Search Documents

By S. H. Chauvenet

Jan 1, 1882

By J. Murray Riddell, Grover J. Holt, Arthur E. Anderson

Out of the depths of each business cycle we emerge with a stimulus for greater efficiency and a realization of progress in industrial technique. The recent years have not been an exception to this rule, and in retrospect we sense that significant advances have been made in mining practices on the Mesabi Range, with emphasis on speed of production and economy of operation. A survey of such changes does not reveal anything that is fundamentally or basically new, but it is apparent that ideas and machines that have found wide application in industry elsewhere, with necessary modifications, are being put to productive use in mining iron ore. Innovations in transporting and conveying ore from the open pits stand out with greatest prominence, so that, in the main, it will be with these features that this paper will treat, in the review of progress made to this date. The late years have witnessed the development of small deposits for open-pit operation, the cleaning up of pits nearing exhaustion, and in two large operations the approach to the limit for haulage by steam locomotives, owing to grades, making it necessary to recover the ore in slopes, track benches and below the power-shovel limit by a milling and scram operation. For several years small standard-type dump trucks have been used in clean-up or scram operations within the pits, but during the season of 1936 the first effort was made to use heavy truck haulage in the transportation of stripping and iron ore. The new units in use today vary from 15 to 20 tons in capacity, and are equipped with powerful gasoline or Diesel engines and supplemented by trailers or wagons on rubber or crawler treads. The Diesel engine finds favor with most operators because of fuel economy. These units develop upward of 125 hp. in the 15-ton trucks. The speed of these trucks varies from 2 miles per hour in Pow gear to 35 in high gear. The transmission affords 12 speeds forward and 3 speeds in reverse.

Jan 1, 1940

By J. Murray Riddell, Arthur E. Anderson, Grover J. Holt

Out of the depths of each business cycle we emerge with a stimulus for greater efficiency and a realization of progress in industrial technique. The recent years have not been an exception to this rule, and in retrospect we sense that significant advances have been made in mining practices on the Mesabi Range, with emphasis on speed of production and economy of operation. A survey of such changes does not reveal anything that is fundamentally or basically new, but it is apparent that ideas and machines that have found wide application in industry elsewhere, with necessary modifications, are being put to productive use in mining iron ore. Innovations in transporting and conveying ore from the open pits stand out with greatest prominence, so that, in the main, it will be with these features that this paper will treat, in the review of progress made to this date. The late years have witnessed the development of small deposits for open-pit operation, the cleaning up of pits nearing exhaustion, and in two large operations the approach to the limit for haulage by steam locomotives, owing to grades, making it necessary to recover the ore in slopes, track benches and below the power-shovel limit by a milling and scram operation. For several years small standard-type dump trucks have been used in clean-up or scram operations within the pits, but during the season of 1936 the first effort was made to use heavy truck haulage in the transportation of stripping and iron ore. The new units in use today vary from 15 to 20 tons in capacity, and are equipped with powerful gasoline or Diesel engines and supplemented by trailers or wagons on rubber or crawler treads. The Diesel engine finds favor with most operators because of fuel economy. These units develop upward of 125 hp. in the 15-ton trucks. The speed of these trucks varies from 2 miles per hour in Pow gear to 35 in high gear. The transmission affords 12 speeds forward and 3 speeds in reverse.

Jan 1, 1940

JOINT convention week has become a feature of the year with western mining men. The first was held at Denver in 1926, the second at Salt Lake City in 1927, and the third is about to take place at Los Angeles. Holding in the same city in one week the meetings of a number of related organizations has been .found to permit the development of a well-rounded program at the same time that it economizes time and money for the members, many of whom belong to several of the participating organizations. For the third time, the American Mining Congress, represented by its Western Division, of which Philip Wiseman is chairman, is taking the lead and assuming the main responsibility. The A.I.M.E. is furnishing the papers for two sessions and the California Development Association for one. The Southern California Section, Robert R. Boyd, chairman, is host for the Institute, but the Northern California, Nevada and Arizona sections have each contributed papers to the program, and will be represented at the meeting. It will be a real reunion of the mining men of the Southwest.

Sep 1, 1928

By Donald B. Gillies

TO me a graduating class of engineers constitutes one ' of the finest inspirations I can imagine. You have finished your four- year scholastic career and are starting out in competition with thou- sands of other young men from other universities to make your mark. Be- cause of your training you men are such an essential part of our present- day civilization that a great weight of responsibility rests on your shoulders, especially at this time, for this is an engineering era. Today, it is the engineer who dreams the dreams and makes our civilization better. It's the engineer who carries those dreams into realization and fulfillment. No matter where we go in business and industry, we find- engineers in key positions, charged with great responsibilities.

Jan 1, 1939

By Frances H. Clark

IN a concern with the varied interests of the Western Union Telegraph Co., where practically all types of metals, both ferrous and nonferrous, are utilized, many types of failures of materials occur. These have to do not only with outside plant construction, such as corrosion and fatigue of line wire and cable, but also with inside plant equipment operating at such high speeds that rapid deterioration of metal. parts due to fatigue and wear results. Both corrosion and fatigue affect the life of copper wire so its normal life in any particular locality is largely dependent on the atmospheric conditions. Tensions vary widely owing to changes in temperature and ice and wind loadings and the wire is Subject to a great range of vibration caused by wind gusts aril vibration front trains or other heavy vehicles transmitted through the earth. High frequency low-amplitude vibrations are sometimes audible as singing in the wire. The other extreme is the vertical slashing or dancing of the wire observed during severe storms where amplitudes of 9, ft. or more at low frequencies have been observed.

Jan 1, 1942

By AIME AIME

ON Sept. 24, 1875, a remarkable deposit of silver ore was discovered by James Ryan and Samuel Hawkes at the east base of Grampian Hill in central Beaver County, Utah.. A shaft was begun and had been sunk about 30 ft. in ore when the claim was sold on Feb. 17, 1876, to A. G. Campbell, Matthew Cullen, Dennis Ryan, and A. Byram for $25,000. To them is due the credit of having developed the mine and started the district on the road to its present state of prosperity. Their development resulted in proving the vein to a depth of over 280 ft. and about 2500 tons of ore was extracted and turned into bullion. In February, 1879, the mine came into the possession of the Horn Silver Mining Co., and since then over $65,000,000 worth of ore has been taken from the mine. Two smelters were built in 1878, near the mine; 400 men were employed underground, and 1000 on the surface, burning charcoal, hauling wood from the surrounding hills, and freighting and hauling hay for the hundreds of horses used in the work. Ore was hauled thirty miles to the

Jan 1, 1936

By John Griffen

HYDRAULIC classification as explained by Rittinger and others was largely restricted to conditions wherein the free-falling velocities of the particles were conceived as governing the separations effected (see chapter 9). The laws governing classification under free-falling conditions have been summarized by Chapman and Mott as follows:

Jan 1, 1943

By M. C. LAKE

THE industrial development of the United States has been stimulated by the presence of high-grade iron ore in the Lake Superior district. These great deposits have been susceptible to economical extraction and are conveniently located for cheap lake vessel transportation to the great consuming centers. The district furnishes from 80 to 85 per cent of the iron ore annually consumed in the United States, and a full understanding of the available supply of this great commodity is so important that it is well to consider whether or not the industrial supremacy and national independence attained as a result of the abundance of cheap ore are permanent. The enormous deposits of high-grade ore available in the Lake Superior district have been the foundation upon which the vast industrial structure of the steel and allied industries has been built. It is extremely important to the country as a whole, and especially to those States and communities now dependent on Lake Superior ore for their prosperity, that their industries shall retain the particular advantages with which they are now endowed, and that a generous supply of high-grade raw material be available for their consumption at a satisfactory cost. The steel industry is so basic and fundamental that any fluctuation in the cost of its finished products as determined by the supply and cost of the raw materials involved in its manufacture will necessarily affect the business of a wide variety of industries which are dependent on it.

Jan 1, 1926

By M. J. Pool, P. J. Spencer, R. V. Miner

The partial molar heat of solution of rhodiunz in liquid lin and Rh-Sn alloys has been measured as a function of rhodium concentration at 700" , 725" , 750" , and 775°K. The values at infinite dilution are very exo thermic, ranging from -29,950 to -28,260 cal per g-atom Rh at 700" and 775"K, respectively. At the solubility limit the heat of solution becomes sharply nzore exothermic and has permitted the liquidus boundary to be accurately established at each temperature. From the measurements in the two-phase region of liquid Plus RhSn, the heat of formation of RhSn,has been determined. A large increase in the heat of formation between 725" and 750°K suggests the possibility of a phase transformation in this compound. V ERY few measurements have been made of the heats of solution of transition metals in liquid tin; yet those values that are available are of great interest because of their very large exothermic nature. For example, the heat of solution at infinite dilution of palladium in tin has been measured as about -26,000 cal per g-atom (625" to 800°~),' while the heat of solution at infinite dilution of platinum is even more exothermic at -28,591 cal per g-atom (914°K).' These values are of the same order of magnitude as the heat of formation of many intermetallic compounds and as such clearly indicate that very strong bonding must exist between the solute and tin atoms in the liquid solutions. Rhodium might be expected to display similar solution characteristics in tin in view of its close electronic resemblance to palladium and platinum. Since no thermodynamic data are available for Rh-Sn alloys, rhodium was chosen as an appropriate solute for further investigation of transition-metal systems with highly exothermic heats of solution at infinite dilution. EXPERIMENTAL The heat of solution of rhodium in dilute Rh-Sn liquid solutions was measured as a functlon of rhodium concentration at 700°, 725", 750°, and 775°K. The liquid-metal solution calorimeter used in this work has been fully described elsewhere. At the start of each series of measurements, the solvent bath consisted of about 0.5 g-atoms of 99.9+ pct pure tin. To this was made a number of small rhodium additions, about 0.0005 g-atoms each, and the heat of solution was measured for each. Rhodium of 99.9+ pct purity in powder form was used in order to promote rapid dissolution in the liquid tin. The powder specimens were contained in tin foil stated to be purified (lead-free). This foil was found to have no measurable heat of solution in pure tin so the effect of any impurities could be neglected. The energy equivalent of the calorimeter was experi- mentally determined by dropping tungsten and/or tin specimens at intervals during each series of rhodium drops. The tungsten and tin used were 99.95 and 99.999+ pct pure, respectively. The only heat effect due to a tungsten drop, or a tin drop at low rhodium concentrations in the bath, is the sensible heat of the specimen. The heat content of these materials is well-established and is presented in the compilation of Hultgren et al. 4 As the rhodium concentration in the tin bath increases a small heat effect arises from the reaction: Sn (liquid, T) — & (soln, T) where T is the temperature of the tin bath. Where necessary, this heat of solution of tin was determined by Gibbs-Duhem integration, and corrections were made to the heat effect of the tin calibration specimens and the tin foil containing the rhodium specimens. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION The calculated values of the heat of solution of rhodium in dilute Rh-Sn alloys as a function of composition are shown graphically in Fig. 1. The values have been corrected for the sensible heat of the specimens, initially at 273"K, and apply to the reaction:

Jan 1, 1969

By C. Q. Payne

(New York Meeting, February, 1912.) THE art of crushing ores and other materials by means of rolls is a comparatively recent one. While the first record of rolls using iron crushing-surfaces dates back to the year 1806, when they were employed in Cornwall, their principal development has taken place during the last 30 years. To Stephen R. Krom belongs the credit of the pioneer in introducing the belted high-speed roll, which has had its origin and a marked development in this country. His notable contribution to the art was in the use of a single bed-plate or frame supporting the roll-shafts, and to which levers holding the movable roll-bearings were pivoted. He also made use of steel tension-rods to support the crushing-strains, and of hammered-steel tires for the crushing-surfaces. These changes brought the design of crushing-rolls to a high level. Following closely thereon, about 1885, W. R. Eckart conceived the idea of the swivel or ball-and-socket support for the roll-shaft bearings. This is an excellent mechanical conception, especially for bearings held against a spring pressure, and while it may not be necessary for all types of rolls, yet it has been quite generally adopted by other roll-designers, and illustrates the refinement which roll-construction has now reached. Other engineers, as for example, Argall, Vezin, Roger, and Sturtevant, to mention only a few among many, have also given the closest attention to the various details of rolls, such as the frame, springs, bearings, and shafts, and have developed many novel and original designs. It has remained, however, for the boldness and originality of Mr. Edison to extend the field of crushing-rolls in two new directions, and to cause them to exercise new functions. In developing crushing-machinery for his Portland cement works, Mr. Edison constructed ? giant " rolls, having a diameter of 6 ft. and a length of. face of 7 ft.

Jun 1, 1912

By H. E. Criner, M. G. Driessen

Maurice Rey—The influence of cyclone diameter upon the fineness of separation is an important point which, however, cannot be discussed adequately if the injection pressure or the rate of flow are not specified. Perhaps some light can be thrown on the matter by using the formulas derived by Dahlstrom. Let us consider several geometrically similar cyclones where the apertures e and b are equal and proportional to the diameter D and which are operated with the same pressure drop. Eq 8 of Dahlstrom's paper can be written: Q Q = K D'. " or. if F is constant: Q = K D18 K is a constant of proportionality. Introducing this value of Q in eq 13 gives elimination efficiency = K D ,41 Elimination efficiency, in the terminology of Dahl-strom, means the diameter of particles, in microns, which divide equally between the underflow and the overflow. This denomination is regrettable and it would be preferable to call it diameter of separation or characteristic size or any other name connoting a size rather than an efficiency. Whatever the name used, the above equation shows a slow increase in the fineness of separation when the diameter of the cyclone decreases. For example, if a 14-in. cyclone gives a 400-mesh separation (37 microns), geometrically similar cyclones, having the same pressure drop will give separations at the sizes shown below.

Jan 1, 1951

By M. G. Driessen, H. E. Criner

Maurice Rey—The influence of cyclone diameter upon the fineness of separation is an important point which, however, cannot be discussed adequately if the injection pressure or the rate of flow are not specified. Perhaps some light can be thrown on the matter by using the formulas derived by Dahlstrom. Let us consider several geometrically similar cyclones where the apertures e and b are equal and proportional to the diameter D and which are operated with the same pressure drop. Eq 8 of Dahlstrom's paper can be written: Q Q = K D'. " or. if F is constant: Q = K D18 K is a constant of proportionality. Introducing this value of Q in eq 13 gives elimination efficiency = K D ,41 Elimination efficiency, in the terminology of Dahl-strom, means the diameter of particles, in microns, which divide equally between the underflow and the overflow. This denomination is regrettable and it would be preferable to call it diameter of separation or characteristic size or any other name connoting a size rather than an efficiency. Whatever the name used, the above equation shows a slow increase in the fineness of separation when the diameter of the cyclone decreases. For example, if a 14-in. cyclone gives a 400-mesh separation (37 microns), geometrically similar cyclones, having the same pressure drop will give separations at the sizes shown below.

Jan 1, 1951

[A Aalseth, Earl P. (M 51) Geol, Amerada Petr. Corp., Box 1498, Billings, Mont. Abadie, Henry G. (M 43) Asst to Supvr of Oper, Long Beach Oil Dev. Co., 255 S. Santa Clara, Long Beach 7, Calif. Abbe, T. Waldo (A 56) Ass't Dist Oper Supt, Sun Oil Co., Beaumont, Tex. Abbott, J. L. (M 56) Partner, Pritchard & Abbott, 501, Century Bldg, Fort Worth, Tex. Abbott, Richard H. (J 51) Owner, Abbott & Howard, 422 W. Hermosa, San Antonio, Tex. Abbott, Seth J., Jr. (M 51) Tekoil Corp., .2;A6 Mercantile Nat'l. Bank. Dallas, Tex. Abbott,. William G. (M 50) Div Mgr, Rice Eng. & Op. Inc., Box 1142, Hobbs, N. M. Abderhalden, R. R. (J,59) Box 100, Carmi, Ill. Abel, Malcolm D., Gen Mgr, Bakke Oil Co., Midland, Tex. Abel, Raymond L. (M 28) Prof of Chem Engr, Univ. of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh 13, Pa. Abel, Wayne K. (M 57) 1513 Patton Drive, Odessa, Tex.]

Jan 1, 1961

By Michael B. Bever, John R. Anderson

Carbon may affect the alloys of copper in several ways. Provided an alloying element does not oxidize preferentially, even minute quantities of carbon dissolved in liquid alloys of high copper content will form insoluble carbon oxide gases under oxidizing conditions. Gas porosity in castings of high-copper alloys can originate in this way. In certain alloys of low copper content carbon may have considerable solubility and may be an effective deoxidizer. In these alloys carbon will tend to suppress porosity. Carbon that is dissolved in the molten alloy is likely to be retained in the solidified metal. The effects of carbon on the physical properties of the metal are determined by the form in which it is present. Depending on the alloying elements and also on the cooling rate, carbon may precipitate as graphite, may form a carbide or may remain in solid solution on cooling. As solid copper does not dissolve a measurable amount of carbon, a carbon-bearing solid solution can occur only if the copper is alloyed with a large excess of an element that forms such a solution. The effect of graphite or of carbides on the properties of an alloy will depend on the size and distribution of the precipitated particles. As Hensel pointed out in discussion,' the formation of an alloy carbide may interfere with the age-hardening properties of a copper alloy. One would also expect that the presence of carbides or of graphite will under certain conditions promote corrosion or high-temperature failure in nonferrous alloys. Since carbon has an effect on the soundness of castings and affects the structure and behavior of solid copper alloys, its solubility in the liquid alloys is of practical importance. The isothermal change of carbon solubility with alloy composition is of interest from a theoretical standpoint. The binary alloys of copper with manganese and with nickel are used industrially and serve as a base for more complex alloys. The solubility of carbon in each of these metals is known, but its solubility in their alloys has not been determined. Earlier Data The solubility of carbon in molten pure copper is about o.oooi pct at II00°C and 0.0004 pct at 1475°C.l Various authors2""6 have published data on the solubility of carbon in molten manganese. There is agreement on a value of about 6.7 pct in the temperature range r2170 to 1245°c This solubility value corresponds to the formula Mn3C. It increases very little with increasing temperature. Corson7 states that carbon is soluble in copper-manganese alloys and that the

Jan 1, 1947

By John R. Anderson, Michael B. Bever

Carbon may affect the alloys of copper in several ways. Provided an alloying element does not oxidize preferentially, even minute quantities of carbon dissolved in liquid alloys of high copper content will form insoluble carbon oxide gases under oxidizing conditions. Gas porosity in castings of high-copper alloys can originate in this way. In certain alloys of low copper content carbon may have considerable solubility and may be an effective deoxidizer. In these alloys carbon will tend to suppress porosity. Carbon that is dissolved in the molten alloy is likely to be retained in the solidified metal. The effects of carbon on the physical properties of the metal are determined by the form in which it is present. Depending on the alloying elements and also on the cooling rate, carbon may precipitate as graphite, may form a carbide or may remain in solid solution on cooling. As solid copper does not dissolve a measurable amount of carbon, a carbon-bearing solid solution can occur only if the copper is alloyed with a large excess of an element that forms such a solution. The effect of graphite or of carbides on the properties of an alloy will depend on the size and distribution of the precipitated particles. As Hensel pointed out in discussion,' the formation of an alloy carbide may interfere with the age-hardening properties of a copper alloy. One would also expect that the presence of carbides or of graphite will under certain conditions promote corrosion or high-temperature failure in nonferrous alloys. Since carbon has an effect on the soundness of castings and affects the structure and behavior of solid copper alloys, its solubility in the liquid alloys is of practical importance. The isothermal change of carbon solubility with alloy composition is of interest from a theoretical standpoint. The binary alloys of copper with manganese and with nickel are used industrially and serve as a base for more complex alloys. The solubility of carbon in each of these metals is known, but its solubility in their alloys has not been determined. Earlier Data The solubility of carbon in molten pure copper is about o.oooi pct at II00°C and 0.0004 pct at 1475°C.l Various authors2""6 have published data on the solubility of carbon in molten manganese. There is agreement on a value of about 6.7 pct in the temperature range r2170 to 1245°c This solubility value corresponds to the formula Mn3C. It increases very little with increasing temperature. Corson7 states that carbon is soluble in copper-manganese alloys and that the

Jan 1, 1947

By James Herbert Bartlett

The MANUFACTURE of Iron in the PROVINCE of Quebec. The St. Maurice Forges.—The deposits of iron-ore in the St. Maurice district, in the rear of Three Rivers, were probably known to the Indians and .Jesuits, but it is not till 1667 that any discovery is reported. The affairs of the colony were then in the control of the " West India Company," who amongst other monopolies had a right to all mines and minerals." Specimens of the iron-ore were examined in Quebec. in 1668 by the Sieur la Potardière, who reported unfavorably on them. In 1671, Louis de Buade, Comte de Frontenac, was appointed governor of La Nouvelle France ; and in the original manuscripts relating to his administration some allusion is occasionally found to the St. Maurice iron mines.? In a letter to the Imperial Government, dated 2d November, 1672, he says: "The iron mine of which I have already spoken is of great consequence. I have visited it myself, in order that I may be enabled to give a more accurate account of its nature. I am gratified to learn that another mine has been discovered in Champlain, which is much richer than the Cap de la Madelaine mine, and the ore is in greater

Jan 1, 1886

CONTENTS PAGE Rae, Colin C.-A Possible Origin of Oil. Discussed by S. Linker, Colin C. Rae... 2 Cottingham, Kenneth.-Subsurface Conditions on Portion of Arches Fork Anticline. Discussed by David B. Reger 6 Moyer, W. Irwin.-Time to Pay Out as a Basis for Valuation of Oil Properties. Discussed by H. J. Smith 9 Pogue, Joseph E.-Future Demands on Oil Industry of United States. Discussed by James O. Lewis 11 J. J. Walsh.-Coa-lmine Ventilation. Discussed by W. B. Daly, J. J. Walsh, R. R. Sayers, H. H. Stock, George S. Rice, James W. Paul, D. Harrington, T. D. Thomas 15 Longyear, Robert Davis.-Diamond-drill Sampling Methods. Discussed by Ira B. Joralemon, J. J. Rutledge, E. C. Harder 19 Joralemon, Ira B.-Sampling and Estimating Disseminated Copper Deposits. Discussed by J. Parke Channing, John E. Hodge, E.E. Hunner, B. B. Gottsberger, W. Y. Westervelt, W. O. Hotchkiss 20 Boericke, W. F.-Sampling and Estimating Zinc and Lead Orebodies in Mississippi Valley. Discussed by J. Parke Channing, Arthur Thacher 24 Daly, W. B. and Linforth, F. A.-Organization of Mine Sampling at Anaconda. Discussed by George A. Packard, W. B. Daly, B. B. Gottsberger 25 Norris, E. M. and Rahilly, H. J.-Mine Fires. Discussed by R. Dawson Hall, W. B. Daly, Frank Haas, D. Harrington, Robert E. Tally 26 Raymond, R. M.-Safety Practice for Hoisting Ropes. Discussed by B. F. Tillson, Graham Bright, Rudolph Kudlich, J. F. Howe, Robert Peele, H. G. Davis. 30 Howe, J. F.-Use of Wire Rope in Mining Operations. Discussed by Horace F. Lunt, J. F. Howe, B. F. Tillson 36 Tanner, W. N., and Jaccard, F. C.-Wire Rope and Safety in Hoisting at Butte Mines. Discussed by Horace F. Lunt, W. B. Daly, C. L. Colburn, William Kelly, Robert Peele, B. F. Tillson, Graham Bright, Charles E. Locke 38 Richardson, A. S.-Ventilation of Butte Mines of Anaconda Copper Mining Co. Discussed by D. Harrington, Chas. A. Mitke 42 Stuart, Charles E.-Storage-battery Locomotive as Applied to Mine Haulage. Discussed by Howard N. Eavenson, Charles E. Stuart, William Kelly, Arthur Thacher, W. H. Patton, Graham Bright 45 Woodward, C. D.-Electric Haulage Systems in Butte Mines. Discussed by William Kelly, Graham Bright, Howard N. Eavenson, C. E. Arnold, Gerard B. Rosenblatt, K. A. Pauly 47 Harrington, D.-Efficient Ventilation of Metal Mines. Discussed by R. E. Simpson 52 Otagawa, Masayuki.-Mining Methods at the Ashio Copper Mine. Discussed by Horace V. Winchell, D. W. Brunton 52 Stoek, H. H. and Clagett, Thomas H.-Coal Mining Methods. Discussed by P. D. Browning, G. L. Cox, Erskine Ramsay, Frank Haas, George S. Rice.

Jan 6, 1922

By W. G. Bearden, G. C. Howard, J. W. Spurlock

An investigation of the factors af-fec.ting the inter-zonal flow of fluids in the casing-wellbore annrc1rt.s of an oil or gas ivell is presented Laborntory tests revealed that failure of the caring-cement bond allows communi-cation of fluid at pressure differentials near 1.000 psi. Perforating with a 11011011: carrier gun does not shatter or crack the cement sufficiently to allow communication through these cracks and does not seriously affect the casing-cement bond failure pressure. The pressure to cause communication at the casing-cement bond can he increared to 3,000 psi by. limiting pipe deformation during cementing and subsequent operations. Communication can be prevented, however. up to pressures sufficient to cause the cement to fail or the casing to col-lapse, by attaching to the casing a seal ring of deformable ruhber molded between two steel flanges. When installed, one flange is attached rigidlv to the casing to serve as back-up for the gasket While tile other flange is movable. To date, these gasket seal rings have been field-tested in 27 Wells. Althotrgh communication has been noted in two wells, inter-zonal flow has been prevented in other wells in the same area by installing more seal rings between the communicaring zones. INTRODUCTION The inter-zonal flow of fluids behind casing cemented in oil wells during normal production or stimulation operations is a major operating problem. If it cccurs during production operations. it can seriously limit the pressure to which a reservoir may be depleted without harmful invasion of unwanted fluids. If it occurs during stimulation operations, it may preclude the possibility of stimulating the desired zone. This communication can be caused by failure of the bond between the casing and cement, failure of the bond between the cement and formation, or failure of the cement itself. This paper presents the results of an investigation of factors affecting com-munication at the casing-cement bond and methods which aid in preventing it. LABORATORY INVESTIGATIONS The laboratory tests performed in this study were divided into three phases. The first phase consisted of tests to determine if perforating would shatter and crack the cement sheath so severely that communication would occur through the cement itself. The second phase consisted of tests to determine more precisely the cause for the casing-cement bond failure. The third phase consisted of tests to evaluate the effectiveness of various de-formable seals attached to the casing in preventing communication. EFFECT OF PERFORATING, The effect of perforating was invest~gated in tests performed with apparatus shown on Fig. 1. Cement was poured into the annulur space hetween 5%-in. casing and 8%-in. casing and allowed to cure for 72 hours. The apparatus was then perforated with a hollow carrier gun containing eight duPont 26-A shaped charges. Bull plugs were placed over the perforations in the 8 5/8-in. casing and hydraulic pressure was applied inside the 5 1/2i-in. casing. The pressure to cause fluid communication past the cement sheath was observed and termed the "bond failure pressure". Several different cement compositions were included in these tests, the results of which are shown in Table 1. In Tests 1 through 4 of Table 1, bond failure occurred at- the inter- .

Jan 1, 1966

By E. T. Knight, John D. Gill

IN ITS capacity for service to the public the oil industry is truly gargantuan. But it is only in this respect that the industry is the voracious, many-headed, many-armed and many-handed creature it has been so often painted by those who know it not too intimately and only from the outside. Contrasted sharply with the immensity of the service rendered is the relatively modest share of the national income which has gone to those who provided the tools and the mental and manual labor with which the service was performed. No doubt the relative meagreness of the re- ward was the result of a combination of fortuitous circumstances respecting the nature and accessibility of the industry's raw material and the extensive development and application of the most advanced technology, spurred by an intense competition.

Jan 1, 1940