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By F. P. Nichols, F. A. Renninger

At one time, mineral aggregates were considered physically and chemically inert substances whose junction was that of an inex-pensive, easily obtainable source of bulk. This philosophy applied regardless of the use to which the aggregate was put. Research approaches dealing only with such gross physical properties as hardness, toughness, impact resistance, etc., dominated the early growth years of the industry and influenced specifications to a large extent. The accelerated pace of highway construction, which began toward the end of the depression years, focused attention on the need for extensive aggregate research. The realization in the early 1940's that aggregates interacted chemically as well as physically with their environment provided the stimulus necessary to translate the drab, systematic aggregate technology of the early 20th century into the changing, dynamic, challenging field it is today. Current research problems are discussed in detail. These efforts being pursued by contract research organizations, universities, governmental agencies, and industry transcend many fields. The mineral aggregate industry is the world's largest mining and processing endeavor, yet it is graced with little of the romance or public awareness that accompanies mention of gold, silver, iron, copper, uranium, or aluminum mining efforts. Much of this reaction is undoubtedly due to the fact that the uses to which crushed stone and sand and gravel are normally put are not fully recognized or appreciated by the general public. Almost 2 billion tons of mineral aggregates are quarried or mined, processed, and sold yearly in the United States alone.= The largest uses to which this vast tonnage is subjected are as ingredients of portland-cement concrete, bituminous concrete, and dense-graded aggregate-base course mixtures in the highway and building construction fields, two industries closely related to the expenditure of public funds. It is for these uses, partially in justification for the expenditures of vast sums of public funds, that mineral aggregate research truly finds its emphasis. The research efforts expended relative to the highway and building construction uses to which mineral aggregates are subjected are those of primary concern to the industry. These efforts, while of direct consequence to the industry due to the volume market represented, are of interest as well to public agencies, universities, and contract research firms. All actively conduct research, exchange information, and make contributions to the overall knowledge relative to aggregate usage and limitations. The research efforts of the mineral aggregate industry is the subject to be discussed throughout this paper. It covers all aspects of highway and building design, construction, and technology. The effects of research pertaining to quarrying and mining methods, blasting and processing techniques, storage and handling facilities, and equipment employment and development have left their mark on the crushed stone and sand and gravel industries. Such specialized efforts have resulted in dramatically increased production rates which in turn have served to keep costs, and hence prices, down. Despite the many inflationary pressures over the years, the cost of a ton of aggregate today is little more than it was 25 or 30 years ago. Mention is made of these efforts simply to emphasize the diversity of research in the mineral aggregate field. The remainder of this paper focuses on the complexity of what might be termed "product knowledge" research.

Jan 1, 1971

By H. N. Hall

Reservoir and producing characteristics can govern the decision to use either a one-, two- or three-dimensional model for making predictions for gravity-drainage reservoirs. Examples of conditions requiring one-, two- and three-dimensional calculations are given. In 1961 the author presented a method for predicting one-dimensional gravity-drainage performance. This work has been exrendcd to obtain a three-dimensional model, which is described and for which a sample problem is presented. Introduction Many papers on gravity drainage or gas-cap drive'-3 have been presented for conditions where the reservoir is treated as a single areal segment so that, in effect, only one-dimen-sional flow is considered. Other authors'-Q ave given evidence showing that the one-dimensional concept would be unsatisfactory to predict reservoir performance for certain types of reservoirs. Experience has indicated that specific reservoir and producing conditions govern whether one-, two- or three-dimensional concepts must be used as a basis for reliable reservoir performance predictioils. Previously the author presented a paper outlining a method for predicting the performance of gravity-drainage reservoirs.' That paper treated the reservoir as a single areal segment so that it was applicable for only one-dimensional flow. The work has been extended to obtain a three-dimensional model that can be used to predict performance of gravity-drainage reservoirs. Although capable of being three-dimensional, it can be used equally well for one- and two-dimensional predictions. This paper discusses those reservoir and producing conditions governing the choice of model, and also describes a three-dimensional model suitable for predicting reservoir performance in the more complex situations. Discussion The Choice of Model To predict reservoir performance, it is necessary to represent the reservoir by a physical model. A mathematical model, based on the assumed physical model, then is used to predict the movement of oil and gas within the reservoir. The word "model" is used here to connote the combination of both a physical model and a mathematical model based on the physical model. Certain types of reservoir situations may be predicted suitably with a one-dimensional model, whereas two- and three-dimensional models may be required for other situations. This section illustrates reservoir conditions associated with the use of a specific type of model. Many types of reservoir structures are such that gravity drainage possibly could be an important factor in oil production. Production practices, as well as the nature of the structure. can influence the type of model that should be used. obviously, it is impossible to discuss all combinations of reservoir structure and production practices that might be encountered in gravity-drainage reservoirs. The following are typical examples of conditions where a choice must be made among a one-, two- or three-dimensional model to predict reservoir performance satisfactorily. Conditions Requiring a One-Dimensional Model Fig. la shows contours for an asymmetrical anticline in which gravity drainage might be expected to be important. Fig. Ib depicts a cross-section along Line A-A in Fig. la. Existence of a gas cap is a good clue that gravity drainage will be an important factor in producing oil from this type of reservoir. However, it is not essential since a gas cap will form as oil is produced from the reservoir. If the proper combination of reservoir permeability and withdrawal rates is present, the reservoir will behave like a

Jan 1, 1969

By C. C. Mattax, J. E. Bobek, M. O. Denekas

ABSTRACT investigations in recent years have shown that rock wettability can exert a profound influence on the displacement of oil by water from oil producing reservoirs. Core analyses frequently show oil recoveries from preferentially water-wet rock to be significantly greater than those from preferentially oil-wet rock. Thus, an accurate prediction of water-drive or waterflood oil recovery is dependent on the evaluation of reservoir rock wettability. Laboratory and field studies have been undertaken to examine and develop methods which may be used to measure rock wettahililiy, to investigate factors which may alter the wettability of reservoir rock, and to determine the wettability of specific reservoirs. It has been found that measurement of the rate and volume of spontaneous imbibition of the wet-ting phase by a rock is a reliable and reproducible test for semi-quantitarive determination of preferential rock wettability. Laboratory tests have shown that the wettability of reservoir rock may depend on both the crude oil composition and the rock type. Field and laboratory tests have indicated that coring flulids and core handling techniques can cause significant changes in the wettability of rock surfaces. However, a few fluids, brine in particular, appear not to affect core wettability and may be used when coring to determine reservoir wettability. Core handling and packing procedures have been developed which preserve core wettability during storage and laboratory testing. The wetfability characteristics of six reservoirs have been evaluated by wettabilify tests performed in the field on fresh cores cut with brine or special water-base muds. The tests indicated that all six reservoirs are water wet; however, the de-gree differed from one reservoir to another. INTRODUCTION Although surface properties of reservoir rock and interfacial characteristics of rock, crude oil, and water systems have been discussed for many years, the full significance of these properties to the production of oil is still in the process of evaluation. It is known, however, that one surface characteristic—preferential wettability of the reservoir rock—-is of paramount importance when the reservoir is being produced by water-flood or water-drive mechanisms. The importance of rock wettability has been pointed out by several authors'.',%* who have found that pref- erentially water-wet cores flood more efficiently than oil-wet cores; that is, more oil is recovered from water-wet cores in the early flooding stages than from oil-wet cores. Other authors'," indicate that waterflood oil recovery from cores of intermediate wettability may be greater than that from either strongly water-wet or strongly oil-wet cores. These recent investigations emphasize that the true wettability of a reservoir must be known before the performance of waterflood or water-drive reservoirs can be accurately evaluated. When reservoir wettability is to be determined by core analysis, precautions must be taken to maintain the original wettability which can be altered readily during coring5 nd testing.' In the coring operation the core may be partially or completely penetrated by the drilling fluid which, if it contains surface active materials, may drastically change the wettability of the core. Also, improper core handling during stcrage and testing may change its wettability because of evaporation of fluids or exposure to oxygen or surface active contaminants. One purpose of this paper is to discuss methods for obtaining, preserving, and testing cores without altering their original wettability. In addition, the results of wettability tests on fresh and preserved cores from six reservoirs are presented where special precautions were taken to obtain samples without altering their wettability during the coring operation.

By Paul Averitt

The U. S. Geological Survey has been actively engaged in work on coal for more than 50 years. During this long period we have released more than 300 publications containing information about coal and coal reserves, including details on the thickness, distribution, and quality of coal, and the structure and stratigraphy of the coal-bearing rocks. We have also cooperated with state surveys on many similar publications. For many areas these reports are the only reliable published data on our resources of coal. During the last several years we have substantially increased our activities above the wartime low. We now have field work in progress, or reports in preparation, on 13 detailed mapping projects distributed as follows: 1. Pennsylvania anthracite field 2. Casselrnan Basin, Md. 3. Leslie County, Ky. 4. Deep River field, N. C. 5. Coosa field, Ala. 6. Powder River field, Mont. 7. Spotted Horse field, Wyo. 8. Yampa field, Colo. 9. Paonia field, Colo. 10. Trinidad field, Colo. 11. Durango field, Colo.

Jan 1, 1949

By Donald M. Liddell, G. C. RIDDELL

THE cosmic ray continues to engage the attention of the physicists, and according to Millikan and Compton, experiments of the past summer indicate that these rays must come from interstellar space, but not from the stars themselves. According to press reports of the International Congress of Physicists at Rome, the view was given there that these rays have an initiating potential of over 750,000.000 volts. In the field of spectrographic investigation great strides have been made. The U. S. Naval Research Laboratories (R. F. Mehl and G. E. Doan of Lehigh) have just finished a year's work with a "radium torch" or "shadowgraphic apparatus" in the field of the X-ray, that bids fair to displace the latter to a great extent. The torch is more powerful., easier to operate and cheaper. Penetration of 10 in. of steel has been accomplished, which. is much -beyond the- -scope-, of the X-ray..

Jan 1, 1932

By Richard A. Hawkins

O the American coal man, Australian coal mining most appear to have little, if any, influence on American coal-mining practice and to bear little relation to it. Actually, the relationship has been close, for Australian operators have carefully studied American practice by reading American technical publications, by consulting American engineers, and by visits to Ameriean operations. They have leaned heavily on America for their supply of mechanization equipment and many American mining-machinery manufacturers are active in that country, supplying its needs and furnishing technical assistance. Australia's influence on American coal mining has been obscure and probably negligible. However, it seems reasonable to assume that this influence will increase. The wartime development of air transportation will inevitably bring these two countries into much more intimate contact than existed in recent years. American servicemen. many of them former miners and coal-mining technicians, have visited Australian operation, while stationed in that country, have talked with operators and men over there, and undoubt-

Jan 1, 1945

By V. GUDKOV

THE iron-ore deposits of Russia were estimated at 2,200,000,000 by the Russian Geological Survey, in 1910; but this estimate must be considered as being far too low. The estimate for Siberia, which had been explored very little for iron ore, was placed at about 27,000,000 tons. The exploration, in 1912-14, of the three iron deposits-Blagodat, Baakal and Kamensk-raised the estimate of the iron-ore reserves or the Urals from 282,000,000 tons to about 400,000,000 tons. Conservative estimates of the explored deposits made by the writer in 1915, gave the following figures: Southern Russia 900,000,000 tons, Ural Mountains 500,000,000 tons, Central Russia 900,000,- 000 tons, Siberia 100,000,000 tons, Caucasus 20,000,000 tons, or a total of 2,420,000,000 tons of iron ore, or 1,200,000,000 tons of pig iron.

Jan 1, 1921

By AIME AIME

THE 131st meeting of the American Institute of Mining and Metallurgical Engineers was held in New York on Feb. 16 to 20, 1925, with the largest registration of any previous meeting, the total being 1320 compared to 1276 in 1924. The technical sessions were more largely attended and aroused more discussion than ever before. There were joint meetings with the Mining Section of the National Safety Council, under the auspices of the Industrial Relations Committee of the Institute and two very important lectures, the Howe Memorial Lecture, under the auspices of the Iron and Steel Committee, and the lecture by Dr. Carl Benedicks, of Sweden, on Corrosion, under the auspices of the Institute of Metals Division. The Petroleum Division conducted its annual Symposium on Oil which will be published later in book form. At the annual business meeting on Feb. 17, the following ticket was elected, and the reports of the President, Treasurer, and Secretary 'were presented:

Jan 1, 1925

By ERNEST W. ELLIS

MORE or less contradictory findings as to the most satisfactory feed for concentration tables of the Wilfley type is shown by the diversity of opinion among experimenters. Prof. R. H. Richards,l as a result of his work, favors classification. On the other hand the work of Messrs. Cox, Gibbins, and Porter,' of McGill University, points in general to the desirability of screen-sized feed The ore used was obtained from the West mill of the Bunker Hill and Sullivan Mining and Concentrating Co., Kellogg, Idaho, and consisted of argentiferous galena in a gangue of quartzite and siderite. The natural feed was taken from the launder supplying the Fahrenwald classifier. Classified feed was collected from each of the ten spigots of this same classifier. From the natural feed the screen-sized feed was pre- pared in the laboratory. All three types of table feed were therefore derived from the actual mill circuit of a large plant.

Jan 1, 1926

By Alicia O'Reardon

DIFFIDENTLY, because don'ts are rarely greeted with cheers; humbly, because I, myself, have never lined up with the irreproachables, I venture on the subject of manners for the mining camp matron. Mining camps can be divided roughly into two types-the large, opulent settlement that blooms like the rose about a strong mine in full operation; and the puny group of adobe huts, or calamina shacks, or even canvas tents flung down in the wilderness to shelter the gay pioneers of a shining prospect or the shattered survivors of a lost hope. Of the first, I know nothing; but in the second, I have spent some of my best years, and from its curious code of morals and manners, its comic hates and its unreasoning loves, its high impatience and its engulfing kindness, I have charted the narrow .and pitted path which must be trod by the woman who would success¬fully live therein.

Jan 1, 1936

By Alicia O&apos, Overbeck, Reardon

DIFFIDENTLY, because don'ts are rarely greeted with cheers; humbly, because I, myself, have never lined up with the irreproachables, I venture on the subject of manners for the mining camp matron. Mining camps can be divided roughly into two types-the large, opulent settlement that blooms like the rose about a strong mine in full operation; and the puny group of adobe huts, or calamina shacks, or even canvas tents flung down in the wilderness to shelter the gay pioneers of a shining prospect or the shattered survivors of a lost hope. Of the first, I know nothing; but in the second, I have spent some of my best years, and from its curious code of morals and manners, its comic hates and its unreasoning loves, its high impatience and its engulfing kindness, I have charted the narrow .and pitted path which must be trod by the woman who would success¬fully live therein.

Jan 1, 1936

By AIME AIME

TWENTY-TWO sections and all four of the divisions sent delegates to the annual meeting. They became so interested in the wide ranging dis6ussion of old and yet ever-new problems of Institute affairs that three instead of two sessions scheduled were necessary. Monday morning the meeting assembled with President Bassett presiding in the absence of President-elect Tally, who had been called to Baltimore by the serious illness of a brother. Thursday morning Vice-president Turner presided until Mr. Tally appeared after which the latter guided the sessions. Since reports from all of the active sections save one had been mimeographed and sent in advance to the delegates, detailed reports from each were dispensed with. The discussions dealt largely with membership problems, both local and national, with financing, speakers and programs, visits from national officers, and the conduct of the annual meeting. Many interesting and constructive suggestions were made and will be reported back to the sections by the delegates.

Jan 1, 1931

By J. R. Linney

Demand for eastern magnetite in 1948 necessitated practically all eastern magnetite industries to operate on a six-day week, with the result that over 11,000,000 long tons of crude ore were mined, and the shipping products amounted to approximately 5,000,. 000 long tons. Reports indicate that operating on a six-day week and doing maintenance work on the seventh day was satisfactory and resulted in excellent continuity of operation. In the Port Henry district, Republic Steel Corp. once again set new all-time records for the production of crude ore and total shipping product; 1,868,000 long tons of crude ore were mined, 945,000 from the Old Bed mine, 408,500 from the Harmony mine, and 514,500 from the Fisher Hill mine. Of the 969,000 long tons of shipping products, 663,800 long tons were sinter, 181,000 lump ore, and 115,200 con¬centrates.

Jan 1, 1949

Edward Halse, Puerto Berrio, Colombia, So. Amer. (communication to the Secretary*): The Taviche mining-district is generally known as " Taviches," being named from the two villages called respectively San Pedro Taviche and San Jero-nimo Taviche. It is so called by Jose G. Aguilera, in his paper on the Geographical and Geological Distribution of the Mineral Deposits of Mexico;' and in published reports by the late N. W. Rudston Read ;2 and by Juan de Dios Villarello3 The region is a large one, measuring about 24 miles long and 7 miles wide. Dr. Chance, in his interesting paper, tells us very little about the nature of the ores, and, with regard to the geology of the district, contents himself with observing that " the country, as a rule, consists of eruptive rocks; and no evidences of sedimentary strata appear near the mines." The latter part of the above statement is hardly correct. The formation is mainly

Jan 1, 1906

By AIME AIME

THE Wednesday morning session was devoted entirely to the consideration of the tentative code for coal mine ventilation. A. W. Hesse is chairman of this subcommittee. E. A. Holbrook presided at the session and assisted by A. W. Hesse and George S. Rice, gave the historical background of the movement for a ventilation code. They stressed the point that this was to be an engineer's code, and that it was hoped that it might serve as a valuable guide to operating companies in securing greater efficiency as well as safety in ventilation. The discussion was continued into the afternoon session, and by adjournment the entire' code had been covered.' Many sections were referred back to the Committee for further study and several new sections were suggested. The various opinions and new ideas brought out during the discussion proved very valuable and. contributed much to the progress being made in the preparation of this code.

Jan 1, 1929

By J. E. Tobey

BECAUSE of the wide-spread publicity given to Nylon yarn as being made from ?coal, air, and water,? the general public has become conscious of the nonfuel uses of bituminous coal. Some of these uses are as filler for fertilizer, carbon for the absorption of orders, for water supply, and for the bedding of cattle. Spectacular as are these accomplishments the fact is that only a small amount of coal is used for nonfuel purposes. It is on the utilization of coal as fuel that the industry depends. Practically all the coal mines for years to come will be used for making coke for the generation of heat. Recently much attention has been paid to the significance of ash in coal. Another study worthy the interest of metallurgists in the iron and steel industries if that of Dr, Lowry of the Carnegie Institute of Technology relative to the percentage of sulphur in coal and coke.

Jan 1, 1941

By V. C. Wansbrough

A LUCID, thorough and powerful review of the impact of your tax laws on mining operations has already been presented by Granville S. Borden*. He has brought into focus and relief the pressure-points at which the shoe pinches most, has suggested some remedial measures, and enunciated much sound doctrine about the interrelationship and interplay of taxation policy and mining activity. Under the heading "What Every Lawmaker Should Know", he laid down the fundamental proposition that "the magnitude of our mineral resources varies inversely with the magnitude of the taxes levied upon them." With this, as with his other major premises, all mining men must be in hearty concurrence. There can be no doubt that a flourishing and expansive future for the mining industry in this country, in Canada, or anywhere else will depend on the thoroughness with .which these fundamental propositions are grasped by legislators, by national policy-makers and by public opinion at large.

Jan 1, 1950

By Hugh Marriott

MANGANESE and its ores have been recently dealt with in comprehensive papers to the Iron and Steel Institute by Sir Robert Hadfield, and in a series of papers read before the A. I. M. E. at the Cleveland meeting. I have taken the opportunity of adding this mineral, to my records of the "World's Mineral Production and Consumption," as recently pub-lished in the Economist ?. The tables bring out the following significant facts: The world's production has increased by 10 per cent since 1913. India's production has increased by 3 per cent since 1.913, the supply from this source now being 31.1 per cent of the world's output. Russia is now producing at about half its pre-war rate and yields 19 per cent of the world's production. West Africa supplies 12.5 per cent of the world's total output. Brazil's present output is 2.5 times that of the pre-war period, being 11.3 per cent of the world's output.

Jan 9, 1927

By AIME

WE got our chance to talk with Arthur J. Blair at the Annual Meeting at the Pennsylvania Hotel. By two o'clock Wednesday afternoon things had quieted down enough so we had our interview in the foyer to the Ball Room. There were the usual questions. Where were you born? In La Salle County, Ill., on March 26, 1885. Where did you go to school? Northwestern University, B.S. degree in 1906. Where did you start work? For E. J. Longyear right after leaving school. One's ability as a geologist was measured by one's ability to wield a brush hook and ax. He stayed on the job as geologist for three years and then got to thinking about the advantages of a warmer climate. The advantages stacked up favorably, so off he went to Birmingham, Ala., just about the time U.S. Steel took over the Tennessee Coal, Iron and Railroad Co.

Jan 1, 1948

By AIME AIME

EUGENE AUSTIN STEPHENSON, better and affectionately known as "Steve," has long been an active and enthusiastic member of the Petroleum Division of the Institute. As its Secretary-Treasurer for several years, he was the spark plug that so successfully carried the Division over the trying period of the early thirties. "Steve" was born at Franklin, Mich., July 27, 1883; graduated from Adrian College in 1905, and later received his Doctor's degree from the University of Chicago where he was an instructor for two years. From 1917 to 1925 he was chief geologist for the South Penn Oil Co. and from 1925 to 1930 he was associated with Ralph Davis, Inc., of Pittsburgh, consulting engineers. In 1930 the Missouri School of Mines called him to Rolla to head a department of petroleum and natural gas engineering. and in 1938 he was invited to build up a similar department at the University of Kansas.

Jan 1, 1941