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By E. I. Larsen, E. F. Swazy, F. R. Hensel

HIGH strength, high-conductivity copper-base alloys have found considerable use in the resistance welding and electrical industry in the form of castings, forgings, or wrought products. There are a number of parts utilized by these industries which would lend themselves to manufacture by powder metallurgical methods provided the required physical and electrical properties are obtainable with such methods. The present paper describes the results of a study of certain copper-base powder metallurgical products susceptible to precipitation hardening. COPPER POWDERS The general types of commercially available copper powders are flake, spherical and electrolytic. Micrographs of these three types are shown in Figs. I, 2 and 3. The difference in particle shape is pronounced and obvious. The type of powder used is determined, or at least indicated, by the final properties desired in the finished article. The type of powder employed during the present investigation was electrolytic powder shown in Fig. 3, and was chosen because of its particular adaptability to the work described in this paper. The screen and chemical analyses of this powder are shown in Table I. In the preparation of compacts of high electrical conductivity, the purity of the copper powder is of importance in addition to other factors, such as density and the state of internal stresses. These variables were studied briefly by pressing a number of compacts to various pressed densities, sintering them for one hour in hydrogen at 975°C. and repressing. The size of the finished compacts was ¼ by ¾ by 8 in. The time interval from the application to the termination of pressure was approximately 20 sec. Some of the compacts were annealed before testing. The results are listed in Figs. 4 to 8, inclusive. [ ] In Fig. 4 the curves of pressed density vs. compacting pressure, and sintered density versus compacting pressure show the typical direct relationship of pressure and density. Compacting pressures exceeding about 30 tons per sq. in. result frequently in expansion during sintering for the type of powder used. Fig 5. indicates that variations in the initial pressed density within the range of about 5 to 6 grams per c. c., affect only slightly the pressure required to obtain a

Jan 1, 1945

By H. P. Greenwald

THOSE interested in the early developments and experiments, both in the United States and abroad, that led to modern rock dusting, will find an excellent summary in a paper by George S. Rice,13 published in 1914. The period from 1914 to 1924 was one of intensive experiment on coal-dust explosions in the United States; abroad, war activities and rehabilitation stopped this work over a large part of that decade. Amer-ican findings were published by the Bureau of Mines, particularly in Bulletins 167 and 268. It is convenient to consider that in the United States rock dusting to prevent coal-dust explosions in mines was initiated in 1924 with the publication of tentative specifications.17 This was followed in 1925 by an investigation of methods and costs12 and approval by the American Engineering Standards Committee of a Recommended American Prac-tice.18 Approximately 13 years have elapsed since this approval, and inasmuch as changes in rock-dusting practice in the United States have been evolutionary, it is necessary to consider this entire period as "recent" in some phases of the work. There have been no official changes in the Recommended American Practice since its approval. This paper reviews as briefly as possible knowledge acquired since the issue of the earlier papers mentioned, through experience in mines and experiments conducted by different organizations engaged in the pro-motion of mine safety.

Jan 1, 1938

By Robert M. Yerkes

The following is a brief account of the methods of measuring intelligence especially prepared for use in the U. S. Army, of typical results, and of some of their immediately practical applications. It has been prepared for the assistance of army examiners and for the information of all who are interested in the relations of scientific placement to military efficiency. Purpose of the Intelligence Tests Under the direction of the Division of Psychology, Medical Department, and in accordance with provisions of War Department General Order No. 74, mental tests are given recruits during the 2-wk. detention period. These tests provide an immediate and reasonably dependable classification of the men according to general intelligence. Their specific purposes are to aid: 1. In the discovery of men whose superior intelligence suggests their consideration for advancement; 2. In the prompt selection and assignment to development battalions of men who are so inferior mentally that they are suited only for selected assignments; 3. In forming organizations of uniform mental strength where such uniformity is desired; 4. In forming organizations of superior mental strength where such superiority is demanded by the nature of the work to be performed; 5. In selecting suitable men for various army duties or for special training in colleges or technical schools; 6. In the early formation of training groups within regiment' or battery in order that each man may receive instruction and drill according to his ability to profit thereby; 7. In the early recognition of the mentally slow as contrasted with the stubborn or disobedient; 8. In the discovery of men whose low-grade intelligence renders them either a burden or a menace to the service.

Jan 1, 1919

By Jr. Ensign C. O., J. W. Trammell

The two principal methods of room-and-pillar mining practiced at White Pine make it important to predict variations in the thickness and rock types of a stratum called the upper sandstone. In full column mining, the nearly barren upper sandstone occurs between two ore horizons (called upper shale and parting shale, respectively), and is mined as a part of the ore column. In general, full column mining is not practiced where excessive upper sandstone thickness causes full column ore grade to be substantially lower than parting shale ore. In parting shale mining, the upper sandstone forms the mine roof. Difficulty in predicting upper sandstone character arose because the extent and directions of its variations were not apparent in the property's diamond drilling, in which holes are spaced on 1000-ft centers. A study of sedimentary features, undertaken to improve the predictability of trends in the upper sandstone, led to an interpretation of the sedimentary environment in which the sandstone was deposited. Ripple marks, mud cracks, and cross-bedding, as well as other, less well known features, such as channel casts, flute casts, and current crescent casts, were mapped or recorded. These data, coupled with the knowledge of regional facies changes gained from studying drill core, show that the upper sandstone was deposited by a series of streams flowing northeastward over the underlying parting shale. Deposition of the lowermost bed of the upper sandstone, near the ancient shoreline, was locally preceded by erosion of the parting shale, and the greatest thicknesses of sandstone are found in channels scoured out of the parting shale. Awareness of the rather strong linear trends in the upper sandstone makes it possible to project continuous areas of thick upper sandstone through apparently isolated "highs" in the upper sandstone thickness contour map, which is based on drill-hole information. Since local exceptions to general stratigraphic trends exist, a method was also needed for esti- mating, in detail, the thickness and degree of shali-ness of upper sandstone forming the roof in active parting shale mining areas. Because locally the parting shale was thinned by erosion during the deposition of upper sandstone, parting shale thickness is inversely proportional to upper sandstone thickness. Utilizing information taken from short drill holes into the roof, curves were constructed for the correlation of parting shale thickness (measurable in the mine) with the upper sandstone total thickness, as well as the thickness of its basal member. The White Pine mine is situated in Ontonagon County, approximately 6 miles south of Lake Superior, in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan (Fig. 1). The orebody mined by White Pine Copper Co. occurs in the lowermost 20 to 25 ft of the Nonesuch formation, a series of middle- to upper-Keweenawan shales, siltstones, and sandstones. This paper discusses the solution of problems in ore grade control and mine planning arising from the presence of an essentially barren sandstone stratum within the orebody. THE OREBODY AND MINING TYPES A brief description of the orebody and mining methods is necessary to show how the upper sandstone affects mine planning and grade control. In the mine, the cupriferous zone of the Nonesuch shale is divided into three major portions, as shown in Fig. 2. Lying conformably on top of the Copper Harbor formation (or "lower sandstone") is the lower part of the orebody, the parting shale. The parting shale is overlain by the upper sandstone. On top of the upper sandstone, the basal portion (8 ft) of the upper shale is quite similar to the parting shale. Both the upper shale and parting shale are divided into a number of smaller stratigraphic units, each having a characteristic copper content, as shown by the histogram of Fig. 2. Other authors1'3 have dealt in detail with the stratigraphy and mineralogy of the orebody. However, in this article, we are concerned with the major subdivisions only, and it will suffice to note the low copper content of the upper sandstone, shown in Fig. 2. At present, two types of room-and-pillar openings are created in the orebody. In one type, called parting

Jan 1, 1964

By H. H. Kaveler

A summary of the reservoir engineering and related geologic data on the Schuler field, Union County, Arkansas, is presented here in a manner intended to interest both technical and nontechnical readers. The Cotton Valley formation and the Reynolds oolite are oil-productive formations in the Schuler field, but the Jones sand pool, at a depth of 7500 ft., developed with 146 wells on zo-acre spacing, is the reservoir of principal interest. The Jones sand sandstone reservoir is an anticlinal trap typically gas-drive or depletion type in performance. The core analyses from 88 per cent of the wells drilled, together with drilling time and electric-log data, yield an accurate estimate of the "productive" sand thickness and its areal distribution over the pool. Accurate production statistics, monthly reservoir-pressure surveys, and bottom-hole sample analyses when correlated by the "material-balance equation" show unusually good agreement with that principle. Estimates of oil initially in place made by the material-balance method and the sand-volume method are in good agreement at 116 to rzo million barrels. The reservoir-pressure history of the pool reflects the reaction of a reservoir to production, proration and secondary-recovery practices. The cost of the extensive program of reservoir study in the Jones sand pool has been estimated, in order to emphasize the value derived from such an investment through better understanding of a reservoir's reaction to production practices. Unit operation of 140 of the 146 Jones sand wells made possible an effective unitized gas-injection pressure-maintenance program. Res-ervoir-pressure decline was arrested, natural flow was maintained, and pumping and lease equipment were conserved. An increased ultimate recovery of zo million barrels beyond the estimated 34 million barrels primary recovery is indicated at present. Extension of the Jones sand unit to include the undeveloped Cotton Valley formation will permit additional recovery of otherwise uneconomic reserves of oil through wells no longer required in the Jones sand operations. Introduction The Schuler field comprises approximately 4000 acres in and about sec. 18, T. 18 S., R. 17 W. in west central Union County, Arkansas. Three reservoirs are procluctive of oil and gas: the Cotton Valley formation, the Jones sand, and the Reynolds oolite section of the Smackover limestone. The Jones sand pool is the most important reservoir from an engineering viewpoint. It possesses the traditional and somewhat classic characteristics usually associated with an anticlinal trap. Development and operations have followed the dictates of advanced engineering practices. The pool has attracted attention because of the unusually detailed reservoir data obtained, its interesting production history, and the success of the unitized gas-injection pres-sure-maintenance operation now being carried out. The purpose of this paper is to present a summary of the engineering data relating to the field, with particular reference to the more interesting general applications of

Jan 1, 1944

By H. H. Kaveler

A summary of the reservoir engineering and related geologic data on the Schuler field, Union County, Arkansas, is presented here in a manner intended to interest both technical and nontechnical readers. The Cotton Valley formation and the Reynolds oolite are oil-productive formations in the Schuler field, but the Jones sand pool, at a depth of 7500 ft., developed with 146 wells on zo-acre spacing, is the reservoir of principal interest. The Jones sand sandstone reservoir is an anticlinal trap typically gas-drive or depletion type in performance. The core analyses from 88 per cent of the wells drilled, together with drilling time and electric-log data, yield an accurate estimate of the "productive" sand thickness and its areal distribution over the pool. Accurate production statistics, monthly reservoir-pressure surveys, and bottom-hole sample analyses when correlated by the "material-balance equation" show unusually good agreement with that principle. Estimates of oil initially in place made by the material-balance method and the sand-volume method are in good agreement at 116 to rzo million barrels. The reservoir-pressure history of the pool reflects the reaction of a reservoir to production, proration and secondary-recovery practices. The cost of the extensive program of reservoir study in the Jones sand pool has been estimated, in order to emphasize the value derived from such an investment through better understanding of a reservoir's reaction to production practices. Unit operation of 140 of the 146 Jones sand wells made possible an effective unitized gas-injection pressure-maintenance program. Res-ervoir-pressure decline was arrested, natural flow was maintained, and pumping and lease equipment were conserved. An increased ultimate recovery of zo million barrels beyond the estimated 34 million barrels primary recovery is indicated at present. Extension of the Jones sand unit to include the undeveloped Cotton Valley formation will permit additional recovery of otherwise uneconomic reserves of oil through wells no longer required in the Jones sand operations. Introduction The Schuler field comprises approximately 4000 acres in and about sec. 18, T. 18 S., R. 17 W. in west central Union County, Arkansas. Three reservoirs are procluctive of oil and gas: the Cotton Valley formation, the Jones sand, and the Reynolds oolite section of the Smackover limestone. The Jones sand pool is the most important reservoir from an engineering viewpoint. It possesses the traditional and somewhat classic characteristics usually associated with an anticlinal trap. Development and operations have followed the dictates of advanced engineering practices. The pool has attracted attention because of the unusually detailed reservoir data obtained, its interesting production history, and the success of the unitized gas-injection pres-sure-maintenance operation now being carried out. The purpose of this paper is to present a summary of the engineering data relating to the field, with particular reference to the more interesting general applications of

Jan 1, 1944

By Portland P. Fox, Berlen C. Moneymaker

The development, within recent years, of core drills capable of drilling holes up to 72 in., or even more, in diameter, has made possible an entirely new and valuable method of geologic exploration. Although little used until recently as an exploratory tool except in the United States, by the Tennessee Valley Authority and the Corps of Engineers of the U. S. Army, for the exploration of damsites, the large-diameter core drill may be used to good advantage in other types of geologic exploration. Its principal utility is that of supplementing, rather than replacing, other means of exploration. Although core is frequently recovered intact, the greatest advantage of large-diameter drilling is that the holes produced are large enough to be entered by the geologist and engineer, and thus afford an excellent means of examining undisturbed rock. The walls of the holes are smoothly cut, and in some rocks nearly or quite polished, so that the most minute details of structure and stratigraphy are clearly disclosed. Such features as faults, joints, bedding planes, weathered "seams," and beds or layers of soft materials, which are not always amenable to disclosure by cores recovered from small-diameter holes, are conspicuously displayed in the walls of large holes. Frequent reference to the drilling of large-diameter holes is made in engineering literature, but comparatively little emphasis has been placed on their value in geologic investigation. It is, therefore, intended that the present paper acquaint the geologist, as well as the engineer, with the large-diameter core drill and the technique involved in its use, and also with its advantages, disadvantages and limitations as an implement of geologic exploration. The Equipment The equipment generally employed in the drilling of large-diameter holes consists of a trunnion-type drill head mounted on a sliding base, which allows it to slide clear of the hole and thus permit the introduction

Jan 1, 1941

By Portland P. Fox, Berlen C. Moneymaker

The development, within recent years, of core drills capable of drilling holes up to 72 in., or even more, in diameter, has made possible an entirely new and valuable method of geologic exploration. Although little used until recently as an exploratory tool except in the United States, by the Tennessee Valley Authority and the Corps of Engineers of the U. S. Army, for the exploration of damsites, the large-diameter core drill may be used to good advantage in other types of geologic exploration. Its principal utility is that of supplementing, rather than replacing, other means of exploration. Although core is frequently recovered intact, the greatest advantage of large-diameter drilling is that the holes produced are large enough to be entered by the geologist and engineer, and thus afford an excellent means of examining undisturbed rock. The walls of the holes are smoothly cut, and in some rocks nearly or quite polished, so that the most minute details of structure and stratigraphy are clearly disclosed. Such features as faults, joints, bedding planes, weathered "seams," and beds or layers of soft materials, which are not always amenable to disclosure by cores recovered from small-diameter holes, are conspicuously displayed in the walls of large holes. Frequent reference to the drilling of large-diameter holes is made in engineering literature, but comparatively little emphasis has been placed on their value in geologic investigation. It is, therefore, intended that the present paper acquaint the geologist, as well as the engineer, with the large-diameter core drill and the technique involved in its use, and also with its advantages, disadvantages and limitations as an implement of geologic exploration. The Equipment The equipment generally employed in the drilling of large-diameter holes consists of a trunnion-type drill head mounted on a sliding base, which allows it to slide clear of the hole and thus permit the introduction

Jan 1, 1941

By Ira B. Joralemon

The Ajo copper district is in the heart of the Arizona desert, near the western boundary of Pima county. Gila Bend, the nearest railroad point, is 43 miles north of the camp, and the little Mexican border town of Sonoita is 30 miles south. Between Gila Bend and Sonoita, Ajo is the only settlement save for one or two small cattle ranches and the uncertain villages of nomadic Papago families. The Little Ajo mountains rise a few hundred feet above wide desert valleys, beyond which are lava mesas. The camp itself lies at an elevation of about 1,900 ft. above sea level, in a little basin on the east side of the range, separated from the open desert by low hills. In the center of the basin the brilliantly iron and copper stained rocks of Copper mountain rise 150 ft. above the village. Many varieties of cactus and low desert bushes cover the hills, while in the large valleys there are clusters of mesquite, paloverde, and ironwood trees which furnish limited amounts of fairly good fuel. A scanty supply of water is obtained from wells in the desert and from- prospect pits in the camp. The nearest abundant source of water is the Gila river, 50 miles north of Ajo. (See Fig. 1.) , History of the Ajo District The Ajo, next to Senta Rite, New Mexico, is claimed to have been the first copper district in the Southwest worked by Americans. In the '60's or even earlier high-grade native copper and cuprite ore was mined from shallow surface workings and hauled by bull team 400 miles across the desert to San Diego. From there it was carried in sailing ships to Swansea, Wales. Later, the ore was hauled to Yuma, floated down the Colorado river to the Gulf of California, and shipped to Swansea. Bat-infested old workings and the massive axles of the bull carts are shown to prove the truth of the stories. From this early period until the beginning of the present century, the Ajo district was worked only in a casual and intermittent way. With the increased interest in copper mining during the past decade, the brilliant

Jan 1, 1915

By Eugene Coste

ALTHOUGH some of the observers who first paid especial attention to the occurrences of oil and gas in the strata (such as Hunt in 1859, Andrews in 1861, Winchell in 1865, Mendelejeff in 1876, Höfer in 1876, Minshall in 1881, and I. C. White in 1883) seem to have been impressed with the fact that oil and gas deposits were connected with the disturbances in the rocks caused by their upheaval,1 yet, with the exception of Mendelejeff, and possibly Andrews, these observers do not appear to have understood what is really the one essential factor in the occurrence of oil and gas in the strata: viz., the faulting, uplifting, fracturing, fissuring, and jointing always accompanying even slight rock disturbances, and in certain districts (petroliferous provinces)2 allowing solfataric hydrocarbon emanations to force their way up from the interior and to reach and impregnate the porous portions of sediments subjected to the disturbances. Instead of this simple explanation to account for the observed connection between petroleum deposits and rock disturbances, most of the observers mentioned above, and many others who have followed them on the name lines since, have entirely reversed the problem. To them, instead of the dissemination of gases from fissures into the sediments, it presented the accumulation and concentration, according to anticlinal or other geologic structures, of oil and gas originally present throughout the whole mass of the strata where they were produced by the decomposition or distillation of organic remains. Whether this important problem involves accumulation from sources within the oil-bearing strata themselves, or infiltration and dissemination from outside sources, may be easily determined if all preconceived ideas are put aside and the established facts only are considered.

Jan 9, 1914

By C. W. Hamilton

In the production of crude petroleum for the year 1930 Venezuela again maintained its world rank of second only to the United States. During the latter months of the year Russia forged ahead of Venezuela in daily rate of production, and from the present outlook will probably rank second among the oil-producing countries of the world in 1931. It is now believed Venezuelan production has passed its peak. The producing fields of the Bolivar coastal district, along the east side of Lake Maracaibo, continue to be the principal source of supply. Such fields as Lagunillas, Mene Grande and La Pas were not produced to capacity throughout 1930. During the year, three new fields entered into commercial development: The Rio Tarra field in the District of Colon, State of Zulia; the El Mene de Salto field in the District of Acosta, State of Falcon and the Quiriquire field, District of Piar, State of Monagas. For 1930 the total crude production of Venezuela was approximately 137,424,000 bbl. as compared to 137,739,000 bbl. during 1929, or a decrease of 315,000 bbl. During the past year exports of crude from Venezuela amounted to 137,8.50,000 bbl. as against 130,044,000 bbl. exported during 1929. Crude oil in field storage decreased from 14,138,-000 bbl. at the beginning of 1930 to 9,600,000 bbl. as of Jan. 1, 1931— present crude stocks fill about one half the field tankage available. Drilling operations in the producing fields declined sharply but throughout the year there was maintained a satisfactory potential reserve in the shape of proven territory and closed-in producers. Of the 2555 wells which have been completed in Venezuela, 1571 wells were in production on Jan. 1, 1931. The status of these present producing wells may be classified as follows: flowing 652, pumping 170, gas-air lift 193 and closed-in 556. The ratio of closed-in wells to producing wells declined in 1930, while the number of wells produced by artificial means increased materially. In the Bolivar coastal fields there is now observed a marked decline in gas volume and well-head pressure. Lago Petroleum Corpn. and Venezuela Gulf Oil Co. each have under construction electric plants designed to generate power for pumping wells by electricity. The first units of these plants will be placed in conlmission in the early spring of 1931. Venezuela Oil Concessions, Ltd. has installed a number of stenrn-

Jan 1, 1931

By Michael P. Robinson

It has been suggested that streaming potentials are not nomlally logged because the streaming potentials known to be generated across mud filter cakes are substantially cancelled by streaming potentials generated in contiguous shale beds. Laboratory measuments of streaming poterztials acrons hand specirnens of shale have been adduced as evidence to support the suggestion. The experiments show that streanzing potential depends on the resistivity of the equilibrating solution and on pressure drop. Meizsurenlents were made perpendicular to the bedding planes of the shales. The mechanism of streaming potential generation in shale which the suggested cancellation theory iniplies has been critically examined. Conclusions reached are tested by comparing self potentials logged before and immediately after changing the resistil~ity (but not the weight) of mud in a borehole. The resultant SP change is found to equal the theoretical electrochetnical potential change, i.e., cancellation of .strearning potential is independent of mud resistivity. Since streaming po/entials generateal across mud filter cakes depend critically upon mud reistivity, shale .strearlling potential in situ must he equally sensitive. Using plausible values for the pemleahility, porosiy arzd compressibility of shale, the van Ererdingerl-Hurst approach shows that the pressure drop between horehole pressure and formation pressure in a radially honzogeneous shale is unlikely to coincide with the zone of filtrate invasion. If, perchance. this coincidence occurs with one mud a chatzge 10 a second must result in non-coincidence, i.e., a .YP logged in the second mud should show a streaming potenlial. The dilernrna may he overcome by postrrlating: (I) perrneabilities of shale7 parallel to their beddine planes greatly exceed their cross-bedding permeabilities; (2) a resistivity-sensitive mud cake of low permeability forms either on the face of, or probnhly in the lanlinations of, many shales. These postulates are examined with reference to the pres.sure and SP histories of the McClosky and Aux Vases zones in the Illinois Basin and some srcpport for them found. It is concluded that a definitive solultion to the streaming potential problem does not exist. INTRODUCTION Recently Gondouin and Scala' published a contribution to the streaming potential problem which is notable particularly for the elegance of its experimental techniques. The conclusions drawn by Gondouin and Scala from their studies amplified those previously suggested by Schehck'. In essence they suggested that the streaming potentials known to develop across mud filter cakes" are not normally observed on SP logs because they are largely cancelled by streaming potentials generated in adjacent shales. This suggestion appears so reasonable that many workers in the logging field will be prone to accept it. We incline strongly to the view that the suggestion is basically correct. Nevertheless, it is important to realize that the cancellation hypothesis in the form put forward by Gondouin and Scala does not appear to meet all the known experimental facts. It is the principal intention of this note to call attention to what appears to be a flaw in the relevancy of the experimental evidence adduced by Gondouin and Scala and to suggest an alternative hypothesis to remove it. The consequences of the new hypothesis are compared with field data which, we believe, are unique. A second but not less important purpose of this note is to emphasize that even the new hypothesis does not fully explain all field observations. Hence we conclude that further study of the streaming potential problem is required before it can be said that a definitive solution to it has been attained. The bare experimental bones of laboratory data on streaming potentials appear to be as follows. 1. A streaming potential is developed across a mud filter cake. This streaming potential is virtually independent of cake thickness but depends on the mud resistivity. The relationship is of the form, 2. A streaming potential is developed across a shale. This potential is independent of shale thickness but depends on the resistivity of the permeating solution if the shale has been first equilibrated in this solution. The relationship is of the form, The relationship in (1) was determined first by Wyllie3, confirmed by Gondouin and Scala and qualita-

By Mark Alling

INTRODUCTION A FEW years ago, gravel mining in the ancient river beds of Sierra county was the principal industry of the county. Operating drift mines were very numerous and many large hydraulic mines were in action. Eventually the State laws put an end to hydraulic mining, it being claimed that the silt carried down the streams to the valleys filled the rivers and caused winter floods, which were damaging to the surrounding farms. The ancient river deposits which could easily be found were, in the course of 40 years, worked out or practically so. The prohibition of hydraulic mining was a severe blow to the industry in general. The deposits were not developed and the gravel-mining industry practically stood still for many years. In Sierra county, nearly all the hydraulic mines were at the points where the ancient channels were exposed to view by reason of the modern stream erosion, or, in the miner's language, where the channels "enter" or "break out of" the ridges. The claims covering them also covered large areas in which were long segments of lava-capped channels, suitable for drift mines, and the points being hydraulicked were usually the controlling points of attack. Men who have followed hydraulic mining for any length of time seldom are content to work a drift mine. Knowing the great value of their deposits and feeling that they had been robbed by the State, these men have stubbornly held to their claims. The gold that is carried in these gravel channel deposits is more or less scattered throughout the depth and width of the deposit; the percentage that can be recovered by the process of drifting ranges from 50 to 75 per cent. of the total. In hydraulicking, practically all of the deposit is put through the sluices, and as the cost per cubic yard is only about 10 per cent. of the cost of drifting, the deposits, if classed as hydraulic mines, are much more valuable than if classed as drift mines; hence the old timers have held their claims (now worthless as hydraulic mines) at prices which the drift-mining industry could not stand; and such mines

Jan 7, 1914

By Fred Bond

WHEN some materials are ground dry in a ball mill, a stage of comminution is reached at which the finely divided particles begin to adhere to the balls and to the mill lining. As grinding progresses, a coating accumulates upon the grinding media, which tends to cushion the impacts and thus retard reduction of the material, and finally becomes so thick that all grinding ceases. At this stage, the characteristic noise produced by the grinding media dur-ing normal mill operation changes to a dull, muffled sound. In most instances, the formation of the coating marks the practical limit of size reduction. Industrial requirements for fine grinding frequently meet with this obstacle, and the tendency in many com-mercial operations to grind materials to a higher degree of fineness than formerly makes the solution of this problem an im-portant one. The phenomenon is of far greater importance, therefore, than the limited amount of research and technical discussion devoted to it implies. In order to learn more about the coating of different materials when ground dry to a high degree of fineness, certain labora-tory tests were made from which it was found that different materials form coat-ings at widely different size distributions. It is probable that most materials will coat if they are ground fine enough; the exceptions have inherent lubricating qual-ities, like coal and graphite.

Jan 1, 1940

By C. D. Michaelson

Bridging the gap between have and have-not nations is one of the necessities of the present era. The responsibility for accomplishing this must be assumed by the affluent industrial societies of the world, both through their governments and through private enterprise. Despite a discouraging number of instances where companies established in underdeveloped countries have been expropriated, U.S. industry must not abandon such ventures. Instead, it should tailor them to the needs and aspirations of the host nations. One way in which industry can minimize the danger of expropnation is to enter into partnership with the government of the host nation. Kennecott Copper has recently done this in Chile, becoming 49% owner of a company formed to expand and operate the El Teniente mine. So far, the partnership has produced marked benefits not only for Chile, but also for Kennecott. The memory of D.C. Jackling serves chiefly to remind us how much we owe to the pioneers of our industry. Jackling was one of the giants. Orphaned at the age of two, he made his way through sheer persistence and plain hard work. His brilliance gave rise to a vision, and his tenacity made his vision a reality. Foreseeing that economies of scale would make the handling of low-grade ore profitable, he introduced the revolutionary concept of open-pit copper mining. During World War I, the defense effort of the United States was irnrneasurably strengthened by the tremendous supplies of copper from the western mines that Jackling had made possible. Again in World War 11, the demands for copper were supplied, and the nation once more had profound reason to be grateful to this rugged, stubborn man who had long ago ventured into the mountains and unlocked their wealth. We are now embarked upon another great era of change, and we must devise new concepts to meet it. The task is not only to create new techniques of mining, but to forge better ties between men and institutions which will let us work in harmony with the techniques we have. We might recall that while Jackling was a man of towering pride and formidable will, he was also adept at getting others to share his vision and join his purpose. Today our reach for cooperative endeavor must go far beyond our own shores as we seek to develop the buried riches of distant lands. And we would do well to remember that Jackling's remarkable insight would have come to nothing had not British investors been willing to provide much of the initial capital. As was true of so many early enterprises in America, European capital was absolutely essential. CORPORATIONS ABROAD - AN EXPANDING ROLE Today the situation is quite different. The United States is now a capital-surpIus nation and looks abroad for opportunities to employ its capital profitably. On the other hand, we have become dependent on foreign sources for supplies of vital raw materials, while we seek

Jan 1, 1970

By Earl S. Bardwell

The structural relations existing between cuprous oxide and copper were first systematically studied by Heynl; who suggested that a study of the microstructure of refined copper might be substituted for the analytical methods in vogue for determining the oxygen content of copper coming from the refining furnace. Hofman, Green and Yerxa,2 in their paper A Laboratory Study of the Stages in the Refining of Copper, working along the lines suggested by Heyn, showed that a study of the microstructure could be made to yield a correct estimate of the oxygen content of refined copper. In order to determine the oxygen content of the specimen of refined copper under examination a photomicrograph was first made. From the relative areas of copper and eutectic, the percentage of cuprous oxide and the corresponding percentage of oxygen were then readily calculated. It was found that the values for oxygen thus obtained corresponded closely with the analytical results. With the idea of utilizing this method of determining the oxygen content of each charge dipped from the refining furnaces at the Boston & Montana Reduction Plant, the physical testing laboratory was equipped with suitable apparatus for carrying out the work. It may be of interest to describe certain of the methods which have been worked out in this connection and give such data as have been obtained bearing on the effect of the oxygen content of refined copper upon its conductivity. Apparatus.—For the benefit of those who may be unfamiliar with metallographical apparatus and methods and may be interested to know what equipment is required, a few words with regard to the apparatus are in place at this point.

Jan 1, 1914

By V. E. Elliott, C. L. Meyette

THE conditioning of semifinished steel products such as billets, blooms, and slabs to remove surface defects before further processing to finished products is a necessary accompaniment to steel mill rolling operations. A knowledge of the kinds of defects which occur and of the conditions in melting, teeming, and rolling that may lead to their occurrence is favorable to the production of quality products. Surface defects may be classed as either of mechanical origin such as those that occur in the heating and rolling operations and include breaks, tears, guide marks, mechanical laps and the like, or they may have been in the ingot before heating and rolling. Examples of the latter are ingot cracks, blow-holes, scabs, and inclusions which lead to the numerous known types of seams -and surface flaws. Most of the common types of surface defects and methods for their identification by visual examination or by the aid of macro-etch tests are well known. The conditions which caused their formation are also appreciably understood and this knowledge has been instrumental in the establishment of methods for metallurgical control. There are, however, defects of doubtful origin. In any endeavor to trace the causes for their occurrence, the question of first concern is: I. Whether they were formed in the rolling procedure. 2. Whether they existed in the ingot prior to rolling. In the case of semifinished products which are rerolled to finished products there is also the question of whether they were formed in the primary or in the secondary rolling. In metallurgical laboratories where numerous or routine examinations of the quality of rolled products are made over the course of time, there will doubtless be many puzzling cases of defect origin. Microscopic examination of the defects may, however, reveal a characterizing condition that can be used to classify them broadly with respect to their origin. Such a condition has been observed and, after detailed investigation, is described here with the thought that it may offer a useable and relatively simple solution to a bothersome problem. BASIS FOR CLASSIFYING In this discussion the term "mechanical type defects" will be used to designate those that have occurred as a result of the rolling operations such as in rolling from the ingot to billets, blooms, or slabs or in rerolling to finished products. The term "steel type defects" will he used to designate those that were present in the ingot prior to primary rolling or that were in the semifinished product prior to secondary rolling to finished product. The basis for distinguishing between the two types of defects lies in the relative degree of subscale formation surrounding them. Subscale is defined' as a zone of

Jan 1, 1948

By S. C. Riemer, I. Iwasaki, J. N. Orlich

The effects of percent solids, mill loading, and grinding time on product size distribution and ball wear were studied in a laboratory ball mill for a taconite ore. Mild steel balls and HCLA steel balls were used to examine the role that ball hardness play in grinding. Net production of - 44-µm (- 325-mesh) material reached maximum at 70% solids, whereas the ball wear decreased as pulp density increased. HCLA steel balls ground the taconite ore finer than mild steel balls under otherwise identical conditions. Examination of ball surfaces with a scanning electron microscope suggested that corrosive wear was mini- mal under nitrogen flushing conditions, and that grinding with mild steel balls involved nipping rather than attrition, whereas grinding with harder HCLA balls involved both nipping and attrition. Pulp viscosity controlled the thickness of pulp layer on balls, thereby affecting grinding efficiency and ball wear.

Jan 1, 1986

By Lester L. Hirst, Arno C. Fieldner, Henry H. Storch

EXPERIMENTAL work on liquefaction of coal was taken up by the Bureau of Mines in 1936 when it became evident that a prudent policy from the national point of view should include preparation for the time when gradual exhaustion of petroleum resources would require supplementing the growing demand for motor fuel with gasoline and diesel oil from coal. At that time (1936) certain foreign nations that had no home sources of petroleum, especially Germany, England, and Japan, were conducting active research and at least two of them were producing liquid fuel from coal on a commercial scale. Germany was reported to have an annual producing capacity of 800,000 metric tons of gasoline per year, and England had just put into operation the Billingham plant of Imperial Chemical Industries for the hydrogenation of bituminous coal and tar by the Bergius-.I.G. process. The annual capacity of this plant was about 150,000 long tons of gasoline per annum (3500 bbl. per day). With these developments taking place in foreign countries, it seemed important to undertake a long-range program of fundamental research in this country to establish a sound groundwork for the evaluation of foreign work on synthetic liquid fuels and at the same time to obtain data on the oil yields and operating difficulties using various kinds of American coals and lignite to the hydrogenation process. The results of such research would be useful in determining the yields and quality of liquid products obtainable from various coals so that American industry would be in position to select the most suitable coals and make rapid progress in establishing this new industry when the commercial need should arise. It was hoped, also, that progress in a better understanding of the chemistry of coal hydrogenation would reduce the cost of the process materially. To carry out this program, a small continuous unit capable of hydrogenating 100 lb. of coal in 24 hr. was installed at the Central Experiment Station of the Bureau of Mines at Pittsburgh, Pa. Small steel autoclaves or bombs of 0.3 gal. (1.2 liters) capacity also were used for batch-hydrogenation experiments in the study of the chemical fundamentals of the process. Much valuable assistance was obtained in planning the experimental program and designing the equipment from the Fuel Research Station of Great Britain and the Fuel Laboratories of the Mines Department of Canada, where such investigations had been in progress for several years. EQUIPMENT AND GENERAL PROCEDURE OF RESEARCH The industrial liquefaction of coal by the Bergius-I.G. hydrogenation process as practiced at Billingham, England, from

Jan 1, 1944

By B. H. Caudle, B. M. Hickman, I. H. Silberberg

Secondary recovery projects often are not started in oil reservoirs until dictated by rising GOR's or declining oil production. Such circumstances require a well dispersed injection pattern to prevent the oil bank from bypassing the production wells. Many times this purpose is served by using the five-spot or line-drive patterns, in which half of the wells are made injection wells. A regular injection pattern is proposed that is based on the same well spacing as the five-spot but in which only a third of the wells need be converted to injection wells. Fluid flow model studies on this proposed pattern show that production histories will be as good as those for a five-spot pattern at mobility ratios of three and above. The model data are presented in a form that may be used to predict recoveries from both homogeneous and stratified formations. Introduction The injection of fluid into a petroleum reservoir usually is prompted by an actual, or predicted, loss in the productivity of the reservoir. Often, an oil reservoir is produced by pressure depletion until high GOR's dictate a change in policy. Fluid injection also causes increased ultimate recovery, but this usually is of less importance to the operator than is the maintenance of the production rate. It is a fact that the ultimate recovery in any particular fluid injection project is relatively independent of the number and spacing of the injection wells as long as the reservoir voidage through the production wells is balanced by the total injection rate. However, the response of a production well is directly affected by the distance it lies from an injection well. In places where the well productivities are declining, the injection wells should be spaced as evenly as possible among the producing wells ("dispersed" injection pattern). More particularly, if the production response depends upon the formation (and subsequent production) of an oil bank, each production well should be surrounded by injection wells. Otherwise, the oil productivity will increase very little as the oil bank moves past the well.'.' An evenly spaced injection pattern has the best chance of generating an oil kick in the production wells. If reservoir voidage and injection rates are to be equal, the ratio of injection wells to production wells must be equal to the ratio of the average injectivity to the average productivity (in reservoir volumes). This ratio is in strumental in choosing the injection pattern. Table 1 shows the production well to injection well ratio for the dispersed injection patterns that have been described in the literature.'-' All of these patterns will have comparable recoveries and response times (for the same basic distance between wells). The choice of pattern there fore depends upon the relative injectivity and productivity of the wells and upon the type of drilling pattern employed. Another important factor may be the ability of the proposed production wells to make up the lost productivity from those wells converted to injectors. These factors become more pronounced at the higher oil viscosities (low gravity oils). All other things being equal, the probable ratio of single well injectivity to single well productivity will be equal to the water-oil mobility ratio of the proposed flood. Thus, high mobility ratios (due to low gravity oil) should call for fewer injection wells — as long as these injection wells are "dispersed" to obtain more even pro duction response for the remaining wells. Secondary re covery projects in oil reservoirs seldom, if ever, will have mobility ratios requiring more injection wells than production wells. Thus, only the last five of the patterns listed in Table 1 will be of significant interest in oil recovery. Almost every development drilling program calls for the wells to be drilled along equally spaced rows and

Jan 1, 1969