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By W. B. Gogarty

With the use of polymer solutions in secondary recovery operations, the need has developed to understand the mobility control mechanism. This study investigated mobility control by considering both permeability and rheological effects. Experiments used a high molecular weight, partially hydrolyzed polyacrylamide polymer. Flow studies took place in reservoir and Berea cores having zero oil saturation. Effective size of the polymer flow unit was inferred from Nuclepore filter tests. Clay studies indicated the particle size capable of decreasing the core permeability. Flushed permeabilities measured the approximate core permeabilities with flowing polymer solutions. These permeabilities were considerably lower than original values. With mobility data and the flushed permeability, maximum effective viscosities were determined for polymer solution flow in a core. Effective viscosities showed that rheological properties play an important part in mobility control with polymer solutions. The study showed that permeabilities decrease and stabilize with polymer flow. At the lower permeabilities, high shear rates exist in the cores. Because of the pseudoplastic character of the polymer solution, the high shear rates caused low effective viscosities. This condition pointed to the inefficient use of the potentially high viscosity of the polymer solution at low shear rates. INTRODUCTION In the oil industry, a great deal of interest is being shown in the use of polymer solutions for secondary recovery and a number of polymer floods are being performed in the United States.1 Some of these floods have become commercial while others have been reported as failures. A number of floods are still in progress and remain to be evaluated. With the advent of polymer flooding, the need developed to understand the mobility control mechanism in porous media. Rheologically, the polymer solutions behave as pseudoplastic fluids. Investigators have studied the rheology for this type of non-Newtonian fluid in porous media?-6 Results have also been reported on the ability of polymer solutions to decrease mobility.7-10 Some investigators indicated that polymer solutions show a different rheological behavior in cores than on the viscometer.7,8 This study is representative of an initiatory investigation on mobility control with polymer solutions. Some effects are considered on a qualitative basis. Mobility control is considered from the standpoint of both permeability and rheology and, to the extent possible, permeability and rheological effects are considered separately. Results show that mobility control occurs from a reduced permeability caused by polymer retention and an effective viscosity determined by the average shear rate in the core. In this respect, rheological behavior is as important in mobility control as permeability. PROCEDURES A high molecular weight, partially hydrolyzed, polyacrylamide polymer was used in the investigation. Solutions of various concentrations were made with this polymer in different types of water. Some solutions used distilled water and others used tap water. The tap water contained approximately 500 ppm dissolved solids. As used in this paper, concentrations in ppm refer to parts by weight solute to one million parts by weight of solvent. In the tap water, calcium and magnesium accounted for from 60 to 80 ppm of the solids, the remainder being mostly sodium chloride. All solutions contained a bactericide, and anti-oxidants and antiprecipitants were added to the tap water. Capillary and concentric-cylinder* viscometers determined the rheological properties of solutions. The capillary viscometer is described elsewhere.6 Berea and reservoir sandstone were used as core materials for this investigation. Cores were 1 in. in diameter by approximately 2 to 3 in. long. Prior to mounting, the Berea cores were heat-treated for 3 hours at 850F. This treatment decreased the water-sensitivity of the clays in the cores. The reservoir cores were cleaned with solvent and

By W. D. Monaghan, G. L. Mowrey, C. W. Ganoe

In addition to developing various types of coal-interface detection system, the US Bureau of Miner is actively in involved in developing a coal rib-thickness monitoring system for highwall mining applications. One particular system that shows promise in a ground-pentetrating radar system to detect the coal-air boundaries of coal rifts. Based on preliminary laboratory and field tests results indicate that this method can be applied successfully in highwall mines to maintain constant rib thickness. The coal seam should be relatively clean in the vicinity of the antenna (e.g., have minimal partings or dirt bands) for best results.

By Thomas P. Mucho, William D. Monaghan, John Wood, Michael A. Trevits

We have tested the ability of ground penetrating radar (GPR) to resolve adjacent mine workings. The work was conducted at two National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health locations – an underground coal mine and an underground limestone mine. The objective of our work was to determine if GPR signals could be received from distant mine workings. The GPR system was calibrated on underground mine pillars of known dimensions using a variety of antennas. The system was then tested at several underground locations in an effort to detect an adjacent drift entry; and an adjacent abandoned coal mine. As a means of verification, an in-seam horizontal hole was drilled from the active coal mine to the abandoned mine to confirm the presence and location of the abandoned mine workings. Our results show that in the case of the limestone mine the maximum depth of penetration where the mine workings could be resolved was 85 ft; and in the case of the coal mine the abandoned mine workings could be resolved at a depth of 205 ft. We conclude that it may be possible to utilize GPR for initial underground mine studies followed by directional drilling to accurately delineate the extent and position of adjacent abandoned mine workings.

By Isaac A. Zlochower, Michael J. Sapko, Eric S. Weiss, Kenneth L. Cashdollar

This paper describes dust explosion research conducted in an experimental mine and in a 20-L laboratory chamber at the Pittsburgh Research Laboratory (PRL) of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH). The primary purpose of this research is to improve safety in mining, but the data are also useful to other industries that manufacture, process, or use combustible dusts. Explosion characteristics such as the minimum explosible concentration and the rock dust inerting requirements were measured for various combustible dusts from the mining industries. These dusts included bituminous coats, gilsonite, oil shales, and sulfide ores. The full-scale tests were conducted in the Lake Lynn experimental mine of NIOSH. The mine tests were initiated by a methane-air explosion at the face (closed end) that both entrained and ignited the dust. The laboratory-scale tests were conducted in the 20-L chamber using ignitors of various energies. One purpose of the laboratory and mine comparison is to determine the conditions under which the laboratory tests best simulate the full-scale tests. The results of this research showed relatively good agreement between the laboratory and the large-scale tests in determining explosion limits. Full-scale experiments in the experimental mine were also conducted to evaluate the explosion resistance characteristics of seals that are used to separate non-ventilated, inactive workings from active workings of a mine. Results of these explosion tests show significant increases in explosion overpressure due to added coal dust and indications of pressure piling.

By L. Yuan, J. H. Rowland, R. A. Thomas

Hydrogen (H2 ) gas released during battery charging can result in cross-interference for carbon monoxide (CO) sensors used for early fire detection and compromise the integrity of the mine atmospheric monitoring system. In this study, a series of laboratory-scale and full-scale experiments were conducted to evaluate the responses of different CO sensors to H2 gas. In the laboratory-scale experiments, H2 concentrations in the airflow are constant, while in the full-scale experiments, increasing H2 concentrations generated as a byproduct of charging the batteries at the battery charging station rise to the sensors under different ventilation scenarios. The H2 concentrations at the CO sensor location were measured using H2 sensors and were correlated with the CO sensor response. The effects of ventilation and sensor location on the CO sensors responses were also analyzed. The results of this study can help mining companies to select appropriate CO sensors and improve the deployment of these sensors to safeguard underground miners.

The principles of geometry and trigonometry are so continuously used by mining engineers for the purpose of accurately and intelligibly recording their measurements, that the writer is prompted to lay the following cursory remarks upon mine surveying before the members of this Institution in the hope of eliciting a free interchange of opinion upon details of this interesting branch of the profession. He proposes to deal with surveying only so far as it concerns the mining engineer, not to intrude upon the domain of the professional surveyor, and, in this instance, to discuss more especially that which may be termed the mechanical, rather than the mathematical side of surveying.In the latter part of the eighteenth century and the beginning of the present one, the usual underground surveying equipment in the English metalliferous mines, consisted of a magnetic needle in a fiat square wooden box of about 9-inch sides, a two-foot rule, a long cord, aud a stool, upon which to place the needle and box. The operator took his bearing by sending his assistant with the end of the cord as far in a straight line as the length of the cord would admit.On its being drawn that he held its end in one hand and placed the side of the compass-box against it with the other, and noted the bearing thus found either by a book entry, or by ticking it off with a piece of chalk on the board the compass lay in. He then measured the cord with a two-foot rule. It is needles to say that with these appliances the accuracy of the results were open to question, and mining surveying was not unduly popular.In the present day, engineers have the advantage of using instruments brought to such a state of perfection, and of employing such an exact system of underground surveying, that inaccurate work must usually be attributed either to lack of care, or lack of ability in the operator.

By Wern-ping Chen

Technical and non-technical challenges exist in each mega infrastructure project. It?s no exception to the first US underground PPP Port of Miami Tunnel (POMT) project in Miami, FL. The POMT will connect two man-made islands, the Dodge and the Watson Islands, under the Biscayne Bay within highly porous limestone formation. Permeability as high as 0.1 cm/sec has been identified. Its 41-ft outside diameter, if constructed, is the largest precast segment lining in the US. Besides its geological and hydro geological challenges and risks, local community influence and impacts have controlled the fate of this project. This paper describes its tender design enhancements and the evolving of its slow advancement in resolving local community issues.

By Nikolaos Petropoulos, Daniel Johansson, Håkan Schunnesson

The optimization of the explosive performance is of great importance since blasting is extensively used in civil projects and mining industry. An improved understanding of how the energy from the detonation of an explosive is transmitted to the surrounding rock mass is critical information for the proper selection of an explosive. Therefore, an extensive study was done on the influence of the blasthole diameter on the Velocity of Detonation (VoD) and the detonation front curvature. In this study, pure emulsion was tested in confined conditions to better simulate the behavior of the detonation of the explosive in rock mass conditions. A methodology is proposed for carrying out the evaluation of the explosive performance. The blasthole diameter of the samples varied from Ø 25 mm (0.98 in) up to Ø 65 mm (2.55 in). The confiner was a magnetic mortar cylindrical sample with mechanical properties similar to a rock mass. A streak camera and VoD probes were used to measure detonation front curvature and VoD. The data was analyzed and correlated with the physical parameters of the explosive. Additional to this, the data was further used to calibrate numerical models in LS-Dyna.

By Constanza Bujes, Mark Jones, Graham Crook, Yansan Jamyanbaatar, Sedat Esen

Tracking ore characteristics such as grade and hardness from its original position into the material handling and processing stages remains one of the key challenges in open pit mining of hard rock deposits. The most efficient technique for rock fragmentation and separation of ore from waste is blasting, which induces changes in the grade distribution by displacing the in-situ ore into a diggable muck pile. Material movement defines the post-blast grade distribution, which is key to optimising the value of the ore and accounting for ore loss and dilution. Techniques to directly measure the displacement in open pit mining have been implemented routinely and have provided calibration and validation data for blast models to build upon. The JK Value-Based Ore Control blast movement model (JKVBOC) is the latest development of a series of research studies into blast movement and ore control at the Sustainable Minerals Institute of the University of Queensland. The blast model discretises the bench into blocks, defines the initial velocity of each block based on the blast design, confinement and explosive properties, and simulates the displacement using a physics engine. Calibration and validation of the model has been performed in open pit hard rock mines in Australasia in diverse confinement conditions. This paper describes the calibration and validation of the blast movement model against direct measurements of blast movement and final muck pile shape for a case study where the displacement of multiple shots was modelled for an open pit mine, with an analysis of the implications for ore loss and dilution. A key finding in this study is the need for further integration of this technology into the existing systems for ore control, and the potential for applications in tracking ore characteristics other than grade into process control.

By J. M. Smith, G. P. Willhite, J. S. Dranoff

Heat transfer rates were measured in sandstones with flow of gases perpendicular to the direction of energy transfer. Effective thermal conductivities ker ranged from 0.7 to 1.7 Btu/(br)(ft)(°F). The contribution of the solid phase appeared to be the most important in these consolidated materials, although the thermal conductivity of the gas had some effect. The velocity of the gas through the pores of the sandstones had no influence upon ker up to values of 168 lb/(br) (sq ft) in agreement with data obtained for unconsolidated beds of glass beads. The present results indicated that gas mixing, and hence heat transfer by convection in the pores, is less for perpendicular transfer of energy than when fluid flow and energy transfer are in the same direction. HEAT TRANSFER PERPENDICULAR TO FLUID FLOW IN POROUS ROCKS Heat transfer in porous media with pore sizes in the micron range depends upon the fluid in the pores and the geometry of the solid phase. The best characterized system is a bed of solid spherical particles. Heat transfer in this system has been studied extensive1y (Ref. 8 summarizes the literature up to 1959) when the pores contain stagnant fluid. When the fluid is in motion the directions of flow and energy transfer have an effect on the heat transfer rates, as demonstrated by comparing the work of Willhite, et al l3 for perpendicular flow and that of Kunii and Smith9 for parallel flow of energy and fluid. For perpendicular flow, no increase in effective thermal conductivity ke was noted up to mass velocities G of 77 lb/(hr) (sq ft). In contrast, for parallel flow ke, increased with G in the same range of flow rates. These higher values of ke in the direction of flow also have been observed3,4,10 in beds of larger particles, 0.1- to 0.5-in. diameter. For beds of consolidated materials, such as porous rocks, data are not available for these compar- isons, although Adivarahan1 reported results for the parallel case. Hence the primary objective of this work was to measure ke values for perpendicular flow of fluid and energy in porous rocks. Of interest also was the variation in effective conductivity with fluid velocity. APPARATUS AND PROCEDURE In the experimental method, a constant heat flux was applied to the inner surface of an annular section of the porous rock. By cooling the outer wall, a temperature gradient through the annular sample was established and measured with thermocouples placed within the sample at various radial positions, and at three elevations (A,B.C). The location of the 2-in. O.D., 3.75-in. long sample in the apparatus is shown in Fig. 1. Fluid entered the bottom (1) of the 3-in. I.D. (approximate) steel shell, flowed upwards through the sample and out at the top (3). pressure taps (2,4) were used to check the permeability of the sample. The energy flowed radially from the centrally-located electric heater through the sample and was absorbed in the water-cooled jacket. The samples studied were naturally occurring sandstones from different locations with the properties given in Table 1. These materials are identical with those used by Adivarahan 1 for the parallel flow of energy and fluid. Prior to use they were refluxed with toluene to remove hydrocarbons and leached with distilled water to remove soluble salts. Each sample was visually examined and discarded if large nonhomogeneities, such as cracks or stone particles, were noted. Eight copper-constantan thermocouples were inserted in holes drilled radially into the sample with

By J. W. Marx, R. H. Langenheim

The injection of heat-bearing fluids may offer a wider application to secondary and tertiary recovery from conventional oil reservoirs than inderground combustion since the process is more easily controlled and the reservoir requirements, in general, are less critical. In all cares, conduction heat losses to overburden and un-derburden will impose an economic limit upon the size of the area which can be swept out from any one injection point for any given set of conditions. The present report describes a method for c.rtin~ating thermal invasion rates, cumulative heated area, and theoretical economic limits for sustained hot-fluid injection at a constant rate into an idealized reservoir. Full allow-ance is made for non-productive reservoir heat losses. Required solutions can be obtained directly from the numerical tables given here, as soon as all operating conditions are specified, withou extensive mathematica1 ~nanipulation on the part of the user. The injection of a heat-bearing fluid into a reservoir is frequently proposed as a means of secondary or tertiary oil production. This form of thermal recovery may offer a wider application to conventional oil reservoirs than underground combustion since the process is more easily controlled and the reservoir requirements, in general, are less critical. Because of its large gross heat capacity, steam appears to be the most efficient heat injection medium, although mixtures of steam and other gases, hot water, hot oil and hot non-condensable gases also have been employed. Whatever the nature of the injection medium, economic evaluation of such thermal recovery processes will depend upon thermal invasion rates, or rates of productive reservoir heating, at any given time after the start of heat injection. In all cases, conduction heat losses to overburden and underburden will impose an economic limit upon the size of the area which can be swept out from any one injection point, for a given set of reservoir conditions, at any given heat injection rate. The present report describes a method for estimating thermal invasion rates, cumulative heated area and theoretical economic limits for sustained heat injection at a constant rate into an idealized reservoir, making full allowance for non-productive reservoir heat losses. Required solutions can be obtained directly from the nu- merical tables given here, as soon as all operating conditions are specified, without extensive mathematical manipulation. It should be noted that ordinary water flooding may be used to move an annular-heated zone outward, even though the economic areal limit for straight heat injection has been reached. Thus well spacing need not be confined to the areal limits as determined here. However, the present calculations do not cover such supplementary heat scavenging programs. The operating element consists of a radial flow system, concentric about the point of injection, with the idealized step function temperature profile illustrated by the dashed line in Fig. 1. The solid curve shown in Fig. 1 gives a qualitative picture of the true radial temperature distribution. It will be shown later that the expressions given below, which are derived from the simplifying step idealization (dashed line in Fig. I), also can be interpreted in terms of the more realistic temperature distribution shown in Fig. 2. For this case, the thermal invasion radius is simply redefined as the distance from injection well to the mid-point of the temperature distribution.

By Cledwyn Mangunda

Mining operations generate Acid Mine Drainage (AMD) that poses a significant threat to the natural environment. AMD treatment using Ca(OH)2 leads to the precipitation of a sludge dominated by a mixture of ferri-oxyhydroxides. This sludge has poor dewatering tendencies and is deposited in landfills with potential for metal remobilization. This study investigated the dewatering behaviour of a precipitate formed during elevated temperature treatment of a primary, pre-settled sludge from the neutralisation of aqueous acidic Fe2(SO4)3 and Ca(OH)2 solutions in an MSMPR reactor. The resulting treated precipitates were analysed for micro-properties, with results showing that an increase in the secondary reactor temperature from 25 °C up to 50 °C led to an increase in mean particle size, a decrease in the number of particles and improved dewatering behaviour at a ferric concentration of 300 mg/L. This was ascribed to the attainment of a circum-neutral surface charge that favoured agglomeration and a change in micro and nano-structure that allowed for better water passage.

By Sami Kara, Marsel Nabium

As a mining project is developed from conceptual to production phases, there exists a variety of uncertainties and difficulties that affect the operation’s designs and economic values. A notable design parameter to be taken into account is the factor of dilution. Dilution is the waste material not separated from the ore in the stages of mining and is sent to the processing plant. It is defined at the ratio of tonnage waste mined and sent for processing over the combined ore and waste tonnage milled. Dilution reduction is one of the areas that offer metal mines an opportunity to increase revenue and reduce costs, resulting in enhanced profits. Effective dilution control programs require interaction on a multidisciplinary level. This paper outlines recent initiatives undertaken at Polysmetal Silver Magadam Mine to reduce dilution and increase revenue. This paper provides an overview of the solution applied in underground Silver mine in Russia. The paper reviews the dilution problem throughout the entire mining process, and provides a rational approach to underground mine Blast design in order to minimize dilution. The mining companies put a lot of effort into extracting lower grade while minimizing cost. The dilution control assists with achieving this goal. In Polymetal Silver Magadam Mine we succeeded to control more than 20 blasts by keeping almost the same grade measured in the face. The results indicated that using the adequate blasting timing design can help to separate the ore from the adjacent waste in drift blasting with different ore body configuration.

The Institute was founded in 1894 as the Chemical and Metallurgical Society of South Africa. In 1904 it was reconstituted as the Chemical Metallurgical and Mining Society of South Africa and in 1956 it became the South African Institute of Mining and Metallurgy. The objects of the Institute are to advance the science and practice of mining and metallurgy, to afford opportunities for the interchange and recording of knowledge of mining and metallurgy and to ensure high standards of professional conduct and competence. Membership benefits include monthly issues of the Journal of the Institute, monthly General Meetings at which papers are read, symposia, excursions to mining and industrial concerns and the use of club facilities at Kelvin House. Technical journals received on an exchange basis are available to members at the Johannesburg Public Library. The current membership of the Institute is over 1,400. Membership applications are accepted from suitably qualified persons and the requirements for entrance to the various grades of membership are summarised below. Members shall be not be less than 30 years of age, shall be university graduates in pure or applied science or shall produce evidence to the satisfaction of the Council that they have successfully completed a co-ordinated course of study in pure or applied science of at least three years' duration at an approved university or institution deemed by the Council to be of equivalent status. Members shall have been employed in senior technical positions in important mining or metallurgical undertakings for at least five years or they shall have practised as mining or metallurgical consultants for at least five years. They shall be practising their profession at the time of application. Entrance fee R4.00; Annual subscription R14.00 (town), R12.00 (country). Letters of designation: M.S.A.lNST.M.M. Associate Members shall be not less than 25 years of age and shall be university graduates in pure or applied science, or shall have successfully completed co-ordinated courses of study in pure or applied science of at least three years' duration. They shall have been engaged in work of an approved technical character in the mining or metallurgical industries, of which not less than two years shall have been in positions of responsibility. A candidate shall be practising his profession at the time of his application. Entrance fee R2.00; Annual subscription R12.00 (town), R10.00(country). Letters of designation: A.M.S.INST.M.M. Affiliates shall be not less than twenty-five years of age, and shall have been engaged in positions of responsibility in, or associated with, the mining or metallurgical industries for periods of not less than three years. If, however, the candidate for admission to the higher grade of Affiliate, is at the time of his application, already a Student member, he need satisfy the Council only that he is, at the time of his application, engaged in a position of responsibility in or associated with the mining or metallurgical industries. In all cases the applicants shall satisfy the Council that they are fit and proper persons to become Affiliates. Entrance fee R2.00; Annual subscription R12.00 (town), R10.00(country). Graduate Members shall be not less than 21 years of age and shall be university graduates in pure or applied science, or have completed co-ordinated courses of study in pure or applied science of at least three years' duration at an approved university or institution. They shall not remain Graduate members after attaining the age of 30 years without the persmission of Council. Entrance fee R1.00; Annual subscription R7.00 (town), R6.00 (country). Students shall be persons not less than 18 years of age who are being educated or trained in a manner approved by the Council, to occupy a technical position in or associated with the mining or metallurgical industries and who, furthermore, shall not have attained the qualification required for a higher grade of membership. They may remain Students until they have obtained the necessary qualifications for transfer to a higher grade of membership, but not after the end of the Institute's financial year in which the attain the age of 28 (twenty-eight) years. They shall then transfer to a higher grade to retain membership of the Institute. The Council may relax the provisions of this clause in such cases as it considers appropriate. Entrance fee nil; Annual subscription R3.00 (town), R3.00 (country). Other. The Council has the power to elect to the grade of Member or Associate Member candidates who may not fulfil all the requirements for entrance to these grades but whose status, professional achievements and practical experience in mining or metallurgy justify such election. Applications. Requests for membership application forms should be addressed to the Secretary: South African Institute of Mining and Metallurgy, P.O. Box 1183, Johannesburg.

By Kihong Park, Matthews C. Habjan, Arthur L. Miller

New Mining Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) regulations limit the mass concentration of airborne diesel particulate matter (DPM) or, more specifically, the concentration of elemental carbon (EC), in underground mines. The mine operators are responding by introducing a variety of controls to reduce DPM in the mines, potentially including the evaluation of new maintenance procedures to reduce underground mine vehicle emissions. There is currently a lack of an inexpensive and dependable method to directly measure the DPM concentration emitted from the vehicle tailpipe. To that end, this work demonstrated a simple field portable method for estimating the mass concentration of elemental carbon exiting the tailpipe of a diesel engine using a direct reading photometer. Simultaneous measurements of tailpipe exhaust were made with a Thermo Electron Personal DataRAM 1200 photometer (particulate mass concentration based on light scattering) and by analyzing PM2.5 and PM1.0 samples collected on quartz fiber filters using the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) method 5040 (mass concentration of EC via thermal-optical method). Results indicate surprisingly good correlation (R2 ) 0.97) of the two methods when the data are adjusted for relative humidity (RH) and corrected using an empirically generated calibration factor. Although preliminary, it may be possible to implement this method in maintenance shops to monitor emission trends and to compare emissions of various vehicles in a fleet. Such data will be useful for fleet planning to meet new air quality standards.

By R. E. Jenkins

The Bell Canyon member of the Delaware Mountain group has yielded quite a large number of fields in which completion and production problems have been numerous and complex. Reserves are difficult to estimate due to the problem of evaluating the formation water saturation, and the feasibility of water flooding is questionable. Extensive laboratory investigations were undertaken to determine if normally measured rock and contained fluids properties could account for many of the peculiar characteristics of the formation. A statistical study or routine core-analysis data was made. Capillary-pressure data were obtained by several techniques. Fresh-water and brine permeabilities were measured and relative permeabilities of oil, water and gas were determined. Some qualitative wetta-bility tests were performed, and the petrography of a few thin sections was studied. The results of this work are presented, with typical or average data shown for each test. The permeability -to- water characteristic of the Delaware was found to be abnormally poor. Correlations of laboratory and field performance data indicate high water saturations in much of the formation. Pore geometry is highly uniform. INTRODUCTION The Delaware formation has undergone extensive exploration and development in the past few years. This has resulted in the discovery of quite a number of fields—producing oil for the most part. A large percentage of the productive wells have produced water along with the oil. Often there is no apparent pattern for the percentage of water cut experienced. In several instances vertical displacments of over 200 ft have been established between communicating wells in which the formation appears to be about the same, yet the structurally high wells yield a much higher water cut than the lower wells. Drill-stem tests have contributed little to well completion because they nearly always show small amounts of water (usually mud filtrate), regardless of what is produced later in the life of the well. Other formation evaluation methods have had no more than limited success in indicating ultimate productivity. Consequently, predicting the type of fluid productivity of Delaware wells has been very difficult. Hydraulic fracture treatments are almost universal, and unstimulated Delaware wells have not exhibited the productivity that normally would be expected of wells with the specific permeabilities encountered. Some operators have indicated that their Delaware wells need frequent re-stimulation. The uncertainty of reservoir water saturations reported for the Delaware has made difficult the task of evaluating oil in place in the reservoirs and estimating primary recovery. The unreliability of this data also will cause feasibility studies for water flooding or other secondary-recovery methods to be problematical. Several opinions have been voiced to explain why the Delaware performs as it does. Chronically poor well completions, dynamic water and tilted water tables, capillary inequi-libria, peculiar relative permeability characteristics and oil-wetness are among the suggested reasons. The dual purpose of this paper is (1) to describe the principal rock characteristics, and (2) to present an evaluation of those characteristics so that approaches can be made to explain the irrational behavior of wells completed in the Delaware. STUDY OF ROUTINE CORE-ANALYSIS DATA A statistical study of routine core-analysis data has been made to relate fundamental rock properties and characteristics of the formation to well productivity. For the most part, well production data were obtained from operators and augmented by production data from commercial information services. Only data which were available in detail and which were considered to be accurate were used. The core data used were obtained on samples from the perforated or open interval only and, thus, may not always represent the total productive interval in a well. All the core-analysis data included in this study are from the Bell Canyon member of the Delaware and were obtained by "plug-type" techniques, as opposed to whole-core or full-diameter techniques. Porosity values were obtained by the summation-of-fluids technique, permeability values are air permeabilities corrected for slippage to an equivalent liquid permeability, and the oil and water contents were determined by means of a high-temperature downdraft retort. All the procedures used are discussed at length in Ref. I. The core-analysis data were sorted

By Tyler Rockley, Cara Rosen

Blasting at a granite quarry in eastern Maryland produces elevated air blast readings that can fall into the cautionary zone for the state of Maryland environmental regulations on a semi-regular basis. When designing blast patterns in this quarry, challenging geology creates rough and uneven blast faces that can be difficult to capture with 2D laser profiling fully. Utilizing several methods known to manage high air blast results like pattern adjustments, decking, and timing changes have not achieved consistent outcomes. Accurately capturing and modeling this geology is the key to controlling high air blast. 3D modeling and profiling by drone is the solution to understanding accurate face profiles and real minimum burdens. Using 18 months of blasting data and air blast results to establish a baseline, the comparisons between blasts designed with 2D profiling and blasts designed with drone 3D profiling show improvement in air blast levels. Additionally, shots with completed drilling were drone profiled to understand precise amounts of burden for each borehole. This 'audit' of a blast allows for custom loading of explosives, accommodating the amount of burden present on the blast face. 3Dprofiling is not a new tool in the blasting industry, but a drone alleviates some of the restrictions ground systems face. Controlling and managing air blast, as it pertains to face burdens, requires an understanding of those burdens from all angles. A drone provides that distinct level of insight. The results of this study indicate that drone profiling is managing the customer's air blast readings, allowing the customer to maintain their license to operate within the community.

By J. B. Cheatham, R. B. Paslay

Rock stresses and steady-state flow rates induced by the pressure gradient associated with the flow of formation fluid into a borehole have been analytically determined for a permeable, elastic material saturated with an incompressible fluid. In this analysis, the material properties and loading are considered to be symmetric about the axis of the borehole and independent of axial position. For Case I the material is assumed to have uniform permeability in the radial direction, whereas for Case 11 the permeability is assumed to have been reduced in a localized region adjacent to the hole by either normal well completion and production operations or deliberate plugging during air drilling. Results of a numerical example indicate that, in the absence of plugging, the rock shear strength must be approximately two-thirds the formation fluid pressure in order to prevent rock failure. The required rock strength is high for small radial zones of plugging and decreases as the region of reduced permeability becomes larger; however, a depth of plugging can be reached beyond which there is no real gain in strength, although the flow rate can be further reduced. INTRODUCTION During normal production of oil from a well, it is often desirable to increase the production rate of the formation fluid by increasing the pressure gradient through the formation adjacent to the borehole. Depending upon the magnitude of this pressure gradient and strength of the rock material, this production-rate increase can cause sloughing of the hole wall. In many cases, the production - rate increase can result in excessive sand production, increased wear of production equipment, lost production time and expensive workover jobs. In addition, the phenomenon of increased rock bit penetration rate with the use of a gaseous instead of a liquid drilling fluid has been observed in oilfield drilling operations and experimentally demonstrated by various investigators for several years. The improvement obtained by employing this technique can be quite significant and offers apromising method for reducing drilling costs. However, air drilling is currently limited to geographical locations where high-capacity water-bearing formations are not encountered. This limitation has prevented widespread adoption of air-drilling techniques, because the water influx into the borehole interferes with efficient removal of the drilling cuttings and usually results in a condition such that the bit becomes "balled-up" or stuck in the hole. In an attempt to remove the water - intrusion limitation from air drilling, various chemical and mechanical water shut-off methods have been proposed. Goodwin and Teplitzl suggested one such proposal whereby the permeability of the water-bearing rock structure was reduced in the vicinity of the borehole. Although the development of a shut-off method based upon this approach would certainly be welcomed by the oil industry, it is conceivable that, under certain conditions of the pressure gradient, strength of the rock material and depth of the modified permeability zone, a stress field can be created that will result in an unstable hole. As part of their study, an analytical solution is given for stresses in an idealized model of a hole and the surrounding rock material. The purpose of the present study is to extend the analysis of Goodwin and Teplitz to gain more insight into the details and consequences of excessive production rates and formation water shut-off. In particular, simplified models of these problems have been analytically examined, which makes possible the evaluation of the type of stress fields that can be anticipated as a result of these production and drilling practices. Both problems solved concern the determination of the steady-state volume flow rate of the formation fluid and the resulting steady-state stress and displacement distribution in a hollow, cylindrical configuration. The cylinder of Case I, corresponding to the production-rate problem, consists of a material with a constant permeability from the inside surface to the outside surface; the cylinder of Case 11, corresponding to the water shut-off problem, consists of a material with a constant permeability from the inside surface to an intermediate concentric cylindrical surface and a second constant permeability from the intermediate surface to the outside surface-

By Pradip

Bastnaesite, a rare-earth fluocarbonate, was separated from associated calcite and barite gangue minerals in the Mountain Pass, CA rare-earth ore beneficiation plant by froth flotation using fatty acids (tall oil) collector, lignin sulfonate depressant and soda ash modifier after high-temperature (steam) conditioning with reagents. Starting with a feed grade of 7.6% REO, concentrates having a grade of 65% REO can be produced at a recovery of around 80%. A detailed investigation consisting of Hallimond tube microflotation experiments, bench-scale tests with a laboratory Denver flotation cell, and predesigned plant campaigns was made to delineate the underlying surface chemistry involved in this separation and to develop an alternate reagent scheme to enhance the selectivity of separation for this ore. Our results clearly demonstrate the superiority of alkyl hydroxamates to the conventional fatty acid collectors that were being used in the plant. Our study also indicates the possibility of achieving the desired selectivity with alkyl hydroxamates even at room temperature, thus obviating the need for steam conditioning. A critical review of the literature on rare-earth mineral flotation suggests the possibility of designing a more selective reagent combination for the beneficiation of Mountain Pass rare-earth ore, using a methodology based on ab initio molecular modeling computations.

By H. D. Outmans

A method has been developed for determining the relative water wet-tability (fraction of the surface wet by water) of porous media. This method involves the adsorption of methylene blue dye from an aqueous solution onto the solid surfaces of rock contacted by the injected dye solution. Experiments on Berea snndstone cores have shown that water-wet cores adsorb a large amount of dye from solution. In oil-wet cores, however, the injected aqueous dye solution is prevented from contacting the adsorptive surfuces by a film of oil and virtually no dye is adsorbed. This method was tested by experiments on mixtures of water-wet and oil-wet sand. Using the dye adsorption method, it was possible to determine quantitatively the fraction of water-wet and oil-wet sarzd in such mixtures. The dye adsorption test is readily applied to determinitrg the relative water wettability of fresh oilfield cores. The cores are not extracted before testing. Observed values of the wettability of field cores tested to date have varied from 100 to 6 per cent water wet. INTR OD UCTIO N Recent articles1 ' have emphasized the important role that wettability plays in almost all phases of reservoir rock behavior. It has been shown that wettability has a profound effect on the interstitial water saturation, residual oil saturation, capillary pressure, relative permeability, waterflood behavior, and resistivity index of oilfield cores. A quantitative investiga- tion of the effect of wettability on these core properties is severely handicapped by the lack of a simple technique for measuring the wettability of a porous medium. If such a technique were available, it would provide investigators with a means of gaining insight into the distribution of phases within a core. A number of qualitative methods of estimating wettability are known. These include contact angle measurements, flotation tests and studies of displacement pressure: imbibition7 and relative permeability data.' Using these tests, it is usually possible to classify a core as water-wet, oil-wet, or some intermediate degree of wettability. One recently proposed method involving measurement of nuclear magnetic relaxatione offers promise of determining quantitatively the fractional wettability of cores. The equipment is rather elaborate and necessary treatment of the cores before testing probably alters the natural wettability. This latter point also applies to most of the cited qualitative methods. This paper presents a new technique for determining water wettability of cores; it is based on measurements of the dye adsorption capacity of the core. This method has the advantage of requiring relatively simple equipment and involves minimum handling of the core before testing. It is important to distinguish between the various concepts of wettability referred to in the literature. The term "wetting" is defined by Bartell as that phenomenon which occurs when a solid and liquid phase come in contact in any manner so as to form a solid-liquid interface. A preferentially water-wet solid is defined by Jennings in terms of the advancing contact angle in the solid water-oil systems. Brown and Fatt regard fractional wettability as the fraction of the total surface area that is preferentially oil-wet or water-wet. However, none of these definitions adequately describes the type wettability measured by the dye test. This calls for the introduction of a new term, "relative water wettability", which we define as the fraction of the total surface area of a core contacted by injected water. DESCRIPTION OF METHOD The ability of a porous medium (especially the clays) to adsorb large quantities of surfactants, dyes, etc., is well known. It is reasonable to assume that a substance can be adsorbed from solution onto a solid surface only if the solution contacts the surface. In this connection Shapiro" has shown by experiments on silica gel that completely dry gel will adsorb methyl red dye from a benzene solution. On the other hand, if a film of water more than several molecules thick is present on the silica gel, the adsorption capacity of the gel for the dye is drastically reduced. Thus, a study of the dye adsorption capacity of cores should give some clue as to the fluid distribution on the surface of the core. TEST OF METHOD As a qualitative check on this theory, dye adsorption tests were run on similar Berea sandstone cores (Table 1, Cores 1-5). Cores saturated initially with water and flooded with 0.01 per cent aqueous methylene blue adsorbed 0.58 mg dye/gm of core. Similar cores saturated initially with water, driven to irreducible water with oil, and then flooded with the same dye solution also adsorbed 0.58 mg dye/gm of core. Another core, treated with a 5 per cent Dri-Film solution, dried and saturated with oil (Soltrol) adsorbed no dye when the dye solution was injected. These tests confirm