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By L Tatnell, R Mackay, A Tolooiyan

The multi-reversal direct shear test (MRDS) method is commonly used to measure the residual shear strength of soils. However, when the standard direct shear (DS) apparatus is used, the MRDS method is prone to two major sources of error: load cap tilting and specimen loss. These two sources of error can cause erratic behaviour in the residual shear strength curve, making it difficult or even impossible to determine the correct residual shear strength value of the specimen being tested. This paper presents the results of new modifications to the standard DS apparatus that prevent load cap tilting and specimen loss. Consolidated drained testing was performed on highly-over consolidated cohesive soil samples from a Latrobe Valley open pit mine, with results obtained from the modified DS apparatus showing a great improvement in the residual shear strength profile compared to those obtained using the standard apparatus. Large numbers of reversals (up to 14) conducted on a single specimen in the modified DS apparatus showed no notable load cap tilting and no specimen loss occurred. The modifications are easily applied to the standard DS apparatus, and analysis and correction of the data are simple.CITATION:Tatnell, L, Tolooiyan, A and Mackay, R, 2014. Measurement of residual shear strength using a modified direct shear apparatus, in Proceedings AusRock 2014: Third Australasian Ground Control in Mining Conference , pp 425–434 (The Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy: Melbourne).

Nov 5, 2014

By Robert A. Robinson, Steven R. Thompson, Harvey W. Parker

The Mt. Baker Ridge Tunnel, under construction in Seattle, will be the world's largest-diameter soil tunnel with an inside diameter of 19.2 m (63 ft) and an effective outside diameter of about 24.4 m (80 ft). The five-lane highway tunnel will be constructed using a "stacked-drift" scheme in which an articulated or "flexible" tunnel lining consisting of 24 concrete-filled drifts is constructed to form a horizontal compression ring followed by removal of the soil core. Geotechnical factors, including variable strength hard fissured soils, high horizontal stresses, potentially unstable sands, and prior slope instabilities, significantly influenced the innovative design and construction approach.

Jan 1, 1983

By Robert F. Stevens, Robin Givet, Kenneth Viking

"Summary This paper describes a case of a directional pile installation conducted from an existing oil platform in the Caspian Sea, offshore Baku. Results are presented for 660 mm outer diameter (660 mm OD) conductor piles. Each conductor was equipped with a beveled aluminum toe for directional impact driving and was driven through a 710 mm casing using a Delmag 100–13 diesel hammer and a chaser pile. The 710 mm casings were preinstalled to a depth of 75 m below mud line (75 m BML). The longest impact driven conductor pile on the project was 456 m at end of drive, and reached the terminal depth of 295 m BML.Soil conditions consisted of soft to stiff silty clay to a depth of 30 m BML, underlain by stiff clay to 96 m BML, very stiff silty clay to 200 m BML, and very stiff to hard clay down to 300 m BML.In order to assess the maximum stresses in the conductors and check the performance of the hammer, the driving of each conductor was monitored using a Pile Driving Analyzer (PDA). The hammer fuel setting was adjusted based on the PDA outputs to ensure the conductors were not overstressed during installation. All driving and monitoring operations were carried out from the drill floor.The conductor piles drove easier than anticipated but in the direction predefined by the pre-cut angle of the beveled aluminum toe. The driving system performance was good. Post driving, the SRD were analyzed by either the global method analysis, using WEAP, or by the CAPWAP program.To detect any collision between the conductor being driven and the adjacent wells in production, the well heads were monitored in real time with high sensitivity accelerometers. These accelerometers were connected to an alarm system on the drill floor, triggering a siren and a strobe light should a collision be detected by an abnormal increase of the peak acceleration.IntroductionThe world longest directional impact driven pile was installed in year 2005. The operation was carried out from an offshore production, drilling, and quarters (PDQ) platform located about 120 km east of Baku, in the Caspian Sea.The platform foundation consists of driven piles and 24 slots were available for drilling the wells to the reservoir, located about 3800 m below sea floor. Each slot was fitted with a casing, 710 mm in diameter, running from the top of the jacket to a depth of about 75 m BML (Figure 1). Oil production started in 1997 and by the end of 2003, 14 wells were in operation; 10 slots were therefore still available, either for oil production or for water injection. However, due to larger than expected settlement of the platform, drilling of additional wells was put on hold. After further investigation, experts concluded the settlement was due to an alteration in the mechanical properties of the bearing strata supporting the foundation piles. This alteration was due to either excess soil material transportation, or soil fracture by the drilling fluids (mud), when drilling the first wells. With only 14 wells in production, out of 24 possible, the owner faced a new dilemma: to drill, or not to drill new wells?"

Jan 1, 2014

By David A. Summers, Clark R. Barker, Marian Mazurkiewicz

In May 1975 the U.S. Bureau of Mines contracted with the University of Missouri-Rolla, Rock Mechanics and Explosives Research Center to develop a Hydrominer modification to a longwall shearer unit, wherein the rotating pick-laced drums and connecting gear drives are replaced by a water jet cutting ahead. The concept of the water jet cutting head is based on using the high localized energy of the water jets to isolate a slice of coal by cutting a slot under, at the back of, and at the top of the web. The plow blade of the head then advances into the cut and wedges the coal cantilever over onto the conveyor [(Fig. 1)]. There were several potential advantages foreseen for the system; perhaps the most significant were the elimination of coal dust from the working area and the ability, with a variation in nozzle geometry, to cut webs of greater depth with a small increase in haulage horsepower. The University initially designed the head, based on experiments carried out in the laboratory, under an earlier Bureau of Mines contract. The experiments showed that it was more advantageous to work at a pressure of 68.9 mPa (10,000 psi) with an estimated flow rate of 3.15 X 10 - 8 m3/s (50 gpm) than go to the higher pressures and lower flow rates which have been advocated elsewhere.

Jan 1, 1979

By William G. Pariseau

Elastic-plastic finite-element simulation of cut-and-fill stoping in deep, narrow veins shows substantial quantitative agreement with field measurements of stope closure and fill pressure made at two mines in the Coeur d'Alene mining district of northern Idaho. The simulation procedure, validated by field data, was used in an analytical study of vein-wall closure and sill-pillar stress as influenced by fill modulus, rock modulus, and premining stress. Ratios of closure and pillar stress in the filled stopes to closure and pillar stress in the unfilled stopes are used as prediction indices for fill performance. In general, the support capability of fill increases dramatically as the ratio of fill modulus to rock modulus approaches 1. A significant reduction in closure .from the open stope--up to 75 percent--occurs with a relatively low-quality 10-ksi-modulus fill (rock modulus of 1,000 ksi). However, a higher quality fill is needed to achieve a substantial reduction in pillar stress from that of the open stope. A 100-ksi-modulus fill reduces pillar stress in both the 36-foot and l6-foot pillars (vein width is 10 feet) by about 50 percent relative to the open stope.

Jan 1, 1976

By E. A. Anderson, P. W. Ramsey, E. J. Boyle

Only a few zinc-rich alloys are in commercial use today, and these depend largely upon solid solution effects for their desirable properties. Typical examples are rolled alloys containing about 1 Per cent of copper, with Or without additions of elements such as magnesium, and die-casting alloys containing about 4 Per cent of aluminum with small amounts of magnesium and sometimes copper." A number of elements are capable of forming alloys with zinc, Which do not enter into solid solution except in limited degree. The Present Paper considers One such system, zinc-titanium, in which alloys having potentially useful properties in the rolled form were found. Zinc-titanium System The zinc-rich portion of the zinc-titanium diagram, as determined by standard methods in this laboratory,3 is shown in Fig. I. The portion of the diagram of significance in the present work extends from 0 to about 0.5 per cent titanium. Gebhardt4 places the eutectic at 0.45 per cent, but the evidence in favor 01 the composition given in Fig. I is considerable. The solid solubility of titanium in zinc is very low indeed and possibly places these alloys in a somewhat different category from the commercial alloys previously mentioned. Alloy Preparation All of the alloys used in this work were prepared with titanium metal of 98.9 per cent purity. In most cases high-purity zinc (99.99 per cent) was used but sufficient work was done later to show that zinc of about high-grade composition would yield approximately equal results. Best practice in alloy manufacture seemed to be to prepare a zinc-titanium hardener by adding about 4 per cent of titanium metal to molten zinc and holding under a boric acid cover, with frequent stirrings, at 750°C, until the titanium had dissolved. The desired titanium content could readily be obtained in the final alloy by adding the calculated amount 01 this hardener. The alloys proved to be quite stable in composition, unless overheated, and, with reasonable temperature control, required no cover or flux to prevent loss of titanium content by oxidatioll, Hot-rollig Tests Three alloys containing, by analysis, 0.05, 0.12, and 0.23 per cent titanium were selected for preliminary study. Slab cross sections a a marked grain refinement* (Fig. 2) in the two alloys of highest titanium content. Cast unalloyed zinc has a columnar grain structure similar to that shown for the alloy of lowest titanium content but without the scatter of small equiaxed grains at the center.

Jan 1, 1944

By P. W. Ramsey, E. J. Boyle, E. A. Anderson

Only a few zinc-rich alloys are in commercial use today, and these depend largely upon solid solution effects for their desirable properties. Typical examples are rolled alloys containing about 1 Per cent of copper, with Or without additions of elements such as magnesium, and die-casting alloys containing about 4 Per cent of aluminum with small amounts of magnesium and sometimes copper." A number of elements are capable of forming alloys with zinc, Which do not enter into solid solution except in limited degree. The Present Paper considers One such system, zinc-titanium, in which alloys having potentially useful properties in the rolled form were found. Zinc-titanium System The zinc-rich portion of the zinc-titanium diagram, as determined by standard methods in this laboratory,3 is shown in Fig. I. The portion of the diagram of significance in the present work extends from 0 to about 0.5 per cent titanium. Gebhardt4 places the eutectic at 0.45 per cent, but the evidence in favor 01 the composition given in Fig. I is considerable. The solid solubility of titanium in zinc is very low indeed and possibly places these alloys in a somewhat different category from the commercial alloys previously mentioned. Alloy Preparation All of the alloys used in this work were prepared with titanium metal of 98.9 per cent purity. In most cases high-purity zinc (99.99 per cent) was used but sufficient work was done later to show that zinc of about high-grade composition would yield approximately equal results. Best practice in alloy manufacture seemed to be to prepare a zinc-titanium hardener by adding about 4 per cent of titanium metal to molten zinc and holding under a boric acid cover, with frequent stirrings, at 750°C, until the titanium had dissolved. The desired titanium content could readily be obtained in the final alloy by adding the calculated amount 01 this hardener. The alloys proved to be quite stable in composition, unless overheated, and, with reasonable temperature control, required no cover or flux to prevent loss of titanium content by oxidatioll, Hot-rollig Tests Three alloys containing, by analysis, 0.05, 0.12, and 0.23 per cent titanium were selected for preliminary study. Slab cross sections a a marked grain refinement* (Fig. 2) in the two alloys of highest titanium content. Cast unalloyed zinc has a columnar grain structure similar to that shown for the alloy of lowest titanium content but without the scatter of small equiaxed grains at the center.

Jan 1, 1944

By D J. Bradshaw, E M. Wightman, C L. Evans, B Triffett

During the commissioning phase of Prominent Hill, periods of reduced recovery were experienced with higher-grade ore blends. This was unexpected and as part of the process to identify the cause, surveys were conducted in May 2009, with two different ore blends (copper grades: 1.94 per cent Cu (blend 1) and 2.49 per cent Cu (blend 2)). Metallurgical performance was assessed in terms of rougher recovery and grade with consideration of both pulp and froth effects. In addition, hydrodynamic measurements (gas hold up, bubble size, superficial gas velocity) as well as measurements of bubble load and top-of-froth grade were taken during the surveys and full mineralogical assessment of selected streams completed to characterise the nature of the differences. The metallurgical results showed that the lower performance was obtained with blend 2 which contained the higher amount of chalcocite and was higher-grade. Analysis of the survey data showed that for both ore blends more than half of the copper loss occurred in the +38 ¦m size fractions. Almost 30 per cent of the copper in the +38 ¦m fractions that reported to the rougher tails during processing of blend 2 was liberated compared to less than five per cent for blend 1. Additionally almost 60 per cent of the copper in the +38 ¦m fraction of blend 2 was chalcocite compared with approximately 20 per cent in blend 1. This paper discusses the sensitivity of the chalcocite-to-surface chemistry effects causing marked reductions in recovery either through reduced pulp recovery or froth phase (detachment) effects. The reagent suite and operating conditions were subsequently changed and the recoveries increased substantially and the sensitivity to ore changes eliminated. It should be noted that subsequent optimisation work, which focused on recovery improvement, has led to copper recoveries of over 90 per cent being achieved.CITATION:Bradshaw, D J, Wightman, E M, Evans, C L and Triffett, B, 2012. Characterising the reasons for the difference in performance of two ore blends in early processing at OZ Minerals Prominent Hill Operation, in Proceedings 11th AusIMM Mill OperatorsÆ Conference, pp 273-278 (The Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy: Melbourne).

Oct 29, 2012

By B. B. Betty

H. L. Burghoff.*—Have the authors any information on the effect of grain size in these materials? There is a material difference in the grain sizes shown for the Monel and the Inconel. Is a wide range of grain size normally found for each material, and, if so, what is its effect upon creep strength? 11. L. Eiselstein.—The grain size for Monel shown in the micrograph is the usual size found in that product. The grain size of Inconel is about the same as that, too. However, we have run tests on Inconel at higher temperatures than those reported in this paper, and have found that the coarser grain size has a better creep resistance; and that the grain size that gives the best creep resistance at 1600°F. is about 0.005 in. in diameter. We have no test on Monel with varying grain size. J. J. KANTER.†-It has been known for a long time that Monel metal exhibits ductility anomalies at elevated temperatures. Even in short-time test, it can be demonstrated in the range of 900°F. that there is a distinct falling off of the ability of Mone1 metal to elongate, and in rupture tests this shortcoming is still further accentuated. Knowledge of this rupture anomaly of Monel metal may be one of the reasons for which designer's approach certain high-temperature applications with reservations. The authors of this paper have merely demonstrated that for 900°F. the alloy has an ability to elongate 1.7 per cent over a period of some 2700 hr. Before any conviction can be expected from designers that Monel metal is applicable to stress design in such range of temperature, I think it is desirable to demonstrate the capacity for the material to elongate over a longer period of time than has been done in this presentation.

Jan 1, 1945

By M. H. Richman, L. M. Markowitz

MUCH of the available information on which the heat treatments of a particular steel are based is found in the isothermal-transformation diagram. Such is the case despite the fact that the usual thermal treatments involve continuous transformations, i.e., transformations which occur on cooling, rather than isothermal transformations. This rather unusual practice is continued because of the abundance of published isothermal-transformation diagrams1, 2 which are relatively easy to determine experimentally as compared to continuous-transformation diagrams.3, 4 However, this can easily lead to the production of improper micro-structures and may not allow full advantage to be taken of the inherent hardenability of a steel. A mathematical method of estimating the continuous-transformation diagram from the available isothermal data was developed by Grange and Kiefer;5 but, due to the mathematical approximations required in the calculations, the computation of continuous-transformation diagrams has been limited to individual cases and no large-scale compilation of these diagrams is available. With the present availability of high-speed digital computers, the problem of time-consuming approximations may be minimized and continuous-transformation diagrams may be constructed with the insertion of isothermal data into a basic program. It is the purpose of this report to announce the availability of such a program and compare the computed and experimental continuous-transformation diagrams for two different steels. Let us first review the method of Grange and Kiefer5 and then compare the results of the machine calculations with the experimentally determined diagrams. In order to apply this method, one requires the isothermal-transformation diagram and a set of curves representing cooling at constant rates. A section of an isothermal-transformation diagram is shown in Fig. 1 together with a cooling curve of M0F per sec. The cooling curve is constructed to start from the A1 (eutectoid) temperature if the transformation product is the eutectoid microconstituent (i.e., pearlite or bainite), from the A3 temperature if the product is primary ferrite, or from the 4, if it is proeutec-toid cementite. The cooling curve in Fig. 1 intersects the curve representing the start of isothermal transformation at a point A' corresponding to a temperature TX and a time fX. An arbitrary lower temperature To (on the

Jan 1, 1968

THE paper on "Cross-cuts in Coal Mining," by J. J. Rutledge (published in MINING AND METAL-LURGY, February, 1927, p. 64) was brought up for discussion at the annual meeting, where the follow-ing comments were made T. D. Thomas (Lehigh Coal & Navigation Co., Lansford, Pa.) : This question has caused me a lot of worry, not in the particular district in which I am, but throughout other districts. There are always several angles to consider. If you are in a hurry to push development work, you might increase the distance between cross-cuts from 60 to 350 ft., but if you have a 40-ft. chain pillar every 60 ft. it will cut down your entry driving a whole lot. Looking at it from the ventilation angle, I agree that too many cross-cuts in entries are bad things. You have a tremendous amount of leakage, and I have seen currents starting out with 45,000 cu. ft., and after passing about 30 or 40 cross-cuts the current has dwindled down to about 18,000 or 15;000 cu. ft. The result is that the question of putting in auxiliary fans is raised. That involves several points into which I do not want to go too far, but I am in favor of not getting in too many cross-cuts, putting them in only where they are necessary: I think the state mining laws are wrong in a number of places on that, and that when you finish with a cross-cut it should be in the room. It should be well sealed on an entry. There are several ways of tightening up the cross-cuts so as not to have the great amount of leakage and wastage of: air that we now have. 'I prefer tile stopping; other people prefer cement or brick, but there is a big fac-tor to all mines, saving the mine. I checked up on the number of fans in the anthracite region and found there are 651. That was derived from the state report of 1921, and it enabled me to compute from the power the weight of the air. In the anthracite region of Pennsylvania we put in 9 tons of air to every ton of coal we get out. Tracing that back again and taking the Government's figures which they made some time ago, I found but 20 per cent of the air got to the faces where it was actually needed. That is a tremendous big loss and shows a possibility for saving, money for the various coal companies. Chairman Rice: I think what Mr. Thomas refers to was an investigation by R. Y. Williams, of the Bureau of Mines in Illinois, where a study was made of 100 typical mines, and, speaking off-hand, my recollection is that we found as little as 15 per cent of air reached the faces in one of the mines and another was as much as 50. That seems to be a reflection on the type of stoppings and general ventilation scheme.

Jan 3, 1927

By E S. B Santiago, C P. N Moreto, L V. S Monteiro, G H. C Melo, R P. Xavier

"An EXTENDED ABSTRACT is available for download. A full-length paper was not prepared for this presentation. Iron oxide-copper-gold (IOCG) systems of the Carajás mineral province (Amazon craton, Brazil) are structurally controlled by regional-scale shear zones and have formed by multiple episodes of fluid circulation and hydrothermal alteration in the Neoarchean (2.71–2.68 Ga and 2.56 Ga) and Palaeoproterozoic (1.90–1.87 Ga).Collectively, fluid inclusion, boron, oxygen and hydrogen isotope data and Cl/Br–Na/Cl ratios in fluid inclusions reveal that regional circulation of non-magmatic brines (eg evaporative fluids/evolved sea water) and mixing with other fluid sources (eg meteoric or magmatic) is an important attribute in the genesis of the Carajás IOCG systems. The ?33S and d34S compositions of sulfides from the Neoarchean and Palaeoproterozoic IOCG systems suggest that the ore-bearing fluids have assimilated sulfur from crustal reservoirs. Nevertheless, most ?33S measurements have indicated mass independent fractionation (MIF) effect for both systems which points to the possible involvement of surface sulfur sources.CITATION:Xavier, R P, Monteiro, L V S, Moreto, C P N, Melo, G H C and Santiago, E S B, 2015. Non-magmatic versus magmatic fluids in the genesis of Archean and Palaeoproterozoic iron oxide-copper-gold systems of the Carajás Mineral Province (Brazil), in Proceedings PACRIM 2015 Congress, pp 281–288 (The Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy: Melbourne)."

Mar 18, 2015

By Elisa Comis, David Chastka, Miriam Piemontese, Maria Chastka

The Lower Olentangy Tunnel (LOT) Project involves the construction of a 17,000 ft (5,200 m) long, 12 ft (3.65 m) internal diameter Combined Sewer Overflow (CSO) tunnel. The tunnel is excavated by using an Earth Pressure Balance (EPB) machine designed to cope with soft ground, weak rocks and water pressure. The project is located in the city of Columbus, Ohio and the main geotechnical hazards are related to the heterogenous soils and the low overburden in an urban environment. This paper focuses on the performance of the EPB first drive and the comparison between the design assumptions and the actual TBM performance during construction.

Jun 23, 2024

By Raymond W. Peterson

The practice of Countertrade and all of its variations has increased dramatically during the last five years in great part due to the worsening world economic situation and the Third World's increasing debt problems. Conventional wisdom has held that the goods finding their way into countertrade will tend to be manufactured goods of ever increasing value added. It is my contention that this has not been the case. The continued depression of most metals and minerals prices has conspired to keep a great number of metals and raw materials in the forefront of countertrade negotiations. The concept that if a country needs hard currency it will simply sell metals into world markets for cash has been significantly modified by countertrade which encourages subsidies for raw materials which are in turn funded by higher prices for the manufactured goods which the country must import. Countertrade is a term that is relatively new to most of us who have been involved in the international trade of metals and minerals, but it is one that we will continue to hear more of in the future. Countertrade as it is generally known today had its beginnings after the Second World War in Eastern Europe. As the shattered economies of Europe struggled to right themselves, a "cashless" system of trade developed. This system included such ancient concepts as barter as well as more modern ones like bilateral clearing agreements. For over 30 years countertrade was confined mainly to the COMECON nations and their various trade protocols with Third World nations. If metals and minerals were involved, there was little disruption of world markets by such examples as Cuba shipping ferronickel and sugar cane to the U.S.S.R. for a host of manufactured goods and oil. As the world's economy began to slow in the late 70's and the debt crisis began in earnest in the early 801s, this all began to change. As more and more nations which had previously been almost totally dependent upon their mineral wealth over-extended themselves in an attempt to industralize, they concurrently found their income from minerals falling, due to the decreased demand and subsequently lower prices available in the marketplace. At first these nations attempted to balance their payments by promoting the sales of their high value-added manufactured goods. We have all heard numerous examples of U.S. companies going to sell their high technology products in Rumania or Yugoslavia and being confronted with counterpurchase requirements for machine tools, shoes or drill bits. When faced with these demands, a number of companies chose not to sell into those markets while others merrily signed up the obligations without much intent to carry them out. The Performance Bonds required were generally minimal, especially when considered in light of the high margin inherent in high tech items; and the penalty clauses were equally small or nonexistent. A third group of companies actually tried to buy the machine tools or drill bits either for their own internal use or resale but found that due to poor quality and high prices, they were faced with a difficult if not impossible task. This is not to say that no one was able to fulfill a countertrade requirement, but the success ratio on these transactions was incredibly low. This was one of the major contributing factors to the reputation that countertrade has gained as a discipline ... "that it is mostly talk and very little action." As this situation slowly evolved, both the countries imposing the countertrade obligation and the exporters assuming the obligation began to realize that something

Jan 1, 1986

By Travis Davidsavor, David Provost

A segment of high-pressure steel petroleum pipeline needed to be replaced on a hillside and beneath a waterway within an existing right-of-way containing multiple petroleum pipelines. The pipeline replacement required excavation of sedimentary rock to allow placement of the new pipe. As a result of an existing right-of-way limitation, steep slopes, and hard rock, blasting would be required as close as 7.8 meters (25 feet) from two operating pipelines. Existing pipeline company standards would have effectively precluded the construction of the replacement pipe by blasting rock. To facilitate the required construction and evaluate actual pipe stress during blasting to ensure pipeline integrity, a comprehensive evaluation methodology was developed by a team of pipeline, mechanical, geotechnical, instrumentation, and blasting engineers. A total of 60 strain gages were affixed to the steel pipe and seismographs were buried at the surface near the blasting area. Test blasting allowed pipe stresses with corresponding ground motion to be monitored. A conservative analysis approach evaluated individual peak strains and revealed that only small pipeline strains, and therefore stresses, were induced in the pipeline as a result of blasting. This evaluation allowed specific procedures to be developed to inform the blasting operation of maximum explosive loading and minimum charge distances. Additionally, this effort provided the pipeline operator with appropriate pipeline operating pressures during blasting activities to limit total stresses in the pipeline to be below allowable stresses imposed by code, regulators, and company operational limitations. Recommendations were developed to measure the blast generated ground vibrations with seismographs buried at the depth of the pipe, near the pipe, and limit the ground vibrations from blasting to 150 mm/s (6 in/s). If ground vibration intensities of 120 mm/s (4 in/s) or more were observed, additional engineering review is recommended. Finally, all blasting would be suspended and all activities reviewed at peak ground vibration intensities of 230 mm/s (9 in/s). The evaluation effort resulted in effective and efficient construction of the pipeline replacement and allowed the pipeline operator to better understand blasting induced stresses on their assets.

By Keith Leonard Sutherland

THIS paper is a study of the differential flotation of the sulphide minerals in the presence of salts of silver, lead and zinc. In practice, accidental activation due to these salts is more important than their use as reagents to replace copper sulphate. The general method of investigation has been based upon contact tests, the temperature of 35°C. being chosen in conformity with earlier work. Potassium ethyl xanthate and potassium amyl xanthate were selected as collectors and pure sulphide minerals were used. The experimental procedure has been outlined in earlier papers and all solutions were kept carbonate -free.1,4 Contact, or spreading of an air bubble, at a mineral surface indicates the presence of an adsorbed collector film. PURITY OF REAGENTS The xanthates were purified in the usual manner.1 Neither the cyanide nor the sodium hydroxide solutions contained sufficient carbonate to give a precipitate with barium chloride solution. The silver sulphate was prepared from pure silver nitrate by evaporation with concentrated sulphuric acid until there was no evidence of brown fumes. This solution was diluted and the difficultly soluble sulphate washed with water so that unchanged nitrate was dissolved. The resultant crystalline powder was pure white. The lead and zinc salts were prepared by dissolving especially pure lead and zinc in C.P. nitric and sulphuric acid solution and the crystals drained. The standard solutions were checked by titration. It was felt desirable to use the sulphate radical wherever possible, but since lead sulphate was insufficiently soluble for the purpose of the experiments, it was necessary to use some other lead salt. A.R. copper sulphate was used without further purification. RESULTS The results are presented in the accompanying figures; the areas of noncontact (nonflotation) are shaded in Figs. 8, 9, 10 and 11; in the remainder they lie to the right of the curve. Zinc Sulphate The curves in Fig. I are to be compared with those for Fig. 2, for which zinc sulphate is absent. This comparison shows that the influence of the zinc ion is usually small. Its influence is more marked, however, for chalcopyrite in the absence of cyanide. The influence of zinc sulphate is also marked for copper-activated sphalerite, for which tests were made only in the absence of cyanide. The results are of importance in the separation of pyrite from copper-activated sphalerite when, zinc sulphate is added in the lead flotation section (p. 204 of ref. I). Sphalerite does not adsorb the collector (i.e., become floatable) under the conditions chosen.

Jan 1, 1942

By N. Mungan

Laboratory water floods were performed in oil-wet and waterwet alundum and Torpedo cores, displacing a refined oil with n-hexylamine or Triton X-100 solution. Also, some floods were performed in which a sucrose solution was displaced with n-butyl alcohol. The Purpose ot the tests was to see if the oil recotlery could be increased and to examine what role the inter-facial tension reduction and wettability change play in the recovery mechanism. it was found that the chromatographic transport of amine was influenced by core wettability. In oil-wet cores, the rate of advance of the amine band could be predicted from equilibrium chromato-graphy, while in water-wet cores the amine band moved faster than predicted, indicating a non-equilibrium process. By reducing the interfacial tension to 1.1 dyne/ cm, oil recovery was increased. More oil was recovered from Dri-filmed cores than from water-wet cores. Reversing the wettability of the porous media from oil-wet condition also resulted in some additional oil recovery. Neutral wettability floods did not increase oil recovery. INTRODUCTION Interfacial forces in petroleum reservoirs are responsible for retention of large quantities of residual oil. Increasing exploration costs have created an incentive to attempt recovery of this residual oil by new and novel processes. One novel process involves changing the interfacial forces by introducing a chemical into the reservoir during water flooding. Recently, several investigators have carried out laboratory displacement tests using amines. lt3.4 The amines adsorbed onto initially water-wet core surfaces, changing them to oil wet. Additional oil was recovered when the cores were flooded in a manner reversing the. wettability from oil-wet conditions. In all these studies, the wettability reversal was considered responsible for increased oil recoveries although it was noted that amines also reduced oil-water interfacial tension. In the present study, displacement experiments were performed in water-wet and Dri-filmed cores. The purpose was to separate the effects of lowering the interfacial tension from changing the wettability. LABORATORY STUDY All experimental data given in this paper have been obtained at a temperature of 70F + 1 and prevailing atmospheric pressure. FLUIDS AND MATERIALS The oil used in these experiments* was washed with H2S04 and passed through two 100-200 mesh silica-gel beds to remove unsaturates and surface active impurities. Normal hexylamine** of practical purity was used, and the alundum cores*** were composed of nearly pure A1203. Fused quartz (SiOi) and Lucalox (A12 )t plates were used in the contact angle measurements. DISPLACEMENT TESTS Displacement tests were performed in alundum and Torpedo cores. Before displacement runs, cores were acidized with 0.1 normal HCI, flushed with distilled water and fired at 1,200F to make them water wet. This procedure also reduced water sensitivity of the Torpedo cores. Oil-wet cores were prepared from water-wet cores by flowing several pore volumes of 1 per cent by weight Dri-film SC-87 solution in heptane through the cores, flushing the cores with nitrogen, evacuating, and finally heating the cores at 300F for 4 or 5 hours. Between floods, cores were cleaned by conventional procedures and treated again as above.

Jan 1, 1965

By C. C. McDermond, Others, B. N. Zavoico

Production of crude oil in Venezuela for the year 1937 was 186,653,-916 bbl., as compared with 155,228,982 bbl. produced in 1936, an increase of almost 31,500,000 bbl. The oil-field strike, which started on Dec. 14, 1936, lasted until Jan. 25, 1937, when a total of 10,000,000 bbl. of production was estimated to have been lost (5,750,000 bbl. in 1936 and the remainder in 1937). Of the total of 186,653,916 bbl. produced in 1937, the Lagunillas field contributed 45.6 per cent, a drop of approximately 10 per cent under 1936 figures; Tia Juana, 14.3 per cent; Quiriquire field, 14.0 per cent; La Rosa area, 13.3 per cent and the Mene Grande field, 7.6 per cent, these being the five leading contributors of the year's production. Detailed production figures by fields and by companies are shown on Table 1. Of the total production of Venezuela the following four major companies accounted for the greater proportion: Standard of Venezuela and Lago Petroleum Corporation together, 48.3 per cent; Shell, 37.4 per cent and Venezuela Gulf, 14.0 per cent. At the end of the year, 2491 wells were producing, of which number 1291 wells were pumpers, or about 52 per cent. Production The accompanying statistics of production record of Venezuela oil fields from its inception to Dec. 31, 1937, shown on Table 2, indicates that the cumulative production reached 1,503,283,228 bbl. In order of importance, Lagunillas leads all the fields, having accounted for about 50 per cent of Venezuelan production, followed by La Rosa area, which produced about 21 per cent; Mene Grande, which produced about 13 per cent, and Quiriquire, which produced 6.5 per cent. Table 3 shows the age of each field. Mene Grande is the oldest, having produced for 24 years; Tarra is next, 21 1/2 years old, and El Mene third, 171/2 years. The gravity of the crude from the various fields, also shown on Table 3, remained unchanged, the only addition being the new Tia Juana field, which averages 15.6' A.P.I. Table 4 shows the method of production by fields as of Jan. 1, 1938; at the end of the year 2491 wells were producing, compared with 2005 wells producing at the beginning of 1937, or an increase of 486 wells. The completions for the year reached 512. Of the 2491 wells producing crude oil, 1291 wells, or approximately 52 per cent, were pumping, 925 (approximately 37 per cent) were flowing naturally and 275 (11 per cent) were on

Jan 1, 1938

By Edwin H. Olson, Morton Smutz, Charles J. Baroch

IN 1949 an orebody containing some 10 billion lb of recoverable rare earth metals was discovered in the Mountain Pass district of San Bernardino County, California.1 The following year Molybdenum Corp. of America purchased a number of claims at the deposit and a mill on the property which had been constructed to process the district's gold ores. Average composition of ore from the San Bernardino deposit is less than 0.1 pct ThO2, 25 to 35 pet calcite, 10 pet rare earth oxides, 15 to 20 pet silica, and 30 to 40 pet barite.2 Rare earth content of the ore analyzes 50.7 pet CeO2, 4.2 pet Pr6O11, 11.7 pet Nd2O3, 1.3 pet Sm2O3, and 34.3 pet La2O3, and others.2

Jan 3, 1959

By P. W. Bakarian, John C. McDonald

Three magnesium alloys were processed in various ways to exhibit a wide variation in the ratios of yield strength and tensile strength in the rolling direction compared to the cross-rolling direction. Basal-plane pole figures were prepared from several specimens. A fair correlation was observed between the property ratios and the ratio of percent of poles oriented in the cross-direction quadrants compared to the percent oriented in the rolling-direction quadrants of the pole figures. THE modes by which magnesium crystals deform are such as to lead to marked preferred orientations in all forms of wrought products. The effect of the active modes at room temperature, coupled with these orientations, is often to produce a lower compressive yield stress compared to the tensile yield stress. The phenomenon is due to easy twinning in compression, and has been well-related to the preferred orientations as described by basal-plane pole figures of the hcp magnesium single crystal. The literature contains some information on the variation with test direction of the tensile properties of sheet, but no quantitative relationship to the observed pole figures has been established. These effects have been reviewed in the few com- prehensive treatises in English which have been written on magnesium technology and metallurgy.1°3 Roberts presents several pole figures, but no tensile-property data in the plane of the sheet. Raynor has no pole figures, but quotes Frommer's4 results. The information in Beck's compendium more or less parallels the results of Jones and powell.5 In both a Mg + 1.5 Mn alloy and a Mg + 4.6 A1 alloy, cold rolling was found not to change the general situation of higher properties in the cross-rolling direction,* than in the rolling direction. Thomas'6 X-ray studies of Jones and Powell's specimens did not permit correlation of properties and preferred orientation. Ansel and Betterton7 report tensile and compressive properties on three other alloys as a function of degree of cold rolling, plus a recrystallizing anneal. As rolled, there was a change in anisotropy with degree of reduction, but all alloys were reasonably isotropic in tension when annealed. X-ray diffraction photograms illustrated the kinds of orientations present, but were not correlated with the properties. Bakarian8 has described a method of determining quantitatively a preferred orientation, and illustrated the method by applying it to pure magnesium and two of its alloys. This method was used in the present work as a basis for correlating the strength properties with the texture.

Jan 1, 1965