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Recognizing the fact that the problems of the committee named by the Board to prepare the "official ticket" for officers and Directors of the Institute are various and difficult; and desiring to assist this committee by setting forth some of the principles that should guide the committee and some of the qualifications that should be required of candidates, the following instructions are formulated and the Secretary is directed to publish them in MINING AND METALLURGY concurrently with the publication of the names of each newly appointed Nominating Committee and to send a copy to each member of the Committee.

Jan 1, 1938

Recognizing the fact that the problems of the committee named by the Board to prepare the "official ticket" for officers and Directors of the Institute are various and difficult; and desiring to assist this committee by setting forth some of the principles that should guide the committee and some of the qualifications that should be required of candidates, the following instructions are formulated and the Secretary is directed to publish them in MINING AND METALLURGY concurrently with the publication of the names of each newly appointed Nominating Committee and to send a copy to each member of the Committee

Jan 1, 1943

Recognizing the fact that the problems of the committee named by the Board to prepare the "official ticket" for officers ' and Directors of the Institute are various and difficult; and desiring to assist this committee by setting forth some of the principles that should guide the committee and some of the qualifications that should be required of candidates, the following instructions are formulated and the Secretary is directed to publish them in MINING AND METALLURGY concurrently with the publication of the names of each newly appointed Nominating Committee and to send a copy to each member of the Committee.

Jan 1, 1944

The Institute is custodian of funds for support of numerous gold medals and prizes and has representatives on boards awarding still others. Details regarding the Institute Awards are given be- low. The Institute is represented on the boards of the John Fritz Medal, the Hoover Medal and the Washington Award, in connection with the three national societies of Civil, Mechanical and Electrical engineering; and, also, in the case of the Washington Award, with the Western Society of Engineers. The Institute is represented with these four societies on the committee in charge of the Alfred Noble Prize.

Jan 1, 1932

The Institute is custodian of funds for support of numerous gold medals and prizes and has representatives on boards awarding still others. Details regarding the Institute Awards are given be- low. The Institute is represented on the boards of the John Fritz Medal, the Hoover Medal and the Washington Award, in connection with the three national societies of Civil, Mechanical and Electrical engineering; and, also, in the case of the Washington Award, with the Western Society of Engineers. The Institute is represented with these four societies on the committee in charge of the Alfred Noble Prize.

Jan 1, 1934

The Institute is custodian of funds for support of numerous gold medals and prizes and has representatives on boards awarding still others. Details regarding the Institute Awards are given be- low. The Institute is represented on the boards of the John Fritz Medal, the Hoover Medal and the Washington Award, in connection with the three national societies of Civil, Mechanical and Electrical engineering; and, also, in the case of the Washington Award, with the Western Society of Engineers. The Institute is represented with these four societies on the committee in charge of the Alfred Noble Prize.

Jan 1, 1934

By Harvey P. Knudsen, Young C. Kim

This paper illustrates the application of geostatistics to a roll front type uranium deposit located in Wyoming. The steps involved in calculation of experimental variograms, variogram modeling, and verification of the resulting models are described in detail. The resulting spherical variogram models for grade thickness and thickness show strong geometrical anisotropies. The major axis of anisotropy for both variables is approximately parallel to the axis of the roll front and the minor axis perpendicular to the roll. This model confirms the technique of drilling "fences" across the roll front, where the drilling is much closer together than the fences along the roll.

Jan 8, 1979

Recognizing the fact that the problems of the committee named by the Board to prepare the "official ticket for officers and Directors of the Institute are various and difficult; and desiring to assist this committee by setting forth some of the principles that should guide the committee and some of the qualifications that should be required of candidates, the following instructions are formulated and the Secretary is directed to publish them in MINING AND METALLURGY concurrently with the publication of the names of each newly appointed Nominating Committee and to send a copy to each member of the Committee.

Jan 1, 1937

By R. T. C. Rasmussen, L. H. Banning, W. E. Anable

In the rapidly growing industry of elemental-phosphorus production from western phosphates, most of the vanadium and chromium contained in the phosphate rock collect in the byproduct ferro-phosphorus. Results are presented of a completed laboratory project, which developed a tristage crystallization and hydrolysis process for recovering strategic vanadium and chromium, as well as a valuable phosphorus product, after extracting these elements from the ferro-phosphorus by roasting and leaching. THE Phosphoria formation in Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, and Utah contains the Nation's largest reserve of phosphate rock. A unique feature of the Phosphoria beds is their content of a fraction of a percentage each of vanadium, chromium, nickel, and molybdenum. Vanadium is the most important as to quantity and value. Small-scale tests by the Bureau of Mines at Albany, Oregon, in 1947, indicated that most of the vanadium in the phosphate rock collects in the ferrophosphorus product of smelting. Subsequent electric smelting operations to produce elemental phosphorus from western phosphate rock (experimentally by TVA and industrially at Pocatello, Idaho) have shown that the vanadium and other metals in the rock are to a large extent recovered in concentrated form in the ferrophosphorus byproduct. This paper reports the results of completed laboratory research on the recovery of vanadium from ferrophosphorus, which was undertaken by the Bureau of Mines at Albany in 1948 as the first phase of a project entitled, "Vanadium and Fluorine from Western Phosphates." The various vanadium-recovery methods investigated, including the roast-leach method that showed most promise and was studied in greatest detail, are discussed in an earlier publication.' Subsequent systematic study of the roast-leach method of extracting vanadium from western ferrophosphorus developed the more effi- cient tristage crystallization process, which is the subject of this paper. Process Development The investigations were made on ferrophosphorus produced in the electric smelting of elemental phosphorus from western phosphate rock. The TVA provided two sample lots of ferrophosphorus produced in pilot plant smelting of phosphatic shale from the Fort Hall Indian Reservation in Idaho. The Westvaco Chemical Div. of the Food Machinery & Chemical Corp. supplied two sample lots of ferrophosphorus produced by its phosphorus smelter at Pocatello, Idaho. The analyses of all four lots are shown in Table I. Westvaco lot B was the starting material for the more recent tests. The roast-leach process for recovering vanadium from western ferrophosphorus, as originally developed, employed the following principal steps: Roasting of a mixture of pulverized ferrophosphorus, soda ash, and salt; extraction of the water-soluble vanadium, phosphorus, and chromium compounds from the calcine by leaching, settling, and decanta-tion of the pregnant solution; primary crystallization of trisodium phosphate from the pregnant solution; purification of the trisodium phosphate crystals by dissolution in water and secondary crystallization; purification of the pregnant vanadium solution from the primary crystallization step by adding calcium chloride to precipitate calcium phosphate; and hydrolysis of vanadium red cake from the puri-

Jan 1, 1954

By Ronald J. Roman

Research pertaining to flow of solutions in leach dumps has generally been neglected. This technical note proposes a method for evaluating the flow patterns and incorporating the results into dump-leaching models. Three dump-leaching models1-3 have been proposed to scale up laboratory test data to expected field results. These models are based on the same physical picture in a dump and differ only in the importance of diffusion or surface chemical reaction rate. Selection of this rate-controlling phenomemon is based on type of ore (sulfide or oxide), physical dimensions of the particles being leached, and the leach heap itself. All three models are applicable to specific types of operations. The models are similar in the use of a size distribution analysis for the dump material and the assumption that the leach solution flows around each particle. Transport of the leaching agent to the interior of the particle takes place by diffusion [(Fig. 1)]. However, normal dumps are of a higher bulk density than the material in a laboratory column used to generate the scale up data. How does this difference in bulk density affect the scale up equations? Increasing the bulk density can be expected to give more particle-to-particle contact; therefore, individual particles will be blinded by each other. As blinding increases with bulk density increase, the particles will behave like larger particles with a coarser apparent size distribution. The extreme will occur when the bulk density reaches that of the undisturbed rock, the entire dump behaving as a single particle with the dimensions of the heap itself. Harris4 alluded to this phenomenon in his paper. An alternative method of describing the same phenomemon is to consider the flow paths of the solution. At high bulk densities leach solution no longer surrounds each particle, but flow paths are separated by several particles and channeling is said to take place. Instead of the particle radius being the maximum distance through which the leaching agent must diffuse, the maximum distance is half the separation distance of the solution flow path. Particle size distribution must then be replaced in the models by the concept of channel separation distribution. Like size distribution, channel separation distribution specifies the cumulative percentage of the rock in the dump situated less than a specified distance from a solution channel. Thus, [ ] Distribution of the solution channels is a function of how the dump was built (among other things), and therefore it cannot be determined in the laboratory. Accordingly, it becomes necessary to determine a range for d and a in existing operations or measuring these parameters before leaching starts. Howard5 gives a clue to one possible technique of measuring solution channel distributions. When his paper was published little was known about the phenomemon of leaching; the importance of this type of data was not recognized. [Fig. 2] is a Y-Y log for one hole drilled

Jan 1, 1978

By A. W. Bitner, A. W. Asman

An analysis is made of three different types of section production units that represent the manner in which most of the nation's bituminous coal is produced. The general delays and production characteristics of these sections are presented along with a method for evaluating section performance based on actual and theoretical production characteristics. THE forerunner of the modern mechanical loading machine first entered the mines in 1890—a Stanley header with a conveyor. Since then progress has been substantial, both in the design and application of mechanized production units. Mechanization is almost a necessity for survival in the economy of today. In this paper an analysis is made of three types of sections, and a method for evaluating section performance based on present production characteristics and theoretical characteristics is presented. In mechanical loading mining sections the loading machine is the unit directly responsible for production. If the face preparation units provide a plentiful supply of properly prepared coal and the transportation system is coordinated and adequate, the loader will be idle a minimum of time. If either of the above do not perform adequately or other delays occur, the effect on production will be reflected in the performance of the loading machine. Therefore, attention is focused on the loading machine and factors that affect the overall performance of the production unit. Three complete mechanized production units are presented for analysis: A track section, a trackless section using battery-powered shuttle cars, and a trackless section using cable-reel shuttle cars. These particular sections were chosen for the following reasons: 1—The daily tonnage and mining conditions are approximately the same. 2— Production in each is 10 to 20 pct above the daily average. 3—The production characteristics and delays are average and typical. 4—They represent the manner in which the most of the nation's bituminous coal is produced. A. W. ASMAN, and A. W. BITNER, Members AIME, are Chief, and Research Assistant, respectively, Div. of Mining, The Pennsylvania State College, State College, Pa. Discussion on this paper, TP 3140F, may be sent to AIME by Oct. 31, 1951. Manuscript, Feb. 22, 1951. St. Louis Meeting, February 1951. Section A Fig. 1 is a layout for the track mining section showing the development to date, the projected plan and the cuts loaded on the shift studied. The seam mined averages 96 in. in thickness with a fireclay bottom and a roof of 10 in. of drawslate topped by sandstone. The mineability is considered good, and roof support is not a difficult problem. Two locomotives are used in the section to minimize the losses occurred in trip changing. The places are driven 20 ft wide, and the crosscuts are angled to permit fast tramming of the equipment. Table I lists the equipment and labor that make up the section. ANALYSIS Production Characteristics: The average loading rate for eight loading machines studied of this type is 1.81 tons per min. This one at 2.78 is considerably above average.

Jan 1, 1952

By W. J. West, T. D. Mueller, J. E. Warren

Two methods are used to obtain the relatiorlship between ratio of gas to oil permeability and gas saturation. One method is to calculate a curve from field measurements of reservoir behavior: the other is to measure the relationship on a core .sample in the laboratory. The curves resulting from these TWO methods arc often comparer1 and seldom found to agree. The most important reason for the nonagreement is often overlooked. This reason is that the performance k9/k0 curve is calculated with the assumption of uniform pressure and saturution throughout the reservoir. To show the differerence between performance type kg/k0 curves and laboratory type kg/k0 curves. two performance type kg/k0 curves for two different production rates were calculaled from the production perforrnance of a hypothetical reservoir for which a laboratory type curve was assumed. Production performance of the hypothetical reservoir bras calcu- lated by use of international Business Machine's 701 Computer. The perfortnance type kg/k0 curves differed from the laboratory curve for the hypothetical reservoir. The performance type crrrve for the lowest production rate most nearly coincided with the laboratory curve. INTRODUCTION Predictions of oil reservoir performance are often made with the aid of complex numerical calculations. An important quantity required in these calculations is the ratio of gas permeability to oil permeability (kg/k0 )at a particular gas saturation. Two methods arc used to obtain a relationship between this ratio and gas saturation. The curves resulting from these two methods are called performance kg/k0 curves and laboratory kg/k0 curves. The performance curve is obtained from field measurements of reservoir behavior. Particular kg/k0 values are calculated from the producing gas-oil ratio, the cumulative reservoir withdrawals, the original oil in place, the average reservoir pressure, and the PVT properties of the reservoir fluids. The particular kg/k0 values are then plotted against the average rcservoir gas saturations for the entire history period. In order to use this derived kg/k0 relationship for performance predictions, a curve through these points is extrapolated to higher gas saturations. The laboratory kg/k0 curve is obtained from measurements made on core samples. Saturation is maintained uniform throughout the core during these measurements. The kg/k0 curves obtained with these two independent methods are often compared and seldom are found to be the same. Various reasons have been offered for the lack of correlation. One is that insufficient core? were obtained to derive a curve representative of the reservoir rock. Another is that laboratory methods have failed to reproduce reservoir conditions. The most important reason for the noncorrelation has been often overlooked because of the difficulty in evaluating its effect. This reason is that the performance or field kg/k0 curve is calculated with the assumption of uniform pressure and saturation throughout the reservoir. In any

Jan 1, 1956

By L. G. Evans, W. W. Simpson, W. A. McKinney

In conventional dump leaching of strip wastes from open-pit porphyry mining operations, many years are required to extract a fraction of the copper from the contained sulfide minerals. Furthermore, none of the molybdenum, gold, or silver is recovered by current leaching practices. Because the copper sulfide minerals and molybdenite generally are distributed in the minute fractures throughout the host rock, the mineral values tend to concentrate in the finer fraction of the strip material. This suggests the possibility of segregating the enriched fines in as-produced or coarsely crushed strip wastes for blending with the ore grade flotation mill feed. In the past, extra handling or crushing of mine wastes to enable better leach extraction has been deemed uneconomical. However, recent articles on mobile crushing plants and conveyor haulage systems indicate possible cost improvements for these techniques over conventional truck haulage of ore and mine wastes. Another potential benefit from removal of the fines from copper-bearing mine waste derives from the increased permeability of the coarse dump material to leach solutions and air. Better permeability should result in faster oxidation of the sulfide minerals, less channeling of leach solutions, and fewer perched solution tables caused by compacted fines. Therefore, in addition to the metal values recovered by flotation, higher copper recoveries by leaching also might be achieved. The Salt Lake City Metallurgy Research Center of the U.S. Bureau of Mines undertook an investigation to determine the feasibility of removing enriched fines from strip waste material for separate treatment by froth flotation for early recovery of part of the copper, molybdenum, gold, and silver. Percolation leaching tests were made on mine-run and sized fractions of the dump material to determine the effect of fines removal on copper extraction. Samples Tested Three 10-ton samples of copper sulfide-bearing mine waste were obtained for the investigation. Partial chemical analyses of the samples are given in [Table 1] and the consolidated results of detailed screen analyses made on the samples are given in [Table 2]. The -1/4-in, fine fractions contain from 16 to 32% of the copper and 19 to 40% of the molybdenum in 11 to 18% of the total waste. The samples also were crushed to -3 in. to determine the feasibility of crushing to obtain a higher distribution of the metal values in an enriched fine fraction while providing a more leachable coarse fraction that could be transported by a conveyor system to a dump. The -%-in. fine fractions screened from the crushed mine waste were almost identical in grade to the natural fines. From 2 to 4% more1/4-in. fines were produced by crushing to -3 in. Copper distribution was increased by about 3% over that in the natural fines, while molybdenum distribution was increased by about 10%. The -1/4-in. fines screened from the mine-run and crushed strip waste were almost as high in grade as the ore being treated at the mills. In addition, the fines

Jan 1, 1974

By M. C. Leverett, W. B. Lewis

The dynamic behavior of a multiple fluid system is completely describable in terms of driving forces and resistances to flow. The latter are proportional to the viscosity of the fluid under consideration and inversely proportional to a property of the system termed the " effective permeability " to that fluid, a property therefore defined by this relation. Since three phases are usually present in oil reservoirs, it is essential to know the effective permeabilities to the several fluid phases, and the relationship between the composition of the fluid in the pore space and that of the flowing stream, in order to handle satisfactorily certain problems of oil production. In this regard, there are many unknown factors and parameters, and many that can be evaluated only indirectly. However, it is expected that work along lines similar to this present undertaking will help materially in solving these problems. .. . . Previous workers in this field have investigated the two-phase systems, water-gas,' water-oil2 in unconsolidated sands, and water-gasg in consolidated sands. The extension of the study of the flow of heterogeneous fluid systems from two to three phases involved only slight changes in technique. The apparatus used in the present work, except for slight changes to be described, was that used by Leverett in his water-oil experiments.~ Correlation and interpretation of data were made by methods analogous to those used in two- phase work. The relative permeability to a phase—the effective permeability divided by the permeability of the system to a homogeneous fluid—was employed throughout in correlating the rate of flow of that phase with the composition of the pore space. Quantitative measurements of two independent physical properties of the system were required to determine the composition of the pore space. As in the two-phase work, the fraction of water was determined electrically, The gas fraction was determined by measuring changes in volume accompanying measured pressure changes. Suitable account was taken of the solubility of the gas in the liquid phases, and of the vapor pressure of the water phase. Since this work was exploratory in nature, no attempt was made to obtain highly accurate numerical results. Reasonable precision and reproducibility were sought. Experimental Procedure variables Considered.—Of the properties of the fluids, the oil viscosity is most likely in practice to vary widely. Variations in oil viscosity were therefore included in this work, but variations in other properties of the fluids are as yet unexplored. It appears unlikely that the normally encountered variations will produce significant changes. ~h~ observations were made at fairly high pressure gradients, no attempt being made to detect a variation of the relative permeabilities with pressure gradient. It should be pointed out also that since most of the data were taken on one sand size only, it call Only be assumed at present that changes in

Jan 1, 1941

By S. Fróes Abreu

The importation of liquid fuels in Brazil amounts to about 1,300,000 tons; 30 per cent of this total being gasoline for automobiles and airplanes. Statistics show an increasing consumption of gasoline notwithstanding the use, daily greater, of fuel alcohol, a domestic fuel of low cost in the producing areas. The Brazilian market for petroleum products has shown a tendency to grow as the country has steadily developed— expansion of the industries in the areas already developed, and also the recent occupation and population of new zones. The war has brought many difficulties to Brazil. It has limited the importation of petroleum products, which came mostly from the United States, Venezuela and Mexico. During the first days of the present crisis automobile and truck traffic was vastly curtailed; but the national activity in the production of more fuel alcohol, and principally in the development of producer gas, has done much to provide a solution for the transportation crisis threatened at the beginning of the gasoline shortage. Many thousands of cars and trucks in Brazil are now burning producer gas made from charcoal. Producer gas for automobiles has been improved by Brazilian engineers and many new types have appeared. - Production There is only one producing oil field in Brazil—the one in the State of Baia, near the Baia de Todos os Santos. The first producing oil well was drilled in Lobato in 1939 by the Federal Government following studies carried on in that area by Oscar Cordeiro, S. Froes Abreu, G. Paiva and J. Amarai. The field and laboratory work done by these men was published in 1936 in a paper entitled " ContribuicBes para a Geologiado Petroleo no Reconcavo (Baia)," which indicated the potentialities of the area as an oil producer. After the discovery of the first producing well, the Brazilian Government issued a decree establishing an area, 60 km. in radius, as a National Reservation. This first well was drilled in Lobato. In no other locality in Brazil is any petroleum produced. Although many wells have been drilled in the southern part of Brazil, on the northeastern coast and in the Amazon Basin, they yield nothing. Actual production is below 1000 bbl. daily. The producing area covers Itaparica Island, Candeias and Arath, Joanes Island and Lobato. Since very little geological information was available, especially about subsurface structure, it was necessary to drill several wildcats in order to collect the data essential in the choosing of good locations. The United Geophysical Co. was contracted to perform a geophysical survey to clear up the major problems concerning the oil deposits in the Reconcavo beds. The best wells in Reconcavo are on Itaparica Island, where the daily flow amounts to about zoo bbl.; in other sectors production is considerably lower and most of the wells are pumping. In the Aratfi sector, near an area of very light oil, there is an important gas field, with wells producing about I0,000,000 cu. ft. daily.

Jan 1, 1944

By B. L. Averbach, E. E. Underwood

The vapor pressure of zinc in equilibrium with solid ß AgZn alloys has been measured by the dew-point method. The thermodynamic activities of silver, and the molar heats of formation have been calculated. Similar measurements have been made for the ternary alloys formed by adding gold to AgZn. An apparent particle size effect has been observed for AgZn filings. The vapor pressure of zinc over filings is 15 to 20 pct higher than over the solid alloys. STATISTICAL methods have been used to inter pret the thermodynamic activities of the components of a solid solution in terms of average equilibrium atomic configurations. In some cases, the atomic arrangements can be measured by X-ray methods, and the results are usually expressed in terms of short range order parameters. Only in the cases of Cu³Au and AgAu have there been sufficient X-ray and thermodynamic data to verify the assumed correlation between the X-ray and the thermodynamic measurements. In Cu³Au the agreement is good; negative deviations from Raoult's law are observed and the number of Cu-Au nearest neighbor pairs predicted on the basis of the thermodynamic treatments agrees quite well with the number of such pairs observed by the X-ray methods. The ß brass alloys present a different set of conditions. The ordering is so rapid in these alloys that the disordered state cannot be retained on quenching. In contrast, the disordered state in CuAu is easily retained on quenching. On heating, the ordered ß brass loses its long range order continuously as the critical temperature is approached; in Cuau the order decreases slightly on heating and then drops discontinuously to zero at the critical temperature. These differences indicate that the short range order configurations in ß brass systems may be of a different character than in Cudu systems. However, X-ray measurements of local order cannot be made in the Cu-Zn alloys because of the similarity in scattering factors. The alloy AgZn is isomorphous with CuZn, however, and recent experiments have indicated that there is a good possibility of observing short range order in this system. Another complication arises in the case of ß AgZn. The disordered body-centered cubic structure exists above 280°C. On quenching from above this temperature an ordered structure of the cesium-chloride type is formed. On slow cooling, however, a complex hexagonal structure, the 3 phase, is produced; and if an ordered quenched alloy is reheated the phase begins to form above 80°C. It is thus difficult to study local order by X-ray methods in single crystals of AgZn since the C phase formed on heating does not necessarily return to a single crystal of the original orientation. This problem has been met, however, by adding a few percent of gold to the AgZn. The gold suppresses the formation of the c

Jan 1, 1952

By W. B. Lewis, M. C. Leverett

The dynamic behavior of a multiple fluid system is completely describable in terms of driving forces and resistances to flow. The latter are proportional to the viscosity of the fluid under consideration and inversely proportional to a property of the system termed the " effective permeability " to that fluid, a property therefore defined by this relation. Since three phases are usually present in oil reservoirs, it is essential to know the effective permeabilities to the several fluid phases, and the relationship between the composition of the fluid in the pore space and that of the flowing stream, in order to handle satisfactorily certain problems of oil production. In this regard, there are many unknown factors and parameters, and many that can be evaluated only indirectly. However, it is expected that work along lines similar to this present undertaking will help materially in solving these problems. .. . . Previous workers in this field have investigated the two-phase systems, water-gas,' water-oil2 in unconsolidated sands, and water-gasg in consolidated sands. The extension of the study of the flow of heterogeneous fluid systems from two to three phases involved only slight changes in technique. The apparatus used in the present work, except for slight changes to be described, was that used by Leverett in his water-oil experiments.~ Correlation and interpretation of data were made by methods analogous to those used in two- phase work. The relative permeability to a phase—the effective permeability divided by the permeability of the system to a homogeneous fluid—was employed throughout in correlating the rate of flow of that phase with the composition of the pore space. Quantitative measurements of two independent physical properties of the system were required to determine the composition of the pore space. As in the two-phase work, the fraction of water was determined electrically, The gas fraction was determined by measuring changes in volume accompanying measured pressure changes. Suitable account was taken of the solubility of the gas in the liquid phases, and of the vapor pressure of the water phase. Since this work was exploratory in nature, no attempt was made to obtain highly accurate numerical results. Reasonable precision and reproducibility were sought. Experimental Procedure variables Considered.—Of the properties of the fluids, the oil viscosity is most likely in practice to vary widely. Variations in oil viscosity were therefore included in this work, but variations in other properties of the fluids are as yet unexplored. It appears unlikely that the normally encountered variations will produce significant changes. ~h~ observations were made at fairly high pressure gradients, no attempt being made to detect a variation of the relative permeabilities with pressure gradient. It should be pointed out also that since most of the data were taken on one sand size only, it call Only be assumed at present that changes in

Jan 1, 1941

By Leon W. Dupuy

Many articles have been written describing peculiar and particular types of drilling. Little correlation has been made between the character of ground to be drilled and sampled and the type of drilling most desirable for procuring satisfactory samples. In development work, the engineer and metallurgist often desire the recovery of a sample in as physically natural a condition as possible, particularly when the sample must provide material for process tests as well as chemical and physical analyses. This paper describes the results of experimentation in drilling unconsoli-dated materials carrying titanium minerals in the Magnet Cove area, Ark. The drilling was most difficult in that the ground varied much in consistency, and it was vitally necessary to recover a physically natural sample. Ordinary churn drilling recovered a sample that could be analyzed chemically, but the sample was not in its natural state. The problem was successfully solved by utilizing and further developing methods used in the oil and clay industries. In the Magnet Cove area of Hot Spring County, Ark., the titanium minerals include rutile, brookite, ana- tase, leucoxene, and others. They occur in soil, clays, and altered rocks adjacent to novaculite in contact meta-morphic deposits. In preparing titanium minerals for use in the industry, it is necessary to know the physical characteristics of the ore. Also it is believed that the particular physical character of the titanium mineral used is just as important as the chemical character. Brookite and rutile, for example, are the same chemically but differ in crystalline structure. In preparing titanium minerals for market, beneficia-tion is necessary. For the millman to make a satisfactory laboratory test, the sample he uses must be as nearly of the same physical character as he would have from mine run ore. In the past at Magnet Cove, churn drilling had been done on the properties, and assays of total titania had been obtained. It was found, however, that the total titania was indicative merely of the presence of titania but did not tell the metallurgist the character of the material or even give him the slightest indication of what he might expect to recover. When the Bureau of Mines entered the field in the winter of 1947 and 1948, it was therefore necessary that a natural sample be recovered. LIMITATlONS IN ORDINARY PRACTICE The churn drilling that had previously been done had shown that the occurrence of titanium-bearing mineral was somewhat widespread. The samples were, however, completely beaten up and in a finely powdered state. The minerals had been slimed, and such ore dressing tests as were made from the churn-drill samples were found to be worthless. Test pitting and outcrop sampling had provided satisfactory samples of surface ore but did not represent the entire ore body. A quantity of rutile had been produced from the surface residual concentrations in the westerly part of the cove, but production ran into metallurgical trouble as depth was attained. Representative deep samples upon which ore dressing research might depend were needed.

Jan 1, 1950

By Alfred Brooks

THE only oil produced in Alaska in 1923 was obtained from a dozen small wells, one of which was drilled during the year on the single patented tract of petroleum land in Alaska, in the Katalla field. These wells are owned by the Chilkat Oil Co., which finds a ready local market for its product in the form of gasoline produced in its own refinery. The search for oil has been continued, but except in the Cold Bay field there has been no drilling in new fields during the year. Drilling was in progress during 1923 at Pearl Dome, 18 miles from the coast. Here the Associated Oil Co. sank two wells, about 500 and 950 ft. deep, but suspended drilling in June. The Standard Oil Co., drilling on the same structure, reached a depth of 300 ft. by August and is reported to have reached about 700 ft. by November. The company began the, installation of a second drill in August. George C. Martin, who hastily examined the Chignik region, south of the Cold Bay field, reports that what is known of the geology near Chignik is not favorable to the presence of petroleum. Kirtley Mather, who made a geologic survey of the northern part of the Alaska Peninsula, reports that some of the structures and the formations are favorable to the presence of oil. A small seepage has long been known in the region near the mouth of Douglas River, which flows into Cook Inlet. Sidney Paige last summer made an examination .of the oil seepages which have long been known near Cape Simpson, 50 miles southeast of Point Barrow, the northernmost point of Alaska. He reports that there are two very large seepages emanating from small ridges about a mile apart and several miles from the coast. These are marked by flowing petroleum, and cover many acres. There is a very large accumulation of petroleum residue at these seepages. The surface exposures consist of clay shales with hard thin partings of calcareous shale which lie nearly horizontal, and are probably, of Jurassic age. Mr. Paige and his two sub-parties explored a large area inland from the Arctic coast between Cape Beaufort on the south and Point Barrow and Cape Simpson on the north. He himself ascended the Meade River for 150 miles. These surveys indicate a wide distribution of what is believed to be the formation from which the Cape Simpson seepages emerge, which is probably of Jurassic age. These rocks near the north Arctic coast are little disturbed, but are increasingly folded to the south, toward the mountains. No other seepages have been found, but what is known of the geology is not unfavorable to an oil field. This entire region lies in Naval Petroleum Reserve No. 4, and it was examined by the Geological Survey at the request and expense of the Department of the Navy.

Jan 3, 1924

By S. Fróes Abreu

The importation of liquid fuels in Brazil amounts to about 1,300,000 tons; 30 per cent of this total being gasoline for automobiles and airplanes. Statistics show an increasing consumption of gasoline notwithstanding the use, daily greater, of fuel alcohol, a domestic fuel of low cost in the producing areas. The Brazilian market for petroleum products has shown a tendency to grow as the country has steadily developed— expansion of the industries in the areas already developed, and also the recent occupation and population of new zones. The war has brought many difficulties to Brazil. It has limited the importation of petroleum products, which came mostly from the United States, Venezuela and Mexico. During the first days of the present crisis automobile and truck traffic was vastly curtailed; but the national activity in the production of more fuel alcohol, and principally in the development of producer gas, has done much to provide a solution for the transportation crisis threatened at the beginning of the gasoline shortage. Many thousands of cars and trucks in Brazil are now burning producer gas made from charcoal. Producer gas for automobiles has been improved by Brazilian engineers and many new types have appeared. - Production There is only one producing oil field in Brazil—the one in the State of Baia, near the Baia de Todos os Santos. The first producing oil well was drilled in Lobato in 1939 by the Federal Government following studies carried on in that area by Oscar Cordeiro, S. Froes Abreu, G. Paiva and J. Amarai. The field and laboratory work done by these men was published in 1936 in a paper entitled " ContribuicBes para a Geologiado Petroleo no Reconcavo (Baia)," which indicated the potentialities of the area as an oil producer. After the discovery of the first producing well, the Brazilian Government issued a decree establishing an area, 60 km. in radius, as a National Reservation. This first well was drilled in Lobato. In no other locality in Brazil is any petroleum produced. Although many wells have been drilled in the southern part of Brazil, on the northeastern coast and in the Amazon Basin, they yield nothing. Actual production is below 1000 bbl. daily. The producing area covers Itaparica Island, Candeias and Arath, Joanes Island and Lobato. Since very little geological information was available, especially about subsurface structure, it was necessary to drill several wildcats in order to collect the data essential in the choosing of good locations. The United Geophysical Co. was contracted to perform a geophysical survey to clear up the major problems concerning the oil deposits in the Reconcavo beds. The best wells in Reconcavo are on Itaparica Island, where the daily flow amounts to about zoo bbl.; in other sectors production is considerably lower and most of the wells are pumping. In the Aratfi sector, near an area of very light oil, there is an important gas field, with wells producing about I0,000,000 cu. ft. daily.

Jan 1, 1944