIQUES One of the most notable characteristics of radiation contamination caused by radon and radon daughter decay is that once the contamination has entered the airstream, the radiation levels as measured in working levels will continue to rise without any further contamination. This radiation rise will eventually stop

Jan 1, 1982

By E. R. Palowitch, P. H. Broussard

The United States aims to achieve some modicum of energy self-sufficiency through means such as conservation, increased domestic oil and gas production, substitution by the electric utilities of coal or coaloil mixtures for oil and gas, and development of a viable synthetic liquid fuels industry. Coal's role in attaining this goal will necessitate doubling coal production by the end of the 1980's. And if the United States does in fact become the World's Saudi Arabia of coal, the total annual production to meet these domestic needs and export markets could double again by the year 2,000. As only a small portion of our Nation's reserves are recoverable by state-of-the-art surface mining methods, most of the coal produced in the future will have to be mined underground (Averitt, 1975). But this projected increase in coal demand is occurring in the face of a decade of radically decreasing productivity. Specifically, average worker productivity in underground coal mines has decreased from 14.2 tonnes (metric tons) per workershift in 1969 to 7.2 tonnes per worker-shift in 1979; and 95 percent of coal produced underground during this period was produced by room-and-pillar methods (U.S. Dept. of Energy, 1980). Although there is no complete agreement on the impact of recent Federal legislation, there is strong correlation between the dramatic decrease in productivity in underground coal mining and the implementation of the recent Federal mine health and safety regulations (U.S. Congress, 1969). A review of the wide range of coal mining research, development, and demonstration projects currently being funded by the federal government and by industry gives little encouragement for increasing worker productivity on room-and-pillar sections underground in the immediate future (Palowitch, 1978). Conversely, the opportunities for increasing production/productivity underground with longwall methods appear somewhat more encouraging. Although at least one longwall face in the U.S. did produce more than one million tonnes of coal in a single year, the national two-shift average production from one hundred or so longwall faces is about 1,000 tonnes per day (Huwood-Irwin Co., 1978 and Consolidation Coal Company, 1976). Clearly, there exists some real opportunities for improvement. One of these opportunities is to automate the cutter-loader.

Jan 1, 1981

By R. E. Hathaway

INTRODUCTION For a number of reasons, the mineral processing industry has been slow to adopt significant automation of its processes. Most ore grinding operations can be operated manually so the pressure for automation to run the process has not been there. Furthermore, many plants had proven over years of operation that manual operation would produce a profit, so why automate? Until recently, the instrumentation necessary for automation of the grinding process was not available. All this has now changed, however. Increasing costs for labor, fuel, power, grinding media, reagants, and capital equipment have not been matched by the market price of the finished product. This cost-price squeeze has made it mandatory to reduce operating costs and improve the efficiency of the process to remain profitable. A number of other factors have added to the direct operating cost to make the problem even worse. These include environmental pressures to conserve natural resources and reduce smelter stack emissions; increased competition--especially from developing countries, varying economic conditions, stockpiling, governmental controls, and to top it all off, lower grade ore bodies. Although many of these other influences are good overall, they take their toll in cost per ton of delivered product. Fortunately, many operators are finding the solution to the cost-price squeeze in instrumentation and process control. Automated processes yield tighter spec. products, require less operating labor, produce more product from a given plant, and reduce unit cost by increasing process efficiency. The plant manager has a "handle" on the plant through process control so that he can change operating modes as economics dictate by changing the set point of some process controllers. He can even respond to economic conditions by switching control strategies from one that maximizes production to one that maximizes recovery, or minimizes unit cost, etc. This has all been made possible by the advent of on-line analytical instruments and practical process control computers. On-stream particle size (1), x-ray, and silica analyzers are now available and in use in many plants. Digital computer hardware and software has become practical so operators can use it without trying to become computer experts. This chapter describes the approach toward design and implementation of automatic grinding circuit control that has proven to be the most cost effective, based upon results from a number of

Jan 1, 1982

JULY was a month of great turmoil, both economic and political, in many parts of the world. Instead of conditions improving, they seem to have been getting worse. In Ireland, civil war is still in progress. Germany was in the throes of a political upheaval. The meaning of the assassination of Rathenau became clear. It evinced the development of a class struggle between the bourgeois and socialistic parties which may rock the country to its foundation and will increase the difficulties of arranging things with the French and solving the reparations problem. In Poland, a similar contest is developing. Austria is already so completely contaminated by the socialist element that it is unable to get outside assistance and is thus falling into a state of despair but little short of what prevails in Russia. The conference at the Hague came to an abortive end for the reason that it was impossible to discuss affairs with the Russians in any reasonable way. The Germans declared their inability to meet the reparation payment that fell clue on July 15 and the Commissioners for the Allies granted them an abate-ment of a portion thereof and are listening attentively to the supplication of the Germans for a moratorium of one or two years. In the United States, July was a month of widespread labor troubles, accompanied by a great deal of disorder and violence, which led to detachments of the National Guard being called out in several states. The railway shopmen, about 400,000 in number, struck on July 1. The road maintenance men decided not to strike, but many thousands of them quit work without the sanc-tion of their union. There were more strikes in the textile industry in New England and in similar industries all over the country. Early in July, it was estimated that about 1,250,000 men were out on strike. The coal strike continued. Early in the month the President summoned operators and miners to Washing-ton and submitted a plan for the compromising of disputes. After a week's consideration the miners re-fused flatly to agree to anything. The majority of the operators consented to accept the proposed arbitration, but a minority refused. Following this abortive at-tempt the President dismissed the conference with the injunction "to return to your mine properties and resume operation." Production has not increased.

Jan 8, 1922

By S. W. Churchill

A digital computer was used to obtain an exact numerical solution for the transient behavior of the insulation and earth adjacent to an isothermal, submerged flat surface for a single set of parametric values. Comparison of the computed results with analytical solutions for limiting conditions revealed that a complete and general solution for all parametric values could be constructed from these limiting solutions. Complete and general solutions for insulated spheres and cylinders can also be constructed from limiting solutions. The procedure is illustrated in part for an insulated spherical tank. The heat flow was found to fall rapidly to a pseudo-steady state; after some time, it then decreased slowly to zero for a flat plate and cylinder, and to a low steady-state rate for a sphere. The accumulative heat flow during the initial falling-rate period may be a significant fraction of the heat flow during the entire first year. INTRODUCTION Underground storage of liquefied natural gas and liquefied petroleum gas has received considerable recent attention. The rate of heat flow from the earth to the storage cavity and the resulting temperature field in the earth are important factors in the technical and economic evaluation of such storage facilities. The objective of this paper is to indicate how complete solutions can be developed for the transient flux and temperature field for various geometrical configurations. The representative properties and dimensions, and the resulting parameters utilized in the illustrative results, are indicated in Table 1. The results presented herein are for dry earth. The effect of the latent heat of solidification of water in the soiI will be described in a subsequent paper. The temperature field in the insulation and earth is determined by energy balances, boundary conditions and initial conditions. The physical problem can be described mathematically with virtually no idealizations insofar as physical properties are known. It appears possible to solve the equations by numerical integration on a high-speed digital computer for any geometrical configuration and conditions. For complex situations, however, the computations are expensive and the results are highly specific. Analytical solutions have been developed for a few simple but important geometrical configurations and conditions, including one-dimensional heat transfer from (or to) earth at an initially uniform temperature to (or from) flat plates, spheres and circular cylinders. The solution for an insulated flat plate has also been derived but is in the form of a slowly converging series involving taklated functions. It was planned to use a computing machine to evaluate this series for a number of representative conditions. However, upon examination of the results of preliminary computations it was discovered that a complete, general and accurate solution could be developed by interpolation between several much simpler solutions for limiting conditions. This technique then was used to develop a a complete solution for an insulated sphere. The equations presented herein are derived in Carslaw and Jaegerl and other books on applied mathematics, or they are simple extensions of these previous results. Hence, all derivations are omitted. Emphasis is instead placed on the results and their

By W. P. Blake

THIS furnace is designed especially for the oxidation of sulphur or arsenic in pyritic ores, but may be used for all oxidizing or desulphurizing operations, and for calcining, roasting and chloridizing ores, or for drying ores in large quantities preparatory to treatment by magnetic separators or otherwise. It is of the tabular, revolving type, with automatic feed and delivery, and is a modification of the Cornish calcining furnace, designed by Brunton, from which it differs, however, not only in construction, but in two or more radical features, for which novelty is claimed and patents have been applied for. The principal of these novelties are: 1. A series of concentric terraced floors, one above another. 2. The introduction of superheated air upon the charge without contact with the fuel. In the furnace which I have had in operation for more than a

Jan 1, 1893

By R. A. Greenkorn, R. C. Smith

Hele-Shaw cells are used to model creeping flow through porous media (where Darcy&apos;s law is valid). The effects of inertia on flow about obstructions in a Hele-Shaw cell can be calculated by a perturbation method if one can determine a solution to Laplace&apos;s equation. Results of a computer solution for flow about circular, square and elliptical obstructions are presented. These results show that or a modified Reynolds number of less than I, the inertia terms are small; and for values of less than 3, the average streamline predicts the ideal flow. Therefore, the analogy might be used for studying flow in porous media up to a modified Reynolds number of at least 3. INTRODUCTION The nature of fluid flow in porous media is of interest in the fields of soil mechanics, ground water flow, petroleum production, filtration and flow in packed beds. Because it is very difficult to study the phenomenological behavior of flow in porous media, homologs and analogs are used to study flow characteristics. A Hele-Shaw model, made of two closely spaced plates - usually glass — is often used as an analogy to two-dimensional flow in porous media. Hele-Shaw2 showed experimentally that the streamline configuration for creeping flow around an obstacle located between two closely spaced parallel plates is the same as for two-dimensional, ideal flow about the same obstacle. Stokes7 verified these observations mathematically. The usual equation of motion for flow in porous media is Darcy&apos;s law. The form of the mathematical statement of Darcy&apos;s law is identical, within a multiplicative constant, to the expression for the average velocity over the plate gap in the plane of a Hele-Shaw model. These models may be used to describe flow in both homogeneous and heterogeneous porous media. In the mathematical proof of the Hele-Shaw analogy it is assumed that the convective terms in the Navier-Stokes equations are negligible and that the equations of motion degenerate to Laplace&apos;s equation, with pressure the dependent variable. Whenever a Hele-Shaw model is used as an analogy to flow in porous media, .the validity of this assumption is in question. Riegels5 showed that if convection is not neglected, the velocity distribution around a cylindrical obstruction in the flow field depends on a Reynolds number, the plate spacing, and a dimension characteristic of the obstacle. Riegels&apos; solution, a perturbation solution, uses the boundary condition that the flow rate into the obstacle averaged over the plate gap at any point on the obstacle is zero. The method requires that a solution to Poisson&apos;s equation for the perturbation pressure be found. Riegels evaluated this solution for the case of the cylindrical obstruction. His method may be simplified by eliminating the need for solving Poisson&apos;s equation for the perturbation pressure. Instead, an analytic expression for the perturbation pressure gradient is obtained (valid for arbitrary shapes) and used to eliminate pressure from the equations for the perturbation velocities. The results show, for symmetrical shapes, that if NRe < 1, the convective acceleration terms are small, and that the average velocities represent ideal flow up to at least NRe = 3, where: L is a characteristic dimension of the obstacle perpendicular to flow, b is the plate spacing, u is viscosity, v, is velocity of approach and p is density. THEORY* Incompressible fluid flow through a Hele-Shaw model and a porous medium are analogous because the equations for the average velocity components in two-dimensional flow are identical if:

Jan 1, 1970

By Edgar R. Kendall

A knowledge of the fundamental principles of locating, sampling, testing and evaluating materials is essential in prospecting for mineral aggregates. In this discussion, mineral aggregates will be considered sand, gravel, crushed stone and slag that are used as materials of construction. The quantity of mineral aggregates produced in the United States during the year 1935 for such purposes was roughly 165,000,000 tons, about 60 per cent of which was sand and gravel, 37 per cent crushed stone and 3 per cent crushed slag. The total value of this material was approximately $100,000,000. It is apparent therefore that the prospecting for suitable mineral aggregates is of considerable economic importance. In prospecting for mineral aggregates, the methods employed are the same whether the organization is large or small. In the large organization there may be available geologists for locating sources of supply, a land acquisition department to arrange for the necessary options or permits, engineers to do the sampling, a laboratory for testing, and a board of consulting materials engineers to make the final selection. Even small organizations must follow the same general procedure, though the responsibility for the selection of aggregates may rest with one man, who may or may not be an engineer, but who must depend entirely upon his own judgment. Locating the Supply The initial step in prospecting for mineral aggregates is the locating of suitable, adequate and economic sources of supply for the project in mind. Commercial plants in the vicinity should be investigated and a survey made of the existing structures that have been built of aggregates from these sources. If the structures are rather old and show no signs of deterioration, it is fairly good evidence that the aggregate is satisfactory. If materials of the proper quality can be obtained from commercial sources in sufficient quantity, and delivered to the job economically, it

Jan 1, 1942

By Edgar R. Kendall

A knowledge of the fundamental principles of locating, sampling, testing and evaluating materials is essential in prospecting for mineral aggregates. In this discussion, mineral aggregates will be considered sand, gravel, crushed stone and slag that are used as materials of construction. The quantity of mineral aggregates produced in the United States during the year 1935 for such purposes was roughly 165,000,000 tons, about 60 per cent of which was sand and gravel, 37 per cent crushed stone and 3 per cent crushed slag. The total value of this material was approximately $100,000,000. It is apparent therefore that the prospecting for suitable mineral aggregates is of considerable economic importance. In prospecting for mineral aggregates, the methods employed are the same whether the organization is large or small. In the large organization there may be available geologists for locating sources of supply, a land acquisition department to arrange for the necessary options or permits, engineers to do the sampling, a laboratory for testing, and a board of consulting materials engineers to make the final selection. Even small organizations must follow the same general procedure, though the responsibility for the selection of aggregates may rest with one man, who may or may not be an engineer, but who must depend entirely upon his own judgment. Locating the Supply The initial step in prospecting for mineral aggregates is the locating of suitable, adequate and economic sources of supply for the project in mind. Commercial plants in the vicinity should be investigated and a survey made of the existing structures that have been built of aggregates from these sources. If the structures are rather old and show no signs of deterioration, it is fairly good evidence that the aggregate is satisfactory. If materials of the proper quality can be obtained from commercial sources in sufficient quantity, and delivered to the job economically, it

Jan 1, 1942

By Stephen L. Bolivar, Susan H. Balog, Thomas A. Weaver

A data-classification scheme was developed to detect potential uranium mineralization in the Montrose l º x 2º quadrangle, Colorado. The methodology developed is a rapid and efficient method of resource evaluation on a reconnaissance scale. The necessary techniques were developed and refined to digitize, integrate, and register various large geological, geochemical, and geophysical data sets for the Montrose quadrangle, Colorado, using a grid resolution of 1 km. All data sets for the Montrose quadrangle were registered to the Universal Trans- verse Mercator projection. The data sets include hydrogeochemical and stream sediment analyses for 23 elements, uranium-to-thorium ratios, airborne geo- physical survey data, the locations of 90 uranium occurrences, and a geologic map (scale 1:250 000). Geochemical samples were collected from 3965 locations in the 19 200 km2 quadrangle; aerial data were collected on flight lines flown with 3-5 km spacings. These data sets were smoothed by universal kriging and interpolated to a 179 x 119 rectangular grid (each grid block is 1 km2). A mylar transparency of the geologic map was prepared and digitized. All possible combinations of three, for all data sets, were examined for general geologic correlations by utilizing a color microfilm output. Subsets of data were further examined for selected test areas. A classification scheme for uranium mineralization, based on selected test areas in the Cochetopa uranium district, is presented. Areas favorable for uranium mineralization, based on this scheme, were identified and are discussed.

Jan 1, 1982

By C. H. Ault, D. D. Carr

Four counties in Indiana- LaPorte, Vigo, Vanderburgh, and Switzerland-have potential for deep underground limestone mining because they are in or near high population areas and have no surface-mineable limestone deposits. The principal markets are Gary-South Bend, Terre Haute, Evansville, and Cincinnati. Mineable seams suitable for aggregate are 120-150 m (400-500 ft) below the surface in LaPorte and Vigo Counties, about 90 m (300 ft) below the surface in Switzerland County, and about 600 m (2,000 ft) below the surface in Vanderburgh County. Some deposits are also suitable for high-purity uses or for cement raw materials, which enhances their potential for exploitation.

Jan 1, 1983