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By G. G. Priest, B. E. Morgan

The production of oil and gas from wells is often seriously hindered by the compaction of solids in the perforations during the perforating process. To realize the full productive capacity of a well, it is necessary either to remove the plugging material from the perforations or to perforate in a manner which does not cause plugging of the perforations. The latter method can be accomplished by having a non-plugging fluid in the casing at the time the well is perforated. This paper describes the results of laboratory tests, perforating tests, and experimental field tests which demonstrate that certain emulsions serve effectively as non-plugging perforating fluids. The principal components of these emulsions are two liquids: an aqueous phase consisting of a solution of either sodium chloride or calcium chloride, and an oil phase consisting of diesel oil, tetrachloroethylene, or a combination of both. Small amounts of other agents which serve to stubilize the emulsions, to reduce the fluid loss, and to inhibit corrosion are also present. The density of the emulsions is controllable within the range of 7.5 to 12.5 lb/gal; no insoluble solids are present, the filtration rate is low, and the thermal stability is satisfactory at temperatures as high as 200°F. The corrosion of steel by these emulsions is negligible. Tests conducted under conditions which simulate the temperature and the pressure in an actual well demonstrate that these emulsions fulfill the requirements of a non-plugging perforating fluid. In addition, lirnited field experience furnishes evidence that these emulsions remain in position after they are spotted, that they are retained in the casing after the perforations are made, and that they are easily removed from the perforations when the well is opened for production. When the pressure in the borehole is greater than the formation pressure at the time a well is perforated, plugging of the perforations can be avoided by spotting an emulsion adjacent the interval to be perforated. This procedure should eliminate low well productivity caused by plugging the perforations. INTRODUCTION Nature of Problem The most widely used method for the completion of oil and gas wells is to set and cement casing through productive horizons, and then to obtain production by gun-perforating the section of casing opposite the desired interval. This method is gen- erally successful and it was thought at one time that those failures which did occur were due to insufficient penetration by the perforator. Despite recent improvements in perforators which assure ample penetration, unsatisfactory fluid production continues to be a problem. Evidently, the trouble comes from some other source. Recent results obtained by Allen and Worzel1 demonstrated that low fluid productivity may be caused by the perforating process and/or by the fluid in the wellbore at the time of shooting. They found that perforations are often completely plugged by debris from the perforator, pulverized sand from the formation, and compacted solids from the drilling mud when the pressure in the wellbore is greater than the pressure in the formation at the time of perforation. In some cases a differential pressure in excess of 400 psi was required to initiate flow into the well through these plugged perforations. The plugging of perforations by solids not only causes low productivity from wells, but it creates simultaneously other problems in the production of oil and gas. For example, when most of the perforations are plugged, high rates of flow must occur through the few perforations that are open. The resulting high pressure drop may cause production

Jan 1, 1958

By M. O. Holowaty, C. M. Squarcy

1750 to 1850: The scene shifts westward across the Alleghenys to the young town of Pittsburgh; charcoal gives way to mineral coal as furnaces grow larger and the blast is heated; above all, Pennsylvania iron is adding strength to the new Nation and building an empire in the West. TWO names are inseparably associated with the Pittsburgh iron industry-those of George Anschutz and John Hayden. The iron ore deposits of southeastern Pennsylvania were found and developed early in the 18th century, and several forges and furnaces were built and operated. It was only after the revolution that the iron men crossed the Susquehanna River, built furnaces in the neighborhood of ore deposits of Franklin County, then along the Juniata River and its valley. Juniata Iron found a ready market in the Pittsburgh area. However, difficulty in transporting it across the Allegheny Mountains induced iron mas¬ters to seek ore and plant locations in the Pittsburgh district. One of the first to reach this area was George Anschutz, who migrated to America in 1789 at the age of 36, reaching Pittsburgh in the fall of 1790. Anschutz immediately set out to organize an iron company in Pittsburgh, and was able to interest some residents in his project. After being informed of an iron ore deposit located only three miles out of town (on the site of the present 26th St. and the Allegheny River) he decided to build there his blast furnace and foundry plant. Total cost of the installation was $300. When the furnace was put in operation, Anschutz, now known as Red George, found that the ore deposit was only an insignificant one and would last no more than a few weeks. A new deposit was found on Roaring Run, in the southeastern corner of Armstrong County. Anschutz transported some of this ore to the mouth of Two Mile Run, where it was loaded on horse wagons and transported to the furnace. In this way, he operated off and on for several months, until the furnace was blown out in 1794. After working for a year as plant manager for John Probst at Langhorntown, he built the Hunting-

Jan 1, 1961

By Joseph D. Weeks

When I presented at the Chicago Meeting of the Institute, in May, 1884, a paper on Hadfield's manganese steel,* which had about that time been brought to the notice of steel manufacturers, I promised to furnish some physical tests of the steel for publication in the Transactions. The fulfilment of the promise then made has been delayed by various circumstances; but I have recently been put in possession of tests of this steel carefully made at the Woolwich, England, arsenal. Messrs. Hadfield & Co. prepared for the arsenal a series of twelve test-pieces, made from the same heat. An analysis of the steel gave the following results: Carbon,.........73 Silicon,.........37 Sulphur,.........06 Phosphorus,. .08 Manganese,...... 9.83 The test-pieces had been heated to a white heat and plunged into cold water prior to being put into the machine. This treatment

Jan 1, 1887

By R. M. Hudson, P. E. Perry

Weight-gain data obtained by nitriding low-carbon sheet steel in an amrnonia CNH,) atmosphere indicated that the process obeyed a parabolic rate law. The calculated actization energy for nitriding in the range 964" to 1268°F agreed reasonably well with published data. At 1358"F, rate data indicated that the activation energy decreased. Weight-gain data obtained by uszng mixtures of NH3 -Nz at 1268°F containzng jrom 10 to 100 zol pct NH3 also obeyed a parabolic rate law. The rate of 'nitriding increased with an increase in the NH3 content of the gas Mixture. It is well-known that steel heated in gas mixtures containing ammonia (NH3) takes up much larger quantities of nitrogen than steel heated in nitrogen, both gases having a total pressure of 1 atm;' this phenomenon can presumably be attributed to the catalytic decomposition of NH3 on the steel surface to furnish nascent (monatomic) nitrogen. This process was studied bv Brunauer. Jefferson, Emmett, and Hend-ricks at furnace temperatures of 752" and 831°F2 using mixtures of NH3 in Hz. Englehardt and wagner3 reported that, at a furnace temperature of 914°F and under their experimental conditions, both nitriding and denitriding were controlled by the rate of gas-metal reactions at a steel surface rather than by the rate of diffusion of nitrogen in iron. The present study was undertaken to obtain information on the kinetics of nitriding low-carbon steel strip at higher temperatures so that practical rates for short-time strip-annealing treatments could be estimated. Variables studied included time: temperature, and NH, content in the annealing atmosphere. Mechanical and chemical characteristics of steel nitrided in this manner will not be considered in the present article. MATERIALS AND EXPERIMENTAL WORK The samples used were from a commercial low-carbon steel, 0.0244 cm thick, in the cold-reduced condition. The chemical composition of this steel is given in Table I. Panels were cut to 5.1 by 17.8 cm, degreased in toluene, and weighed just before treatment. Four specimens were nitrided under each of the experimental conditions. A study was made of the nitriding rate of steel in a 100 vol pct ammonia atmosphere, 740 mm pressure, at five specific temperatures within the range 964" to 1358°F. The nitriding rates of steel in ammonia-nitrogen gas mixtures containing 10, 18, 26, 50, and 100 vol pct ammonia, 740 mm total pressure, at 1268°F were also determined. All atmospheres used were dried by successively passing them through drying towers packed with soda lime and with Linde Molecular sieve Type 4A. Quoted gas compositions refer to those entering the furnace. Specimens were held in the constant-temperature zone of a vertical annealing tube furnace for times of 14, 3, 5, 10, or 15 min. Gas flow rates were maintained at 3.8 cu ft per hr, which was nineteen volume changes per hour for the system used. The rate of flow was selected to provide a high level of free NH3 for cracking on the steel surface where the ammonia gas is most effectively used as a nitriding agent. The vertical annealing tube furnace consisted of a Hevi-Duty tube furnace with a 2 1/2-in.-ID mullite ceramic high-temperature tube. The constant-temperature zone (controlled within 10°F) was about 10 in. long. After each specimen was degreased, a hole was punched in one end, for attaching the specimen by hook to a chain so that it could be lowered into or raised from the high-temperature portion of the tube by means of a power-driven winch. A stainless-steel access port with O-ring seals was connected by suitable glass-to-metal seals to the cool upper portion of the furnace tube. After the weighed specimen was placed in the access port, the furnace tube was evacuated to approximately 10"3 torr, and then the system was flushed thoroughly with the atmosphere under study. When the gas flow rate and constant-temperature zone of the furnace were established, the specimen was lowered into the constant-temperature zone. The atmosphere flowed from the top to the bottom of the vertical furnace tube and was then vented. For all these runs, during the first 3 min of the time the specimen was in the constant-temperature zone of the furnace the specimen was heating up to the tempera-

Jan 1, 1970

By G. R. Lehman

The Inspiration Consolidated Copper Co. had an orebody at Miami, Ariz., of close to 100,000,000 tons of low-grade copper ore, and the method of mining this ore most profitably was of great importance. The selection of a method was practically limited to a "top-slicing," a "shrinkage-stope" or a "caving" method. The "top-slicing" method would give a high extraction of the developed ore, at a high mining cost, and the "shrinkage-stope" or "caving" methods a lower extraction of the developed ore, at a lower mining cost. Ore-Drawing Tests To decide on the method to be used it was necessary to know about what extraction of the ore could be obtained by the "shrinkage-stope" or " caving " methods. As no definite information regarding the,question was available at the time, C. E. Mills, the general manager, thought that some information could be obtained by experimenting in drawing ore, covered with capping, from an experimental box. Some work had already been done along these lines by W. C. Browning for the Inspiration Copper Co. and by myself for the Live Oak Development Co. The idea was to represent as nearly as possible, in the experimental box, the conditions within an area of caved stopes of caved ore all ready for drawing. That is, the area was supposed to represent a semibroken mass with the capping above it in the same condition and ready to follow the ore downward as it was drawn out of the chutes under the ore. To represent the above condition, in the experimental box, crushed ore from the mine was placed in it to a given height, and red barren capping from the mine was placed on top of the ore. The Experimental Box The experimental box shown in Fig. 1 was made of wood and glass. The glass was used for the sides so that the drawing action of the outside row of chutes could be seen and noted, the latter being cut in the center by the glass sides. The length of the box was 30 in., width 20 in. and the

Jan 1, 1917

By Irwin Roman

In a previous paper,l a method was suggested for determining the depth to a bed in the simple case of a uniform overlying layer of constant thickness. The main purpose of the present paper is to show how a slight modification of that method has been used to interpret specific data obtained in the upper peninsula of Michigan by the staff of the Depart- ment of Mathematics and Physics of the Michigan College of Mining and Technology. The method of Tagg2 has also been used on the same data, thus furnishing a comparison of the two methods, as well as a method of using the two methods jointly. The method of measuring the apparent resistivity is that suggested by Wenner,3 and illustrated in Fig. 1. A current I enters the earth at the positive pole C and leaves it at the negative pole D. The potential V of the high electrode A, with respect to the low electrode B is measured by suitable means. The separation of the collinear points in the order shown, DBA C, is I, the same for each interval. If the resistivity of the overburden is po, and that of the bed is pa, the apparent resistivity is given by

Jan 1, 1934

By B. D. Thomas

GRAVITY concentration is a general term designating processes for separating and sorting granular material by means of forces that depend on the density, size and shape of the particles. When these forces are applied to the particles the latter are caused to move, those of a given density along one path and those of a different density along another, until ultimately they are sufficiently separated to be removed from the operation of the process. The forces producing this separation are in general complex and, unfortunately, no completely rigorous analysis of them has as yet been devised. The science of the hydrodynamics of viscous fluids deals with the little that is known about the problem. Every observer of nature is familiar with the fact that an object moving in a fluid encounters a force of resistance. We have only to walk against a brisk wind or stir a cup of coffee, or observe the slow fall of a grain of sand in water, to experience directly the fact that such forces exist. The exchange of force between an object and a fluid in which it is moving operates on the fluid as well as on the object. Thus a sailboat may be set in motion by the force exerted by the wind on the sail; but the sail also deflects the wind-furthermore, the water in which the boat floats is set in motion by the force exerted by the boat as it cleaves through the water. The wind is thus enabled to do work on the water through the intermediary of the boat. In general, an object moving through a fluid encounters a force that opposes the motion and also acts to change the motion of the fluid. In gravity concentration we are dealing with this force of resistance acting - on the granular particles that are to be separated. Furthermore, the motion induced in the fluid by a particle will in turn affect the motion of a neighboring particle. This effect will be reciprocated and in consequence there will be an exchange of forces between all the particles in the material. These effects are complex and the most that can be expected is that we may be able to determine in a qualitative way how they operate. In gravity concentration, then, the following types of forces may be distinguished as acting on the particles: 1. The force of gravity, which acts on every particle in the system in proportion to its mass. 2. Buoyant forces, which arise from the force of gravity acting on the fluid.

Jan 1, 1950

By C. W. Thompson

The two-way belt conveyor for coal mine service simultaneously carries coal from faces and transports men and supplies into the mine, largely eliminating the necessity for rubber-tired supply and man haulage equipment and the necessity of maintaining additional headings.

Jan 9, 1953

By W. S. Landis

IN brief, this is the story of an attempt to Americanize a process originally developed in Europe. The story will be recited in two sections, the first dealing with the process as developed by the European engineers; the second containing the improvements and modifications of American origin, together with some details of the operating results of the unit as finally assembled. Developments in other directions in this same field have not, up to the present, pointed out an economic future for the process, therefore our record here is largely a report of development progress. Whether some particularly favorable location will be found at some future time for a commercial installation cannot as yet be fore-told. The project is now at a standstill. The peculiar tools of the electrometallurgist should be of great interest to the zinc smelter. The low thermal efficiency of the zinc retort, its comparatively small-scale unit and its intermittent cycle as it stood in 1925, should make this art a particularly fertile field for the electric fur-nace. Yet in spite of years of work recorded in volumes of literature, and an expenditure of large sums of money, there is not a single electrothermic zinc smelter operating anywhere in the world. In this industry the electric furnace plays only a secondary part today.

Jan 1, 1936

By Allen J. Johnson

With a realization of the rapidly increasing importance of automatic stokers as a medium for domestic heating, the Anthracite Institute Laboratory has conducted extensive investigations, over a period of several years, to determine the various outstanding characteristics of stoker design and performance. The purpose of this paper is to summarize these findings as a guide to current practices. Stokees Investigated One or more models of the underfeed stokers listed below were included in the various phases of this investigation: Beckley Gilkoal Burnwell Iron Fireman Combustioneer Motor Stokor Electric Furnace Man Norristown Super-stoker Erie Heat Generator Whitney Fire Ball (Tests Incomplete.) Fuel Saver Principles of Construction.—The operating principle of the leading makes of underfeed stokers is similar (Fig. 1). A plunger1 or slowly revolving worm2, conveys the buckwheat or rice sizes of anthracite to the center of a specially constructed tuyere pot where air is admitted to the coal through suitable ports of varying design. As the fuel burns, it is slowly forced to the outside circumference of the tuyere by the pressure of the incoming coal; eventually the ash falls over the edge of the pot, either entirely by gravity or aided by mechanical sweepers. In at least one model, the entire firepot revolves. While various special details have been included in the design of a number of stokers, they do not affect the general principles as described above, and therefore have not been included in this discussion.

Jan 1, 1936

By Allen J. Johnson

With a realization of the rapidly increasing importance of automatic stokers as a medium for domestic heating, the Anthracite Institute Laboratory has conducted extensive investigations, over a period of several years, to determine the various outstanding characteristics of stoker design and performance. The purpose of this paper is to summarize these findings as a guide to current practices. Stokees Investigated One or more models of the underfeed stokers listed below were included in the various phases of this investigation: Beckley Gilkoal Burnwell Iron Fireman Combustioneer Motor Stokor Electric Furnace Man Norristown Super-stoker Erie Heat Generator Whitney Fire Ball (Tests Incomplete.) Fuel Saver Principles of Construction.—The operating principle of the leading makes of underfeed stokers is similar (Fig. 1). A plunger1 or slowly revolving worm2, conveys the buckwheat or rice sizes of anthracite to the center of a specially constructed tuyere pot where air is admitted to the coal through suitable ports of varying design. As the fuel burns, it is slowly forced to the outside circumference of the tuyere by the pressure of the incoming coal; eventually the ash falls over the edge of the pot, either entirely by gravity or aided by mechanical sweepers. In at least one model, the entire firepot revolves. While various special details have been included in the design of a number of stokers, they do not affect the general principles as described above, and therefore have not been included in this discussion.

Jan 1, 1936

By Edward H. Robie

EIGHT years ago in this department we had a column on the daiquiri cocktail, which, as we pointed out at that time, was invented by mining engineers. Since then we have said little or nothing about alcoholic drinks, but having set the precedent perhaps we may now pass along a little information about martinis. We have observed that as an aperitif the martini has become increasingly popular with men, so much so that we always feel a bit peculiar if we order something else. And the call is not for just a martini either; it must be a dry martini, and some of our friends are extremely particular on this point. The matter has achieved such importance that The New York Times devoted half a page to it a few Sundays back. Several recipes are given which may be useful to some of our members when entertaining visitors from this part of the country: The standard martini is said to be half gin, half Italian vermouth, two dashes orange bitters, and a pickled onion and twist of lemon peel. This progresses to the very dry martini, which calls for five parts gin and one part vermouth with an onion, olive, or lemon peel. Several alternatives are offered for the manufacture of the very, very dry martini. One is to pour a little vermouth into the mixing glass and pour it out again before mixing gin and ice. A second way is to put the ice in a sieve, hold it over the sink, and pour a little vermouth over it; then put the ice in the mixing glass. A third is to let the draft from an electric fan blow across an open vermouth bottle toward the mixing glass. Then the ultimate is the awfully dry martini, obtained by setting the vermouth bottle next to the mixing glass and turning the bottle slowly so that the label is exposed to the gin for perhaps a second. The Times notes that Mr. Martini himself personally prefers vermouth and soda.

Jan 1, 1952

By Clarence E. Killebrew

The key to the successful use of any tool, more than anything else, depends upon proper application assignment. To achieve this, the individual having such machine responsibility must maintain fresh knowledge of technical improvements that broaden machine uses. 8.3-1. Tractor Shovel. This type machine is available in a wide range of sizes mounted either on crawler tracks or rubber-tired wheels, with both two-wheel and four-wheel drive. The original concept in both crawler and rubber mounting was that of an attachment to be added to a tractor already in existence. This served as an important expedient for the introduction of the tool, but the basic tractor proved to be inadequately designed for the additional loads. In spite of these structural inadequencies, customer acceptance generated sufficient revenue that further development could be financed for product improvement. The evolution of the product is continuing in many ways-including engines, drive line components, tires, hydraulic pumps, hydraulic valves, structural steel, etc. With each improvement, the operating capability of the machine is extended. This is resulting in the rubber-tired, four-wheel-drive concept making an invasion of the job applications that were formerly considered suitable only for crawler-track mounted machines. Both rubber- and crawler-mounted tractor shovels have invaded the market of small excavator shovels. Larger tractor shovels are challenging the larger size excavators. It is important that each job application be carefully considered so that the proper machine is put in operation. The performance varies widely in operating cost, production efficiency, and job flexibility. Factors to be considered in equipment selection are: 1. Nature of material to be moved 3. Distance material must be moved 2. Surface over which material must be moved 4. Quantity to be moved 5. Secondary or alternate use capability

Jan 1, 1968

By A. J. Lynch, E. V. Manlapig, J. H. Fewings, D. J. McKee

Progress in the development of an automatic control system for the chalcopyrite flotation circuit at Mount Isa Mines Limited is discussed. Preliminary studies have shown that the operating grade/ recovery curve for a sulphide flotation circuit is established by rougher-scavenger behaviour and the operating point on that curve by cleaner-retreatment behaviour. The control strategy of the rougher-scavenger banks involved regulation of xanthate to maintain recovery and control of air to seek the optimum grade/recovery curve. Control of the cleaner circuit to maintain the correct operating point of the plant relative to the ore entering it will be by air. Pulp levels will be used as an additional controllable variable in due course. Sensing instruments include a “Courier” on-stream analyser and several mass flow metering systems each of which contains a magnetic flow meter and a gama gauge. Measurements of concentrate grades and recoveries are made as early as possible in the rougher bank so that a change in the ore entering the plant can be detected as soon as possible. Over a period of six months from initial control systems application, computer control of xanthate resulted in an overall reduction in consumption of 10%. Experimental work has indicated that improved metallurgical performance will result from the introduction of additional air and level control loops.

Jan 1, 1976

By P. F. Gnirk

Consideration is given to creater formation with shallow, contained, chemical explosions in rock masses which exhibit different inherent physical and mechanical properties as determined by standard laboratory techniques. The primary purpose is to determine whether or not a simple but useful generalized correlation can be established between explosive crater formation and one or more common rock properties. Such a correlation could be beneficial in predicting with some degree of reliability the size of a crater which could be expected in a particular rock type for a given input of explosive energy. A series of crater formation experiments employing constant weight charges of Gelex 2 explosive was conducted in five submembers of the taconite formation at the eastern end of the Mesabi Range in northeastern Minnesota. Five mechanical and physical properties-unconfined tensile and compressive strengths, Young's modulus of elasticity, longitudinal wave velocity, and density-were determined by conventional laboratory techniques using core samples from the taconite submembers. Although insufficient data were obtained to warrant the use of mathematical methods in the determination of empirical relationships, the results provided a fairly strong indication that with an increase in magnitude of any one of the five rock properties definite decreases in the optimum crater volume and surface area occur. Furthermore, for a constant explosive energy input, the presence of bedding planes and joint systems in a rock mass influences the formation of craters in such a manner as to increase the volume of rock broken substantially above that expected from the same rock mass without joint systems and, in particular, without bedding planes.

Jan 1, 1968

By H. W. Gillett

Many of the parts of motor cars, aircraft, etc., that require strong light construction, hence must be made of high-quality steel, are stressed to the maximum limit only in a very small volume. In parts subject to bending stress a line or even a point may take the maximum stress. A series of endurance tests under repeated bending in progress in the U. S. Bureau of Mines laboratories, like similar tests by other investigators, has shown the great difference in life of sister bars of the same stecl, handled in the same way and tested at the same nominal stress. It is known that a surface notch or scratch greatly increases the local stress over the nominal calculated stress; internal notches, such as those formed by inclusions or sonims, probably have a similar effect. From the tetss made by the Bureau of Mines, the cleanliness of the steel at the dangerous section, or point of maximum stress, seems to be one of the most important factors in determining the life of the piece. The more localized the stress, the more does chance, rather than the average properties, dctermine the life of the steel. The usual test, a tension test of a bar taken longitudinally, is not sensitive to the local drop in strength (or tendency to increase the true local stress over the nominal) because of inclusions, which probably have a more injurious effect in hard heat-treated steels, such as must be used when great strength is sought, than in softer steels. Users of steel who make transverse tests find surprisingly low ductility on transverse bars of dirty steel, though the longitudinal tests may be good. Bending tests, reverse bending tests, and notch-bar impact tests,

Jan 1, 1923

By H. W. Gillett

Many of the parts of motor cars, aircraft, etc., that require strong light construction, hence must be made of high-quality steel, are stressed to the maximum limit only in a very small volume. In parts subject to bending stress a line or even a point may take the maximum stress. A series of endurance tests under repeated bending in progress in the U. S. Bureau of Mines laboratories, like similar tests by other investigators, has shown the great difference in life of sister bars of the same stecl, handled in the same way and tested at the same nominal stress. It is known that a surface notch or scratch greatly increases the local stress over the nominal calculated stress; internal notches, such as those formed by inclusions or sonims, probably have a similar effect. From the tetss made by the Bureau of Mines, the cleanliness of the steel at the dangerous section, or point of maximum stress, seems to be one of the most important factors in determining the life of the piece. The more localized the stress, the more does chance, rather than the average properties, dctermine the life of the steel. The usual test, a tension test of a bar taken longitudinally, is not sensitive to the local drop in strength (or tendency to increase the true local stress over the nominal) because of inclusions, which probably have a more injurious effect in hard heat-treated steels, such as must be used when great strength is sought, than in softer steels. Users of steel who make transverse tests find surprisingly low ductility on transverse bars of dirty steel, though the longitudinal tests may be good. Bending tests, reverse bending tests, and notch-bar impact tests,

Jan 1, 1923

By R. P. Alger, J. S. Wahl, C. W. Johnstone, J. Tittman

To overcome the problems of mudcake and hole irregularities, the new compensated formation density logging device employs two detectors spaced at different intervals from the source. The detector at the shorter spacing is particularly sensitive to the density of material immediately adjacent to the face of the pad. The contribution of this material, which includes mudcake and minor wall irregularities, affects the response of each detector to a different degree. The signals from both detectors are combined to give automatically a density correction which is added to the uncompensated density information from the detector at the longer spacing. Both the compensated density measurement and the amount of compensation are then recorded on the log. With the unwanted borehole effects removed, the measurement is recorded directly in terms of bulk density on a linear scale. INTRODUCTION Formation density is a very useful and diagnostic parameter for formation evaluation. When the matrix lithology is known, porosity is accurately and readily computed from density data.'-" hen the density measurements are used with other porosity-responsive measurements, such as Sonic and Neutron logs, both lithology and porosity may be defined with good accuracy."'" In the past, however, application of density logs was complicated by the need for corrections to obtain true formation densities from the log values. Mudcakes on permeable formations and roughness of the borehole walls have been particularly troublesome since, in each case, the device was prevented from direct contact with the formation. ~ttempts have been made to correct for such conditions by making a simultaneous caliper log, estimating pad standoff, and assuming knowledge of the composition of the intervening materials. While such corrections are frequently accurate, they are not always reliable because of uncertainties in the pad standoff and material composition. A further complication was the necessity for manual conversion of log counting rates to density. The newly introduced compensated formation density logging device (FDC) automatically corrects for mudcake and minor wall irregularities, and provides a log that is scaled directly in bulk density. The purpose of this paper is to discuss briefly the equipment, to explain the theoretical considerations involved in the compensation, and to present field examples of this new log. COMPENSATED FORMATION DENSITY EQUIPMENT The FDC tool incorporates two major advances over previous density logging devices: a second detector, spaced closer to the gamma ray source to provide increased sensitivity to material close to the pad; and the automatic derivation of a corrected formation density from the two counting rates. The arrangement of the source and detectors is shown in Fig. 1. The longer spacing detector is at the same spacing from the source and gives the same response as the single detector in the previous uncompensated device. By appropriate combination of the outputs of the two detectors, the FDC tool is able to compensate in large measure for effects of mudcake and hole rugosity. This is achieved, as will be described later, without specific knowledge of either the thickness or the nature of material between the pad and formation. To obtain corrected formation density, the two count rates are automatically processed by an analog computer in the surface panel. More specifically, the computer derives a value of uncompensated formation density from the long-spacing counting rate, computes a density correction p using both the long and the short spacing count-

Jan 1, 1965

By J. W. Downey, J. B. Darby, L. J. Norton

THE only previous investigation of the phase equilibria in the Ta-Pd system was reported by Greenfield and Beck.1 Their work (actually a portion of a much broader survey) was limited to the composition range 50 to 75 at. pct Ta and to a single temperature, 1000°C. The results indicated that no intermediate phases were present at this temperature. They pointed out that this was an unexpected result in view of the fact that niobium, which belongs to the same group in the periodic table as tantalum and has essentially the same atomic size, forms a o phase with palladium.' Also, tantalum in combination with rhodium,' iridium,' or platinum' stabilizes the s phase. By analogy, the Ta-Pd system would also be expected to contain a s phase. The present investigation was therefore undertaken to explore more fully the phase relationships in this system. Alloys were prepared by arc melting on a water-cooled copper hearth in an argon-helium atmosphere. The purity of the starting materials was greater than 99.9 pct. The weight losses on melting were less than 1 pct and therefore the alloys were not analyzed chemically. Specimens were wrapped in molybdenum foil, encapsulated in quartz capsules under a vacuum of at least 1 x 10-5 mm of Hg, annealed as indicated in Table I, and water quenched. Optical and X-ray metallography were used for identifying the phases present in the annealed and quenched alloys. The alloys were resistant to attack by several acids; however, a sodium cyanide electroetch and an immersion etch containing 1 part HF, 1 part HNO3, 2 parts H2SO4, and 5 parts H2O by volume were found satisfactory. The X-ray diffraction patterns were taken with a Straumanis-type Debye-Scherrer camera and filtered copper or chromium radiation. A summary of the phases found in this investigation is presented in Table I. No attempt was made to determine the composition limits of the various phases. The present results indicate that this system consists of two terminal solid solutions separated by at least four intermediate phases at the approximate compositions Ta3Pd, -TaPd, TaPd,, and TaPd3. The Ta-rich solid solution, containing less than 10 at. pct Pd at 1150°C, is in equilibrium with a o phase which is stable in the vicinity of 25 at. pct Pd. The latter phase is also in equilibrium with a bct phase at the equiatomic composition. At high temperatures it appears that the Pd-rich solid solution extends to at least 66.6 at. pct Pd and is in equilibrium with the bct phase. When annealed at 900°C, a sample containing 66.6 at. pct Pd transformed to an unidentified phase designated as X. An X-ray diffraction pattern of this phase contained sharp low-angle lines while the high-angle lines were characteristically diffuse. The observed d-spacings and relative intensities for lines in the low-angle region are presented in Table 11. In the vicinity of 70 at. pct Pd an intermediate phase having the TiA13-type structure is formed. It is stable to at least 1100°C, and presumably dissolves congruently into the ter-

Jan 1, 1963

By Peter Haasen

INDIUM antimonide has the zincblende structure. A possible defect that does not disturb the indium tetrahedron surrounding any antimony atom in this lattice (or vice versa) is obtained when neighboring

Jan 1, 1958