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By GEO M. FOWLER

AN appraisal of the activities of the mining geologists during 1936 clearly indicates the ever in- creasing utilization of geology in the search for ore. Few men with geo- logic training are idle at present; this is particularly true regarding recent graduates. Many have accepted employment in distant fields, such as the Philippines and South America, and greatly increased mineral production from these places reflects their activities. In North America, regions of intense mineralization formerly important are being restudied in greater de- tail and with better understanding; as a result, new mineral wealth is being found in many such districts. Much is being done by private companies and individuals, and it is to be hoped that mining companies will increasingly make available the purely scientific results of such studies by permitting their geologists to publish. On such generosity to a large extent will future advances in ore finding depend.

Jan 1, 1937

By G. H. Enzian

THE effects of phosphorus and nitrogen on the properties and behavior of low carbon steels are important considerations to both the manufacturer and the user of such material. For one thing, these two elements are the principal points of distinction between the chemical compositions of Bessemer and open-hearth grades. Further, open-hearth steels themselves may vary considerably in nitrogen content depending on the raw materials and ..practice used. In addition, appreciable amounts of rephosphorized open-hearth steels are being used at the present time in some low alloy, high strength grades and in certain other cases. For these and other reasons, it was felt desirable to obtain more complete knowledge of the effects of simultaneous small variations in phosphorus and nitrogen content on such properties of low carbon steel as tensile strength, impact toughness, sensitivity to cold work, and strain aging. A long range investigational program designed to furnish such information, was carried out, and the present paper summarizes some of the data currently obtained. General Discussion The strengthening effect of relatively small amounts of phosphorus in steel has been recognized, and to some extent utilized, for many years. A number of investigators have pointed out, from time to time, that under proper conditions of control, phosphorus can be a useful alloying element in low carbon steels.1-3 Nevertheless, in spite of the volume of data on the subject, the use of phosphorus for this purpose has always been handicapped by widespread feeling that its presence makes the steel brittle, difficult to cold work, and unreliable at low temperatures. This belief on the part of some steel users is not entirely justified in many cases, and often stems from early experience with acid Bessemer steels which have appreciably higher phosphorus (and nitrogen) contents than basic open-hearth grades. Nitrogen in steel, and its effect on properties, has also received considerable attention in the literature.4 In 1906, Braune5 ascribed the brittleness of Bessemer rails to the nitrogen content, and proposed a schedule of nitrogen limits for steels for various uses. This was one of the first papers to recommend directly the use of nitrogen content as a quality control measure, but it did not meet with much favor or support; as a matter of fact, the Jernkon-toret was rather sharply criticized for publishing the paper. In the intervening years a number of papers have been published on the subject of nitrogen in steel. As a result, it is now generally recognized that nitrogen can have an important effect on the properties and behavior of steel and that the presence of this element should be considered in any systematic study of factors affecting steel quality. In 1932, Graham6 introduced the concept that the quality of various steels could conveniently be evaluated and compared in terms of "sensitivity", which was defined as "the characteristic reaction rate of a piece of steel toward brittleness or hardness." This concept formed the basis for a broad research program into factors causing variations in the quality of commercial steels. At an early stage of this work, it became apparent that the observed effect of either phosphorus or nitrogen on the sensitivity of steel depended, in no small measure, on how much of the other of these two elements was also present. Indeed, the combined effect of phosphorus and nitrogen in steel may often be more important than the specific effect of either. With a few exceptions, it is not possible to predict accurately the effect on steel properties of a change in the amount of either phosphorus or nitrogen in the steel without also specifying the approximate amount of the other element. It seems desirable, at this point, to discuss briefly the distinction between strain-sensitivity and strain aging as used in this paper. In the early stages of its development, the work-brittleness test7 (which will be described in more detail later) was used

Jan 1, 1951

By C. W. Volek, J. E. Chappelear

The injection of a hot liquid into initially cool porous media, saturated with the same liquid and surrounded by two impermeable but heat conducting media (cap and base rock), has been studied both experimentally and theoretically. The temperature dependence of the viscosity was included in the theoretical model, but it was assumed that the specilic heats and densities of the various materials were independent of the temperature. Solutions to the theoretical model were approximated by numerical methods. Both theoretical and experimental results indicate that center-line temperatures are significantly higher than boundary temperatures. Comparison of experimental and theoretical results with a cold/hot viscosity ratio 01 19:1 were in reasonable agreement. Theoretical calculations show that the effect of the temperature dependence of viscosity was very significant at ratios of 100:l to 1000:1, which are typical of those that occur when injecting hot water to flood heavy oil reservoirs. INTRODUCTION We consider the problem of prediction of fluid flow and temperature distribution in an initially cold-fluid-filled reservoir on the injection of the same hot liquid by the use of mathematical and physical models. The results reported are for a two-dimensional rectangular section of the reservoir, as shown in Fig. 1. The injection and withdrawal faces are assumed to be equipotentials for fluid flow. The ultimate purpose of such models would be to predict hot-water injection performance. However, we note that in the work presented here, one of the most significant aspects of the problem — the instabilities resulting from two-phase, water and oil flow — is not included. We will not give a historical review, but refer instead to the paper of Spillette and Nielsen,1 which contains a rather complete bibliography and critical discussion. The physical problem is exactly the same as Spillette and Nielsen, except for certain simplifications in our assumptions. The mathematical details are somewhat different, and we will present the details of our method here. The mass flow equation, which is elliptic in character, is handled by successive overrelaxation. The heat flow equation, which is parabolic in character, is handled by a straightforward explicit approximation. Some difficulty arose in the over-all heat balance due to small errors in the solution of the mass flow equation, and we feel that a different formulation of the heat flow equation would be desirable for future work. In addition to the mathematical solutions for the temperature distributions in a porous medium due to the injection of hot liquids, experimental data are presented to check the validity of these solutions. A schematic diagram of the model is shown in Fig. 2. Certain qualitative physical conclusions were obtained from our numerical and experimental results. These are: 1. Assuming high (infinite) conductivity normal to the bedding plane in the reservoir is a poor approximation, and may lead to overestimates of the total heat losses (to cap and base rock) of as much as 50 percent. 2. More heat is retained in the reservoir (per unit of heat injected) for higher viscosity changes. 3. Any particular temperature isotherm moves more rapidly along the center line for higher viscosity changes. Consequently, the approximation of temperature independent viscosity is not suitable for obtaining quantitatively correct results. MATHEMATICAL MODEL Our mathematical model is that of a reservoir of thickness 2h. The problem is idealized from that of a linear hot-water drive, and we imagine that the input face is sufficiently far away from the injection wells that the stream lines enter it normally. Similarly the production wells are far enough from the outflow face that the flow lines leave it normally. The reservoir and surrounding cap and base rock

Jan 1, 1970

By W. C. Clarke

An empirical study of the nature of the embrittle-ment which occurs in martensitic and semiaustenitic precipitation hardening stainless steels upon exposure at temperatures of from about 550" to 875°F has been undertaken. This work was aimed at determining cazusation and means of controlling this phenomenon. A commercial copper bearing precipitation hardening alloy was used as a basic material for study. The effect of heat treatment variables was studied as was the effect of variations in analysis. It is concluded from the evidence that martensitic and semiaustenitic precipitation hardening stainless steels are subject to 885°F ernbrittlement similar to that observed in the straight chromium stainless steels. A characteristic of precipitation hardening stainless steels which has limited their use in certain applications is that they embrittle when held at temperatures in the range of from about 550" to 900°F. This is true to a more or less degree in all currently available alloys, either the basically martensitic type or the semiaustenitic type. The rate of embrittlement varies markedly with exposure temperature, being low at 550" to 600°F and in-creasing as the temperature increases. In spite of this embrittlement, these alloys with their unique combination of high mechanical strength, reasonable toughness, and good corrosion resistance are used in many hundreds of applications. Nevertheless, there are potential applications where the embrittle-ment described is a limiting factor. The purpose of this investigation was to study the embrittlement of these alloys and to find a way to control or eliminate it. GUIDELINES USED IN PRESENT WORK The work reported in this paper is based on a study of 17-4 PH*, a very widely used alloy. It has been used *Trademark of Armco Steel Corp., licensor. in pressurized water and boiling water atomic reactors operating at about 550°F for a number of years. As the life of such equipment is extended or operating temperatures are raised, the possibility of embrit-tlement becomes of increasing concern to materials engineers. Much investigation work was done with respect to the use of 17-4 PH at 550°F. K. C. Antony' states "Such estimation" (of an activation energy for the diffusion of chromium in iron) "would indicate W. C. CLARKE, Jr. is Senior Research Engineer, Advanced Materials Division, Armco Steel Corp., Baltimore. Md. This manuscript is based on a talk presented at the symposium on New Developments in Stainless Steel, sponsored by the IMD Corrosion Resistant Metals Committee, Detroit, Mich., October 14-15, 1968. significant secondary aging is improbable at temperatures less than 700°F within normal component service life". This statement is modified however by the recognition of the accelerating tendencies of applied stress and internal stress as well as the possible effect of irradiation. In this investigation of 17-4 PH, the H 1100 (1900°F-1 hr oil quench or air cool + 1100°F-4 hr-air cool) condition was used, partly because this condition is normally used in atomic reactors. As shown later, the precipitation hardening temperature has no real bearing on the rate of embrittlement. An exposure temperature of 800°F was selected since embrittlement at 800°F is rapid, permitting development of relative data in time periods of 400 to 500 hr. For those not familiar, a nominal present day analysis of 17-4 PH is: C Mn P S SiCrNiCuCbN 0.04 0.30 0.015 0.015 0.60 16.00 4.30 3.25 0.23 0.030 TYPICAL BEHAVIOR OF 17-4 PH Figs. 1 and 2 show the behavior of a commercial heat of 17-4 PH under the conditions defined. Characteristically, 800°F exposure causes a rapid drop in Charpy V-notch impact strength. Tensile and yield strengths gradually increase and a gradual loss of elongation and reduction of area occur, accompanied by an increase in hardness. Notched tensile strength increases to 125 hr exposure and then sharply decreases after exposure for 500 hr. The notched vs un-notched tensile ratio remains virtually constant to exposure for 125 hr (1.67 to 1.56) but drops to 1.15 after 500 hr. Tensile ductility is not alarmingly affected even after much longer exposure times than these. For example, samples aged at 1100°F for 1 hr exposed at 800°F for 4000 hr showed a drop in elonga-tion of from 13 to 11 pct and in reduction of area of from 58 to 37 pct. Notched impact is the property SmIgth KSI 3JJ[/__________^UTS-Nrteh 260 ;/- 240 —^ 200 UTS-Smooth________._, o ioo mo Sob" m Too Hours Exposure Fig. 1—Effect of exposure at 800°F for various times on notched tensile strength and smooth tensile and 0.2 pct yield strength of 17-4 PH in the H 1100 condition.

Jan 1, 1970

By M. King Hubbert

THE growth of human knowledge is an evolutionary process. Historically our separate sciences came into existence as people became interested in various apparently unrelated domains of phenomena, and in this manner we acquired the sciences of physics, chemistry, astronomy, biology and geology. As various of these sciences became established, cognizance of them came to be taken by the universities and in this manner there arose the traditional departments of physics, astronomy, chemistry, biology and geology of our American universities. As there was no particular rationality in the boundaries separating the various sciences, in the university departments the jurisdiction of each has assumed quite arbitrary limits. In the domain of earth phenomena the first science to grow up was that of geology, which arose originally from the activities of the collectors science dealing with directly observable terrestrial phenomena for which elementary rational explanations were offered. The traditional treatment of phenomena by the science of geology has rarely been with more than an elementary regard for the fact that these phenomena were also phenomena of physics and chemistry. Since the latter part of the nineteenth century, a new approach to terrestrial phenomena has been emerging and becoming of so great a significance that it can no longer be ignored. This approach has been made by people trained primarily in the sciences of physics and chemistry, who have investigated terrestrial phenomena as constituting phenomena of their respective sciences. In this manner we have acquired the so-called "borderland sciences" of geophysics, the physics of the earth, and of geochemistry, the chemistry of the earth. Neither of these fields is new, having arisen chiefly at the hands of European investigators during the latter part of the nineteenth century. The European universities have long since given official recognition at least to geophysics, by the establishment of departments or institutes of geophysics, which are on a par with the university departments of the other sciences.

Jan 1, 1938

It has been established that molybdenum sesquisulphide, not molybdenite, is in equilibrium with molybdenum metal and sulphur vapor in the vicinity of 1100°C. The S2 pressure for this system has been obtained using the Knudsen orifice method and the standard free energy for the dissociation of S2. THIS work was undertaken to help in determining the thermodynamic properties of the molybdenum sulphide which is in equilibrium with metallic molybdenum and sulphur vapor in the temperature range 1025" to 1150°C. From the results of MontoroL and of Parravano and Malquori' molybdenite would be expected to be in equilibrium with molybdenum metal, while the results of Guichard indicate that a lower sulphide must be in equilibrium with the metal. Thus it was concluded that the problem warranted reconsideration, especially in view of the suspiciously low temperature independent term for the standard free-energy function for the reaction MoS² Mo + S,. The reaction was calculated and duly noted as being low by Richardson and Jeffes,' using the data of Parravano and Malquori.' Experimental Method The general method used in this investigation is that of the Knudsen orifice method for the determination of equilibrium pressure. The apparatus and technique are similar to those described for the determination of the vapor pressure of silver.% owever, a closed-end McDanel tube instead of fused silica was used to maintain the vacuum, a molybdenum effusion cell with a replaceable lid was employed instead of a silica cell, and a titanium getter maintained at run temperature was used to assure that no oxidation of the molybdenum or molybdenum sulphide was taking place. All runs were made at a residual pressure less than 10-5 mm Hg. The data are given in Table I. Runs 1 through 13 were obtained using molybdenite, analyzed 98.5 pct, from the Molybdenum Corp. of America. The remaining runs were done with a sample from the Climax Molybdenum Corp. which was their grade No. 3 and analyzed 59.87 pct Mo. The weight loss of the cell during heating up and cooling down was subtracted from the total weight loss of the cell during the run. Also, when the tem- perature was changed, the Knudsen cell was placed in the vacuum chamber and heated at temperature for several hours in order to allow the sulphide and the metal to adjust their compositions to the equilibrium values, to desorb or adsorb gases into or from the molybdenum cell itself, and to desorb any water from the molybdenum sulphide or molybdenum powder inside the cell. Water may have been adsorbed inside the cell because, after each run, the top of the cell was removed and the material in the cell was stirred to insure that a layer of molybdenum metal would not build up and obstruct the passage of sulphur vapor into the gas phase. It was established that the molybdenum cell alone decreased in weight an inappreciable amount when heated at the highest run temperature for long periods of time. There are two questions to be answered before the data in Table I can be used to calculate thermodynamic functions: 1—Which molybdenum sulphide is in equilibrium with molybdenum metal and sulphur vapor? 2—What sulphur species are present in the vapor phase? It can be assumed safely that no molybdenum is vaporized, since its vapor pressure is almost negligible at these temperatures. It will be shown subsequently that no sulphide of molybdenum is volatile. Question 1 was answered in the following way: The especially purified molybdenite, obtained from the suppliers mentioned previously, was charged

Jan 1, 1956

By J. Allen Veatch

THERE exists in., the territory embraced between the summit of the Sierra Nevada and the coast a great dike and vein system that appears never to have been recognized in its entirety, nad many facts concerning it have never been published. This is important, not only in affording numerous clues bearing on the origin, nature, and age of the mercury deposits, and eliminating many controverted questions, but it. incidentally affords numerous facts bearing on the genesis of gold, copper, chromite, magnesite, dolomite, a type of calcite deposit, and numerous associated minerals. The mineral springs of the State almost without exception emanate from these dikes. A great range of the hydrocarbons also exists throughout the entire system of these dikes. Seepages from their, walls have frequently been mistaken as emanating from the inclosing sandstone and shale, resulting in heavy expenditures in the futile development of these Cretaceous beds, which contain no petroleum within the territory. The theory of mountain making by lateral or tangential pressure is inconsistent with some of the following recorded facts. The limitations of this paper do not admit of a description of each of the hundred or more mercury deposits embraced in the area, and therefore only typical examples will be described. The accompanying map, Fig. 1, is not submitted as complete, or as entirely accurate, but it is as nearly so as the notes at hand will admit. The field is too extensive to be completely covered by a single individual. The heavy continuous lines represent sections actually surveyed! The sections and extensions- in. dotted line are assumed, and are either unsurveyed, or -buried under younger beds. There are numerous branches connecting the great parallels that the small-scale map does not admit of plotting, even if the survey had been complete. Likewise, the conclusions in some instances may be faulty, but it is to be hoped that as a whole they may serve as a foundation on which a more complete structure may be built in the future.

Jan 2, 1914

By M. Herman, G. J. London

A series of dilute Fe-Co alloy specimens were prepared from zone-melted iron. The iron used was given ten floating-zone passes in purified hydrogen. Alloying was accomplished by plating a gradient of metallic cobalt onto a 1/4-in.-diam bar of material from a pure plating bath. The deposit was radioac-tively tagged by a small addition of co80 to the plating bath. Alloy homogenization was accomplished by passing an additional floating-zone pass through the plated section of the bar. The final concentration gradient achieved was from residual to about 1000 ppm (0.1 pct) added Co. After homogenization, the bar was swaged to 0.057 in. wire and cut to tensile specimen blanks 1-1/16 in. long. Each specimen was counted in a well-type scintillation counter. The concentration of cobalt was computed by combining the normalized specimen counting rate with the known weight (measured to the nearest 0.01 mg) of cobalt added during plating. Fig. 1 shows the cobalt gradient obtained, exclusive of residual cobalt which was estimated by neutron-activation analysis to be approximately 50 ppm. Results of recrystallization for 1 hr at 750°, 700°, 650°, and 600°C with specimens containing 40, 170, 470, and 870 ppm added Co are shown in Figs. 2, 3, 4, and 5. Recrystallization was accomplished in a dynamic vacuum of less than 1 x 10 torr. The specimens were mounted and polished parallel to the swaging direction. The recrystallization re- sults show a radical coarsening of structure with increasing cobalt concentration. The coarsest structure obtained was at the 470-ppm level (at all recrystallization temperatures) with a slight grain refinement at the 870-ppm level shown. A more normal solid-solution effect is seen in Fig. 5 (60OoC, 1 hr) where the only specimen completely recrystallized is the one containing 47 ppm Co. Since the possibility existed that some atmosphere-contamination phenomenon might be responsible for the observed results the recrystallization series was repeated using sealed quartz capsules. These were filled with purified argon which was gettered during heat treatment on metallic titanium included in the capsules. The results obtained were essentially the same as shown. Another identical alloy was made using a 5-mm-diam bar of Westinghouse Puron. Specimen preparation and recrystallization treatment were also as described. The results obtained (see Table I) were somewhat erratic. Some coarsening in structure does appear at the highest cobalt concentrations. There is no apparent relationship between the coarse, columnar, directionally solidified structure of the as-melted bars and any of the recrystallized grain structures observed, all of which are much finer than the former structure. A recrystallization process can be most simply described as one of homogeneous nucleation of recrystallized grains in a cold-worked matrix followed by more or less uniform growth of the strain free grain into the cold-worked material.' An impurity element may influence one or both of these processes. Aust and utter' have shown that impurities strongly influence grain boundary mobility in lead. Moreover, definite recrystallization textures are produced by small concentrations of tin,3 while additions of silver or gold4 produce large boundary in-

Jan 1, 1964

By Carl Zapffe

In ten years the manganiferous iron ores of the Cuyuna District have become impor-tant in the iron industry. By Dec. 31, 1923, 4,735,806 tons had been produced. Dur-ing the war, the low-phosphorus black ores were in demand; now the high-phosphorus low,-silica brown ores are favored. It is estimated that the reserves of these ores are ample for some time. A RISE in less than ten years from obscurity into great prominence economically, tersely summarizes the history and status of the Cuyuna manganiferous iron ores. The Cuyuna district produces and ships mostly high-phosphorus iron ore, but the annual production of manganiferous iron ore is increasing rapidly and productions from individual mines are becoming more regular and more dependable as to grades and tonnages. This ore bids fair to become, shortly, the principal product of the district and is responsible for the present economic prominence of this district. The iron ores of the district have been described, by the author and others, in many publications and will not be discussed here. Lately the manganiferous iron ores have been given some attention, but the range and variations of chemical composition of the ores, the principal physical characteristics of the ores and their deposits, the relative importance of the different ores and their possibilities in future developments, and the life of the respective reserves have not been discussed. It is impossible to give all of this information with the positiveness necessary for it to constitute a reliable guide for investment or even for future mine development. Each property and each party presents a special case and deserves critical consideration. We are dealing with special ores and always with a set of new conditions. Sufficient information of a general nature can be given, however, to indicate the reason for and the trend of the presently augmented developments in the district.

Jan 12, 1924

By H. R. Banks

THE Sullivan concentrator has completed 20 years of operation. During this period a considerable amount of data has been accumulated concerning the characteristics of several types of flotation machines in their application to the problem of the differential separation of the lead sulphide, zinc sulphide and, in more recent times, iron sulphide, in the ore from the Sullivan mine. It is the author's intention to sketch briefly experiences encountered when the several types of flotation machines were introduced into the flow. ORIGINAL FLOTATION EQUIPMENT AND ORE The original flotation equipment consisted of four 18-cell lead-roughing machines, whose concentrate was cleaned in an 8-cell and recleaned in a similar 8-cell machine. Zinc concentration was carried out in four 18-cell machines. One 8-cell zinc re-treatment machine received the reground zinc middling. The 168 cells handled some 3000 tons of original daily feed. These cells were of the standard Minerals Separation type, equipped with 24-in. impellers. Spindles were driven through geared line shaft at a speed of 255 r.p.m. The impellers were the 45° type, except for the last three cells of the zinc-rougher machines, which were of sub-aeration type, with full bottom shroud and half shroud for the top side of the impellers. Four-pound air was introduced. This recognition of the benefit of intensified flotation operation for "gleaning" was an important phase in the early operation and will be discussed further on in this paper. Sullivan ore during this period is described as a finely disseminated mixture of four sulphides, totaling 90 per cent made up of 13.6 per cent galena, 14.4 per cent marmatite, 1 per cent pyrite and 61 per cent pyrrhotite. The specific gravity of the ore was approximately 4.4. There has been a gradual change in the ore content. The 10 per cent of nonsulphide constituents has increased to between 15 and 20 per cent and all three sulphides have dropped somewhat. Added equipment and changing technique have made possible the treatment of 8000 tons per day of mill feed instead of the 3000 originally handled. SPECIAL FEATURES OF FLOTATION AT SULLIVAN Sullivan flotation differs greatly from customary practice. The very heavy return of lead rougher middling and lead cleaner tailing, totaling at times 125 per cent of the new feed tonnage, has been the subject of much investigation. The practice is still employed.

Jan 1, 1944

By M. A. Jones

Performance of a pilot flood in eastern Kansas indicates improved recovery and accelerated production resulting from mobility ratio control obtained by adding a high moleculur weight polymer to injected water. Ultimate pilot flood recovery of the 75-cp reservoir oil is anticipated to he 350 bbllacre-ft during the six-year flood life. Cumulative recovery to date totals 242 bbl/acre-ft after 30 months of injection. Reservoir parameters and flood performance are disc~rssed in detail to provide a case history relating to the feasibility of polymer flooding. INTRODUCTION The Vernon Polymer flood of the Brazos Oil & Gas Co., located in Sec. 2, 24 S., 16 E., Woodson County, Kans., was begun in late Oct., 1963. Injection of a 500 ppm solution of Pusher* polymer was initiated in a 15-acre pilot to determine feasibility of improving oil recovery by mobility ratio control. Performance to date and the anticipated recovery of 115,000 bbl from the 329 acre-ft pilot indicate efficient displacement of the viscous reservoir oil. Dependence of flood recovery on the displacing fluid-displaced oil mobility ratio has long been recognized. Displacement efficiency of the reservoir oil decreases with increasing mobility ratio. Therefore, economic reduction of this parameter is an attractive approach to improving oil recovery. particularly from viscous oil reservoirs where mobility ratios are often quite high. Waterflood mobility ratios can be controlled by dilute solutions of certain polymers'; which provide a displacing fluid with considerably reduced mobility. Reservoir parameters and flood performance are emphasized in this paper to provide data relating to polymer flood applicability. THEORY The polymer used in the Vernon pilot exhibits the property of unusually high resistance to flow through porous media.'.' A small concentration in injected water effects a mobility reduction considerably beyond that predicted from increases in bulk viscosity as measured in a capillary or rotating cup viscosimeter. Water mobility in the subject flood is reduced by a factor of 7.55 with the addition of 500 ppm Pusher chemical to injected water while the bulk viscosity is increased from 1.03 to only 1.40 cp at 75F. The exact flow mechanism causing resistance to flow has not been established; however, it is observed only in tortuous flow systems and appears to be influenced by brine properties, rock properties and oil saturation. Consequently, mobility reduction is estimated from flow studies for a given sample of reservoir rock and is expressed in terms of a "resistance factor".' This parameter is defined as the ratio of brine mobility to polymer solution mobility measured at residual oil saturation: RF= ?m/?p= (km/µm)/(kp/µp)M.......(1) where RF = resistance factor (dimensionless) k*. and A, = mobility of water and polymer solution, respectively k,,, and k,, = water and polymer permeability, respectively (darcies) µie and µp = viscosity of water and polymer, respectively (poise). Eq. 1 is similar to the expression commonly used to relate the relative mobility of the water bank at residual oil saturation to oil-bank mobility at irreducible water saturation: where M =mobility ratio of water to oil (dimension-less) A, = mobility of oil k, = permeability to oil (darcies) )i* = oil viscosity (poise). From Eqs. 1 and 2 it is apparent that the polymer-solution-to-oil-mobility ratio can be approximated by dividing the brine-to-oil ratio by the resistance factor RF: Mpn=M10/RF...........(3) where M,-, = mobility ratio of polymer solution to oil (dimensionless). This simplified presentation assumes no dilution of the polymer solution by connate water. Also, the presence of a connate water bank separating the polymer solution from the displaced oil is not considered. Displacement of oil by waterflooding is increasingly dominated by viscous forces as the viscosity of the oil displaced increases. When the oil mobility is less than that of the injected water, the oil-water interface is not a piston-like front.3,' Instead, instabilities occur at the flood front in the form of viscous fingers which tend to penetrate the less mobile oil bank. The magnitude of these protrusions, or the degree of channeling, increases

Jan 1, 1967

By P. W. Bridgman

THE thesis of this article is that the age of Newton is now coming to a close, and that recent scientific discoveries have in store an even greater revolution in our entire outlook than the revolution effected by the discovery of universal gravitation by Newton. The revolution that now confronts us, arises from the recent discovery of new facts, the only interpretation of which is that our conviction that nature is understandable and subject to law arose from the narrowness of our horizons, and that if we sufficiently extend our range we shall find that nature is intrinsically and in its elements neither understandable nor subject to law. The new experimental facts are in the realm of quantum phenomena. Comparatively little has been written for popular consumption about this new realm which has opened in the last fifteen years. The man in the street has been much more interested in relativity, which to him has seemed extremely interesting and revolutionary. Occasionally, however, there has filtered down to him the news that nearly all the theoretical physicists are occupied with a new order of phenomena which they find very much more exciting and revolutionary than any in the realm of relativity. For after all is said and done, the practical effects of relativity, measured in ,dollars and' cents or in centimeters and grams, are exceedingly small, and require specially de- signed experiments executed by men of the highest skill to show their existence at all. The phenomena with which quantum theory deals, on the other hand, are of the greatest practical importance and involve the simplest aspects of everyday life. For example, before the advent of the quantum theory no one could explain why a tea kettle of water boiling on the stove should not give out enough light in virtue of its temperature to be visible in the dark; the accepted theories of optics demanded that it should be visible, but every burned child knew that it was not.

Jan 1, 1929

A GIFT of $10,000 to the endowment of Engineering Foun-dation, made by the Central Hudson Gas and Electric Corporation, has been announced. In transmitting this gift T. R. Beal, president of the corporation, made the follow-ing interesting statement: "You may be interested to know that this amount was in fact earned by our employees by their more efficient opera-tion of the physical properties under their care. It rep-resents $10,000 of return premiums paid during the past year on accident insurance, as the result of the company's excellent record in preceding years, so that we take greater satisfaction in making this gift as it is related, in some degree at least, to the higher standards of engineering and operating practice to which the work of the Foundation per-tains."

Jan 4, 1928

By D. R. THOMAS

GENERALLY speaking, the production of other metals in Mexico fluctuates with that of silver. The first commercial discovery of mineral was in Taxco, Guerrero, in 1552. Five years later, the patio process was introduced at Pachuca, by Bartolome de Medina. In 1884, the main line of the Mexican Central R. R. was completed and a few years later, the National railway. In 1907, the patio process, after 350 years of successful operation, was replaced by cyanidation. Soon after the completion of the railroads, smelters were built at various points and provided means of treating ores that could not be treated by any of the processes existing at that time, such as patio, lixiviation, or pan amalgamation. As a result, a number of mines were developed along the railroads and even far \ out in the mountains. In order to facilitate the shipment of this ore to the smelters, purchasing agencies were established, which for a time were very profitable; most of these agencies are now permanently closed.

Jan 1, 1921

By J. E. Elliott, K. O. Miller

Solubility studies were carried out to establish the phase distributions for various Fe-Ni-Pb-C alloys at temperatures where the metallic components exist as liquid solutions. Temperature us composition diagrams for the Ni-Pb, Fe-Pb, Fe-Ni-Pb, and Ni-Pb-C systems are derived by employing various approximations in conjunction with the data. Results are summarized for 1550°C in a quaternary phase diagram of the Fe-Ni-Pb-C system. BECAUSE surprisingly little information has been published on the phase diagrams of the Ni-Pb, Fe-Pb, Fe-Pb-Ni, and Fe-Ni-Pb-C systems, a study of these systems was undertaken to ascertain the important phase relationships in the temperature range of 1300" to 1550°C. Measurements were also made on the carbon-saturated systems in the hope that they would assist in the interpretation of the systems without carbon. This paper reports the results obtained from the simple equilibration of the various liquid and solid phases. EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDURE The experimental technique involved holding appropriati quantities of the metals in an alumina crucible, or in a graphite crucible when saturation of the melt with carbon was desired, for sufficient time at the desired temperature to ensure equilibrium. Then a sample of each liquid phase presen was drawn into a small-bore silica tube. This sample was withdrawn quickly from the furnace, cooled, and sent to the chemical laboratory for analysis. The cell assembly used is shown in Fig. 1. Durin the work on the Fe-Pb-Ni system, it was placed in a furnace wound with 20 pct Rh-80 pct Pt wire. This furnace eventually failed and subsequent studies were carried out between 1350" and 1475°C in a tube furnace heated by silicon-carbide resistance elements. A protective atmosphere of argon with approximately 10 pct hydrogen was supplied to the cell assembly at a gage pressure of 1 in. of water. Hydrogen was passed over palladized alumina and then anhydrous calcium chloride for purification. Argon was purified of oxygen and water vapor by passing it over copper gauze at 550°C and then through a calcium chloride drying column. The gases were mixed and redried before they entered the equilibration cell. Temperature was measured by calibrated Pt/Pt-10 pct Rh thermocouples and a Rubicon Type B potentiometer. The thermocouples were standardized against the melting points of pure nickel

Jan 1, 1961

By Rossiter W. Raymond

(Canal Zone Meeting, November, 1910.) THE death of Professor Blake removes the oldest of American economic geologists and mining engineers, and deprives this Institute of one of its, earliest and most illustrious members. To many of us it brings a personal loss also, the loss of a friend. William Phipps Blake was born June 21, 1826, in New York City. -His father, Elihu Blake, was a surgeon-dentist of eminence, a direct descendant of William Blake, who settled in the Massachusetts Bay Colony about 1630. He was prepared for college at private schools in New York, and entered the Sheffield School of Yale, where he was graduated as Ph.B. in the chemical course, class of 1852, the first graduating-class of the institution. In the same year he became chemist and mineralogist of the New Jersey Zinc Co., and chemist of chemical works at Baltimore, Md. In 1853, lie started the Department of Mineralogy of the World's Fair at New York City. In 1854, 1855 and 1856, he was mineralogist and geologist of the United States Pacific Railroad Surveys of Williamson, Pope, and Whipple, and for the War Department at Washington. His writings, during this period comprise reports on the geology and mineralogy of California and other parts of the Southwest, and constitute well nigh the earliest scientific accounts of the regions described. One of them. was a translation of the Resume and Field Notes of Jules Marcou, of Whipple's expedition. From 1856 to 1859, he was engaged in explorations of the geology and mineral deposits of North Carolina, :and other parts of the country. In 1859, he became editor and proprietor of The Mining Magazine. This was a monthly periodical, founded in 1853 by W. J. Tenny, who conducted it until 1858, when it passed into the hands of Thomas McElrath, a New York publisher, and appeared in May of that year as The Mining and Statistic Magazine, with the name of

Sep 1, 1910

With the inauguration of Petroleum Technology this year, and approval by the Board to add an Assistant Secretary to the New York staff to serve the Petroleum and Coal Divisions, the Petroleum Division looks forward to greater opportunities and responsibilities. An improved medium of publication offers further incentive to engineers and investigators in the oil industry to make contributions. The authorization by the Board of Directors of a new Assistant Secretary is an appreciation of the splendid contributions made to the industry by the open forum of the Petroleum Division. It is also a recognition of the possibilities of greater service to the membership along the lines established ten to fifteen years ago by DeGolyer, Fohs, Ambrose and Lovejoy, to mention a few leaders. It isexpected that the new officer will spend a substantial part of his time in the field, visiting the student sections, the respective Divisions, helping in the arrangement of papers and Section meetings and intensifying interest in the Institute. The Petroleum Division will hold three meetings this year. The Fall Meetings will be held on Oct. 6 and 7 in San Antonio and on Oct. 20 and 21 in Los Angeles. The programs for these meetings will deal chiefly with engineering research and production engineering problems. Papers on production statistics and general economics of the industry are reserved for the Annual Meeting in New York. The annual production symposium and statistics are accepted as standard for the industry. With continuously deeper penetration into the earth in search for and exploitation of petroleum, it is necessary to have a better understanding of reservoir conditions and to place more phases of the operation under engineering control. Among the subjects relating to reservoir conditions tha thave been proposed for the fall meeting programs are phase equilibria at high pressures, interfacial tension between oil and water, the flow of oil and water through sands, the chemistry of films and underground temperatures. Investigations relating to control of operations include methods of continuously logging while drilling both visually and electrically, methods of studying drilling samples, properties of drilling fluids, improved cementing practices for isolating thin sands under high-temperature conditions and gas conservation, particularly production from high-pressure reservoirs. Additional suggestions of general themes or individual subjects will be welcomed, since it is desirable to build a backlog of material for Petroleum Technology. 9

Jan 1, 1938

By B. F. Zwick

The entire production of oil in Ecuador so far has come from the Santa Elens Peninsula, Province of Guayas. Both the shallow fields of the northern and the deeper fields of the southern part of the peninsula have been in constant exploitation, though the former are of doubtful economic value. In Table I herewith, which commences with the total amounts produced by the various companies up to 1940, annual company totals are given for the succeeding years. The figures for 1944 have been partly estimated. Table 2 gives figures on casinghead gasoline. Shell Company of Ecuador (formerly known as Anglo-Saxon) has continued active exploration in the Oriente region east of the Andes, and during 1944 the Company's first wildcat well was spudded in. International Ecuadorean Petroleum Co. (formerly International Petroleum Co., Limited) has pursued an active exploration campaign since the latter part of 1939, and a drilling string was placed in operation about a year later. A second string of tools was added during 1943 and a third a few months ago. Ten wildcats, all dry, have been completed in this period, two wells are drilling at the present time and other locations are on the program. Seven of the wells thus far drilled are in the area between Guayaquil and the Santa Elena Peninsula, one up the Daule River beyond Balzar, one on Puna Island in the Guayas Estuary and one in the northern province of Esmeraldas. Both the present drilling wells are in the Guayaquil-Santa Elena zone. The situation in regard to concessions has changed during the past four years because I.E.P.C. has made its selections from the extensive Daule-Guayas Study Concession, as a result of which large tracts were returned to the Government; because of the expropriation of the holdings of the "Ecuapetrol," a German concern whose acreage has passed into other hands; the Peruvian-Ecuadorean boundary settlement, which has reduced Shell's holdings somewhat; and the transfer of most of the holdings of the Cia. Minero-Petrolera del Pacifico to I.E.P,C. The greater part

Jan 1, 1945

W. G. MATTESON,* Fort Worth, Tex. (written discussion?).-Dr. Brokaw has evidently given a great deal of time and study to this phenomenon and his conclusions seem sound and logical. .Mr. Lee Hager was probably the first geologist of repute to attach any great importance to the occurrence of paraffin dirt in connection with the Gulf Coast oil-producing salt domes. The writer has been reliably informed that through his discussion, the idea was promulgated that the presence of this so-called paraffin dirt was one of the most important and reliable indications of the presence of an oil-producing salt dome. Despite very strong evidence to the contrary, Hager evidently still has considerable confidence in this theory, as brought forth in his discussion1 of Dr. Brokaw's paper. Halter here gives all the paraffin dirt occurrences known to him, and adds, "Fifteen of these localities, including practically all of the greatest fields, have produced oil in some quantity." . The acceptance of the list of occurrences as submitted by Hager depends upon what material we are justified in including under the term "paraffin dirt." If we agree to a broad classification, whereby paraffin dirt is. to include all spongy, earthy, decomposed, vegetable material, or spongy soil impregnated with the same, then Haggler's list will have to be not only accepted but perhaps enlarged. On the other hand, if we confine ourselves to a strict interpretation of the substance known as paraffin dirt, based .upon typical occurrences, general understanding, and application, several of Hager's occurrences will be seriously questioned by many geologists. The typical material is excellently described by Hager as a dirt or soil-like substance "resilient to the step, like rubber, which falls apart in small squares when dug. Intimately mixed with the soil itself and between the cracks and joint planes is a yellow, jelly-like

Jan 11, 1918

By Robert L. Haffner

When mining operations of The Eagle-Picher Co. began in the Illinois-Wisconsin zinc mining field in 1949, all underground loading of broken ore and waste was by caterpillar-tracked machines. Beginning in 1956 rubber-tired end-loaders were brought in; ultimately they completely supplanted the tracked units. End-loaders proved to have the mobility needed for the mining conditions and additional merit in auxiliary capacities. Eagle-Picher operates five mines in this area; two are entered by shafts and three by inclined adits. Several ore zones, some of which are attenuated over a considerable distance, are worked from the same entry. Consequently underground haulage roads connecting or following these orebodies have attained great length. In addition, working places are often widely separated because of the character of the mining operations which include pillar recovery and extending haulage connections into old workings. At one mine, the haulage distance is 5000 ft on either side of the shaft, at another the maximum one-way distance is 8400 ft, and at another the present road system of 6800 ft is expected to reach 10,000 to 12,000 ft.

Jan 6, 1962