Search Documents

By Edward A. Loria

A SERIES of papers on the study of austenite grain A size in cast steels has been published recently.'" These studies show that in the as-cast state, the austenite grains are quite large, for they form as the steel freezes at a very high temperature, but a simple reheating above the critical range produces a new set of austenite grains which, in many instances, is finer than ASTM grain sire No. 8. Furthermore, there is no apparent relationship between as-cast austenite grain size and subsequent grain size produced by heat treatment. The as-cast austenite grain size can be determined easily in plain carbon and low alloy steels which produce a continuous grain boundary f errite envelope in the as-cast structure. In the case of cast steels whose alloy content produces greater hardenability and suppresses the proeutectoid ferrite transforma-

Jan 1, 1952

By Edward O’Toole

THe Pocahontas district occupies the extreme southern end of West Virginia, principally McDowell, Mercer and Wyoming counties, and a part of Tazewell county, in southwestern Virginia. The first record of the coal field is a report by Prof. J. P. Lesley, of Pennsylvania, about 1880, in which he mentions a coal opening at the upper end of Abbs Valley, Tazewell county, Va. C. R. Boyd, a mining engineer of Wytheville, Va., published a series of articles in 1881, mentioning coal on Indian Creek, Tazewell county, and on Horse Pen creek, which coals, he stated, extended toward the Ohio River. He also mentions the Abbs Valley coal reported by Lesley. In 1881, F. J. Kimball (who became president of the Norfolk & Western R. R. in 1883)) after examining the Scott mine in Abbs Valley, went northward across Abbs Valley Mountain to the place now known as Pocahontas, where he located what has since been called No. 3 vein of Pocahontas coal. In November, 1882, Jed Hotchkiss and others prepared a cross-section of the Flat Top Mountain coal measures, some notes on which were published by Mr. Hotchkiss, between 1880 and 1892, under the title of " The Virginias.' In May, 1881, the Norfolk & Western R. R. was organized through the purchase of the Atlantic, Mississippi & Ohio R. R., an old line running from Norfolk, Va., to Bristol, Tenn., with branches from Petersburg to City Point and from Glade Springs to Saltville. At that time, charters had been granted for three railroads tributary to the New River Valley, but their proposed routes would indicate that the promoters were concerned with minerals, timber, and a connection with the Chesapeake & Ohio R. R., rather than the development of any coal in the Pocahontas district. One of them was projected to extend up Bluestone River a short distance, but not far enough to reach the coal in the Bluestone Valley, and a little grading was done for a narrow-gage road between New River Station and a point in Giles county, Virginia, near the West Virginia line. All charters and railroads in this district were acquired by the Norfolk & Western R.R.

Jan 1, 1925

By Bruce H. Gardner, Stephen A. Miller, Shosei Serata

The Bryan Mound salt dome in Freeport, Texas, has some of the largest and oldest solution caverns in the U.S. There are a total of five caverns of varying shapes and sizes randomly distributed throughout the salt dome. When the caverns were converted from a brine production to an oil storage operation, the effects on long-term stability of the caverns and inter-cavern behavior were analyzed to evaluate the future safety of the storage operation. The analysis was based on a worst-possible-case scenario, including accidental wellhead pressure loss. The impact of this pressure loss upon the thinnest partition between the two closest caverns was analyzed, using a case example of storing lightest weight LPG, thereby creating maximum differential pressures between these two caverns. The finite element method with the REM computer code was utilized for this analysis. Results of the analysis illustrate the basic mechanisms of the long-term behavior of the multiple caverns in the LPG storage operation.

Jan 1, 1985

By H. A. Bourne, E. L. Haden, D. R. Reichmuth

A circumferential-toothed bit with novel tooth form gave improved penetration performance. In this design the exterior flank of all teeth were vertical when in rolling contact with the hole bottom. Rock chips were generated by the interior flank of the tooth displacing the rock inwardly and downslope toward the center of the hole. A unique two-cone laboratory bit assembly enabled evaluation of numerous cone and tooth configurations. Some of the variables investigated, in addition to weight on bit, rotary speed and rock type, were tooth interference, percent tooth, hole bottom angle, attack angle and relief angle. Most tests were conducted dry on a brittle synthetic sandsone or a ductile quarried limestone. Tooth configurations were found to be more significant in the ductile material. This was attributed to the deeper tooth penetration before rock failure. These studies showed that the attack angle (angle beween interior flank of the tooth and rock surface) was the controlling variable; changing the tooth configuration from the assymetric or semi-wedge to the more conventional symmetric or wedge form reduced penetration performance; and penetration performance of circumferential-type cutters was directly proportional to rotary speeds up to 200 rpm. INTRODUCTION Much of the published literature on rock-chisel interactions describe experiments wherein symmetrical wedges are vertically loaded or impacted against a smooth rock surface.1-6 are is usually taken to insure that the indentation is not made near the edge of the rock specimen less erroneous data be obtained. The literature describes relatively few studies in which the investigator deliberately attempted to take advantage of an edge or free surface. In contrast, anyone who chips ice or breaks up a concrete sidewalk almost always works near an edge. Chisel "indexing," which has been considered by some investigator1,2,6,7 makes limited application of an edge or free surface. Probably the best documented investigation into applying this idea to drilling was that of Drilling Research Inc. at Battelle Memorial Institute.' Their "annular wing" percussion bit consisted of paired asymmetric chisels oriented so as to produce and move chips to the center of the hole. They predicted that the lowest energy requirement for chip generation would be achieved with a stepped hole bottom having a median angle of 45" to the horizontal. Results from limited tests showed that approximately 50 percent of the rock fragments were large and semi-circular in shape, as would be expected by a chisel impact near an edge. The remaining 50 percent were fine chips produced by the chisels in re-establishing the steps or ledges. Initial penetration rates with this bit were high, but they rapidly decreased. This was the result of excessive tooth wear caused by the constant friction on the gauge surfaces. The basic idea — circumferentially placed asymmetric chisels — still appears to have merit. If the concept could be applied to a rolling cutter bit, two of the shortcomings of the fixed chisel design could be overcome: (1) reduction in tooth friction, and (2) greatly increased cutter surface. Adapting asymmetric chisels to cutters rolling on an inclined hole bottom is restricted by bit geometry. The basic elements of roller rock-bit construction prevents the practical attainment of a 45" hole bottom angle. Nonetheless, experimentally it was considered desirable to investigate the influence of hole bottom angle to at least 40". This paper describes the laboratory studies conducted in evaluating the circumferential-toothed roller cutter rock bit. EXPERIMENTAL APPARATUS AND PROCEDURE BIT ASSEMBLY The cost of constructing a sufficient number of conventional three-cone rock bits to investigate circumferential cutter performance was prohibitive. Instead, a novel two-cone laboratory assembly which used an external bearing system was designed and constructed. The external bearings made it possible to alter the journal bearing angles and thus allow a wide flexibility in cutter configuration. Fig. 1 shows the laboratory bit assembly, the various bearing mount plates and the appropriate roller cutters for drilling shallow holes having hole bottom angles of 0, 10, 20, 30 or 40". The bit was limited to a drilling depth of 1 1/2 in. at the gauge teeth and a hole diameter of 43/4 in. This more or less intermediate size bit was chosen because it gave a more realistic match between bit teeth and the rock than would a microbit. Also, the rock sample size required was convenient and easy to obtain. CIRCUMFERENTIAL CUTTERS The tooth configuration used in our initial studies is shown in the upper half of Fig. 2. All cutters used in this series had the same tooth form — 43" included tooth angle, 2" positive relief angle and a horizontal tooth flat width of 1/32 in. Each cone cuts alternate rows except for the gauge row. The row-to-row spacing in view was 1/4 in. Static loading tests conducted earlier with asymmetrical chisels had been used to establish this spacing. These tests showed energy requirements for chip production increasing rapidly as the distances to the edge increased beyond

By F. W. Jessen, John C. Miller

In many areas where carbonate rocks form important parts of the stratigraphic sequence, stratigraphers have experienced varying degrees of difficulty in differentiating and correlating limestone and dolomite units in both surface and subsurface work. With early Paleozoic rocks of the Mid-Continent, insoluble residues yield a remarkable amount of strati-graphic data and relatively good correlations may be carried over broad distances.' Unfortunately, neither such information nor electric logs and radioactive logs have been particularly helpful in interpreting the limestone sections of the Permian Basin of West Texas. This is because: (1) the variations in the sections may be very slight; (2) no completely satisfactory method of interpretation has been developed; and (3) the measurements themselves are not sensitive enough for small variations. Also, such logs are influenced by the fluid content. Paleontology and micro-paleontology remain the ultimate arbiters. As a routine tool, however, paleontol-ogical examination is slow and tedious. Chemical analysis may be used, but this, too, is extremely slow. Although rocks are not classified according to chemical composition, there is considerable variation with rock types. Correlation by chemical composition has two advantages, first, the characteristics determined are subject to minimum human error and interpretation, and secondly, the lithologic changes are not masked by fluid content as in the case of electric and radioactive logs. Some fossils concentrate certain elements which tentatively might be used to date rock units.' Rapid chemical analysis by spec-trographic means could be used as an adjunct to other means employed in correlation work, or might, in itself, present a suitable method. PURPOSE OF THIS INVESTIGATION Sloss and Cooke' have published data concerning spectrographic analysis of limestone rocks specifically for purposes of direct correlation of a single formation. These authors found satisfactory evidence that differences in percentage of four elements (Mg, Fe, Al, and Sr) in the Mississippian limestones of northern Montana were useful in carrying out correlation of this formation over a distance of approximately 50 miles. It was concluded from the preliminary work that the spectrochemical method offered possibilities of solution of some problems of correlation heretofore not possible. Since the work of Sloss and Cooke' was confined to one particular limestone zone, extension of the use of the method to examine two or more geologic formations would aid materially in the over-all problem of correlation of such rocks. Equipment is now available commercially with which very rapid spectrographic analyses may be made, and hence the problem was to determine whether the variations existing in the minor constituents of limestones were sufficient for use in possible correlation. Qualitative and semi-quantitative investigations were made to determine whether significant changes in the chemical condition occurred. It was a further purpose to investigate the geologic time-boundaries to see whether significant chemical variation could be found corresponding to the paleontological breaks. It was desirable to attempt correlation of a thick section of limestone or dolomite rock and to have as much information as possible on the section. Furthermore, it was felt that examination of formations more difficult to correlate by other means would enhance the value of the method should definite points of correlation be found. Samples were chosen from the Chapman-McFarlin Cogdell No. 25 well in the Cogdell field, Kent County, Tex., and from the General Crude Oil Co., Coleman No. 193-2 well in the Salt Creek field, Kent County, Tex. These fields belong to the famous series of "Canyon" reef fields of West Texas. Cores from the above wells were available from the United States Geological Survey, Austin, Tex. THE SPECTROGRAPHIC METHOD The choice of procedure to be followed in this investigation was based on the anticipated requirements peculiar to the problem. Since the problem was primarily to investigate the possibilities of applying the spec-trograph to problems of correlation in thick carbonate sections, a precise quantitative analysis did not appear necessary. A qualitative analysis to show the possible absence of presence of any element, or a semi-quantitative analysis of the elements present to show the relative changes in magnitude of selected elements was required. Both types of analysis were employed. The two most widely applied methods of semi-quantitative estimates are those of Harvey and of Slavin4,5 though various other procedures have been described.6 while the Harvey method has been modified by Addink,7 this refinement did not seem necessary to the present problem. Essentially, the procedure employed is a variation of the total energy method of Slavin with two exceptions: (1) stressing matrix effect, and (2) using densitometer measurements. As measured by a densito-

Jan 1, 1956

By Andrew B. Crichton

THE oft repeated statements of the United States Geological Survey and the Bureau of Mines that the coal reserves in the United States are sufficient for 3000 yr have given us all a sense of security hard to disturb. If we discount that statement 66 pct, which to the uninformed seems drastic, we would still have 1000 yr supply, and why should mortal man worry about the difference between 1000 and 3000 yr supply of coal. That is exactly the attitude which many who should be better in- formed have taken toward the problem. A recent brochure "How Strong is America," by the New York Herald Tribune, states there is "no end to coal * * The truth is staggering * * U. S. has enough coal to last 4000 years." What the statement actually means is that the calculator got as high as 4000 yr and decided it was pointless to go on. The President's ERP Committee on Natural Resources and others in high places continue to assure the country of our superabundance of coal. In the past few days the “Wall Street Journal" carried an item from Director Boyd of the Bureau of Mines saying that within a hundred years we would need to triple our annual coal production of 6oo,ooo,ooo tons, making it 1,800,000,000 tons annually, and at that rate we had coal reserves sufficient for 1000 yr. In my humble opinion, we cannot now or ever produce 1,800,000,000 tons annually, be- cause we do not have the reserves in the producing districts to do it. Past reckoning in geology may be, as in the Psalms, a thousand years are as yesterday, but the future must be considered more realistically, and "a thousand years" is really a "heck" of a long time. In most developed areas, mining engineers can count the coal reserves in terms of a hundred years or less, and in some important areas now producing large annual tonnages in much under fifty years. They think when they hear of thousands of years coal reserves, reference is made to distant fields and "the fields are always green far away." The estimates of our coal reserves upon which we are relying were made in 1907 under the direction of Marius R. Campbell, Director of the United States Geological Survey. It is apparent this work was not well done. It was necessarily based on rather meager data because of the little development and prospecting as of that date. There were mistakes in the correlation of seams, and they assumed the continuity of thick seams throughout large coal bearing areas where coal often did not exist. The overstatement of coal bearing areas in the Campbell figures are common. The 1907 survey includes all coals over 14 in. in thickness to a depth of 3000 ft. The total coal reserves according to Campbell were 3157.2 billion tons. The production and mining losses that year would amount to -570 million tons and

Jan 1, 1948

By R. A. Morse, C. R. Holmgren

The production of oil by water flooding can be substantially increased by the maintenance of free gas saturation in the reservoir during the flooding operation. This effect is accomplished by the alteration of oil relative permeability characteristics and the occupation by gas of pore space that would otherwise be filled with residual oil. The amount of reduction In residual oil can be calculated from appropriate water-oil relative permeability characteristics. This paper presents experimental data in support of the foregoing conclusions and an example of the calculations. The microscopic pore saturation concepts of the mechanism are discussed. A method of practical application to field floods is presented together with discussion of certain limitations. INTRODUCTION The presence of free gas has been reported by a number of investigators to significantly affect the oil recovery which can be obtained from sandstone flow systems by water flooding.1,2,3,4,5 The effect of gas, noted in every instance, has been to cause lower residual oil saturations than could be obtained by water flooding the same systems in the absence of free gas. The degree of improvement in recovery has been observed to vary widely, depending on the systems used and the conditions of the tests. The increased oil recovery obtained because of the presence of gas during a water flood has been variously attributed to changes in physical characteristics of the oil, selective plugging action of the gas, inclusion of oil mist in the free gas phase, and the additional sweeping or driving action of the free gas. All but the first of these suggestions imply changes in the displacement mechanism. The change in viscosity and inter-facial tension of the oil phase, within the pressure range used for all the experimental work, is certainly not sufficient to account for the differences in residual oil saturation noted dess there is a drastic change in the displacement process. One other effect which logically seems capable of causing differences in residual oil saturation of the magnitude noted in the experimental work is that of simple replacement. In a water-wet system containing oil, water, and gas, it is to be expected that the gas will exist inside the oil. This is the position of minimum free surface energy, since the gas-oil interfacial tension will be less than the gas-water interfacial tension. There is no apparent reason to expect that the existence of free gas within the oil phase should alter the saturation at which the non-wetting phase (now oil and gas) should become discontinuous and hence trapped so as to be unrecoverable by direct displacement by water. If this is the situation, then trapping of a certain percentage of gas saturation during water flood should result, at infinite water-oil ratio, in a like reduction of oil saturation below that attainable by flooding in the absence of free gas. It is visualized that the gas will exist as bubbles inside the discontinuous residual oil as illustrated in Fig. 1, with the size of the oil bubbles being substantially unchanged due to the presence of the gas. As a practical matter, it can be anticipated that the presence of a free gas saturation inside the oil phase will reduce the relative permeability to oil which will exist at any particular water saturation. This reduction will be caused by two factors — -the addition of the gas-oil interface, and the reduction of area available for oil flow in the pores containing gas. This reduction in oil permeability at any particular water saturation will result in water breakthrough at a lower water satu-

Jan 1, 1951

By R. F. Blakely, P. E. Potter

Any stratigraphic section or bedding sequence can be synthesized if there is a transition procedure from one lithology or bedding type to another, and if thickness distributions of the different lithologies are known. Stratigraphic sections of a fluvial sandstone body were synthesized with five bedding types: cross-bedding, massive beds, parting lineation, ripple mark and mudstone. The transition procedure from one bedding type to another used dependent, Markovian random processes which have a memory that extends one step backward in the depositional process. As observed in nature, median grain size and sand wave thickness (cross-bedding and ripple mark) decline upward in the synthesized sections as proportions of the different bedding types change. Grain size and permeability were also incorporated into the sections. By changing the transition procedures, bed thickness distributions, rate of upward decline or sand wave height and length, different types of sections can be synthesized, thus making it possible to model many different sedimentation problems. INTRODUCTION This paper describes a general method for synthesizing stratigraphic sections and bedding sequences of sedimentary, metamorphic or igneous origin. Synthetic generation is of interest for several reasons. Close correspondence between real and synthetic sections suggests that the factors used in the synthesizing model may indeed be the correct ones, thus giving the investigator a check on his assumptions. Rapid, inexpensive simulation of many stratigraphic sections permits one to synthesize a rock body (sandstone or carbonate reservoir) or, on a larger scale, the fill of a sedimentary basin. Harbaughl gives an example of mathematical simulation of a carbonate basin. He simulated the basin in the hope that improved prediction would follow better understanding of the depositional processes. From the petroleum engineer's viewpoint it seems reasonable to believe that the synthetic generation of rock properties and their distribution in a reservoir should be relevant in the study of reservoirs. Any stratigraphic section or bedding sequence can be generated provided there is a transition procedure from one lithology or bedding type to another, and provided the thickness distributions of the different units are known. The transition procedure involves random processes that are either independent or dependent. If the depositional process is independent, previous deposition will have no influence on present deposition. However, if it is dependent, past deposition will influence either present or future deposition. Such a dependent depositional process can be thought of as having a memory that extends backward in time through one or more pulses of deposition. A process with a memory can be described by a Markov process. Because the concept of memory or dependence appears to be in accord with our understanding of many depositional processes, Markov processes were used to synthesize the bedding sequences of this study (see Appendix). The above methods are perfectly general and are appropriate for any stratigraphic section or bedding sequence: bedding types in a beach deposit, an evolving carbonate bank or the changing lithologic fill of a thick geosyncline sequence. We chose to synthesize a vertical profile of a fluvial sandstone body because its characteristics were well documented, much was known about fluvial processes and fluvial-deltaic sandstone bodies constitute an important class of petroleum reservoirs. CHARACTERISTICS AND ORIGIN OF FLUVIAL CYCLE The fluvial cycle has been well documented in recent years by Bersier,2 Allen3-5and Visher.6,7 Deposits from fluvial cycles range from 10 to 150 ft or more in thickness and are characterized by a "fining upwards": coarse sandstones with occasional conglomerates grade upward into medium- to fine-grained sandstone, and hence into siltstone and mudstone. The dominant sedimentary structure is inclined bedding: thick cross-beds in the lower half

By F. R. Cattoir, R. W. Kimball, C. T. Anderson

ONE of the principal impurities in all steels is sulphur. Sulphur-bearing, manganese-free steels exhibit hot shortness. Manganese is added to steel to improve the hot-working properties. If no sulphur were present in steel, it is probable that hot shortness would be nonexistent. This paper is the first of a series to be issued by this Laboratory reporting the measurements of hot forgeability tests and the physical properties of Fe-C alloys to which additions of various alloying elements have been made. The present paper describes the results- obtained by the addition of varying amounts of sulphur to Fe-C alloys. To obtain control over residual elements in the various charges melted in the arc furnace, it was considered advantageous to use sponge iron from one source as the melting stock rather than scrap metal having an unknown history. Small amounts of unwanted alloying elements might be introduced into the charge when scrap was used, thereby influencing the results of the various heats. A sponge iron having a high silica-lime ratio was used. Ore from Sunrise, Wyo., had been reduced to sponge iron and briquetted at the Bureau of Mines sponge-iron plant at Laramie, Wyo. The briquettes were 5 in. in diam and 2 to 3 in. in thickness, and weighed about 10 lb each. The chemical analysis of the sponge iron is as follows: C, 0.67 pct; Mn, 0.10; SiO2, 4.75; CaO, 1.4; P, 0.044; S, 0.72; MgO, 0.4; A12O3, 1.1; total Fe, 87.5; Fe metallic, 79.2; and reduction, 90.5 pct. Where a reducing agent was required, crushed graphite electrodes usually were used. The charcoal available contained 0.20 pct S. An analysis of the available coke showed it to contain 0.70 pct S. Where high sulphur heats were required, elemental sulphur additions were made to the ladle. Limestone of good quality was obtained locally and had the following analysis: CaO, 53.7 pct; MgO, 0.8; ignition loss, 42.4; R2O3, 0.2; SiO2, 3.0; and P2O5, 0.014. Melting Procedure Sponge iron was melted to produce metal stock for the experimental alloys in a silica-lined, three-phase, direct-arc, size ST, Moore Rapid Lectromelt furnace with a 500 kva rating. Fig. 1 shows this furnace installation. About 25 tons of sponge iron was melted in 75 heats, averaging 927 lb of sponge iron to the heat. An addition of carbon was required to complete the reduction of a portion of the iron oxide remaining in the sponge to prevent high losses of iron oxide in the slag and a low carbon content in the resulting metal. As reducing agents in preparing the melting stock, charcoal, coke, and a carbon product resulting from the thermal decomposition of natural gas were used. The quantity varied from 20 to 60 Ib per furnace charge, with an average of 38 lb. An average analysis of the metal obtained gave 0.52 pct C, about 0.01 pct Mn, 0.070 pct P, and 0.092 pct S. The average yield of metal was 647 lb with 241 1b of slag, the sponge-iron recovery being 70 pct. The metal obtained in melting the sponge iron was cast into pigs weighing about 20 lb each to facilitate recharging into the furnace for further refining. The pouring of the pigs is shown in Fig. 2. The average power consumption for the production of the 24 tons of metal obtained was 1704 kw-hr per ton.

Jan 1, 1954

By R. A. Morse, C. R. Holmgren

The production of oil by water flooding can be substantially increased by the maintenance of free gas saturation in the reservoir during the flooding operation. This effect is accomplished by the alteration of oil relative permeability characteristics and the occupation by gas of pore space that would otherwise be filled with residual oil. The amount of reduction In residual oil can be calculated from appropriate water-oil relative permeability characteristics. This paper presents experimental data in support of the foregoing conclusions and an example of the calculations. The microscopic pore saturation concepts of the mechanism are discussed. A method of practical application to field floods is presented together with discussion of certain limitations. INTRODUCTION The presence of free gas has been reported by a number of investigators to significantly affect the oil recovery which can be obtained from sandstone flow systems by water flooding.1,2,3,4,5 The effect of gas, noted in every instance, has been to cause lower residual oil saturations than could be obtained by water flooding the same systems in the absence of free gas. The degree of improvement in recovery has been observed to vary widely, depending on the systems used and the conditions of the tests. The increased oil recovery obtained because of the presence of gas during a water flood has been variously attributed to changes in physical characteristics of the oil, selective plugging action of the gas, inclusion of oil mist in the free gas phase, and the additional sweeping or driving action of the free gas. All but the first of these suggestions imply changes in the displacement mechanism. The change in viscosity and inter-facial tension of the oil phase, within the pressure range used for all the experimental work, is certainly not sufficient to account for the differences in residual oil saturation noted dess there is a drastic change in the displacement process. One other effect which logically seems capable of causing differences in residual oil saturation of the magnitude noted in the experimental work is that of simple replacement. In a water-wet system containing oil, water, and gas, it is to be expected that the gas will exist inside the oil. This is the position of minimum free surface energy, since the gas-oil interfacial tension will be less than the gas-water interfacial tension. There is no apparent reason to expect that the existence of free gas within the oil phase should alter the saturation at which the non-wetting phase (now oil and gas) should become discontinuous and hence trapped so as to be unrecoverable by direct displacement by water. If this is the situation, then trapping of a certain percentage of gas saturation during water flood should result, at infinite water-oil ratio, in a like reduction of oil saturation below that attainable by flooding in the absence of free gas. It is visualized that the gas will exist as bubbles inside the discontinuous residual oil as illustrated in Fig. 1, with the size of the oil bubbles being substantially unchanged due to the presence of the gas. As a practical matter, it can be anticipated that the presence of a free gas saturation inside the oil phase will reduce the relative permeability to oil which will exist at any particular water saturation. This reduction will be caused by two factors — -the addition of the gas-oil interface, and the reduction of area available for oil flow in the pores containing gas. This reduction in oil permeability at any particular water saturation will result in water breakthrough at a lower water satu-

Jan 1, 1951

By H. D. Kessler, Joseph B. McAndrew

WHEN there is occasion to make structural use of metals at temperatures above 900°C (1652°F), the choice of alloys is severely limited, and those materials which meet special requirements as to density, strength, toughness, and resistance to creep, oxidation, or fatigue at such temperatures are at a premium. Any new type of high temperature alloy which is found to be outstanding with respect to several of these properties is therefore likely to find special applications for which it is uniquely advantageous as compared to other alloys. Such is the case with the 7 titanium-aluminum alloys. This y phase is an intermediate phase based on the composition TiAl, and extends from about 35.5 to 44.5 wt pct Al at temperatures up to 1000°C, above which the field broadens to include 60 pct A1 at 1340°C.' The alloys of principal interest have a narrow melting range, with 7 forming by the peri-tectic reaction, melt + ß=y at about 1460°C. Unlike most intermediate phases, the binary alloys containing titanium and aluminum in approximately equiatomic proportion possess low room temperature hardness,' in addition to which they have low density, good resistance to oxidation, and relatively high modulus of elasticity.' Unpublished work done at Armour Research Foundation showed

Jan 1, 1957

By Ajoy K. Ghose

INTRODUCTION Longwall mining made its debut in Indian coal mining scene around 1900. Despite this headstart, the application of the method has been slow and halting. Currently, there are some 16 operating longwall faces only in different Indian coalfields contributing to perhaps less than 3 percent of the total underground coal production. Ambitious plans for expansion of longwall mining notwithstanding, apprehensions on the cavability of Indian coalmeasure roof rocks and some unsavoury experiences with face collapses in caved longwalla have impeded wider adoption of the technique. Between 1960 and 1983, some 41 caved longwall faces were worked in Jharia, Raniganj, Karanpura and Korba Coalfields in India, of which 6 faces reportedly had collapsed(1). The first powered support longwall face was started in August 1978 at Monidih colliery which marked a major step forward in the introduction of advanced technological system in Indian coal industry. This paper attempts to analyse critically the experiences with longwall ground control in caved longwall faces in India. Experiences from powered support faces at Monidih, Dhemomain and Pathakhera are synthesized to provide an appraisal of the present status of caved longwall faces under the Indian coalmeasure roofs, which thus far have been characterised as “massive”. The geotechnical site factors at the powered support faces are evaluated and conclusions drawn on the pre-assessment of caving characteristics and support resistance required at the faces.

Jan 1, 1984

By C. A. Stetefeldt

In a former paper (Runs., xxi., 286) I described the plant of the Marsac Refinery, and the manipulations of the process, but cou1d not, at the time, give reliable statistical results. To supply the latter is the object of the present paper. I shall give actual facts as correctly as possible, without any bias one way or the other. For all statistics I am indebted to Mr. W. G. Lamb, who has charge of the Marsac lixiviation-plant and refinery; to Mr. A. Luebeck, assayer at the Ontario mill; and to the Daly Office, Salt Lake City.* Before starting on the work of the year 1892, a most careful clean-up was made, and any remnants were charged to the refinery. During 1892 the Marsac lixiviation-works produced 48.8 tons of so-called "regular" sulphides, which contained, on an average, 11,449 ounces of silver per ton; 11.77 ounces of gold per ton; and 569.8 pounds of copper per ton. To this must be added, 266 pounds of sulphides and by-products left over from the product of 1891, which contained 1380 ounces of silver, 1.41 ounces of gold, and 63 pounds of copper. Before giving the results of the clean-up, a general discussion of the items of expense, methods of assaying, etc., is desirable.

Jan 1, 1895

By F. J. Smit

The Tintic Division of Kennecott Copper Corporation operates the Burgin Mine in the East Tintic District near Eureka, Utah, approximately 75 miles south of Salt Lake City. The Division was organized in 1963 to develop concealed replacement orebodies in the area located by Bear Creek Mining Company, Kennecott's domestic exploration subsidiary. Several accounts of the discovery of these orebodies and the general geology of the area have been given (1, 2). The ore is very complex and of varying degrees of oxidation and alteration. The principal metal values are lead, zinc, silver, and cadmium. The Burgin No. 2 shaft was sunk in 1963 to provide access for mining the orebodies. Much of the ore mined after this shaft was sunk was high grade and shipped directly to smelters, but concurrently it was recognized that concentration would be required to upgrade the lower grade ore in the deposits. Accordingly, in January 1967, authorization was received to construct a 500 tpd concentrator. From the beginning it was expected that the characteristics of the mill feed would vary widely and unpredictably as mining progressed. This paper summarizes the characteristics of the ore, the test work upon which the plant design was based, the engineering and construction, and the present operation of the facility eighteen months after startup. ORE CHARACTERISTICS The Burgin ore is a complex assemblage of minerals from replacement of limestone. The replacement and alteration occurred in at

Jan 1, 1970

By C. Wachmann

The theory presented ill this paper makes possible examination of the phenomenological aspect of secondary oil recovery by alcohol flooding. Limitutions of the theory are contingent on three primary assumptions: (1) chemical equilibrium, (2) no fingering, and (5) no dispersion. The second assumption implies one-dimensional flow. In a geometric sense the theory extends the Buckley-Leverett construction to systems of two slightly miscible fluids and to systems of three components. This is made possible by considering single-phase fluids to be made up two phases, namely of an excess of one phase and a negative amount of the other phase. The procedure is discussed in the paper. The theory also permits direct determination of the relationship between the aqueous phase saturation and the concentration of water in the aqueous phase in a zone of variable composition. The velocity of planes of constant water concentration and of constant saturation can be computted likewise and the existence of saturation discontinuities inferred. Consequently the behavior of such a Zone, which may exist at some time between a displaced and a displacing fluid, May be determined. mathematical details are given in Appendices. Problems of experimental verification are pointed out on the basis of a supporting experiment. Implications of the theory and effects of violations of primary assumptions are discussed briefly. The major conclusion is that, if the primary assumptions are met, with pure alcohol and alcohol-rich .slugs piston-like displacement of oil and water is possible. INTRODUCTION The recovery of oil from porous media by alcohol displacement has been studied for several years. Extensive experimental investigations into alcohol flooding have been carried out in the laboratory although little has been done in the field. A large amount of practical information is available, the extent being indicated by the first three papers cited 1-3 and their respecrive bibliographies. This has permitted the Formulation of inferential theories. A more analytical approach in which theories are developed primarily by reasoning from known physical principles and relationships has, however, lagged behind. In fact, an analytically derived theory of alcohol displacement has not been available. The theory presented in this paper on oil and water displacement by alcohol from a porous medium is a result of the analytical approach. The theory is idealized, as certain assumptions had to be made to make the mathematics tractable and reduce complexity of argument. In particular, major assuptions concerning conditions of equilibrium, interfacial stability, longitudinal mixing, etc., led to the exclusion of fingering, for example, from all considerations. In many laboratory experiments reported in the literature fingering could not be avoided. There is, therefore, disagreement between theories based on experimental evidence available and the analytically derived theory presented here. This theory presented is based on known physical data and makes use of the Buckley-Leverett construction and its suggested extension. The mathematical derivation of the theory is given in Appendices. Three examples relevant to alcohol displacement are discussed to explain the use of this theory: (1) system of two immiscible fluids (the Buckley-Leverett case); (2) system of two slightly miscible fluids involving an extension of the Buckley-Leverett construction; and (3) system of three components, including injection of pure alcohol or alcohol-rich fluid as a special case, which involves a more general extension of the Buckley-Leverett construction. In these discussions strict assumptions were made to impose equilibrium conditions and exclude mixing and fingering. Effects of relaxing these assumptions and consequent extensions of the theory are indicated. The complexity of the alcohol displacement process makes experimental verification of the theory essential. Some relevant evidence is offered in this paper.

Jan 1, 1965

By Marlin J. Veesaert

Urban quarries offer one of the greatest opportunities for profit in nonmetallic mining with limited financial risk-if properly evaluated, planned and developed to meet market needs. Location, with respect to market, is the prime consideration. Geologic considerations and quality of rock are nearly as important. Cost factors and return on investment (ROI) are the principal financial considerations. Risk of capital is determined by weighing all factors that should be considered and how well judgments are based on information acquired. It is a simple, true axiom of business that an investment must be founded on amount of capital required with its expected return plus profit, expertise required to operate, and time involved. Urban quarries generally offer excellent stone product market opportunities. Costs of land with mineral containment and processing operations are much greater than in rural areas. Environmental problems have become increasingly severe. Competition from other quarries in the market area is usually directly proportional to the profit attractiveness. Risk of capital (initial, developmental and operational) can be evaluated and reduced only by thorough analysis of the entire situation. Time and money expended on planning and preliminary investigations probably represent the most productive investment of available company resources. Basic Reasons to Establish a Limestone Quarry Profit Motive: Certainly the dominant and overriding motive must be that of attaining a reasonable profit. In certain situations a quarry firm may acquire land, necessary rezoning (if required), and satisfy all of the other prerequisites preparatory to beginning operations but delaying the actual development.

Jan 1, 1980

By John E. Greenawalt

IN view of the increasing importance of sintering in the beneficiation of iron ores preparatory to their reduction in the blast furnace, the writer believes the time is opportune for an up-to-date, though brief, discussion of the general principles of sintering, as well as a discussion of some of the recent improvements and mechanical developments that have been achieved in this industry, its present trend and future possibilities. Sintering may be defined as the agglomeration of fine mineral particles into a porous mass by incipient fusion caused by heat produced by combustion within the mass itself. Its first successful application, in connection with the treatment of lead sulphide ores, was known as blast roasting. In this process the lead ore was given a preliminary roasting in a reverberatory furnace, then the incandescent mass was placed in a pot with a grate and an updraft was applied. It was soon discovered that much better results were obtained by cooling the ore, moistening it, and placing it upon an incandescent layer of fuel previously placed upon a grate, and then applying the updraft blast of air until the charge was converted into a more or less agglomerated mass. The fuel was sulphur and the process one of desulphurization, which was the principal result desired. The application of downdraft to blast roasting brought about tremendous results; the principal one of which was that an air blast of high pressure could be passed through a layer of ore deposited on a grate, or on a grate covered by a layer of coarse porous material, without disturbing the particles of which the layer is composed. The air current is compelled to filter through the pores of the charge, whereas if the same pressure applied to the top surface of the charge with downdraft were applied to the bottom of the charge with updraft, the charge would be completely blown off the grate. Another result of reversing the draft was that a flame could readily be applied to the top surface of the charge for igniting purposes. Broadly speaking, sintering is an oxidizing or burning process, therefore the volume of air passing through the charge is the all-important factor. The air must pass through with sufficient rapidity to produce the necessary heat, and if sufficiently rapid the combustion will take place

Jan 1, 1938

By Emory Kemler

The problem of determining the most desirable operating conditions of an oil-well pumping unit or rig front, the selection of the proper material and size of sucker rods, and the design of a pumping unit require that sucker-rod loads be known with a reasonable degree of accuracy. The segregation of rig losses, the proper selection and operation of prime mover and reduction unit, and the analysis of the operation of subsurface equipment require a knowledge of polished-rod horsepower. The investigation of such problems as the instantaneous stresses set up in a pull-rod line or backside crank installation when the well is suddenly hooked on, a study of such problems as the effect of anchoring the tubing on rod load, tubing stresses and rod horsepower, and an analysis of the effect of subsurface equipment on rod loads make it necessary to have a dynamometer that is rugged, which can follow the sudden changes in load without any lag or damping effect, which will record the load in its true position with respect to polished-rod movement, and which will give a card large enough to allow the desired effects to be measured accurately. The inadequacy of the spring or fluid-pressure type of dynamometers has been covered in detail1. The data given show that dynamometers of the spring or fluid-pressure type exert a damping action on the peak loads and the inertia and friction of their load-indicating mechanism introduces a phase lag in recording the load. A dynamometer of that type will not give the load in the correct amount and will not record it in its true position with respect to stroke or time. New Type of Dynamometer Fig. 1 shows a magnetic strain-gage type of dynamometer, to be described in this paper. The strain gage A is used for measuring the load in the polished rod, a washer B and knife edge C take care of initial misalignment and reduce bending in the compression tube of the strain gage. The complete instrument can be transported in the carrying case E.

Jan 1, 1935

By W. W. Whitaker, C. W. Manry, R. H. McLean

In an eccentric annulus, cement may favor the widest side and bypass slower-moving mud in the narrowest side. Tendency of the cement to bypass mud is a function of the geometry of the annulus, the density and flow properties of the mud and cement and the rate of flow. Bypassing can be prevented if the pressure gradient protluced from circulation of the cement and buoyant forces exceeds the pressure gradient necessary to drive the mud through the narrowest side of the annulus at the same velocity as the cement. In the absence of buoyant forces, one requirement for this balance is maintenance of the yield strength of the cement greater than the yield strength of the mud multiplied by the maximum distance from the casing to the wall of the borehole and divided by the minimum distance. If the yield strength of the cement is below this value, bypassing of mud cannot be prevented unless buoyant forces or motion of the casing significantly aid the displacement. INTRODUCTION Successful primary cementing leaves no continuous channels of mud capable of flow during well treatment and production. Prevention of channels requires care. Tep-litz and Hassebroek provide evidence of channels of mud after primary cementing in the field.' Channeling of cement through mud in laboratory experiments has also been reported.'-' Recommendations for improving the displacement of mud include (1) centralizing the casing in the borehole,'-" 2) attaching centralizers and scratchers to the casing and moving it during displacement,18 "3) thinning the isolating the cement by plugs while it is circulated down the casing,%( (5 establishing turbulence in the cement," and (6) holding the cement slurry at least 2 lb/gal heavier than the mud and circulating the cement slurry at a very low rate of flow.' Although much has been written about the above parameters, the relative importance of each has not been well defined. In this investigation, the mechanics of mud displacement are described through results from analytical models and experiments. The model chosen — a single string of casing eccentric in a round, smooth-walled, impermeable borehole — is analagous to casing centralized in a borehole which is not round and to placing more than one string of casing in a borehole. In each, some paths for flow are more restricted than others. A fluid flowing in the borehole may seek the least restricted, or most open, path. This tendency for uneven flow can lead to channeling of cement through mud unless preventive measures are taken. The analytical models describe channeling and give means of balancing the flow. Experimental data test the analytical models and illustrate effects of motion of the casing, differences in density and mud's tendency to gel. Results are encouraging. Piston-like displacement of mud by an equal density cement slurry is possible through proper balance of the flow properties of the mud and cement slurries to the eccentricity of the annulus. The more eccentric the annulus, the thicker must be the cement relative to the mud. If proper balance is not achieved. bypassing of mud by cement cannot be prevented without assistance from motion of the casing or buoyant forces. Increasing the rate of flow can help to start all mud flowing but cannot prevent channeling of cement through slower moving mud in an eccentric annulus. Thinning the cement slurry tends to increase channeling although the extent of turbulence in the annulus may be increased. Description of flow in an eccentric annulus begins in the next section. It is assumed that (1) the casing is eccentric and is stationary, (2) the mud and cement slurries have the same density and (3) the gel structure of the mud has been broken and the mud and cement follow the Bingham flow model. Effects related to these restrictions will be discussed. FLOW PATTERNS SlNGLE FLUID IN ANNULUS Flow of a single fluid through an eccentric annulus is illustrated in Fig. 1. Part A shows laminar flow of a Newtonian fluid. This distribution of flow was calculated by Piercy, Hooper and Winney.' In fully developed turbulent flow, the velocity distribution around the annulus is less distorted, but the flow still favors the widest part of the annulus Parts B, C and D of Fig. 1 are a qualitative representation of the flow of a Bingham fluid. The yield strength of the fluid increases the severity of bypassing compared to Newtonian flow. At a very low rate of flow, all flow is confined to that portion of the annulus which has the minimum perimeter-to-area ratio. The fluid shears on the perimeter of that area when the pressure gradient multiplied by the area just exceeds the yield stress of the fluid multiplied by the perimeter. Whether or not the minimum perimeter-to-area region encompasses all of the annulus or only a part (as shown in Part B) depends on the geometry of the annulus. If only a part begins to flow, increasing the rate of flow increases the area flowing until finally there is flow throughout the annulus.

By Glenn C. Waterman

THE diamond drill is a very important tool in exploration and development testing and its use is increasing. In almost all cases results of diamond drilling are analyzed on the basis of grade and tons. A proper evaluation of core and sludge assays is important if drilling results are to be acceptable as a basis for geologic and engineering appraisal. The relatively wide variation in assay averages as calculated by various well-known combining methods indicates that the engineering choice of a method may affect the outcome of the drilling in terms of ore and waste. The problem of combining assay results from core and sludge samples has been discussed many times in conference and in the literature.'-' Most writers agree that the field of disagreement in methods is large and that the engineer on the job must consider features unique to his drilling, pick one of several combining methods, and depart from the rules when abnormal results come in. All the discussion to date can be summed up by the admission that as yet there is no fairly simple, generally acceptable combining method that is practicable over a wide range of drilling conditions, ground conditions, and ore occurrence. The combining problem is important in evaluating drilling results at Chuquicamata. Recently a reappraisal has been made of recovery variables and their effect on assays, with the result that a new combining method is offered which fits average drilling conditions and is mathematically reasonable. It is simple in application, fundamentally correct, and an improvement over most combining methods. At Chuquicamata diamond drillholes are used to outline the grade and position of blocks of normal and marginal grade oxide, mixed, and sulphide ore. Most holes penetrate all classes of material (and waste), and it is important for mining programs as well as ore reserves to know almost precisely the soluble and insoluble copper content of mineralized ground. At present three classes of ore are mined and treated differently. For an orderly sequence of mining operations which can provide regular daily tonnages of all three ore types and keep grade at certain levels with minimum variation, ore type and its grade must be predicted. Diamond drilling plus geologic mapping and bench sampling are tools for prediction. And drilling data are largely used to calculate grade of material more than a few meters away from bench faces. The orebody at Chuquicamata" is criss-crossed by millions of barren or mineralized weak to fairly strong slips and fault fissures. Mineralization is diverse and encompasses many quartz and oxide or sulphide-bearing copper veins, as well as seams and disseminated grains. Copper occurs in oxide or sulphide minerals or mixtures of these two mineral types. Rock conditions vary from intensely seri-citized (soft and porous) through clay-altered ground to almost fresh granodiorite. The result is an orebody which offers many obstacles to good and consistent core recovery in diamond drilling. Recovery varies considerably in the several alteration zones, the various types of oxide and sulphide ores, and the position and inclination of the drillhole within the complex fracture pattern. As core recovery drops sludge samples must be used with core samples to calculate grade. Many years of drilling at Chuquicamata indicate that in good grade oxide zones and in the sulphide areas core recovery is good and the ground uniformly mineralized. Moderate loss of core, therefore, does not markedly affect grade calculations based on core assays. An early core-sludge combining method used core assays at face value as indicating grade down to 50 pct core recovery, but below this recovery percentage sludge samples were used and weighted according to the standard Longyear chart. This method apparently did not introduce serious errors, but it abruptly used sludge assays with high weighting factors representing 100 pct return irrespective of actual percentage of sludge recovered. Recent drilling activities have been directed toward outlining the marginal ore areas. The non-uniform mineralization and generally poorer core recovery in such ground indicated that a more exact core-sludge combining method was required to equate wide differences between core and sludge assays and recovery. In fringe ore areas at Chuquicamata core recovery averages about 50 pct, from a minimum of 10 to 15 pct to a maximum of 100 pct. Sludge recovery is likewise variable and averages perhaps 80 pct even though holes are cemented as water return falls off. In a homogeneously mineralized area cut by many slips and faults, with hard and soft ribs, loss of core is loss of ground which has a grade similar to that of core recovered, and core assays approximate true grade. In this case sludge samples need not be used. However, it would be unusual to know beforehand that an area is uniformly mineralized, and in fact this condition is probably uncommon. Generally the distribution of valuable minerals in the ground does not exactly compare with their recoverability in core. Thus, in the usual case, loss of core decreases the

Jan 1, 1956