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By D. R. Snow

The year 1930 stands out in the petroleum industry as an exceptional one in many ways. It is one of the few years in its history during which crude oil production declined from that of the previous year in nearly every important producing district in the United States and in the world as a whole. World production of crude oil declined approximately 81,000,000 bbl., from 1,484,451,000 bbl. in 1929 to 1,403,500,000 bbl. in 1930. Production of crude oil in the United States declined approximately 111,000,000 bbl., from 1,007,323,000 bbl. in 1929 to a production of 896,265,000 bbl. in 1930. World production outside of the United States increased approximately 30,000,000 bbl., due principally to the increased production in Russia. This, together with the decided decrease of production in the United States, resulted in a smaller percentage of world production in the United States than in any other year since 1921. This declining production occurred in the face of the greatest visible supply in the form of potential production that the industry has ever known and was clearly the result of the great efforts put forward to restrict production, both by proration and by unitization. Throughout the year, developments along the lines of proration and unitization have overshadowed all other developments in the minds of those interested in the oil industry and will, no doubt, continue to do so more and more in the future, as it is quite evident that the industry cannot hope to maintain itself in a profitable position, without some rational plan of bringing about a better balance between supply and demand than has existed in the past. The successful operation of the Van field unitization agreement and the recently completed Kettleman Hills plan are indicative of what mag be expected in the future along this line. That real progress has been made in this direction is shown by the fact that total crude oil stocks in the United States were decreased by approximately 28,000,000 bbl. during the year 1930. This is the only year on record during which such a decrease of crude oil stocks was accompanied by a severely declining price structure. This reduction of crude stocks is apparently continuing even after the price has reached its present low level, indicating that there is no

Jan 1, 1931

Jan 1, 1932

By L. S. Panyity

The question of natural-gas supply is receiving careful consideration in many parts of the country, as in the winter months it is quite a problem to have on hand sufficient gas to satisfy the demand. Increasing the output of wells by the application of vacuum has been tried with various results and large companies have attempted to keep up the supply with gas compressors. The possibility of storing natural gas in the sands of exhausted gas pools has been tried in a few instances with satisfactory results. This method may prove of practical value in solving the problem, especially in the case of towns that formerly obtained gas from their immediate vicinity, but now must search for new pools. Town Plant Regulator High Pressure Line Exhausted Gas Field used for Storage Producing Gas Field FIG. 1. In all cases, only part of the available supply is utilized during the warns weather, so that many wells are shut-in, yet during the winter months, the supply is not sufficient even with all the wells on the line; in such cases it would be of great value if a large volume of stored gas were on hand, obtained through wells that would have been standing idle during the summer.

Jan 1, 1919

By R. F. Mehl, J. T. Ransom

For many years the Metals Research Laboratory of Carnegie Institute of Technology has been concerned with the statistical nature of the engineering properties of steel from an experimental viewpoint, particularly those properties representing ductility.' In the past three years new work has been directed toward evaluating the statistical nature of the endurance properties. It has been shown that both the fracture curve and the endurance limit in fatigue are markedly statistical in nature. The S-N curve (and the endurance limit) of ferrous materials is often determined with specimens which number as few as ten. The common procedure is to test the first specimen at a stress well above the expected endurance hmit. Each succeeding specimen is then tested at a progressively lower stress, until, after five or six tests, a specimen runs ten million or so cycles without failing. Two or three more specimens are then used to find the highest stress at which failure will not occur; the limiting stress determined in this way is called the endurance limit. It has now been found, however, that the variability in the fracture curve and in the endurance limit in heat-treated alloy forging steels is so great that S-N curves must be drawn on the basis of distribution curves which can be appraised only by statistical methods. Two methods have been adopted in this study: (1) straightforward statistical studies of cycles to fracture of a number of specimens at each of a series of stress levels, and (2) a new abbreviated statistical method, known as "staircase testing."2 The latter corisists in testing a series of specimens, one by one, with the test stress for any given specimen automatically

Jan 1, 1950

The Committee appointed by your Board of Directors to nominate Officers for the Institute for the year 1915 invites the participation of all members in the nominations. The suggestion of names for the various offices will be appreciated and given full consideration when making the selection of candidates which this Committee will recommend. The officers to be elected at the annual meeting in February, 1915, are: One officer, known as Director and President. Two officers, known as Director and Vice-President. Five officers, known as Director. The attention of members is called to Articles V and VII of the Constitution, and to By-Law XIII, which reads as follows:

Jan 6, 1914

The Editor, with the full realization of his own forgetfulness of political duties until it is brought to his attention perhaps by some unfavorable election already. consummated, wishes to remind the thinking men who compose the body of the membership of this Institute that never before in the history of the country has it been so important that we should be represented at Washington, and in our State Legislatures, by men of vision, high character, courage, broad experience in the more important affairs of life, and undoubted loyalty. Let us all endeavor to secure the nomination and election of this type of man, and let us, each in his own district (which collectively will represent practically every important locality in the Union) carefully scrutinize all candidates for election and work for the-best one who seems to have any chance of being. successful. Let its place ourselves in communication with political leaders, newspaper men of prominence, and public men generally, strengthening our own appreciation of the importance of the election at this time and cooperating for the purpose of obtaining candidates of the highest character. Upon the men of intellect depends chiefly the burden of wise selections at this time. Congressional elections will occur this Fall in the following states:

Jan 8, 1918

By Mark C. Malamphy, Irnack C. Do Amaral

Four magnetic fleld balances and several spare magnetic systems were purchased by the Brazilian National Department of Mineral Production from the Askania Werke A. G., of Berlin, in 1932. Preliminary field tests on this new equipment showed one of the vertical component magnetic systems to be defective. A series of measurements designed to investigate the functioning of these instruments, and particularly the defective system, showed it to have an abnormally low magnetic moment, as compared to the satisfactory systems, and a high-temperature correction that was opposite in sign to that which would be expected for a noncompensated magnetic system. Since these systems were of the "temperature compensated" type, this condition indicated an accidental overcompensation. Attempts to correct for this overcompensation by readjustment of the compensating masses on the aluminum and Invar spindles failed because the distance by which the position of the masses could be shifted was insufficient. The temperature effect was reduced by this readjustment but was not entirely eliminated, as was to be desired. Theoretical deductions indicated that the defective condition of the system could be explained as due to three possible causes: (1) considerable loss of magnetic moment of the system; (2) increase in the magnetic temperature coefficient of the laminas; (3) dislocation of the component parts of the system caused by a shock experienced after it left the factory and before it was tested in Brazil. Later information received from the factory after examination of the returned system indicated that the third cause probably played the most important role. Temperature calibrations of the defective system for various positions of the counterweights brought out an important point, which it is believed

Jan 1, 1940

By Irnack C. Do Amaral, Mark C. Malamphy

Four magnetic fleld balances and several spare magnetic systems were purchased by the Brazilian National Department of Mineral Production from the Askania Werke A. G., of Berlin, in 1932. Preliminary field tests on this new equipment showed one of the vertical component magnetic systems to be defective. A series of measurements designed to investigate the functioning of these instruments, and particularly the defective system, showed it to have an abnormally low magnetic moment, as compared to the satisfactory systems, and a high-temperature correction that was opposite in sign to that which would be expected for a noncompensated magnetic system. Since these systems were of the "temperature compensated" type, this condition indicated an accidental overcompensation. Attempts to correct for this overcompensation by readjustment of the compensating masses on the aluminum and Invar spindles failed because the distance by which the position of the masses could be shifted was insufficient. The temperature effect was reduced by this readjustment but was not entirely eliminated, as was to be desired. Theoretical deductions indicated that the defective condition of the system could be explained as due to three possible causes: (1) considerable loss of magnetic moment of the system; (2) increase in the magnetic temperature coefficient of the laminas; (3) dislocation of the component parts of the system caused by a shock experienced after it left the factory and before it was tested in Brazil. Later information received from the factory after examination of the returned system indicated that the third cause probably played the most important role. Temperature calibrations of the defective system for various positions of the counterweights brought out an important point, which it is believed

Jan 1, 1940

By C. P. Watson

It is perhaps significant that a few years ago the sessions held here were chiefly occupied with production. In the last two years these sessions have been concerned with production curtailment, unitization and conservation, notwithstanding that production in the United States in 1929 reached a total in excess of 1,000,000,000 barrels. A study of the leading producing units in the United States shows that Oklahoma, Texas and California in 1929 yielded 84 per cent. of the total production from 33.5 per cent. of the total number of producing wells. Production in the United States in 1929 showed an increase of 107,000,000 bbl. over the 1928 figures. This increase in itself perhaps is not enough to have caused the serious situation that is now confronting the industry. However, taking into account the gradual encroachment on the consumption of fuel oil through the greater utilization of natural gas, probably we have reached the point in the United States where prices will determine to a large extent,' in 1930, the amount that will be produced. In the states of Texas, Oklahoma and California, the most significant developmcnt of 1929 has been the desire of operators to reach some agreement to bring production more or less in control with the estimated demand. In November, production in California, particularly in the Santa Fe Springs field, was drastically cut to meet a certain requirement. Similarly, in Texas, the Yates field has been developed and has been producing under an agreement on the part of the operators; and more recently in Oklahoma City, serious efforts have been made to keep produetion in line with consumption. For the year 1930 we can see nothing in sight except drastic curtailment. This is a matter that I am sure is occupying the attention of all the leaders of the industry.

Jan 1, 1930

F. McMillan Stanton was born in New York City on May 23, 1865, the son of an English father and of a mother whose family was linked with that of Peter Stuyvesant. Mr. Stanton took his degree from the School of Mines of Columbia University in 1887, worked for two years as an assayer and surveyor and then went into the mining field on his own account. After a few years, he was offered a position with the Atlantic Mining Co., and began the work which was to continue with marked success for twenty-three years. In 1910, Mr. Stanton retired and went to Europe for a rest. Upon his return in 1914, he was elected treasurer and director of the Mohawk Mining Co., the Wolverine Copper Mining Co. and the Michigan Copper Mining Co., to which group was later added the White Pine Extension, Copper Co., and continued to serve these companies until the time of his death, Sept. 12, 1916.

Jan 12, 1916

Jan 1, 1965

Jan 1, 1962

Jan 1, 1931

Jan 1, 1932

Jan 1, 1917

Jan 1, 1930

By P. Barnes

These furnaces are of the ordinary Siemens type, and present no special peculiarities of construction. The bed of each is 8 feet by 20 feet clear inside of the walls and ports. The producers are placed at a distance of about 200 feet from the furnaces, and the gas is collected in an iron tube and led across the yard overhead. It then drops underground into the gas flue, and is distributed to the furnaces. A considerable weight of floor-plates over the valve-pits is included in account 39, but none of the general stock of floor-plates for the mill were charged to the furnaces. In Table No. 1 is shown the money cost of the furnaces as distributed to the several accounts named. In Table 2 is shown the proportion of each account due to each of the several items or classes of expenditure named.. It is thus rendered possible, almost at a glance, to determine the money value in this particular case of each of the items named. The regular work of three of these furnaces in heating steel blooms for the months of January and February, 1877, was 77 rounds per week of 60 blooms each, or 4620 30-foot rails per week. Each furnace will heat 8 14-inch ingots, for three rails each, at one time.

Jan 1, 1879

By N. A. Ziegler

THE present publication is a continuation of the work on gas analysis, described in a paper presented before the Institute of Metals Division a year ago.1 While that paper was largely descriptive in character, dealing with the various parts of the apparatus and method of operations, the present one gives numerical data obtained as a result of a series of experiments with iron-carbon alloys. The apparatus and the methods applied are essentially the same as previously described, changes being only in minor details. Attention should be called to the fact that in the present work we are dealing with the gaseous mixtures obtained as a result of vacuum melting of various ferrous alloys. It should be understood that when the terms "degasified sample" and "products of degasification" are used, they refer to the sample remaining after the vacuum fusion of the alloy and the gaseous products removed therefrom, respectively. The writer does not wish to create the impression that the metallic products of this process are absolutely free from any gaseous elements, nor that the gases obtained are present as such in the original sample. These two points are not yet definitely known and are subjects for future investigation. The point, however, which has been established beyond doubt, is that all the gases dealt with come from the metallic charge and are present either in the charge as such, or are produced as a result of chemical reactions going on within the charge.. The suggestion that the gases are due to the reactions between the metallic charge and the refractory materials has no valid basis.

Jan 1, 1929

The New York Meeting this year will-be held from Monday, February 19 to Thursday, February 22. The Committee on Arrangements, the personnel of which is given elsewhere in this Bulletin, is making plans to duplicate the conspicuous success of last year's meeting in New York. The papers to be read at this meeting, it is believed, furnish material for interesting and profitable technical sessions and symposiums. The social features are being carefully planned since it is believed that these form an important part of such meetings; several functions are to be, given with the object of fostering the get-together, know-each-other-better spirit. Ladies are invited to attend this meeting and participate in the various affairs planned by the Ladies' Committee and by the Committee on Arrangements. This preliminary notice is given in order that members may make their plans now to be in Now York at the time of the meeting. Full details will be sent to the membership through the mails as soon as the program has been definitely fixed.

Jan 1, 1917

Jan 1, 1947