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By G. J. Wilson

Difficulties experienced in correlating vertical and lateral locations of subsurface features that are encountered in directional wells prompted critical review of the tangential method of computing directional surveys. Inherent discrepancies were indicated to cause small incremental but significantly large cumulative errors in computed vertical depth and horizontal departure. A radius of curvature method, developed for planning and analyzing directional wells, was studied as a means of more accurately calculating survey data. Errors incurred in the tangential method were not present in the radius of curvature method. Conflicting assumptions in calculating dog-leg severity by the tangential method were resolved by a new procedure that was derived from the radius of curvature method. Results of the investigation showed the radius of curvature method to be an improved method for computing directional surveys. Introduction Many improvements in directional drilling tools and techniques have been made in the past 10 years,' but the method of computing survey data has remained virtually unchanged. While use of computers greatly aids the process of calculation' and eliminates many human errors, manual and computer calculations are still made with the assumption that the wellbore consists of straight-line segments. This paper points out discrepancies in the method and presents an improved method in which the wellbore is assumed to be curved. Tangential Method The method presently used to calculate vertical depth, horizontal departure and direction coordinates with measured values of well depth, inclination angle and direction angle is termed the tangential method. This term stems from performing calculations with a series of straight-line segments, with each segment assumed to be tangent to the wellbore at a corresponding survey point. A segment is defined by inclination and direction angles measured at only the lower or deeper end. Consequently, a discrepancy or error is introduced for each segment. Errors are not of extreme magnitude, but cumulatively are significant due to the need to define as accurately as possible the vertical and lateral location of subsurface features such as pay tops, fluid contacts and fault cuts encountered in expensive directional well bores. In Fig. 1, the curved-line segment ab represents a portion of the actual borehole as viewed in the vertical plane. Points a and b are survey stations and +, is the inclination angle at point b. The curved-line segment ab is assumed to be the straight-line segment arb of a length equal to ab and tangent at point b to the curved-line segment. Lengths a'c' and c'b are equal to a'b cos +, and a'b sin +,, respectively. Point a already has been fixed by calcillations performed with survey data obtained at point a, and calculated lengths m'c' and c'b are projected as lengths from point a, rather than from point a'. Point b1 is thus fixed and assumed to represent the actual point b. Calculated length ac" is shorter than actual length ac, and calculated length c"bl is longer than actual length cb. Since b1 is the point from which the next deeper segment will be projected, errors are cumulative. Cumulative error continues to increase as long as the inclination angle continues to increase. When the inclination angle decreases (Fig. 2), calculated length ac" is longer than actual length ac, and calculated length c"bl is shorter than actual length cb. These errors also are cumulative, but differences between calculated and actual lengths are opposite in mathematical sign to differences demonstrated in

Jan 1, 1969

By D. R. McCord

Data of a known statistical quality has been successfully used in a system of conventional fluid mechanics equations essentially free of empirical "conformance factors to prediet early detailed field 03 in a reservoir where gravity drainage is important and oil and rock properties vary con. siderably. The system is useful where comparative recovery predictions for one or more cases of natural depletion and gas cap pressure maintenance are needed and the reservoir is not too heterogeneous. INTRODUCTION Many authors, have examined various facet* of the gravity drainage-gas cap pressure maintenance problem over the last several years. Two of them. Burtchaell and Elkins, have published practical studies. In the case described in the present paper the best development and operating plan for one of the important reservoirs of the Bolivar Coastal Field in Western Venezuela was urgently needed. It was requested that sound comparative economics be presented along with an engineering evaluation of no additional drilling, maximum drilling. several cases of gas pressure maintenance, of water flooding and combination cases. A rapid analysis of the effect on recovery of the range of crude and rock properties indicated that none of the published methods using average properties would yield adequate comparative predictions. This paper covers the predictive system developed to deal with natural depletion and gas cap pressure maintenance. The large amount of data available for this field permitted statistically reliable correlations to be made of most rock and oil properties, and the evident smooth areal variations of these properties encouraged the construction of a lineal mathematical model of material balance and fluid flow equations, which could be manipulated by a modified iterative procedure. The manipulation is much more adaptable to computing machines than manually operated calculators and subsequent studies have been prepared for the IBM Card Program Calculator. A matrix as opposed to linear model has been tentatively worked out by other members of our group to deal with more heterogeneous reservoirs. It is more adaptable to computers such as IBM-701 or the Remington-Rand Univac. In 1950, when the system reported below was developed, no rapid computing machines were available to the author. Their existence and promise encouraged an initial approach by hand. Some details of oil and rock Property correlation are included because there are a surprisingly large number of medium-sized reservoirs in the world that show systematic property variations which are significant for a rigorous analycon. All large reservoirs (over half a billion barrels recovery) with which the author is familiar contain at minimum a significant temperature variation. Using the rock and oil property correlations, past pressure and production, the gas-oil ratio history of the reservoir was computed and found to be in close agreement with field measurements. The future performance under cases of natural depletion, gas injection of 100 MMcf/day, and of 130 MMcf/day, was then computed; a 70 MMcf/day case was also carried far enough to provide data for comparative economics. The 130 MMcf/day case proved to be the most attractive. A 50,000 horsepower gas turbine driven centrifugal compressor plant to take this quantity of adjacent field gas from 30 to 1,950 psia and inject it into the reservoir is under construction. The total cost of the project will exceed 20 million dollars.

Jan 1, 1953

By P. K. Koh

Isothermal salt bath annealing of 0.014-in. thick 3 pct Si-Fe sheet was conducted at temperatures ranging from 927" to 1260°C in order to investigate the grain-growth behavior. Within the temperature range studied normal grain growth did not take place; instead nucleated grain growth prevailed. The nucleation frequency was found to increase with the annealing temperature, with corresponding decrease in grain diameter of ultimate secondaries after long-time annealing. Large secondaries grown by low-temperature isothermal annealing are essentially of (110)[001] orientation, and the (110)[001] texture is strong. The relatively small secondaries grown by high-temperature isothermal annealing also have orientations near (110)[001] as an average but widely scattered; thus the amount of (110)[001] texture is found to decxease with isothermal annealing temperature. Grain growth and texture development at various annealing temperatures can be described by families of sigmoidal curves with the time axis. ThE cube-on-edge (110)[001] texture and predominating large secondaries in fully annealed 3 pct Si-Fe are customarily produced by a 1100°C annealing of a primary recrystallized sheet. On annealing the primary recrystallized sheet above the temperature at which secondary recrystalliza-tion starts May and turnbull' have demonstrated that secondary grains decrease in size as the temperature is increased. The phenomenon was attributed to a decrease in the (G/N) ratio where G is the growth rate of secondary grains and N is their nucleation frequency. In addition, the growth of grains in orientations rather far from (110) [0011 occurred. The present investigation is devoted to detailed rate studies of the same phenomenon. Mi-crostructure, magnetic anisotropy, and texture data were obtained on strips of 3 pct Si-Fe isothermally annealed for various lengths of time in a BaC12 salt bath at temperatures ranging from 927' to 1260°C. The texture results are reported elsewhere.2 EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDURE Commercial 0.014-in. cold-rolled silicon-iron strip (3.16 pct Si), prepared by two stages of cold rolling with an intermediate short anneal, was given a decarburizing 3-min anneal at 800°C. Metallo- graphic studies indicated complete recrystallization. In order to provide a protective atmosphere and to obtain a rapid rise to an elevated temperature, a BaC12 and NaCl fused salt bath was used to heat samples isothermally at temperatures from 927" to 1260°C for various lengths of time. Torque magnetometer measurements were made on 1-in.-diam disc specimens before and after annealing, since magnetic torque curves supply information on textures and texture changes. Surface layers of the strip samples were polished and etched to reveal the grain structure. The diameters of grains were measured from micrographs at X100. The average value of diameters of matrix grains was established. Individual grains in the micrograph were cut out separately along grain boundaries. These grains were classified either as matrix grains or growth grains. The percent weight of growth grains in the cut-out patterns was reported as percent growth. Manv of the individual grains in the annealed samples were large enough to be X-rayed with a 5-mil beam for Lauegrams. Complete (110) pole figures were obtained for the primary recrystallized structure and short-time annealed structure with CoKa radiation at 30 kv in the back-reflection range, such as (220) for (110) poles, as described recently by Newkirk and ~ruce.~ Both the X-ray optics and the technique for pole figure differed slightly from those adapted previously.4

Jan 1, 1960

By Lincoln F. Elkins

The Spraberry Trend Field of West Texas was discovered in January, 1949. Drilling of 2.234 wells and production of some 45 million bbl of oil by January, 1953, indicated this to be an important field which will ultimately cover more than 400,000 acres. In addition to being the world's largest field in areal extent, the Spraberry has presented many problems in well completion and operation and has demonstrated unique reservoir performance characteristics. The pay section consists primarily of a few fine grained sandstone or siltstone members in a thousand-ft thick section of shale, limestone. and siltstone. Since porosity averages only 10 per cent and nearly all permeabilities are less than 1 md, conventional core analysis does not delineate the "pay" section. Mercury injection was used as a capillary pressure test adaptable to rapid routine use to select those intervals having low enough connate water saturation to contain commercially significant oil saturation. In the central area of the field this "pay" amounts to 16 ft of Upper Spraberry and 15 ft of Lower Spraberry sands. An interconnected system of vertical fractures, observed in cores, provides the flow channels for oil to drain into the wells hut most of the oil is stored in the matrix since the void volume of fractures is estimated to be less than 1 per cent of that in the sand. Initial potentials of wells range up to 1.000 B/D after fracture treatment which should be compared with estimated capacity of 5 to 10 B/D if oil had to flow into the wells through the sand itself. Without exception initial pressures of later drilled wells were significantly lower than initial pressures of earlier drilled nearby wells in a large area some 6 miles long. This means the earlier drilled wells had drained fluids from areas much greater than their 40-acre proration units. Since most of this performance occurred while the reservoir pressure was above the. saturation pressure it was analyzed by the compressible fluid flow theory. This analysis gave calculated initial presrilres which agreed within 30 psi of measured pressures of 60 per cent of wells in the area using 16-md permeabilitv corresponding to a fracture system substantially that indicated by cores and using combined compressibility of rock and its contained oil and water corresponding to the core analysis data. The most important feature of this analysis was the very close agreement between effective compressibility of the rock and its contained oil and water from the field performance and that from the core tests, because it meant there are no "islands" of low permeability reservoir rock left untapped in the inter-well area and thus no additional wells are necessary to insure that at least one well penetrates each "reservoir." Twenty-five of forty-four 40-acre spaced wells on three contiguous sections were wed in a four-month inteference test. Six shut-in well. were tested monthly for oil production. productivity index. gas-oil ratio and pressure buildup, and seven shut-in wells were tested for decline in reservoir pressure. Tests on 12 regularly producing wells gave comparative data for interpretation of shut-in test wells. Reduction in reservoir pressure, decline in productivity index. and increase in gas-oil ratio were found to be substantially the same in the shut-in test wells as those in the comparative regularly producing wells, meaning that the producing wells were depleting the

Jan 1, 1953

By L. B. Gittinger

Sulfur is a nonmetallic element widely distributed in nature. It constitutes 0.06% of the earth's crust but only a very small portion occurs in sufficiently concentrated amounts to justify mining. Sulfur occurs in practically all animal and plant life. It constitutes approximately 0.09% of the elements in the oceans; it has been found in meteorites. Sulfur was known and used by man before recorded history. The American Chemical Society approved spelling for the element is sulfur. The English spelling sulphur is used commercially in the United States. In ancient times, sulfur was called brimstone, literally "burning stone." Today the term brimstone is used interchangeably with the term elemental sulfur. Sulfur is found naturally in the elemental form in subsurface deposits associated with gypsum and anhydrite in salt domes and sedimentary formations in evaporite basins and in solfatara-type deposits associated with volcanoes and mineral springs. Sulfur occurs also in molecular combination in ferrous sulfides (pyrites and pyrrhotite) and nonferrous sulfides (copper, lead, zinc, and nickel), and in mineral sulfates (gypsum and anhydrite); as hydrogen sulfide contaminant in natural gas; as organic compounds in crude oil and tar sands; and as pyrite and organic compounds in coal and oil shales. Sulfur resources are abundant and exist throughout the world but the extent to which they can be classified as reserves is greatly circumscribed by prevailing prices and technology. Estimates of world sulfur reserves are compiled by the U.S. Bureau of Mines. A compilation of reserves by area and source of sulfur published in 1970 and presented here as [Table 1] totaled 2.47 billion tons (Lewis, 1970). The effect of the decline in prices which has occurred since the earlier estimate is dramatically illustrated by the 1972 estimate of the U.S. Dept. of the Interior which shows world sulfur reserves of only 1.2 billion tons (Anon., 1972d). Sulfur is produced commercially from one or more sources in nearly 70 countries of the world. World production of sulfur in all forms totaled 41.6 million tons in 1971. (Sulfur statistics given in this chapter are long tons.) Native deposits, sulfides and oil and gas contributed, respectively, 31, 41, and 25% of world production (Table 2). Of the sulfur produced from native deposits, salt domes accounted for 54% and evaporite basin deposits, 44%. Volcanic deposits are of little significance except for local consumption. The past two decades have seen important shifts in the world's sulfur sources. In 1950, native deposits and sulfides each supplied about one-half of the world's production. During the 1950s, sulfur recovered from oil and natural gas grew rapidly, representing about 10% of the total by 1960. Since then, the petroleum industry has continued to increase its relative importance as a source of sulfur, representing more than 30% at 1972 year-end. Sulfur is generally classified as elemental or nonelemental for statistical purposes. Elemental sulfur is sulfur produced in the pure, uncombined form. It includes production from native deposits, as well as that recovered in the elemental form from oil and natural gas or other sulfur-bearing materials. When produced from other than native deposits, it is generally referred to as recovered elemental sulfur. Nonelemental sulfur is that which is utilized commercially in molecular combination with other elements, such as sulfides or sulfates. Elemental sulfur is being produced from salt dome deposits in the Gulf Coast region of the United States and the Isthmus of Tehuantepec in Mexico, and from evaporite basin deposits in west Texas, Poland, Sicily,

Jan 1, 1975

By L. S. Darken

A quadratic formalism is developed lor the representation of the excess free energy, and of the activity coefficients of each component of a ternary system in the vicinity of a single component selected as solvent. This formalism, in contrast to the e formalism, is thermodynamically consistent at .finite concentrations. Numerous specific systems are used as illustrations, with cross checks where possible; these systems are Fe-C-X systems in the vicinity of 1600°C and include practically all those for which reliable data are available. It is shown that this formalism is usually quite adequate to rebresent available data up to a solute concentration of 20 to 30 at. pet. It is hoped that the formalism here presented may prove useful for the treatment and tabulation of data on ternary and multi-component solutions. SINCE, as discussed in a prior paper,' we do not as yet have an adequate basic understanding of the nature of binary metallic solutions, we cannot hope to be in better position for ternary and multicomponent systems. However, the accumulation of thermodynamic data on ternary and multicomponent metallic solutions has led to an urgent need for a rational formalism for the presentation and use of such data. Notable attempts to represent the isothermal isobaric thermodynamics of ternary solutions were made by Benedict et 01.' and by Wohl.3 These attempts were directed toward developing an analytic expression adequate to encompass the entire ternary triangle, primarily for organic systems; they generally involve the power-series approach, which has been shown' to be inappropriate, in general, even for binary metallic systems. On the other hand, interest in the thermodynamics of ternary and multicomponent metallic solutions has tended to focus either on general thermodynamic relations4-10 over wide compositional ranges, or on cases where one or more components have been at rather low concentration. This latter approach has been followed by Wagner,= by chipman,11 and by Alcock and Richardson,12 and more recently in many publications by the same and other authors. It has already been shown' that the thermodynamic behavior of binary metallic systems is, in general, relatively simple only in the terminal regions. Hence, it would appear that any approach, at this time, to a simple formalism for ternary and multicomponent systems must, a fortiori, be limited to the vicinity of the major component or solvent. The present treatment is aimed to be useful for a given solvent with moderate solute concentrations ranging up to 20 or 25 at. pet and in exceptional cases to considerably higher concentrations. In order to achieve even this modest objective, it is necessary that any appropriate formalism have built into it 1) a thermodynamic consistency (at least within the desired degree of approximation), and 2) an approach at infinite dilution to Raoult's law for the solvent and to Henry's law for each solute. Let us first formulate the condition of thermodynamic consistency for a ternary system. Under isothermal isobaric conditions, we may write for the molal value G of any extensive function dG - C1 dN1 + G2 dN2 + G3 dN3 [l] where the G's are the corresponding partial molal quantities and the N's are the atom fractions. Taking component 1 as the solvent, this relation may be rewritten in terms of the independent variables N2 and N3

Jan 1, 1968

By W. R. Kube, W. H. Oppelt

Five low-rank coals, including two lignites, a steam-dried lignite, and two subbituminous coals, were carbonized at 940°F, in a bench-scale carbon-ize~ with a nitrogen and hydrogen atmosphere, or both, using pressures from atmospheric to 1000 psig. Coking characteristics were observed, and yields, composition, and distribution of products from thermal degradation were determined. The influence of pressure on yields from coal carbonization, as well as on modification of coke structure, has long been of interest. One of the first attempts at pressure carbonization was that of Capps and Hulett1 who in 1917 investigated the effects of pressure ranging from 1 to 20 atm on yields at 600° C for bituminous and subbituminous coals. High-pressure carbonization has not been used commercially for coke production. More recently, carbonization at relatively high pressure in the presence of catalysts and hydrogen has been proposed for the production of metallurgical-grade coke from low-rank fuels.' Another approach involves carbonization at high pressure in a hydrogen atmosphere to produce heating gas and a solid residue that is gasified with oxygen and steam to produce the hydrogen required for hydro-genation 3-4 or, alternatively, is burned to raise steam. Recently it has been proposed to carbonize coal under pressure, burn the gas in a gas turbine to produce power, and use the solid residue as fuel in a conventional steam-power plant.5 Our primary interest in pressure carbonization stems from an attempt to determine the influence of pressure on the coking characteristics of lignite to design a high-pressure slagging gasifier using oxygen and steam. At atmospheric pressure, North Dakota lignite is generally considered to be non-coking. However, lignite and subbituminous coals have been reported to show increased agglomeration properties in steam, hydrogen, or carbon-dioxide atmospheres at elevated pressures, although no strong coke was formed at pressures up to 3000 psig.6 If lignite would agglomerate seriously under gasification conditions, proper flow of charge through the gasifier could not be maintained without installing a mechanical stirring device or destroying the caking properties of the coal before gasification. Data on the caking properties of lignite or other gasification fuel, as well as on yields of products under conditions simulating the carbonization process in the pregasification zone, were required in the preliminary design stage of the gasifier. No information was available concerning the influence of pressure and type of atmosphere on North Dakota lignite. To provide this basic data, the U. S. Bureau of Mines investigated the effect of pressure and a hydrogen or nitrogen-rich atmosphere on the yield of products and on coke formation in a bench-scale pressure carbon-izer. SCOPE OF INVESTIGATION Five coals were tested at 940°F in nitrogen and hydrogen atmospheres, at pressures from atmospheric to 1000 psig. Yields and composition of solid, liquid, and gaseous products were determined as a function of the process pressure, and attention was given to the physical appearance of the solid residue. Percentage of carbon converted, sulfur retained in char, and thermal balances were calculated. In this paper, primary consideration is given to carbonization in a nitrogen atmosphere and to data concerning the solid phase. The effect of pressure in hydrogen is presented in detail for only one lignite. More complete information on the response of the other coals in a hydrogen atmosphere will be published in a USBM Report of Investigations. DESCRIPTION OF EQUIPMENT Details of the bench-scale pressure carbonizer are given in Fig. 1. The body of the carbonizer was

Jan 1, 1961

By P. F. Gnirk, J. B. Cheatham

The results of combined analytical and experimental studies involving simulated multiple bit-tooth penetration into mck are incorporated into a drilling rate equation for roller-cone bits assuming rather idealized downhole conditions. In particular, it is assumed that the rock behaves statically in a ductile fashion during bit-tooth penetration and that the rock chips are instantaneously removed from the bottom of the drill hole. The general analysis demonstrates an application of plasticity theory for the rock/bit-tooth interaction to the formulation of an upper limit on rotary drilling rate. INTRODUCTION Extensive experimentation involving single and indexed bit-tooth penetration into rock in a confining pressure environment has demonstrated that the chip formation process is of a ductile, or pseudoplastic, nature at sufficiently low differential pressures so as to be of interest in rotary drilling. Coincident with the experimentation, analytical consideration has been given to the theoretical problems of single and indexed bit-tooth penetration into rock. In general, the analyses have assumed that the rock behaves statically in a rigid-plastic fashion and obeys the Mohr-Coulomb yield criterion. The quantitative comparison between experimental and calculated values of bit-tooth load required for chip formation has been remarkably good for a variety of rocks commonly encountered in drilling and at simulated differential pressures as low as 500 to 1,000 psi. Results obtained recently for indexed bit-tooth penetration indicate that the work (or energy) required to produce a unit volume of rock chip can be minimized by a proper combination of bit-tooth spacing and bit-tooth load for a given rock type and differential pressure. By utilizing this information, it is possible to formulate a drilling rate equation, at least in a preliminary fashion, for a roller-cone bit performing under rather idealized downhole conditions. In particular, through the use of characteristic dimensionless quantities pertinent to a roller-cone bit and to indexed bit-tooth penetration, interrelationships among bit weight, rotary speed, rotary power, bit diameter, rock strength and bit-tooth shape and spacing can be explicitly expressed. In the formulation of the equations, however, it is assumed that the rock chips are instantaneously removed from the bottom of the drill hole and- that the rock behaves in a ductile manner during bit-tooth penetration. In addition, the effects of bit-tooth load application and penetration by a yawed tooth at an oblique angle are neglected. Although the analysis is presented in the light of some rather restrictive conditions, it does demonstrate a method of applying fundamental rock/bit-tooth interaction data, obtained by combining the results of analysis and experiment to the formulation of a drilling rate equation for rotary drilling. JNDEXED BIT-TOOTH/ROCK INTERACTION PREVIOUS RESULTS The mechanics of bit-tooth/rock interaction under simulated conditions of borehole environment have been extensively described in a number of papers.l-ll In particular, the effects of differential pressure, mechanical properties of rock, pore fluid, bit-tooth shape and spacing, rate of bit-tooth load application and dynamic filtration below the bit-tooth have been investigated experimentally. From a sequence of experiments.1-4 it was demonstrated that, for dry rock at atmospheric pore pressure, the mode of chip formation exhibits a transition, with increasing confining pressure, from predominantly brittle to predominantly ductile. This transition

Jan 1, 1970

By M. Kaufman, A. E. Palty

The phase structure and aging characteristics of two nickel-base alloys, Inconel 718 and 702, were investigated. Wrought and cast Inconel 718 showed ArisCb as the major hardening phase, as well as ture was positively identified. Inconel 702 had Ni3Al as the major hardening phase, as well as Cr7C3-of the phase amounts with temperature was determined. 1 HE value of phase structure and aging rate information in the utilization of alloys has been well established. As part of a continuing program, the results obtained on two nickel-base alloys, hconel 718 and Inconel 702, are presented here. Inconel 718 is a relatively new alloy considered for application in both sheet and cast form. Its novelty lies in the use of high columbium tantalum levels in a Ni-Cr-Fe base. No previous work on this type of alloy has been reported in the literature. Inconel 702 is being used now as an oxidation-resistant sheet alloy. Occasional fabrication problems spurred work on its basic structural behavior. The composition of 702 is essentially nichrome plus aluminum and titanium for strengthening and added oxidation resistance. This puts it in the basic class of other nickel-base alloys which have already been studied. The two alloys will be treated separately. INCONEL 718 Phase Study Methods. The phases present after the various conditions investigated were determined by X-ray diffraction analysis of two different elec-trolytically extracted residues and microscopic examination. The extraction methods, using 10 pct HC1 in alcohol and 10 pct H3PO, in water and the X-ray technique have been described previously.' The effect of temperature on the phase behavior was studied on sheet material using the following heat treatments: 2250°F, 2 hr, ice brine quench 1300 100 hr, water quench 2250°F, 2 hr, ice brine quench 1400°, 100 hr, water quench 2250°F, 2 hr, ice brine quench 1500°F, 100 hr, water quench 2250o 2 hr, ice brine quench 1700°F, 48 hr, water quench 2250°F, 2 hr, ice brine quench 1850°, 24 hr, water quench 2250°, 2 hr, ice brine quench 2000°F, 6 hr, water quench The high solution temperature was an attempt to dissolve as many phases as possible without causing melting. Aging exposures were made longer than normal heat treating times in order to approach equilibrium conditions more closely. Cast material was examined only in the as-cast condition and with the normal heat treatment (1700°F, 1 hr, air cool 1325oF, 16 hr,air cool). Materials. The full phase study was performed on sheet specimens approximately 1/2 in. by 2 in. by 1/16 in. The cast pieces were cut from the gating system of a vacuum-cast test piece. An all weld-metal specimen was made by running many weld beads on the sheet using filler made from the sheared edges of the sheet. All external contamination was removed by belt-sanding followed by an electro-polishing treatment. The typical composition of wrought Inco 718 is as follows: The alloy is air-melted. Cast hco 718 may have higher molybdenum. Due to the expectation of finding a Ni-Cb phase (Ni, Cb) for which no X-ray diffraction pattern was available in the ASTM Index, a special 5 Ib heat to the stoichiometric composition of this intermetallic

Jan 1, 1962

By T. A. Griffin

Gentlemen: The subject of this paper is: ADVANCED APPLICATIONS OF BUCKET WHEEL EXCAVATORS AND RECLAIMERS. Against an urgent world wide energy crisis, the role of bucket wheel excavators and reclaimers in the surface mining of fossil fuels and other ores has been raised to new prominence. This paper will review the reasons for the expanded application of bucket wheel technology, its unique contributions, and other factors relative to volume, cost, versatility, and efficiency. Today, surface mining is faced with the twin challenge of (1), accelerating the rate of removal of massive quantities of overburden and ore, and (2), replacing comparable high volumes of overburden back into the mined-out portion of the pit. Optimum quantitites for - a single electrical power plant now range from 5 to 15 million tons of coal per year. The use of bucket wheels offers the best method for meeting this challenge at lowest possible cost. For example, an advanced application that also satisfies environmental concerns involves the simultaneous functioning of two bucket wheel excavators during surface mining operations. Working at spaced intervals and different levels in conjunction with a transfer conveyor and stacker, one excavator removes the ore while the other one transfers overburden to a stacker that replaces it back into the open pit. The result of this continuously operating cycle is: (1) removal of ore and replacement of overburden back into the pit in massive quantities, (2) at accelerated volume and extreme low cost that cannot be matched by conventional loading machines of any size, and (3) fulfills a basic environmental requirement which is to

Jan 1, 1974

By Haydn H. Murray, Sam H. Patterson

The term "clay" is somewhat ambiguous un¬less specifically defined, because it is used in three ways: (1) as a diverse group of fine-¬grained minerals, (2) as a rock term, and (3) as a particle-size term. Actually, most persons using the term "clay" realize that it has several meanings, and in most instances they define it. As a rock term, clay is difficult to define be¬cause of the wide variety of materials that com¬pose it; therefore, the definition must be gen¬eral. Clay is a natural earthy, fine-grained ma¬terial composed largely of a group of crystalline minerals known as the clay minerals. These minerals are hydrous silicates composed mainly of silica, alumina, and water. Several of these minerals also contain appreciable quantities of iron, alkalies, and alkaline earths. Many defini¬tions state that a clay is plastic when wet. Most clay materials do have this property, but some clays are not plastic; for example, halloysite and flint clay. As a particle-size term, clay is used for the category that includes the smallest particles. The maximum-size particles in the clay-size grade are defined differently on various grade scales, Soil investigators and mineralogists gen¬erally use 2 micrometers as the maximum size, whereas the widely used scale by Wentworth (1922) defines clay as material finer than ap¬proximately 4 micrometers. Some authorities find it convenient to use the term "clay" for any fine-grained, natural, earthy, argillaceous material (Grim, 1968). When used this way, the term includes clay, shale, or ar¬gillite, and some argillaceous soils. Even though no standard definition of the term clay is accepted by geologists, agronomists, engineers, and others, the term is generally un¬derstood by those who use it. Clay is an abun¬dant natural raw material, and it has an amaz¬ing variety of uses and properties which will be discussed in this chapter. Clays rank among the leading industrial min¬erals in both tonnages produced and total value. Their importance is indicated in Table 1, which lists the 1970, 1971, and 1972 production and values according to the U.S. Bureau of Mines (Ampian, 1972). Adequate reliable statistical data on which to summarize world production of clay are un¬available; this paragraph outlines the world re¬quirements for clay only in a very general way. According to one estimate, the world bentonite production in 1972 was 3.5 million tons (Anon., 1973a), but in the authors' opinion it was prob¬ably at least 5 million tons. The total fuller's earth produced was at least 1.5 million tons and may have been as much as 2 million tons. The total world kaolin production in 1972 was more than 10 million tons. Approximately 7 million tons of this total was produced in only two regions-the Georgia-South Carolina kaolin belt in the United States and the Cornwall re¬gion, United Kingdom. The world's 1972 out¬put of ball clay, which is also produced pri¬marily in the United States and the United Kingdom, was approximately 1.5 million tons or perhaps a little more. The total world fire clay production in 1972 was probably about one and one-half to two times and the miscellaneous clay production three times the United States production. As industrial minerals, clays are a complex group that consists of several mineral commodi¬ties, each having somewhat different mineral¬ogy, geologic occurrence, technology, and uses. In this chapter these commodities are organized

Jan 1, 1975

By E. W. Dean, W. A. Jacobs

"The petroleum division of the Bureau of Mines in its laboratory investigations, has had occasions to develop a number of types of electrical heating equipment. It was found that electric heaters could be used to particular advantage in the standard distillation test for gasoline. (Dean, E.W., Motor Gasoline, Properties, Laboratory Methods of Testing and Practical Specifications, Bureau of Mines Technical raper 214, 1919, 33 pages.) In order to assist in rendering this type of heater available for general use, a description of the apparatus developed by the Bureau was published. (Dean, E.W., A convenient electric heater for use in the analytical distillation of gasoline,. Jour. Ind, and Eng. Chem., Vol.10, 1918, page 823.) Shortly after the article was printed a chemical supply house undertook the manufacture of an electric heater suitable for gasoline distillation. A preliminary model was examined and tested by the Bureau and modifications were suggested that were incorporated in the type of heater that was finally marketed.Description of the Bureau of Mines-heater: The electric heater developed by the Bureau has an inverted conical resistance Plament surrounded by a layer of heat-insulating material and mounted in a metal case having a top of hard asbestos (Transite) board. The resistance element is a helix of nickel-chromium alloy wire held by a molded core of alundum. The Bureau heaters are generally of about 330 watts capacity and are used with stock types of regulating rheostats capable of reducing the effective wattage to about 43 the full-load maximum."

Jun 1, 1920

By W. R. Tyson

IT HAS BEEN KNOWN for many years that alloy steels can become brittle when tempered in the range of 350-600°C, or cooled slowly after heating to higher temperatures. The metallurgical literature reveals that blacksmiths were aware as early as 1883 that water quenching was necessary after heat treatment above 600°C to avoid brittleness. It has also been known for years that the problem is associated with trace impurities; a paper in the Journal of the Iron and Steel Institute of 1894 refers to the brittle, faceted fractures that occur in steels containing arsenic, phosphorus or sulphur. However, definitive investigation of the mechanism of embrittlement has been possible only within the last decade with the introduction of new experimental techniques to investigate surfaces, especially Auger electron spectroscopy. It is now possible to study in detail the chemistry of surfaces with a resolution of an atomic layer or two, and enormous progress has been made recently in studying the segregation of impurities to grain boundaries by exposing the boundaries by fracture inside the microscope. A clear picture of the processes occurring and their interpretation is now emerging, as was particularly clear at the recent 1977 ASM Materials Science Seminar on Interfacial Segregation held in Chicago in October. Recent research in this area has pointed the way for commercial exploitation of this new knowledge and experimental technology. It is the purpose of this article to trace progress in understanding temper embrittlement and to indicate other areas where control of interfacial segregation and its effects can be important in metallurgical applications.

Jan 1, 1978

By T. W. Flemal

Good afternoon gentlemen. To begin, may I say ?thank you? to the AIME for the invitation to be here today to talk about my company's experience with shovel, truck, pocket, to car loading. The other author of this paper is here today. (Introduce John Sweet). Before we get to the details of this paper I want to tell you a little about Erie Mining Company. Erie Mining Company is located on the east end of the Mesabi Range in northern Minnesota and is engaged in the business of processing taconite rock into iron ore pellets. In 1970, the twelfth year of production, Erie will produce its rated capacity of 10.3 million tons of high grade iron ore pellets. The plant is the first of five iron ore pelletizing operations managed by Pickands Mather & Co. with a combined annual production capacity of 21 million tons. This plant began producing high grade iron ore pellets in 1957 placing it among the earliest of taconite production facilities in North America. Historically Pickands Mather & Co. had been a leading natural ore mine managing firm in the Great Lakes region for more than 70 years. Pickands Mather & Co. moved into the new field of taconite mining and processing with management and operational experience from the open pits and underground mines. We were to learn much of volume taconite handling requiring new equipment and new procedures. A trial and error period through the early years of taconite processing developed through the operation of an experimental sized preliminary plant near the present Erie Mining Company site.

Jan 1, 1970

Mining One (M1) is often challenged with the task of evaluating deposits considering open cut and/or underground (UG) mining methods. In many near surface deposits a combination of both methods results in the optimum economic means of exploitation. As common as it is to have open pit mines eventually develop into underground mines, theory associated with determining the optimum underground/open pit interface location continues to be subject to refinement. With recent developments in underground software packages, the generation of rudimentary underground mining stopes from basic economic inputs is not only fast, it provides a practical underground mining solution. The determination of the open pit/underground interface is not new to Gemcom's Whittle 4X (Whittle). However, its solution has only ever claimed to be indicative, mainly due the rudimentary nature of how Whittle represents any potential underground mining. The efficient generation of the aforementioned underground mining solution has provided mining engineers with a unique opportunity. Underground mining can now be represented within the Whittle environment to allow the open pit/underground mining scenario to be modelled with increased accuracy. Providing Whittle with the ability to now consider mineable underground stopes combined with the consideration of time value of money (discounting), has delivered a solution with higher credibility than ever before.This paper will elaborate on the potential value gains associated with improved accuracies in the modelling of any potential underground mining in the Whittle environment. Furthermore, it will explain the importance of incorporating time value of money in the optimisation process to provide a consistent solution through to pit selection and final analysis.

Dec 6, 2010

By Francis M. Walters

THE problem of making iron-manganese alloys of scientific purity is a rather difficult one. They cannot be prepared in air because of the readiness with which the metals oxidize at the temperature of melting; and they cannot be prepared in vacuum because of the, high vapor pressure-of- manganese. The very property of: manganese which permits it to be purified interferes with the utilization of the best method of making pure alloys. Accordingly, it is necessary to use a gas atmosphere which will not affect the-properties of the alloys. The gases available for the purposes are hydrogen; helium and argon. Nitrogen forms intermetallic compounds with manganese very readily. Hydrogen, while valuable as a deoxidizer and having the advantage of being comparatively cheap, is explosive over a wide range and, has a rather high thermal conductivity. Helium is reported as, costing little but is difficult to secure at a reasonable price and also has a conductivity nearly as high as hydrogen. Since argon has a sufficiently low thermal conductivity, it has been selected for use in one induction furnace for melting, under a controlled, gas atmosphere, in spite of its cost, which is so high (70 cents to $1.50 per cubic foot) that it must be stored and purified.. Such a gas atmosphere-as argon makes necessary the use of the, high-frequency induction method of heating. This involves, a non-metallic container for the gas; .which is most conveniently of fused quartz or glass. The next

Jan 1, 1929

By P. Halbach

Hydrothermal activity is well known from many locations on most mid-ocean ridges, but no hydrothermally mineralized area had yet been found at the ultraslow spreading southwest Indian Ridge up to October 98 when the Japanese RV Yokosuka with the submersible Shinkai 6500 investigated this area. A massive sulfide field was discovered near 27°51S / 63°56E in the 11th segment west of the Rodriguez Triple Junction. The Free University of Berlin had joined this cruise and taken over the responsibility for the study of the respective sulfide mineralizations. Hydrothermal minerals were sampled during two dives at a water depth of 2940 m close to the summit of an axial volcanic ridge called Mount Jourdanne. Massive sulfides occur on the seafloor as small smooth mounds with an average area of about 5 m2. Their surfaces are weathered and have a reddish to brownish colour. In addition to these mound-like structures, small tube-like chimneys were observed; these chimneys rise approximately 30 to 40 cm above the floor and are less than 10 cm in diameter. No indications of hydrothermal fauna could be detected. All the hydrothermal features are spatially related to faults and smaller fissures controlled by an E-W trending graben system crossing the summit region of the submarine volcano. Such tectonized areas are generally considered to be ideal for hydrothermal activity because they may have both a magmatic heat source in the deeper underground as well as pathways for the fluid circulation.

Jan 1, 2002

By A. Galaitsis

This report summarizes part of the work performed under the USBM Contract No. H0155113, "Noise Abatement of Continuous Mining Machines." It reviews, briefly, the aboveground tests performed on a Jeffrey 120M conveyor that were documented in Vol. I of the subject contract; and describes the performance of treatments implemented on underground equipment. The noise level at the operator's position in the aboveground-test facility was reduced from 101.5 to 91 dBA using treatments with satisfactory - aboveground - durability. Extensive underground evaluation has been performed only on the constrained layer damping, which has reduced the conveyor noise by 2 to 6 dBA depending on the operating conditions, and has been shown to be sufficiently durable. Other promising candidates for exploratory evaluation include resilient layers for the top/bottom decks, and smoother discontinuities between adjacent conveyor sections.

Jan 1, 1983

Can mining promote sustainable development? What is sustainable development? Is sustainable development good for corporate sustainability? Does it work in practice? If so, is it good for business? This paper does not seek to provide definitive answers to these issues. Rather, it is presented in the interests of sharing information and contributing to the pool of collective experience. The discussion will draw on the experience of Placer Dome in Papua New Guinea (PNG). Sustainable development means development that is maintained at a steady level without exhausting natural resources or causing ecological disturbance. The term æsustainable developmentÆ is often linked to the concept of ecological equilibrium, development that is self-replenishing. While its essential meaning remains the same, in practice, and for todayÆs complex and industrial world, different people will interpret sustainable development in different ways. Given the dynamics of development and the competing social, political and economic interests, sustainable development must be seen from a much broader perspective. This is the point that this paper will attempt to make. Mining, an activity that uses non-renewable resources, can promote sustainable development. The 1987 Brundtland Report (also known as the Report of the World Commission on Environment and Development), defines sustainable development in a broader manner - as development that meets the needs of the present world without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs (Elkington, 1997). This definition calls for inter-generational equity in the development and use of resources by many organisations, including multinational corporations. Corporate sustainability, on the other hand, is about developing strategies that guide a corporation to stay alive and, more importantly, to stay ahead of its competitors. It is basically about survival in a competitive social and commercial environment. In a corporate world, profitability is survival. In this context, corporate profitability, the main ingredient of corporate sustainability, is important for sustainable development. Without profits, corporations will find it difficult to practice sustainable development or indeed any development. Sustainable development can integrate mining activities with the rest of the community, add value and, in the long-term, profits to the bottom-line. Ultimately, sustainability will force corporations to adopt strategies based on a longer time scale to survive. In the mining sector, corporate sustainability depends on a close relationship with all stakeholders, particularly landowners for whom sustainable development is critically important. Increasingly, there is an acceptance of the view that success is not achieved simply through competition in price, cost and technology but, more importantly, through creating social infrastructure which support community ethics, norms and values essential for trust and partnership. Needless to say, mining companies that engage in appropriate community-based development in support of inter-generational justice recognise the true value of sustainability. This is sometimes called the æhuman sustainability approachÆ which underlines the critical significance of trust in relationships with stakeholders and continuous improvement of corporate capabilities directed towards the future (Dunphy and Griffiths, 1998). In the long-term, such development will enhance corporate public image and acceptability. In practice, both concepts can be built on the principles of economic viability, environmental quality and social justice -what, in todayÆs parlance, is increasingly becoming known as the ætriple-bottom-lineÆ approach to business (Elkington, 1997). Underpinning this approach is a process of continuing dialogue and co-operation between governments, non-government organisations (NGOs) and business.

Jan 1, 1999

By D. Brabec

One of the analytical problems in exploration geochemistry is the choice of a method of sample attack which would be rapid, simple and reliable in terms of precision and discrimination between different concentration levels of elements sought. The wet sample attacks currently used in analysis of silicate rocks vary from total decomposition to leaching by weak extractants. The total decomposition of such materials is usually achieved either by alkaline fusion or hydrofluoric acid attack. The first method requires the use of platinum vessels which is both expensive and slow for batch operation. The second type of attack is more widely applied in rock geochemistry1, but it is still relatively slow for exploration purposes and requires extra care (especially when hydrofluoric acid is used in mixture with perchloric acid). Considerable improvement in speed can be achieved by using the sample attacks which release only part of the metal present in a rock.2,4 One of such attacks is the leaching of pulverized rocks by hot aqua regia.3 Another technique widely used in geochemical prospecting involves fusion of the samples with potassium pyrosulfate (or bisulfate) followed by an acid leach of the malt .5 One of the advantages of these techniques is the use of glassware in decomposition stage which considerably increases the analytical productivity. It should be noted that partial chemical attacks tend to extract from a rock mainly the non-silicate metal which may give results more significant for exploration purposes than the analysis for total metal.

Jan 1, 1970