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By H. H. Hasler

THE mining and removal of coal from two or more beds, either simultaneously or consecutively, in vertically adjacent areas have always been matters of concern to mine operators from both operating and recovery points of view. However, with the progressive introduction and use of electrical and mechanical facilities, such problems assume even greater proportions. In this paper typical cases occuring in Cambia County, Pa., are given and procedures whereby such problems may be greatly reduced, if not entirely eliminated, are suggested.

Jan 5, 1951

COAL is perennially -a subject of major interest at. Pittsburgh, but during the week of Nov. 19 to 24 it was especially to the fore because nearly two thousand persons gathered to take part in the second of the international conferences organized by President Baker of the Carnegie Institute. From the opening session on Monday morning when those attending were welcomed by President Baker and T. P. Gaylord, president of the Chamber of Commerce of Pittsburgh, until the party returned from the Clairton coke ovens on Saturday. afternoon, there was something going on all the time, and usually three sessions were in progress at once.

Jan 1, 1928

By A. Hellawell

Binary alloys of compositions intermediate between solid-solubility limits and eutectic compositions have been completely separated into primary phases and eutectic by freezing unidirec-tionally at very slow rates (10-6 to 10-5 cm per sec). The alloys examined were Pb-1 wt pct Ag, Al-20 wt pct Cu, and Al-42 wt pct Cu. The compositions and proportions were close to those expected from the phase diagrams and provided information about the solid/liquid interface at certain free zing rates. DURING the directional freezing of an alloy the solute distribution is controlled by the efficiency of mixing in the liquid,'" whereas diffusion in the solid state is of negligible importance. It is known3 that mixing by convection is very efficient, but complete segregation is only achieved at very slow freezing rates4-6 or with forced stirring in the liquid. ' Yue9 and Yue and clark10 have previously illus- trated partial separation of primary phases in alloys close to eutectic compositions. In the present work, taking binary alloys of compositions intermediate between the limits of solid solubility and eutectic compositions, it has been possible to achieve complete separation of the primary phases by directional freezing at very slow rates. METHODS AND RESULTS The alloys concerned were Pb-1 wt pct Ag, A1-20 wt pct Cu, and A1-42 wt pct Cu. As may be seen from the relevant diagrams,11 these alloys should segregate into approximately equal proportions of primary solid solutions and alloy of eutectic compositions. Specimens, -12 cm long and 1 cm wide, were frozen in horizontal tubes by withdrawal from a furnace. The lead alloy, prepared from materials of 99.999 pct purity, was sealed into evacuated Pyrex tubes and the aluminum alloy of similar purity contained in graphite boats under vacuum. The molten alloys were seeded with some 3 cm of solid to prevent irregular initial freezing rates and the last portions to freeze were ignored. At the slow freezing

Jan 1, 1965

By Rudolf Kudlich

The problem of eliminating the hazards of hoisting in mines has been with us since the industry passed its earliest stages, when coal and ore could be won from surface working and tunnels. At first, safety devices were introduced as means of decreasing the amount of labor necessary to produce the mineral, or to increase the amount that could be obtained from a certain opening. For example, crude ladders replaced winding footpaths or steps cut into the walls of the pit or shaft, decreasing the distance it was necessary to carry the product to the surface and eliminating, to some extent, the hazard introduced by the precarious footing afforded by such paths and steps. Latcr, instead of being carried from the pit on the backs of men, the product was hoisted in buckets or baskets on a rope passing over a pulley or around a windlass. Thus the capacity of the pit was considerably increased, and the hazard due to making many trips up and down the shaft was eliminated. From such beginnings accident prevention in mine hoisting advanced with the importance of the industry, until at present hoisting compares favorably with other branches of the mining industry with reference to safe practices. As in the other branches, this progress has been accomplished along two general lines—by legislation, rules, and education, and by the installation of safety devices. Though due credit must be given the former, it is not so satisfactory as the latter. Legislation, to be effective, requires a policing and inspection system to guarantee enforcement, such as we cannot hope to inaugurate. Rules may be satisfactory so long as the employer controls the labor market, and dismissal or some other form of discipline is an effective means of insuring obedience to the rules; but where labor demand is in excess of the supply, or where labor organizations are in control, such measures are not effective. An educational campaign will draw attention to hazards and may awaken a desire to avoid accidents by exercising the proper care. It is necessary, therefore, to place our reliance mainly on mechanical devices to prevent accidents, and to depend as little as possible on laws,

Jan 1, 1923

By Rudolf Kudlich

The problem of eliminating the hazards of hoisting in mines has been with us since the industry passed its earliest stages, when coal and ore could be won from surface working and tunnels. At first, safety devices were introduced as means of decreasing the amount of labor necessary to produce the mineral, or to increase the amount that could be obtained from a certain opening. For example, crude ladders replaced winding footpaths or steps cut into the walls of the pit or shaft, decreasing the distance it was necessary to carry the product to the surface and eliminating, to some extent, the hazard introduced by the precarious footing afforded by such paths and steps. Latcr, instead of being carried from the pit on the backs of men, the product was hoisted in buckets or baskets on a rope passing over a pulley or around a windlass. Thus the capacity of the pit was considerably increased, and the hazard due to making many trips up and down the shaft was eliminated. From such beginnings accident prevention in mine hoisting advanced with the importance of the industry, until at present hoisting compares favorably with other branches of the mining industry with reference to safe practices. As in the other branches, this progress has been accomplished along two general lines—by legislation, rules, and education, and by the installation of safety devices. Though due credit must be given the former, it is not so satisfactory as the latter. Legislation, to be effective, requires a policing and inspection system to guarantee enforcement, such as we cannot hope to inaugurate. Rules may be satisfactory so long as the employer controls the labor market, and dismissal or some other form of discipline is an effective means of insuring obedience to the rules; but where labor demand is in excess of the supply, or where labor organizations are in control, such measures are not effective. An educational campaign will draw attention to hazards and may awaken a desire to avoid accidents by exercising the proper care. It is necessary, therefore, to place our reliance mainly on mechanical devices to prevent accidents, and to depend as little as possible on laws,

Jan 1, 1923

By C. Willard Hayes

Introduction.—The recent developments in the metallurgy of aluminum and its consequent rapidly growing use in the arts are at present attracting considerable attention to its ores. The success of the Hall electrolytic process, by which the metal is obtained directly from the oxide, has removed bauxite from the position of a rather uninteresting mineral to that of an important ore. Its production on a commercial scale is so recent, particularly in this country, that little attention has yet been paid to its mode of occurrence and origin.. Any investigation, therefore, which throws light upon these points should be of interest to mining engineers- at the present time, especially if the conclusions afford a basis for estimating the probable extent and value of deposits already known and a mane of directing search for others. Two localities in the United States have so far yielded bauxite in commercial quantities. These are in Arkansas and in the Coosa valley of Georgia and Alabama. According to descriptions of the Arkansas deposits by Branner, they bear little resemblance to those in the Southern Appalachians and their geological relations appear to be entirely different. Only the latter deposits are considered in the following paper. These have been briefly described by McCalley† and Spencer.† They were visited by the writer during the past summer and somewhat carefully examined, in connection with the study of the areal geology of the region. Location of the Deposits.—The ore is found irregularly distributed within. a narrow belt of country extending from' Adairsville, Ga.,

Jan 1, 1895

By Carlo Massa

The Societâ Anonima di Miniere e di Alti Fòrni, familiarly known as the " Elba Company," works the rich ore-deposits of the Island of Elba under a long-term contract with the Italian Government. The ore-deposits are scattered over the eastern and southeastern coast; but as these parts of the island are not well provided with ports, the blast-furnaces were built at Porto-ferraio, the principal town of the island, situated on the northern shore, and possessing a magnificent natural harbor where vessels even as large as the battleships of the Italian navy can comfortably anchor. In the selection of Portoferraio the cost of transporting the iron-ore from the different mines to the blast-furnaces has been reduced to a minimum, and shelter has been provided for the company's flotilla of tugs and barges, as well as for the steamers carrjing coal and pig-iron. The whole plant, of which a general view is given in Fig. 1, comprises: 1. A discharging-pier with unloading-cranes. The ore and coal are transported from this pier by means of an aerial cable-railway to the coal- and ore-storage yards. This cable-railway is supported by an iron bridge extending from the pier to the shore and by a wooden trestle extending from the shore to the yards. 2. Blast-furnaces, two in number, with all the accessory apparatus, such as blowing-engines, dry purifiers, Cowper hot-blast stoves, hoists, etc. 3. Coke-ovens, two batteries, with coal-bin, crushers and boilers. 4. Engine-house containing the blast-engines and the electric generating-station. 5. Pumping-plant. 6. Narrow-gauge railways.

Jan 1, 1905

Prof. Dr. H. Seger and Mr. E. Cramer, Chemisches Laboratorium fur Thonindustrie, Berlin, Prussia (communication to the President)* : We have learned, with much interest, from the pamphlet sent to us, of the work of Messrs. Hofman and Demond, particularly as we observe from their experiments that these gentlemen recognize the usefulness of the Seger cones, and that this method of determining temperatures in the furnaces of the ceramic industry and in the tests of refractory clays is valued, not only in all parts of Germany, but also in other countries. Permit us to say, with reference to the crucibles employed in tests for refractoriness, that we have used of late, besides the magnesia crucibles, also those made of Zettlitz kaolin, with the addition of alumina, previously calcined, with regard to which we beg to refer to our article in the Thonindustrie-Zeitung of December 9, 1893.

Jan 1, 1895

By F. S. McNicholas

IN the first big blast at Climax, a "loop back" (three-wire system) was used (Fig. I), with the idea of securing a wiring system that would give to all series the same amount of current. Single-phase, 60-cycle, 13,800-volt [ ] power was furnished to the blasting transformers, each of which has a rated capacity of 600 amp. at 480 volts. Two blasting leads were taken from these transformers, giving a blasting current of single phase, 60 cycle, 480 volts, with an instantaneous capacity of more than 600 amp. The blasting switch was on the secondary leads from the transformers, to avoid lag in energizing them.

Jan 1, 1938

By R. W. Marrs

Kimberlite contains a unique assemblage of minerals and exhibits a characteristic pattern of spectral reflectance in the visible and near-infrared wavelength region. This spectral pattern is readily discerned in well exposed kimberlite outcrops, but becomes increasingly difficult to identify when outcrops are partially covered by vegetation or soils derived from nonkimberlitic materials. Detection of poorly exposed kimberlite diatremes is possible using multispectral imaging techniques where spectral bands are chosen to optimize contrast between the kimberlitic soils, nonkimberlitic soils, and vegetation. Careful processing of the multispectral data is essential to separate the spectral signature of kimberlite from the signatures of other components of the scene.

Jan 1, 1986

By F. S. McNicholas

In the first big blast at Climax, a "loop back" (three-wire system) was used (Fig, I), with the idea of securing a wiring system that would give to all series the same amount of current. Single-phase, 60-cycle, 13,800-volt power was furnished to the blasting transformers, each of which has a rated capacity of 600 amp. at 480 volts. Two blasting leads were taken from these transformers, giving a blasting current of single phase, 60 cycle, 480 volts, with an instantaneous capacity of more than 600 amp. The blasting switch was on the secondary leads from the transformers, to avoid lag in energizing them.

Jan 1, 1940

By F. S. McNicholas

In the first big blast at Climax, a "loop back" (three-wire system) was used (Fig, I), with the idea of securing a wiring system that would give to all series the same amount of current. Single-phase, 60-cycle, 13,800-volt power was furnished to the blasting transformers, each of which has a rated capacity of 600 amp. at 480 volts. Two blasting leads were taken from these transformers, giving a blasting current of single phase, 60 cycle, 480 volts, with an instantaneous capacity of more than 600 amp. The blasting switch was on the secondary leads from the transformers, to avoid lag in energizing them.

Jan 1, 1940

By L. O. Howard

THE practice of using acid-lined converters at the plant of the Old Dominion Copper Mining & Smelting Co. was discontinued early in January, 1913, and they were replaced by basic-lined converters. The new equipment consists of one electrically operated 12-ft. upright converter stand and two basic-lined shells for same. These shells are provided with twenty-four 1 1/4-in. tuyères. The mouths are 5 ft. in diameter. Owing to the fact that there is no bedding system or other large storage capacity between the mine and the smelter, the furnaces must handle as fast as produced ore and concentrates, which may vary considerably from day to day, both in tonnage and copper content. Consequently the converter is often crowded to its utmost capacity by the frequent fluctuations in the daily matte supply. From the foregoing, it will be seen that in no way can the converter be favored by running light charges or by transferring to it from other stands in operation. Neither can it regularly be allowed to cool between blows, and only occasionally can it be run at as low a temperature as might be wished. No copper precipitate or other foreign material high in copper is available to help out the tonnage. Repairs and alterations or the removal of defective tuyères must wait until such time as a slight falling off in the matte supply-allows the converting operations to ease up. These variable conditions all combine to interfere with the systematic operating of the converter.

Jan 7, 1914

Scores of visitors who had never in their lives seen a piece of rough-and-ready mining machinery flocked around the display of Russian equipment presented as part of the Soviet Exhibition at New York's Coliseum. The Russian show, which ran from June 30 to August 10, presented an impressive view of an emerging technology. The exhibitors, however, made little attempt to appeal to the visitor who came only to be amused. In the mining show, as well as elsewhere throughout the exposition, the exhibits were devastatingly highbrow. If a coal mine's hydraulic roof support were "designed to support the prop- , free face front in longwall faces of flat seams, from 1.0 to 1.6 m thick, with medium-stable side rock," the visitors were told just that.

Jan 9, 1959

By W. H. Durrell

DISCOVERY of large iron ore deposits in New Quebec and Labrador is, undoubtedly, one of the outstanding mining events of the twentieth century. To give an idea of size, the present concession is almost equivalent to a strip a mile wide around the earth at the equator. Importance of this iron ore area can best be appreciated by comparison to the famous Mesabi Range. On Mesabi, the area of favorable rock is 110 miles long and from 1 to 5 miles wide, with a, productive zone about 70 miles long. On the con- cessions the area of favorable rock in the Labrador Trough is 225 miles long and from 10 to 60 miles wide. In Quebec-Labrador, exploration already discloses that the productive zone is 90 miles long, with good chances of being extended at both ends. The Mesabi is covered generally by thick over- burden, and the iron ore deposits were found by T- test-pitting and systematic test-drilling. In Labrador and Quebec, most ore has been developed from a few surface deposits, and when it is considered that at least 95 pct of the area is covered by over- burden, and that there remains thousands of square miles of favorable territory still to be explored, it can be seen that the possibilities for developing additional ore are tremendous.

Jan 4, 1954

By James C. M. Li

The Petch relation between the flow stress and the gain size is derived from a consideration of gain boundary sources of dislocations without the need of dislocation Pile-ups. Three mechanisms for inierpreting the yield stress: the gain boundary strength, the unpinning of Frank-Read source near a grain boundary, and the generation of dislocations from the grain boundary are compared and the condition of their equivalence is shown. The effect of the average angle of misfit of pain boundaries is found to be sma11 and so is that of the average angle of misfit of subboundaries having impurities. The effect of impurities on the ledge density in the grain boundary is treated thermodynamically and a relatwn is proposed for the variation of Petch slope with impurity activity. The effect of temperature on the Petch slope is interpreted as due to the change of ledge structure in the grain boundary. It is indicated that the effect of annealing temperature may be more important than that of the test temperature and therefore should be studied. The effect of plastic strain on the Petch analysis is deduced from a work-hardening equation in which the generation of dislocations has first-order kinetics and the annihilation of dislocations has second-order kinetics. It is concluded that the Petch slope will decrease with plustic strain if the rate of annihilation of dislocations is sufficiently large. Critical experiments which may shed light on the mechanism for the Petch relation are suggested. THE relation between the yield or flow stress, 0, and the grain size, l, was first proposed by all' and later studied more extensively by Petch and co-workers, who also proposed a similar relation for the fracture stress and deduced from these a grain-size effect of the ductile-brittle transition temperature. The microscopic mechanism used by all' and petch2 involves a pile-up of dislocations of like sign generated from a Frank-Read source. The yielding or flow takes place when the pile-up exerts sufficient stress at the grain boundary so that the plastic deformation can propagate from one grain to another. If the average strength of the grain boundary is ai and the average length of the pileup is lp, the Petch slope, k, is given by" where p is the shear modulus, b the Burgers vector, and v the Poisson ratio. This slope will be independent of the grain size if l/lp is a constant. This is possible, since, if the Frank-Reed source is situated near the grain boundary, lp = 1, and if it is situated in the middle of the grain, Ip = 1/2. cottrell,12 also using the pile-up mechanism, proposed that the stress concentration at the grain boundary will initiate Frank-Read sources near the grain boundary and in this manner a Lüders band can propagate from one grain to another. Assuming that the average distance between the Frank-Read sources and the grain boundary is 1, and the unpinning stress of the Frank-Read sources is op, Cottrell obtained the following Petch slope: This slope will be independent of the grain size if ls is independent of the same, which is not as obvious as the condition, Ip = I for Eq. [2]. In addition to this assumption, the direct relation between the Petch slope k and the unpinning stress, up, was recently questioned by Johnsonon grounds that it is inconsistent with the following observations: the independence of k with temperature and strain rate, and the small k in columbium, which, like iron, has a sharp yield point. As pointed out by ohnson," the most important objection both to the Hall-Petch mechanism, in which the strength of the grain boundary plays the role in yielding, and to the Cottrell mechanism, in which the unpinning of Frank-Read sources plays the role in yielding, is the lack of direct observation of the pile-ups. The dislocation structure in deformed iron has been examined recently in the electron microsope.'-' Dislocations appear to be generated from grain boundaries or other interfaces; they form clusters and tangles within the grain at very early stages of deformation, even in the Lüders band, if the deformation is slow or at normal and elevated temperatures. Although it is still too early to interpret bulk properties from thin-film observations, it does seem worthwhile to look for a mechanism for the Petch relation which does not require dislocation pileup. SUBBOUNDARY SOURCES In order to show that a consideration of grain boundary sources can lead to the same Petch relation as does the consideration of the strength of the grain boundary, we shall first discuss the case of a simple tilt boundary whose elastic properties have been studied in detail.17 The strength of a partially

Jan 1, 1963

By Benjamin C. Craft, Frank Perkins

The wall-building properties of salt-water muds can be maintained at high temperatures by additions of gum karaya, gum ghatti, gelatinized starch, or commercially prepared starch. A germicide should be used to prevent fermentation. Introduction The behavior of drilling mud has received special attention from the petroleum industry within the past few years in numerous research projects dealing with such subjects as chemical treatment, gelation, and filtration characteristics. The importance and control of filtration, or water loss, is readily apparent* It affects the analysis of side-wall cores and interpretation of electric logs; it controls to a large extent the work of primary cementing, reduces the amount of expensive fishing, and permits the running of long strings of casing. It has been found that among the many factors that have an adverse effect on filtration, the presence of electrolytes, in general, and of salt, in particular, is outstanding. The effect is one of flocculation of the colloids due to neutralization of the negative charges on the clay particles. This reaction is further increased on the Gulf Coast because high temperatures reduce dispersion, to a minimum, causing increased flocculation in both fresh-water and saltwater muds. The problem of reducing water loss in salt-water muds by the addition of gums and starch at atmospheric temperature has been investigated,' and many successful field tests in West Texas indicate its solution. From the work of Byck2 it is concluded that no existing method will permit an approximate determination of the filtration rate at high temperatures from data taken at room temperatures. Filtration should be measured at the ternperature actually anticipated in the well, or at least at a number of lower temperatures and extrapolated over a small range. A laboratory study has been made of the chemicals available for the filtration characteristics of salt-water muds at high temperatures, and the use of germicides to prevent fermentation. Laboratory Investigations Procedure Since the purpose of this investigation was to compare several different gums and starches at elevated temperatures, mud from the same source was used for all the tests. Viscosity was measured in a Stormer viscosimeter at 600 r.p.m. and water loss was determined with a Baroid High-pressure and High-temperature Wall-building Tester3 at temperatures from 80' to 250°F. and at a pressure of 500 lb. per sq. in. for 30 minutes. The samples tested consisted of 150 grams of commercial Louisiana mud, 50

Jan 1, 1943

By Benjamin C. Craft, Frank Perkins

The wall-building properties of salt-water muds can be maintained at high temperatures by additions of gum karaya, gum ghatti, gelatinized starch, or commercially prepared starch. A germicide should be used to prevent fermentation. Introduction The behavior of drilling mud has received special attention from the petroleum industry within the past few years in numerous research projects dealing with such subjects as chemical treatment, gelation, and filtration characteristics. The importance and control of filtration, or water loss, is readily apparent* It affects the analysis of side-wall cores and interpretation of electric logs; it controls to a large extent the work of primary cementing, reduces the amount of expensive fishing, and permits the running of long strings of casing. It has been found that among the many factors that have an adverse effect on filtration, the presence of electrolytes, in general, and of salt, in particular, is outstanding. The effect is one of flocculation of the colloids due to neutralization of the negative charges on the clay particles. This reaction is further increased on the Gulf Coast because high temperatures reduce dispersion, to a minimum, causing increased flocculation in both fresh-water and saltwater muds. The problem of reducing water loss in salt-water muds by the addition of gums and starch at atmospheric temperature has been investigated,' and many successful field tests in West Texas indicate its solution. From the work of Byck2 it is concluded that no existing method will permit an approximate determination of the filtration rate at high temperatures from data taken at room temperatures. Filtration should be measured at the ternperature actually anticipated in the well, or at least at a number of lower temperatures and extrapolated over a small range. A laboratory study has been made of the chemicals available for the filtration characteristics of salt-water muds at high temperatures, and the use of germicides to prevent fermentation. Laboratory Investigations Procedure Since the purpose of this investigation was to compare several different gums and starches at elevated temperatures, mud from the same source was used for all the tests. Viscosity was measured in a Stormer viscosimeter at 600 r.p.m. and water loss was determined with a Baroid High-pressure and High-temperature Wall-building Tester3 at temperatures from 80' to 250°F. and at a pressure of 500 lb. per sq. in. for 30 minutes. The samples tested consisted of 150 grams of commercial Louisiana mud, 50

Jan 1, 1943

By E. V. Watts

The D-7 zone of the Ventura Avenue field is of special interest because the initial reservoir pressure at 92.00 ft nearly equaled the pressure exerted by the overburden. While the phenomenon has been observed elsewhere in the world, there is no record of a previous case in California. Such high pressures have been attributed to sealing of the reservoir, followed either by emergence of the beds or by compaction of the sediments in various ways. Oil in the D-7 zone is undersaturated. At pressures above the bubble point, oil is recovered by the slight expansibility of the reservoir framework and its liquid contents. More than 40 pct as much oil probably will be recovered by this mechanism as will be recovered by internal gas drive after pressures pass below the bubble point. Operations are handicapped by sand and pipe troubles. Introduction The Ventura Avenue field has been under development since 1915. It has long been considered a "high-pressure" field, but interest was heightened by the extreme conditions encountered in the recent development of the so-called D-7 zone. The original reservoir pressure in this pool is estimated to have been 8300 psi at a depth of 9000 ft below sea level, or 9200± ft below the surface. A fluid pressure approaching that exerted by the overlying sediments has been encountered in other parts of the world, but never before in California to the degree observed in the D-7 pool. With few exceptions, the original pressure in California fields is about equivalent to the static head of water below the water table in the outcrop. Structure The Ventura anticline is a prominent feature of the Ventura basin, being traceable on the surface about 17 miles.' The Ventura Avenue field is at the apex of the anticline. It is about one mile wide and five miles long, the major axis lying in an east-west direction. The productive limits cover an area of about 2300 acres. The entire anticline has been severely folded and faulted. The productive portions in particular are broken up by three major thrust faults having a general east-west strike. The resultant four fault blocks are termed the A, B, C, and D blocks, respectively. Certain electric-log intervals are assigned numbers. Fig I is a diagrammatic north-south section of the field near the crest, looking west, and shows three of the four fault blocks. To the west, the upper fault divides into two branches, which define the B block. Wells penetrating a fault may duplicate over 1000 ft of formation. However, the greater fault movement is the strike shift, which is believed to exceed 2500 ft both between the A and C blocks and between the C and D blocks. The location of water is irregular and unpredictable. A few intermediate waters exist, while some strata have more than 2000 ft of productive closure.

Jan 1, 1948

By E. V. Watts

The D-7 zone of the Ventura Avenue field is of special interest because the initial reservoir pressure at 92.00 ft nearly equaled the pressure exerted by the overburden. While the phenomenon has been observed elsewhere in the world, there is no record of a previous case in California. Such high pressures have been attributed to sealing of the reservoir, followed either by emergence of the beds or by compaction of the sediments in various ways. Oil in the D-7 zone is undersaturated. At pressures above the bubble point, oil is recovered by the slight expansibility of the reservoir framework and its liquid contents. More than 40 pct as much oil probably will be recovered by this mechanism as will be recovered by internal gas drive after pressures pass below the bubble point. Operations are handicapped by sand and pipe troubles. Introduction The Ventura Avenue field has been under development since 1915. It has long been considered a "high-pressure" field, but interest was heightened by the extreme conditions encountered in the recent development of the so-called D-7 zone. The original reservoir pressure in this pool is estimated to have been 8300 psi at a depth of 9000 ft below sea level, or 9200± ft below the surface. A fluid pressure approaching that exerted by the overlying sediments has been encountered in other parts of the world, but never before in California to the degree observed in the D-7 pool. With few exceptions, the original pressure in California fields is about equivalent to the static head of water below the water table in the outcrop. Structure The Ventura anticline is a prominent feature of the Ventura basin, being traceable on the surface about 17 miles.' The Ventura Avenue field is at the apex of the anticline. It is about one mile wide and five miles long, the major axis lying in an east-west direction. The productive limits cover an area of about 2300 acres. The entire anticline has been severely folded and faulted. The productive portions in particular are broken up by three major thrust faults having a general east-west strike. The resultant four fault blocks are termed the A, B, C, and D blocks, respectively. Certain electric-log intervals are assigned numbers. Fig I is a diagrammatic north-south section of the field near the crest, looking west, and shows three of the four fault blocks. To the west, the upper fault divides into two branches, which define the B block. Wells penetrating a fault may duplicate over 1000 ft of formation. However, the greater fault movement is the strike shift, which is believed to exceed 2500 ft both between the A and C blocks and between the C and D blocks. The location of water is irregular and unpredictable. A few intermediate waters exist, while some strata have more than 2000 ft of productive closure.

Jan 1, 1948