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By Walter Miller

Petroleum refining, like other industries in the United States in 1940, focused much attention on its duties and opportunities in the field of national defense. In crdiiter-distinction to the situation during the World War, the industry is well constituted as to existing equipment, processes, and capacity, together with planned additions, to handle any demands that may be made upon it by the defense program needs. Evident throughout was the growing sense of ability to manipulate oil molecules for the production of materials not hitherto considered as being available commercially from petroleum. The development and application of catalytically induced reactions on a broad front is one of the distinguishing characteristics of refining progress during the year. In the hands of the refiner, catalysis has developed into a most important means to secure higher antiknock motor fuels and 100-octane fighting grade aviation gasoline in greatly increased quantity. One illustration of the importance being assigned to catalytic refining is the construction by the Houdry group of an experimental laboratory at a cost of $7'307'30'3, to be staffed with over 100 research men7 solely for the purpose of studying catalytic reactions. In the aviation gasoline picture a modification of specifications by the Government widened the field from which acceptable fuel can be secured, and the continued expansion of the alkylation process in itself promises to go far in filling the demands expected from 50,000 fighting planes. It is conservatively estimated that eyen now the industry can turn out 1,300,000 gal. of 100-octane aviation gasoline daily. The upper limits of octane numbers for regular grades of motor gasoline reached in 1939 were not exceeded, but the average octane number approached the upper level more closely. A survey made of the 1940-model cars showed no rise in average octane requirement of the engines. The trend throughout the year was for greater reliance on the A.S.T.M. method for octane determination. The "1939 Research Method" is less widely used, although still considerably in evidence; the older L-3 method seems to have lost considerable ground and to be on the way out. Re-forming Capacities Increased Interest continued to grow apace in re-forming low-octane naphthas into high-octane gasolines. Some additions, although not great, were announced in thermal re-forming capacity. Interest in catalytic re-forming was greatly stimulated by the technical success of the operation of the converted hydrogenation unit at the Bay-way, N. J., rehery of the Standard Oil Company of New Jersey, mentioned in last year's review, and also by the knowledge that recoverable proportions of toluene are present in the hydroformed (catalytically

Jan 1, 1941

By W. I. Garms, J. L. Stevens

Because of the many conflicting opinions regarding the functioning of the ball load and the characteristics of ball wear in ball-mill grinding, the following résumé of reports covering recent tests conducted at the Hayden plant of the Kennecott Copper Corporation is submitted with the view of pointing out certain salient features that should throw additional light on the subject. Mills Used Cylindrical drum mills with trunnion feed and discharge were used. The discharge trunnion was 13½ in. in diameter. Dimensions inside the lining were 6 ft. 6 in. in diameter and 9 ft. 6 in. long. The mills were Britannia-lined and nine lifter bars projected 2 in. from the lining. The mill speed was 162/3 r.p.m. Feed to the mill was 9 per cent on 10-mesh, 85 per cent on 100-mesh, 77 per cent solids. New balls measured 2 in. in diameter and the approximate weight of the ball load was 40,000 pounds. Initial Test During a test that was being conducted to determine the relative economic value of standard cast balls vs. forged steel balls in the local 'grinding operation, certain observations were made in regard to the functioning of the various ball sizes and the characteristics of ball wear, which warranted a supplementary test for the purpose of confirming such observations. For the initial test, the necessity for developing a graduated load of the new forged balls before the test could be started was realized, but the time required to obtain a graduated load and the functioning of the various ball sizes was not clear. No advantage could be seen for starting out with a full load of forged balls, as this initial load, at the least, would have to be completely ground out and replaced by daily additions of balls before the graduation could be complete and a normal static condition of ball sizes reached. For a considerable period prior to exhaustion of this initial charge there would be an unusual quantity of worn balls of a certain size, which would not be typical of a normal charge and could influence the characteristics and functioning of the entire load. Therefore, it was decided to start by daily addition of the forged balls to a mill that contained a normal operating load of cast balls. After 88 days of operation the mill was shut down for inspection. By that time the load consisted of a mass of forged balls functioning around a large core of the residual material of the former cast-ball load. This core of cast slugs, locally referred to as "the kidney," was well defined from the forged-ball load.

Jan 1, 1947

By R. P. Smith

The carbon content of a number of alloys ranging (before carburitation) from purified iron to purified cobalt was determined for fixed activities of carbon by equilibration with each of six CO-CO2 atmosphere at 1000°C. At fixed carbon activity, the carbon content decreases continuously with increasing cobalt content. For concentrations of 0 to 50 at. pct Co the results can be expressed by a linear interaction equation of the type In y2 = 7.76n2/(n1+n3)+ 2.30 n3/(n1+n3) where y2 is the activity coefficient of carbon (standard state such that y2— 1 as n2 — 0 in the Fe-C binary) and n1, n2, and n3 are the number of atoms of iron, carbon, and cobalt per unit weight of alloy. The results are also given in terms of the a functions. In the same concentration range, the results are in accord with the regular solution theory of Alcock and Richardson. THE carbon content of Fe-Si, Fe-Mn, and Fe-Ni alloys at fixed activities of carbon has been reported previously.'-, The present work extends R. P. SMITH, Member AIME, is Research Chemist, E. C. Bain Laboratory for Fundamental Research, United States Steel Corp., Research Center, Monroeville, Pa. these measurements to a series of Fe-Co alloys. These alloys, like the Fe-Ni alloys, are fcc ("aus-tenitic") over the entire range of composition at 1000°C. EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDURE The alloys were made from electrolytic cobalt and Plast-Iron in a small vacuum-melting furnace. A small amount of graphite was added to each melt to keep the oxygen content low. The ingots were analyzed for iron and carbon: the amount of cobalt was obtained by difference. Analysis of the top and bottom of the ingots indicated that they were uniform in alloy content. Except for the pure cobalt the ingots were hot-rolled to approximately 0.15 cm thickness, cleaned by sandblasting, then cold-rolled to about 0.045 cm. We were not successful in cold rolling the pure cobalt; therefore it was hot-rolled to the final thickness. The last traces of surface oxide were removed by acid pickel, then the samples were treated in a hydrogen-2 pct water vapor mixture at 1100°C to remove carbon and most of the oxygen. The carburizing procedure was similar to that previously described.1,2,4 The alloys in the form of strips about 1.7 cm wide, 7.5 cm long, and 0.04 cm thick, together with a similar specimen of purified iron, were equilibrated with each of six CO-CO2 mixtures of fixed composition, then quenched in the

Jan 1, 1965

By W. I. Garms, J. L. Stevens

Because of the many conflicting opinions regarding the functioning of the ball load and the characteristics of ball wear in ball-mill grinding, the following résumé of reports covering recent tests conducted at the Hayden plant of the Kennecott Copper Corporation is submitted with the view of pointing out certain salient features that should throw additional light on the subject. Mills Used Cylindrical drum mills with trunnion feed and discharge were used. The discharge trunnion was 13½ in. in diameter. Dimensions inside the lining were 6 ft. 6 in. in diameter and 9 ft. 6 in. long. The mills were Britannia-lined and nine lifter bars projected 2 in. from the lining. The mill speed was 162/3 r.p.m. Feed to the mill was 9 per cent on 10-mesh, 85 per cent on 100-mesh, 77 per cent solids. New balls measured 2 in. in diameter and the approximate weight of the ball load was 40,000 pounds. Initial Test During a test that was being conducted to determine the relative economic value of standard cast balls vs. forged steel balls in the local 'grinding operation, certain observations were made in regard to the functioning of the various ball sizes and the characteristics of ball wear, which warranted a supplementary test for the purpose of confirming such observations. For the initial test, the necessity for developing a graduated load of the new forged balls before the test could be started was realized, but the time required to obtain a graduated load and the functioning of the various ball sizes was not clear. No advantage could be seen for starting out with a full load of forged balls, as this initial load, at the least, would have to be completely ground out and replaced by daily additions of balls before the graduation could be complete and a normal static condition of ball sizes reached. For a considerable period prior to exhaustion of this initial charge there would be an unusual quantity of worn balls of a certain size, which would not be typical of a normal charge and could influence the characteristics and functioning of the entire load. Therefore, it was decided to start by daily addition of the forged balls to a mill that contained a normal operating load of cast balls. After 88 days of operation the mill was shut down for inspection. By that time the load consisted of a mass of forged balls functioning around a large core of the residual material of the former cast-ball load. This core of cast slugs, locally referred to as "the kidney," was well defined from the forged-ball load.

Jan 1, 1947

By P. H. Bohart

THe answer to the title question will be found by considering the ultimate influence of the petroleum engineers on industry and by considering the tools with which petroleum engineers must be equipped. Some 2000 to 3000 petroleum engineers are being absorbed by the industry yearly, indicating the magnitude of influence which they may exert on the industry. The petroleum industry is a highly technical one and it is inevitable that management be entrusted more and more to executives with technical training. The industry, therefore, expects the petroleum engineering schools to provide a broad basic training and a social and economic orientation which goes beyond merely supplying the minimum technical qualifications necessary to discharge responsibilities for a particular job. Because of the many branches of industry, emphasis must be placed on the Student's being trained in fundamentals, as well as grounded in other engineering branches, such as mechanical, civil and electrical engineering. The petroleum engineering graduate must know how to outline and organize the material for an engineering report and should be thoroughly grounded in English, both written and spoken. Even to the end that a five-year course may be required, they should receive instructions in auxiliary cultural and social science courses, industrial relations, and public speaking. Training in the method of approach to an engineering problem is something in which industry is deeply interested. A standard of ethics, a desire to arrive at the truth, and leadership training should be stressed. Introduction The basis of an an to any ques- tion concerning the petroleum engineering schools' responsibility to the industry will be found by considering the ultimate influence of the petroleum engineers on the industry and by considering also the tools with which petroleum engineers must be equipped in order to achieve success and happiness in the role in which their training, individual talents and choice of a profession ultimately will cast them. The problem must always be considered as it relates to a large group and not as it relates to a particular individual possessing strong natural talents and destined, by virtue of them, to pursue a certain course. The question implies that petroleum engineering schools have a responsibility, and indeed they do, not only to the industry but also to the students and even to the public. Because the responsibility is concentrated in a relatively few schools whose graduates are absorbed largely by the one industry, the responsibility is more apparent and the effect of failure to discharge the responsibility fully is more serious than the effect of similar failure on the part of schools supplying a smaller portion of the industry's intake of engineering graduates. This fact is especially true with respect to an industry such as the petroleum industry whose ratio of technical to nontechnical employees is relatively high and is increasing.

Jan 1, 1948

By Lester Guttman

The connection between short-range order and thermodynamic activities in binary solid solutions has been pointed out by Birchenall1 who calculated approximate values of the energy of interaction of Zn and Cu and of the degree of short-range order in alpha-brass at one composition and two temperatures. The purpose of this note is to call attention to a somewhat more accurate theory than that used by Birchenall and to extend the calculations to a wider range of temperatures and compositions as a means of testing its applicability. This is an example of the well-known general method of comparing measured thermodynamic functions of a system with those calculated from a microscopic model by means of statistical mechanics. In this case, mathematical approximations must be used which make difficult any decision about the validity of the model. Birchenall's statistical method resembles closely that calletl by Fowler and Guggenheim2 the "quasi-chemical" method which has been shown to lead in certain cases to results identical with those obtained by the method of Bethe.3 The quasi-chemical method has been extended by Takagi4 to give general formulas for the free energy of binary solid solutions based on several lattices at all compositions and temperatures. Specifically, he treats the four systems typified by: I. ß—brass; 2. a— brass; 3. AuCus; 4. AuCu. When the temperature is so high that no long-range order exists, these formulas reduce to the same form for all lattice types, namely: F - FO = (E - EO) - T(S - S°) = ½N(c — x)(2vAB — vAa - Vbb) + M1/2KTzN[x log x + 2(c - x) log (c - X) + (I - 26 + X) log (1 - 2c + x)] -kT(z - I)N[c log c+(I-c) log (I -c)] Eq 1 Here the symbols have the following meanings: F—Helmholtz free energy E—nergy 5—ntropy k—the gas constant per molecule z—coordination number, (e.g. I2 in a-brass). N—total number of atoms c—atomic fraction of A Vaa, vbb, vab—nergy per bond of the corresponding bonds log means log, throughout The superscript ° denotes the thermodynamic fuliction in the standard state, which has been chosen to be pure A or B with the same crystal structure as the solid solution. The quantity x is the ratio of the number of A-A bonds to the total number and for minimum F satisfies the equilibrium condition Vaa + Vbb — 2Vab _ (c — x)2 kT l0g x(i - 2C + x The free energy may also be written in terms of /La and B, the chemical potentials or partial free energies per alom:

Jan 1, 1949

By Walter Miller

Petroleum refining, like other industries in the United States in 1940, focused much attention on its duties and opportunities in the field of national defense. In crdiiter-distinction to the situation during the World War, the industry is well constituted as to existing equipment, processes, and capacity, together with planned additions, to handle any demands that may be made upon it by the defense program needs. Evident throughout was the growing sense of ability to manipulate oil molecules for the production of materials not hitherto considered as being available commercially from petroleum. The development and application of catalytically induced reactions on a broad front is one of the distinguishing characteristics of refining progress during the year. In the hands of the refiner, catalysis has developed into a most important means to secure higher antiknock motor fuels and 100-octane fighting grade aviation gasoline in greatly increased quantity. One illustration of the importance being assigned to catalytic refining is the construction by the Houdry group of an experimental laboratory at a cost of $7'307'30'3, to be staffed with over 100 research men7 solely for the purpose of studying catalytic reactions. In the aviation gasoline picture a modification of specifications by the Government widened the field from which acceptable fuel can be secured, and the continued expansion of the alkylation process in itself promises to go far in filling the demands expected from 50,000 fighting planes. It is conservatively estimated that eyen now the industry can turn out 1,300,000 gal. of 100-octane aviation gasoline daily. The upper limits of octane numbers for regular grades of motor gasoline reached in 1939 were not exceeded, but the average octane number approached the upper level more closely. A survey made of the 1940-model cars showed no rise in average octane requirement of the engines. The trend throughout the year was for greater reliance on the A.S.T.M. method for octane determination. The "1939 Research Method" is less widely used, although still considerably in evidence; the older L-3 method seems to have lost considerable ground and to be on the way out. Re-forming Capacities Increased Interest continued to grow apace in re-forming low-octane naphthas into high-octane gasolines. Some additions, although not great, were announced in thermal re-forming capacity. Interest in catalytic re-forming was greatly stimulated by the technical success of the operation of the converted hydrogenation unit at the Bay-way, N. J., rehery of the Standard Oil Company of New Jersey, mentioned in last year's review, and also by the knowledge that recoverable proportions of toluene are present in the hydroformed (catalytically

Jan 1, 1941

By Lester Guttman

The connection between short-range order and thermodynamic activities in binary solid solutions has been pointed out by Birchenall1 who calculated approximate values of the energy of interaction of Zn and Cu and of the degree of short-range order in alpha-brass at one composition and two temperatures. The purpose of this note is to call attention to a somewhat more accurate theory than that used by Birchenall and to extend the calculations to a wider range of temperatures and compositions as a means of testing its applicability. This is an example of the well-known general method of comparing measured thermodynamic functions of a system with those calculated from a microscopic model by means of statistical mechanics. In this case, mathematical approximations must be used which make difficult any decision about the validity of the model. Birchenall's statistical method resembles closely that calletl by Fowler and Guggenheim2 the "quasi-chemical" method which has been shown to lead in certain cases to results identical with those obtained by the method of Bethe.3 The quasi-chemical method has been extended by Takagi4 to give general formulas for the free energy of binary solid solutions based on several lattices at all compositions and temperatures. Specifically, he treats the four systems typified by: I. ß—brass; 2. a— brass; 3. AuCus; 4. AuCu. When the temperature is so high that no long-range order exists, these formulas reduce to the same form for all lattice types, namely: F - FO = (E - EO) - T(S - S°) = ½N(c — x)(2vAB — vAa - Vbb) + M1/2KTzN[x log x + 2(c - x) log (c - X) + (I - 26 + X) log (1 - 2c + x)] -kT(z - I)N[c log c+(I-c) log (I -c)] Eq 1 Here the symbols have the following meanings: F—Helmholtz free energy E—nergy 5—ntropy k—the gas constant per molecule z—coordination number, (e.g. I2 in a-brass). N—total number of atoms c—atomic fraction of A Vaa, vbb, vab—nergy per bond of the corresponding bonds log means log, throughout The superscript ° denotes the thermodynamic fuliction in the standard state, which has been chosen to be pure A or B with the same crystal structure as the solid solution. The quantity x is the ratio of the number of A-A bonds to the total number and for minimum F satisfies the equilibrium condition Vaa + Vbb — 2Vab _ (c — x)2 kT l0g x(i - 2C + x The free energy may also be written in terms of /La and B, the chemical potentials or partial free energies per alom:

Jan 1, 1949

By J. S. Aronofsky, R. Jenkins

A simple means of predicting the flowing well pressure history in a natural gas reservoir has been developed. The differential equation for unsteady radial flow of gases through porous media was solved by numerical methods using electronic punch card machines. The results obtained from these calculations are presented in a generalized form which is believed to be most convenient for engineering use. These results are compared with those presented in a paper by Bruce, et al4. An effective radius of drainage has been defined which permits the equation of steady state gas flow to be used easily to predict well pressures in gas reservoir depletion. An equivalent effective radius of drainage is defined for liquid flow systems and a comparison is made of the gas solution to the liquid solutions. INTRODUCTION This paper presents a numerical method for describing the transient flow of gases radially through a porous medium from which the production rate is specified. The results obtained from these calculations are presented in a generalized form which is believed to be the most convenient for engineering use. The principal application of these calculations should be to flow in natural gas reservoirs, in the interpretation of pressure drawdown tests, in the estimation of reserves, and in calculation of injection pressures required in gas injection and cycling operations. The evaluation of natural gas wells is based upon back-pressure tests in which measurements of production rate and flowing well pressure are made for periods of one, two, or more days. The flow is assumed to have stabilized at this time, and the observed values of pressure and production rate are used with standardized formulae to determine the well's allowable production rate. Furthermore, the results obtained from such a test of short time duration are extrapolated in such a manner to allow a prediction of what the well pressure will be at some future time for a specified (but possibly untested) flow rate. The manner of conducting such back-pressure tests suggests several questions as follows: 1. 'What is the definition of stabilized flow and what factors determine the length of time required for the flow to become stabilized? 2. How may the recorded values of pressure and rate be utilized? 3. As the well is produced and the reservoir pressure falls, how will the flowing well pressure change? Can this flowing well pressure be predicted from the back-pressure test? 4. Are the results obtainable from the test influenced by a particular procedure used in obtaining the results? 5. Is it possible to estimate the gross reservoir permeability from back-pressure data? It is not within the scope of this paper to provide solutions Or even to discuss adequately all the above questions. However. in considering such matters, the

Jan 1, 1955

By Glen R. Neighbors, Sylvan Cromer

HIGH subsurface temperatures and pressures are making cementing operations more difficult as deeper producing horizons are being sought. Recorded bottom-hole temperatures above 200°F. and pressures in excess of 12,000 Ib. per sq. in., obtained by combining hydrostatic and pump pressures, are not uncommon. Insufficient time is available for proper placement of standard Portland cement, because of the shortened setting time produced by these excessive temperatures and pressures, therefore special types of cements have been developed to overcome these difficulties. From the standpoint of placement, the ideal slurry would be one that would remain fluid long enough to be placed, then harden rapidly, so that there would be a limited amount of contamination and the well could be placed on production in a minimum of time. It is highly desirable, therefore, that some method be devised to measure accurately the time that any slurry will remain in a fluid state while being pumped into the well. To study the effect of elevated temperature and pressure on fluidity, the authors have developed the pressure-type consistometer (Figs. I and 2) described below, and are presenting data obtained with it, using slurries of both quick-setting and slow-setting cements. Studies were made over a temperature range from 110° to 270°F., and a pressure range from atmospheric to 3000 lb. per sq. inch. APPARATUS The fluidity of cement slurries at atmospheric pressure is usually determined with the Halliburton consistometer1 or the Thickening Time Tester.2 These instruments are similar, in many respects, to an ordinary ice-cream freezer. The slurry to be tested is placed in a container that is rotated at a constant speed with an electric motor. Constant temperature is maintained by surrounding the container with a thermostatically controlled bath. The torque on the paddles, which is proportional to the force needed to shear the slurry, is indicated on a scale. The Halliburton instrument is calibrated from 0 to 100 poises against fluids of known viscosity. To permit direct correlation of observed elevated pressure data with those published at atmospheric pressure, the authors' designs of the slurry container, paddle, and torque indicator closely resemble those used on the Halliburton instrument. Duplicate results may be obtained at atmospheric pressure in either instrument. Instead of the atmospheric constant-temperature bath, one was built from a high-pressure steel bull plug. A Uni-Bolt union equipped with a blanking plug serves as the top, permiting the instrument to be opened or closed in less than one minute. The slurry container is built from Shelby steel tubing. A wrench socket welded to the bottom of the container engages a hexagonal nut on the top of the steel shaft that rotates it. This acts as a universal

Jan 1, 1941

By Matthew J. Hrebar

SINCE the first installation in 1936, the use of rubber-tired equipment for secondary mine haulage has increased rapidly. From August 1936 to January 1944, approximately 750 rubber-tired units were placed in operation. Of these, 650 units were installed after January 1940. During the year 1941, it per cent of the mobile loaded bituminous tonnage was hauled by rubber-tired equipment. This percentage increased to about 20 per cent during 1943. The first rubber-tired units were battery-powered tractor-trailer types. In the year 1938 the battery-powered self-contained car was introduced. In 1939, the cable-powered self-contained car made its appearance. These self-contained units are our modern "shuttle cars." By the end of 1941, approximately 15 per cent of the shuttle cars in operation were cable-powered. Installations made during 1942 and 1943 increased the proportion of cable-powered cars to about 40 per cent of the total number of shuttle cars in use. There is a marked trend toward cable-powered cars, although one need not make many trips to mines where both types are used to discover that opinions are highly controversial as to the relative advantages and field of use of each type. It is natural for mining engineers in the coal-mining industry to have diversified opinions regarding the use and application of coal-mining machinery. Coal mining is not a standardized industry; natural conditions vary from mine to mine. However, it is surprising how many operations in scattered fields arrive at the same conclusions and adopt similar methods. This happens not so much through cooperation and exchange of ideas as through hard, costly experimentation, involving months of low production and relatively high costs. What then, are the reasons for increased use of cable cars? Could it be that present scarcity of materials is forcing their use? True, battery cars require considerably more auxiliary equipment, but during 1942 it was no more difficult to obtain than shuttle-car cable. Furthermore, the trend toward cable cars started before curtailments on mining equipment took effect. Undoubtedly, cable-reel shuttle cars were introduced to produce coal at a lower cost by simplifying trackless mining through the elimination of auxiliary equipment, and by reducing the first cost on equipment. The theory of cable-powered shuttle cars is well based, as can be proved by successful operations. Many operators have weighed the advantages and disadvantages of each type carefully before choosing the type most suitable to their operation. Others have taken much for granted and accepted one or the other without much thought. At many small operations, low first cost is apt to be the deciding factor. One large company, with considerable experience in the use of battery locomotives, preferred to use cable cars even though it was neces¬sary to reduce the section voltage from

Jan 1, 1944

By George D. Roberts

INTRODUCTION CIVIL engineers are primarily interested in maximum core recovery. This is even more important in foundation work than in mining investigations where sludge samples are of some value. The soft materials, such as clay, gouge, or partially decomposed seams that are most readily ground up or washed away, are the materials that usually have the greatest influence on foundation and leakage conditions. Undisturbed samples of such materials should be obtained for detailed geological examination and laboratory tests. Therefore the attainable goal of sampling in connection with foundation investigations is the recovery of 99.9 pct of undisturbed core. FACTORS CAUSING CORE LOSSES The principal factors contributing to core losses are: (I) coring badly fractured or very soft material; (2) use of improperly designed coring equipment, including the use of bits of too small a diameter; (3) lack of the proper training and attitude on the part of the drillers and pertinent technical information on the part of the supervising personnel. Little can be done about the character of the material being cored but the other two factors contributing to unsatisfactory performance can be corrected. Although the title of this paper is the improvement and standardization of core barrels, it is believed that the drillers' shortcomings and the lack of pertinent technical literature are more detrimental to good core recovery than either of the other factors. USES FOR LARGE DIAMETER CORE BARRELS It is well known that the use of larger diameter bits and core barrels generally produce better cores, particularly when sampling soft or broken material. The use of larger and larger bit diameters and the insistence on better core recovery is well demonstrated by the change in practices of the various districts of the Corps of Engineers. Today NX core is the smallest diameter commonly permitted for investigational work and the more active districts are using coring bits up to 6 in. in diameter, as well as 36 and 40-in. calyx rigs. The latter size has proved to be just as economical because it provides more room for core removal and cleanup operations. The use of large diameter cores to replace the driving and jacking methods of obtaining soil samples is also increasing. The 5 7/8-in. Denison sampler, developed by H. L. Johnson to obtain samples from soft formations, is one example. The principal uses for bits larger than NX are: sampling soils and semi-consolidated rock; sampling decomposed rock or rock with soft seams; sampling concrete; obtaining samples for laboratory tests; drilling drainage holes, and other miscellaneous work. CORE DRILLING PRACTICES OF SEVERAL ENGINEER DISTRICTS Little Rock District The writer was employed in the Little Rock District from 1938 until 1942. Prior

Jan 1, 1947

By W. B. Mather

A SURVEY of the technical literature concerned with oil well drilling methods and particularly with rate of penetration by various cutting media on different types of rock provides a mass of conflicting data. This is especially true with respect to, (1) the relative efficiency of diamond, rotary and percussion drilling operations; (2) the costs of the various types of drilling; and (3) the hardness factor of various types of rock and cutting media. The latter is the particular phase of the subject discussed here. The cause of the confusion may be attributed partially to a lack of 'basic knowledge concerning the physical properties of the cutting media and of individual types of rock. It is also due in part to a general lack of uniform standards in the industry for evaluating the hardness versus drillability of rocks while possible errors in interpretation by the authors of the various papers pertaining to the subject may be an additional cause of misunderstanding. The hardness of a mineral is defined by Dana' as "the resistance which a smooth surface offers to abrasion." Webster' states that hardness is "the cohesion of the particles on the surface of a body (as a mineral) as determined by its capacity to scratch another or be itself scratched." Rock hardness, although not usually defined in publications describing rocks, is assumed to be the same as the minerals which compose the rock or the resistance of the rock to abrasion. Drillability of a rock may be defined arbitrarily as the rate at which rock is penetrated by a definite type of drilling tool with the assistance of a specific type of cutting surface or medium and under speci- fied conditions as to speed of rotation and applications of pressure. Eventually the term penetrability may have to be employed to include any method of making boreholes in rocks, since methods other than those using conventional cutting surfaces are already in operation. A case in point is the jet piercing methoda which employs an oxy-acetylene flame as a means of penetration. The word hardness as used by the drilling fraternity has a variety of meanings which depend upon the type of drilling method employed. For example, in diamond drilling, hardness is interpretated as resistance to abrasion. In percussion drilling the term implies resistance to impact or indentation, while in rotary drilling, hardness is considered anal-agous to compressive strength. The three types of hardness—abrasion, impact and compression—are conflicting variables for different types of rock. Nevertheless, the term hardness is applied indiscriminately by the industry for the resistance of rock to penetration by any type of drilling technique. Abrasion Hardness Since 1818, Moh's scale of hardness, although only relative in nature, has been accepted universally as the method of measuring mineral and therefore rock hardness. In 1933, Ridgway, Ballard and

Jan 1, 1952

By P. Chiotti, G. R. Kilp

IN the study of zinc-zirconium1 and zinc-uranium2 systems, vapor-pressure measurements were made in order to establish the equilibrium phase diagrams for a pressure of 1 atm. In each of these systems, only zinc has an appreciable vapor pressure over the temperature range investigated. The zinc pressure was measured over a sufficiently wide temperature and composition range to permit calculation of the standard free energy, enthalpy, and entropy of formation for the compounds ZrZn, ZrZn2, ZrZn3, ZrZn6, ZrZn14 , and U2Zn17. In these calculations the compounds were treated as line compounds. Although the exact composition range was not determined, metallographic and thermal data indicate that the solubility range for these compounds is small. It is to be noted that the compound initially reported to correspond to the formula UZn9, 2 has been shown by the crystal structure work of Makarov and vinogradov3 to correspond to the formula U2Zn17,. The crystal structure is similar to that for the compounds Th2M17, investigated by Florio,4 et al; here M represents iron, cobalt, or nickel. Therefore, thermodynamic calculations are based on the formpla U2Zn17 EXPERIMENTAL The dew-point method employed to measure the vapor pressure of zinc over uranium-zinc alloys has been described previously.2 The same procedure and apparatus were used in measuring the zinc pressure over zinc-zirconium alloys. In the case of alloys in the two-phase region consisting of a zirconium and the compound ZrZn, the Knudsen effusion method was employed to obtain a few values in the temperature range 600" to 560°C. In most cases, tantalum crucibles were used to contain the zirconium alloys. THERMODYNAMIC PROPERTIES OFU2Zn17 A least-squares treatment of the vapor-pressure data obtained for 35 and 65 wt pct U alloys in the temperature range 650° to 940°C gave lOg10PAtm = 7,713/T + 6.33 Here, as in following equations, T represents degrees kelvin and P represents the zinc vapor pressure in atmospheres. The probable errors for the two constants were calculated to be 60.68 and 0.0563, respectively. This relation represents the equilibrium dissociation pressure for the reaction U2Zn17 (s) - 2U(s) + 17Zn(v) The solubility of zinc in solid uranium is negligible and the only additional information required to calculate the free energy of formation of U2Zn17 is the free energy of vaporization of pure zinc. K. K. Kelley5 gives the relations, AF°= 30,902 + 6.03Tlog T + 0.275 X 10-3T2 - 45.03T

Jan 1, 1961

By George A. Roberts, Arthur H. Grobe

Tensile, hardness and density properties are presented for a new 18-8 stainless steel powder for the —50, —100, and —140 mesh cuts and also for a prepared blend containing 62 pct —325 mesh powder. The data were obtained for sintering temperatures of 2100° to 2350°F and for compacting pressures of 30 to 50 tons per sq in. A NEED has existed for a stainless steel powder of uniform composition from particle to particle, which could be readily molded and sintered, and which would yield moderate to high strength and ductility when processed into parts by standard powder metallurgy techniques. The literature reveals that previously available powders have been lacking in one or several of these desirable characteristics. Originally attempts to produce stainless steel powder by blending and diffusing elemental metal powders were unsuccessfu1.l A truly alloyed stainless steel powder reported by Dale in 1947 yielded reasonable mechanical properties but required an exceptionally high sintering temperature of 2400°F in pure dry hydrogen.' A later development reported in 1950 by Stern provided a stainless type powder of excellent molding properties' but this powder likewise required sintering at temperatures over 2350 °F and did not yield properties as high as those previously reported. The powder was not truly alloyed prior to sintering. A prealloyed stainless steel powder has been developed that is readily moldable at 30 to 50 tons per sq in., can be sintered at low temperatures (2100" to 2300°F), and which yields compacts with both high strength and ductility. The powder is prepared by the liquid disintegration method," direct from molten metal. Early attempts to make 18 pct Cr, 8 pct Ni stainless steel powder by this method did not produce a usable powder for pressing and sintering because of a preponderance of spherical particles with relatively high, surface oxide content. It was learned that silicon additions to iron alloys, powdered by this process, gave bright powder of low-oxide content and such additions were made to 18-8 stainless with similar results. An attendant change in particle shape occurred reducing the number of spheroids materially. The optimum composition which has been studied and is reported here contains approximately 2.5 pct Si. Silicon additions to stainless steel of the 18-8 type improve the resistance to high-temperature oxidation and promote the formation of ferrite. Corrosion resistance is, however, controlled by chromium content and even though ferrite may exist the corrosion resistance is not generally impaired.4 Experimental Procedure A detailed study of the 18-8, 2.5 pct Si powder has been made in accordance with the following outline: 1. Four blends a. — 50 mesh b. —100 mesh

Jan 1, 1952

By Paul H. Price, John P. Nolting

The history of the salt industry in West Virginia dates back nearly two hundred years; howTever, the history of salt as an important raw material for the chemical industry is much more recent. The earliest record of West Virginia salt was in 1753, when a raiding party of Shawnee Indians attacked frontier settlements in Virginia taking captive a number of the pioneers. One of these, who later escaped and returned to her friends, described how the Indians camped at a salt spring on the banks of the Kanawha River and evaporated the water to obtain a supply of salt to take back to Ohio with them. Settlement of the Kanawha Valley began in 1774, that same year the Battle of Point Pleasant ended the Indian's power in the Ohio Valley; and settlement of the Kanawha Valley progressed rapidly with a consequent increase in the importance of the Kanawha Licks as a source of salt. In those days the evaporation of the brine was a family matter for which the family wash-kettle was commandeered. In 1797, Elisha Brooks erected the first salt furnace in the Kanawha Valley. It consisted of two dozen small kettles set in a double row, with a flue beneath, a chimney at one end, and a fire bed at the other. He obtained his brine at a depth of 20 to 30 ft by sinking hollow logs, called "gums" into the salt lick and dipping the brine with a bucket. His production was about 150 lb a day and sold for 8 to 10 cents a pound. In 1806, the Ruffner brothers, David and Joseph, prospected for and drilled the first well in America using a spring pole and steel chisel bit. After several failures they succeeded, in 1808, in drilling to a total depth of 59 ft where they secured a good flow of strong brine. Most standard drilling tools, jars, casing, and practically all the basic oil well drilling machinery now in use, were developed in the drilling of salt wells. To evaporate this brine, the brothers built a wood-burning furnace similar to that of Brooks but with a better arrangement and with more and larger kettles. When production was started they reduced the price of salt to 4 cents a pound. By 1817, there were some 30 salt furnaces in the Kanawha area. It was in this year that bituminous coal first was used as an industrial fuel. David Ruffner again pioneered the way by converting his furnace for the consumption of coal. This year also brought about the formation of the first trust which controlled production and set a price of 1 cent a pound for the salt.

Jan 1, 1950

By J. E. Owen

EXPERIMENTS on twenty-six drilling muds were carried out in an effort to establish a correlation between the apparent viscosity values for these muds as obtained with the Marsh funnel and the Stormer viscometer. This required a calibration of both instruments in which the density of the calibrating liquids was taken into account. Corresponding to the Marsh-funnel viscosity values that were obtained at 1500 c.c. in, 1 qt. out, equivalent Stormer viscosity values were obtained at a Stormer cylinder test speed of approximately 1100 r.p.m. Further, a linear relation between the logarithms of the Stormer cylinder test speed and the resulting apparent viscosity was found to exist for the muds tested for 200 to 1000 r.p.m. The significance of the slope of this linear relationship is discussed as it applies to the field use of drilling muds. It was concluded that Marsh-funnel viscosity measurements are expressible in absolute units that may be correlated with Stormer viscosity measurements, provided these are made in the manner described in the paper. INTRODUCTION The Marsh funnel is used almost universally to determine the viscosity of drilling muds in the field. The Stormer viscometer is commonly used to determine the viscosity of drilling muds in the laboratory. With the Marsh funnel, the time required for one quart of mud to flow out of the funnel originally filled with 1500 c.c. is often taken as the measurement of viscosity. With the Stormer instrument, drilling mud is tested at a cylinder speed of 600 r.p.m. and by means of calibration data the apparent viscosity is expressed in absolute units. Neither of these instruments is an absolute viscometer, and apparent viscosities obtained with either are influenced by the arbitrarily standardized conditions under which the measurements are made. It is disconcerting to the man in the field to be told that laboratory measurements of the viscosities of a group of muds differ widely, when he has already observed that they have identical viscosities when tested in the Marsh funnel. Drilling muds are not perfect fluids, therefore it is not surprising to find a lack of correlation between the apparent viscosity of a mud as determined with the Marsh funnel and that determined with the Stormer viscometer. The work described here was undertaken to develop a correlation between Marsh-funnel and Stormer viscosity measurements. To a considerable degree this has been accomplished. This study has resulted not only in a better understanding of the two viscosity instruments and the data obtainable from them, but has given considerable information regarding the viscosity characteristics of drilling muds. EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDURE Calibration of Harsh Funnel and Stormer Viscometer The first step in the experimental procedure was the calibration of the Marsh funnel and the Stormer viscometer with

Jan 1, 1941

The Carlin gold deposit is located in northeastern Nevada about thirty-five miles by road from the town of Elko. Following the staking of six square miles 'of ground, a drilling program outlined a fine ore body mineable by open pitting. The resulting mine turned out to be the largest open-pit gold operation in the world, until the Rosario Pueblo Viejo operation was started in 1975. Because of the high profitability forecast at the then $35 gold price, construction of a 2000 stpd mill was commenced on a crash program and was completed for Newmont Mining Corporation by Bechtel Corporation in ten months. Production was started in early 1965. The gold mineralization occurs in marine-type sediments, chiefly silt- stones and limey shales, and the ore characteristics make for a difficult materials-handling problem. At 5% to 6% moisture the ore is dusty during crushing, but even a light rain or snowfall virtually turns the material into a slurry. Crushing this sticky ore below 314 in. (19 mm) in the dry season and 1 in. (25.4 m) during the winter is extremely difficult and leads to problems with conveyors, chutes, and fine ore storage. The initial flowsheet for Carlin's crushing plant used a 5 ft by 22 ft (1.52 m by 6. 7 m) vibrating feeder -grizzly under the 60 -ton dump pocket for feeding the 42 in. by 48 in. (1067 mm by 1220 mm) single toggle jaw crusher and a 5 ½ ft (1.52 m) standard cone crusher in closed circuit with a 6 ft by 12 ft (1.83 m by 3.66 m) vibrating double - deck screen. Because continual packing of fines in the vibrating feeder pan would cause frequent plant shut-downs to remove the fines with jack hammers, the decision was made to replace the vibrating unit with an apron feeder and stationary grizzly ahead of the jaw crusher. A dribble belt was also installed under the apron feeder. This installation has greatly improved the feeding of the pit run ore to the .primary jaw crusher. Mining at Carlin is done by a 5 yd shovel and 7 ½ and 10 yd front-end loaders, and ore transport is by several sizes of trucks from 30 to 75 tons capacity. These pit haulage trucks dump onto stockpiles adjacent to the primary crusher. Ore is then fed to the dump hopper by front- end loaders only when the crushing plant is operating. This extra handling procedure is necessary because plant delays caused by problems with wet ore in the secondary crusher resulted in the ore setting up or packing in the dump pocket. Solidified material in the dump pocket would in turn delay truck haulage. The substitution of an

Jan 1, 1978

By P. H. Bohart

THe answer to the title question will be found by considering the ultimate influence of the petroleum engineers on industry and by considering the tools with which petroleum engineers must be equipped. Some 2000 to 3000 petroleum engineers are being absorbed by the industry yearly, indicating the magnitude of influence which they may exert on the industry. The petroleum industry is a highly technical one and it is inevitable that management be entrusted more and more to executives with technical training. The industry, therefore, expects the petroleum engineering schools to provide a broad basic training and a social and economic orientation which goes beyond merely supplying the minimum technical qualifications necessary to discharge responsibilities for a particular job. Because of the many branches of industry, emphasis must be placed on the Student's being trained in fundamentals, as well as grounded in other engineering branches, such as mechanical, civil and electrical engineering. The petroleum engineering graduate must know how to outline and organize the material for an engineering report and should be thoroughly grounded in English, both written and spoken. Even to the end that a five-year course may be required, they should receive instructions in auxiliary cultural and social science courses, industrial relations, and public speaking. Training in the method of approach to an engineering problem is something in which industry is deeply interested. A standard of ethics, a desire to arrive at the truth, and leadership training should be stressed. Introduction The basis of an an to any ques- tion concerning the petroleum engineering schools' responsibility to the industry will be found by considering the ultimate influence of the petroleum engineers on the industry and by considering also the tools with which petroleum engineers must be equipped in order to achieve success and happiness in the role in which their training, individual talents and choice of a profession ultimately will cast them. The problem must always be considered as it relates to a large group and not as it relates to a particular individual possessing strong natural talents and destined, by virtue of them, to pursue a certain course. The question implies that petroleum engineering schools have a responsibility, and indeed they do, not only to the industry but also to the students and even to the public. Because the responsibility is concentrated in a relatively few schools whose graduates are absorbed largely by the one industry, the responsibility is more apparent and the effect of failure to discharge the responsibility fully is more serious than the effect of similar failure on the part of schools supplying a smaller portion of the industry's intake of engineering graduates. This fact is especially true with respect to an industry such as the petroleum industry whose ratio of technical to nontechnical employees is relatively high and is increasing.

Jan 1, 1948

By George D. Roberts

Civil engineers are primarily interested in maximum core recovery. This is even more important in foundation work than in mining investigations where sludge samples are of some value. The soft materials, such as clay, gouge, or partially decomposed seams that are most readily ground up or washed away, are the materials that usually have the greatest influence on foundation and leakage conditions. Undisturbed samples of such materials should be obtained for detailed geological examination and laboratory tests. Therefore the attainable goal of sampling in connection with foundation investigations is the recovery of 99.9 pot of undisturbed core. Factors Causing Core Losses The principal factors contributing to core losses are: (1) coring badly fractured or very soft material; (2) Use of improperly designed coring equipment, including the use of bits of too small a diameter; (3) lack of the proper training and attitude on the part of the drillers and pertinent technical information on the part of the supervising personnel. Little can be done about the character of the material being cored but the other two factors contributing to unsatisfactory performance can be corrected. Although the title of this Paper is the improvement and standardization of core barrels, it is believed that the drillers' shortcomings and the lack of pertinent technical literature are more detrimental to good core recovery than either of the other factors. Uses For Large Diameter Core Barrels It is well known that the use of larger diameter bits and core barrels generally produce better cores, particularly when sampling soft or broken material. The use of larger and larger bit diameters and the insistence on better core recovery is well demonstrated by the change in practices of the various districts of the Corps of Engineers. Today NX core is the smallest diameter commonly permitted for investi-gational work and the more active districts are using coring bits up to 6 in. in diameter, as well as 36 and 40-in. calyx rigs. The latter size has proved to be just as economical because it provides more room for ctured removal and cleanup operations. The use of large diameter cores to replace the driving and jacking methods of obtaining soil samples is also increasing. The 57/8-in. Denison sampler, developed by H. L. Johnson to obtain samples from soft formations, is one example. The principal uses for bits larger than NX are: sampling soils and semi-consolidated rock; sampling decomposed rock or rock with soft seams; sampling concrete; obtaining samples for laboratory tests; drilling drainage holes, and other miscellaneous work. Core Drilling Practices of Several Engineer Districts Little Rock District The writer was employed in the Little Rock District from 1938 until 1942. Prior

Jan 1, 1949