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By GEORGE O. SUMAN

IN THE operation of oil properties there are various difficulties with pumping wells which can often be overcome or greatly lessened if sufficient attention is, directed towards pump and tubing problems. The difficulties referred to are the wearing out of pumps, sanding up of pumps, and the sanding up of the hole. As the perforations in the oil strings are large and the oil and sand loose and unconsolidated considerable trouble is often encountered in pumping wells due to the ease with which' the sand can come into the holes. DETERMINING FLUID LEVEL In determining the proper depth at which to tube a well it is essential to first find out something about the behavior of the fluid in 'the hole: Facts in regard to this natter can be obtained by finding the fluid level on pulling the tubing, by making a pumping test on the well tubed to various depths, and by bailing tests during cleaning out work. In ordinary oil field operations it is customary to take the fluid level at the time of pulling the tubing. This 'can only be done when the pump is not sanded up. There are two methods used in obtaining the fluid level. One method is to note where the outside of the tubing starts, to be covered with fluid when pulling the

Jan 1, 1925

By Frank J. Markewicz, William Lodding

Greensand, greensand marl, and green earth are names given to sediments rich in the bluish green to greenish black mineral known as glauconite by the mineralogist. The word glauconite is from the Greek word glaukos, meaning bluish green. The term "greensand" as a rock name for a glauconite-bearing sediment is more appropriate than "greensand marl," a term that has been doggedly perpetuated in the literature. Because of its potash and phosphate content, greensand was dug and marketed as a fertilizer and soil conditioner for more than 100 years. The advent of prepared fertilizers with adjustable nutrient ratios led to the decline of green- sand for agricultural application. The material has since been recognized for use in water treatment. Unfortunately, in spite of large reserves and worldwide distribution, the mineral has not been utilized to any significant commercial extent because no major application has been found for a substance with its chemical composition and properties. This lack is probably due to a paucity of research on its potential commercial application. Extraction of potash received considerable attention during and just after World War I. Because of relatively high extraction costs and generally low potash content (up to 8%), glauconite lost its appeal as a source of this commodity. Historical Background Greensand was used as a fertilizer in New Jersey in the latter part of the 1700s. During the early 1800s its use became more common; applications of up to 100 tons per acre were sometimes made, although recommendations for agricultural use suggested 20 to 50 tons per acre (Tedrow, 1957). Many crops, especially the forage type, were said to improve with greensand application; however, because of slow release of potash, large quantities were required. Certain greensands that contain sulfur and sulfide minerals are harmful to plant growth, and these were classified as "poison," "burning," or "black marls." The availability of higher-grade potash salts from other mineral sources, and the manufacture of prepared fertilizers, displaced the agricultural use of green- sand during the later 1800s. During the mid-1800s the domestic greensand industry, centered in a small section of the eastern United States, grossed more than $500,000 per year. Toward the end of the century, annual production had dwindled to less than $100,000. By 1910 there were only six or eight greensand producers, grossing less than $5000 (Tyler, 1934). There was a small revival in the industry during World War I because of the curtailment of foreign potash, especially from Germany. During the later 1940s and early 1950s greensand was again recommended as a food nutrient for plants and farm crops. Agronomic studies discussed its potential as a soil additive that gradually releases potash and many trace- element nutrients essential for plant growth (Tedrow, 1957). Greensand was sold with the idea that it would condition soil and absorb and hold water while its base-exchange properties would release trace elements. For a short time glauconite was utilized in certain parts of New Jersey as a binding additive in the brick industry, and in the 1800s for making green glass (Cook, 1868). In the early 1900s the base-exchange property of glauconite was recognized for water treatment, and the mineral gained acceptance as a water softener. Mansfield ( 1922) does not mention base-exchange; however, the base ex-

Jan 1, 1975

By Paul Beck

IT is well known that the hardness of metallic single crystals, like that of polycrystalline metals, increases during deformation (hardening by cold-work). It is also known that, as a consequence of deformation, the metallic material acquires an evident thermodynamic instability, revealed, for example, by the fact that the increased hardness gradually decreases with time, especially at elevated temperatures (softening by annealing). The temperature at which the stabilizing process begins is different for various metals, and for any metal it depends on the amount of deformation. Such stabilization of deformed metals may proceed in two different ways: through recovery, and through recrystallization. The former process allows the unstable deformed metal body to approach stability gradually and without visible change in the grain structure; the latter process, like an allotropic transformation, yields directly the undeformed stable "phase" in the form of new undeformed crystals, which, starting out of a certain number of nuclei, grow into and' consume' the deformed hard material. The extent of stability attainable through recovery is limited, espe-cially if the deformation of the metal crystal or crystals involves not only the gliding along slip planes, but also the bending of the slip lamellae, or at any rate the bending of comparatively large parts of the crystal lattice. In such cases, for instance in bent single crystals or poly-crystalline metals subjected to any deformation, recovery will not as a rule be able to restore the "straight" undeformed lattice, and stability can be attained only by recrystallization; that is, by the consumption of the bent crystal lattice parts by new, undeformed crystals-a much more drastic process. It is evident that the part of the surplus free energy stored in deformed crystals, which is present in the form of the elastic energy of the bent lamellae, is in these instances not considerably involved

Jan 1, 1937

The following is an incomplete list of members and guests who called at Institute headquarters during the period July 10, 1919, to Aug. 10, 1919. Howard C. Arnold, Washington, Pa. J. S. Lane, New York City, N. Y. L. M. Banks, Denver, Colo. H. W. Lawrie, Washington, D. C. George S. Blair, Pittsburgh, Pa. J. L. McAllen, Latouche, Alaska. Richard H. Catlett, Newark, N. J. David F. McFarland, Urbana, Ill. George L. Clark, Council Bluffs, Iowa. James F. Magee, Lancaster, Pa. Capt. Frederick S. Cook, Portland, Ore. A. G. McGregor, Warren, Ariz. John J. Croston, Atlanta, Ga. Emory M. Marshall, Santa Fe, N. M. Thomas Davis, Seattle, Wash. Benjamin L. Miller, Bethlehem, Pa. J. C. Dick, Salt Lake Cite, Utah. 2d Lieut. C. 0. Noble, U. S. Army. Chris. G. Dobson, Vancouver, B. C. Irving Perrine, Hutchinson, Kans. H. S. Emlaw, Grand Rapids, Mich. Fred S. Porter, Seattle, Washington. F. A. Fahrenwald, Cleveland, Ohio. Capt. H. R. Robbins, Peking, China Lieut. James L. Head, St. Louis, Mo. Joseph P. Ruth, Jr., Denver, Colo. A. A. Holland, Napanu, Canada. William A. Simkins, San Francisco, Calif. W. E. Hopper, Washington, D. C. T .V. Smirnoff, Siberia. Harry Hotchkin, Chicago, Ill. Harrison Souder, Cornwall, Pa. L. L. Hutchison, Tulsa., Okla. F. J. Sur, Denver, Colo. Paul S. King, Wilmington, Del. Harry Wolf, Denver, Colo. George K. Anderson, Jr., lies accepted a position as manager for Wight & Co., producers of air-cooled blast-furnace slag, at Longdale, Va. J. M. Armstrong, with the Caribbean Petroleum Co., has been transferred from Philadelphia to Maracaibo, Venezuela. Fred Sherman Baker, who has been with the Oriental Consolidated Mining Co., at Unsankinko, Chosen, Korea, is now at Columbia City, Ind. Ray J. Barber has removed from Roxbury, Mass., to New York City, and is now consulting engineer for the Roxbury Cold Mines, Inc.

Jan 9, 1919

[PAGE PREFACE. A. B. PARSONS 3 OFFICERS AND DIRECTORS 7 STANDING AND SPECIAL COMMITTEES 8 PROCEEDINGS OF 1935 MEETINGS 10 NEW YORK, FEBRUARY 10 CHICAGO, OCTOBER 14 SAN FRANCISCO, OCTOBER 14 HOUSTON, OCTOBER 15 ST. LOUIS, OCTOBER 15 ABSTRACTS OF PAPERS PUBLISHED IN 1935 17 TECHNICAL PUBLICATIONS AND CONTRIBUTIONS, 1935 64 INDEX OF 1935 PUBLICATIONS 71]

Jan 1, 1936

THE CHAIRMAN (EDWIN LUDLOW, Lansford; Pa.).-Mr. Wang's paper reminded me that some years ago I was asked if I would not go into the Tien Tsin district and take charge of Americanizing a Chinese mine. They said the trouble was that, while wages were only 9 c. a day, the coke cost $2 a ton delivered to the cars. Reading Mr: Wang's paper would indicate the need of a little Americanization in the Manchurian field. Wages are only 40 c: a day, yet the cost is $3.60 a ton. An efficiency engineer would have an excellent opportunity in that field. T. T. READ, New York, N. Y.-It is always true that low-priced labor is inefficient, wherever we find it; for example, in Japan, where wages are low, but not so low as in Manchuria, working costs are not relatively much lower than ours. Mr. Padshah, describing his experience in India, once told me that, while wages were only about one-fifth as high

Jan 4, 1918

THE meeting was opened, Tuesday evening, May 25th, by an address from the President, R. W. Raymond. The following persons having been duly proposed for members and associates of the Institute, were recommended by the Council for election. They were unanimously elected MEMBERS. Florian Alexander, - Newark, N. J. Charles A. Ashburner, - Philadelphia, Pa. Phineas Barnes, - Pittsburgh, Pa. J. Y. Bergen, - Chicago, 111. Leopold C. Bierwirth, - Dover, N. J. Charles E. Billin, - Philadelphia, Pa. Jerome L. Boyer, - Temple, Berks County, Pa. William S. Cherry, - Streator, Ill. Thomas Couch, - Salt Lake City, Utah. W. S. De Camp, - Boonton, N. J. Thomas Donaldson, - Boise City, Idaho. H. Firmstone, - Longdale, Va. Franz Fohr, - New York City. Richard George, - Dover, N. J. John M. Hartman, - Philadelphia, Pa. C. W. Kempton, - Newburyport, Mass. James B. Lewis, - Dover, N. J. James F. Lewis, - Amenia, Dutchess County, N. Y. Arthur H. Meyer, - St. Louis, Mo. Edward H. Morrison, - Boonton, N. J. Charles J. Norwood, - Lexington, Ky. John R. Peters, - Dover, N. J. Charles I. Rader, - Vinton Furnace, Ohio. W. M. Rees, - Stockton, Luzerne County, Pa. George Richards, - Dover, N. J. Alexander H. Sherrerd, - Scranton, Pa. W. S. Sweeny, - Easton, Pa. W. J. Taylor, - Chester, N. J. Walter Tefft, - Mineville, Essex County, N. Y. J. Alexander Tyler, - New York City. J. D. Weeks, - Pittsburgh, Pa. William Wheatley, Jr., - New York City. Moses D. Wheeler, - Virginia, Nevada. Henry Woods, - Streator, III.

Jan 1, 1876

Recent start-up of a new 3450 t/d (3800 stpd) copper-zinc concentrator complex in northern Manitoba, Canada, is expected to open new reserves and dramatically cut transportation costs for Hudson Bay Mining and Smelting Co.'s Snow Lake operations. The new $C33-million mill is located in Stall Lake, Manitoba, and includes a new crushing and grinding facility and two flotation circuits for the production of 23-25% copper and 55% zinc concentrates. A small amount of lead concentrate will also be recovered. The plant will produce some 145 000 t/y (160,000 stpy) of concentrates, to be shipped by rail to the firm's Flin Flon copper smelter and zinc refinery complex, located 177 km (110 miles) to the west on the Saskatchewan-Manitoba border.

Jan 9, 1979

By Moshe Sheinkin, Douglas E. Julin

Large tonnage operations face many problems in adequately planning ahead for future years production. In order to maintain desired levels of production, such problems as source of tonnage, man- power and equipment requirements, tailings disposal and water requirements must be anticipated. Of course, before any of these problems can be analyzed, daily tonnage requirements and its source must be determined. Looking ahead for one year or even two or three is usually not sufficient time to adequately prepare an area for production. Because of the sequence of mining and the multilevel nature of the 42,000 tpd Climax mine in Colorado long-range planning must be on a ten-year basis. By using a ten-year base, adequate time is allowed to gain access and prepare a new level for production. Usually eight years will be required for this phase of the initial mine preparation. Once production has been started on a level and access to the area is available, three years is usually sufficient to prepare a new block for production as long as it follows in the normal sequence of mining.

Jan 4, 1967

By J. Hall Carpenter, James E. Lawver

Shortly after the passage of the Taconite Amendment in Minnesota, several mining companies announced their intention to build new magnetite taconite plants and another announced its intention to augment present facilities. It is clear that Minnesota will enjoy an expanding magnetite taconite industry, but despite the fact that the reserves are large, eventually they will have to be supplemented by oxidized deposits. Furthermore, not all producers have magnetite taconite reserves. Due to the extensive oxidation of most of the western part of the Mesabi Range, there are no large blocks of unaltered magnetite taconite that lend themselves to open pit operations. Unless a commercial process can be developed to concentrate the oxidized, or so- called "nonmagnetic", taconite and semi-taconite, the existing mines operating in the western part of the range will be forced to shut down when the direct shipping, wash and gravity ores are depleted, or are no longer salable, because of their poor quality compared to high-grade pellets. KNOWN PROCESSES COSTLY The enormous reserves of the oxidized iron- bearing formation have offered a tantalizing challenge to metallurgists for many years. In fact, several processes for concentrating certain types of oxidized ore have been successful at both laboratory and pilot plant level, but to date no process for concentrating semitaconite or oxidized taconite has reached commercial fruition. Magnetic roasting, followed by low-intensity magnetic separation1, has shown considerable promise because the high iron recovery makes the ratio of concentration of many of the oxidized ores more favorable than that of magnetite taconite. However, the capital and operating costs are high and, in many cases, a high- grade concentrate cannot be made without resorting to flotation of the magnetic concentrate. Hence, most research groups are investigating alternate methods of concentration with the hopes of reducing the cost.

Jan 9, 1965

Meeting of May 22, 1914.-President Thayer. announced the appointment of the following Committee on Arrangements for the San Francisco meeting of 1915: Charles W. Merrill, Chairman; F. W. Bradley, Abbot A. Hanks, S. B. Christy, and H. C. Hoover. President Thayer announced the appointment of the following Committee on Organization for the Utah-Nevada Local Section: R. C. Gemmell, Chairman; C. D. Blood, Lafayette Hanchett, Ernest Gayford; Duncan MacVichie, and George W. Riter. The President of the Institute offered $100, to be known as the "President's Prize," to be used as prizes for the best papers submitted by members of the Affiliated Student Societies, to be divided as follows: First Prize, $50; Second Prize, $30; Third Prize, $20. A committee, consisting of J. F. Kemp, Chairman; W. L. Saunders, and T. T. Read, was appointed to report on the conditions to govern the award. The President announced the appointment of the Committee on Mining and Milling Methods, the personnel of which is shown on a subsequent page of this Bulletin. The following were appointed on the Advisory Committee to the U. S. Bureau of Standards, to represent the manufacture of the various non-ferrous metals as indicated: Copper, F. L. Antisell; Nickel, David H. Browne; Lead, H. O. Hofman; Aluminum, J. W. Richards; Zinc, G. C. Stone. It was voted to hold a meeting of the Institute under the auspices of, the Iron and Steel Committee, the Committee on Petroleum and Gas, and the Committee on Coal and Coke, in Pittsburg, Pa., Oct. 8, 9, and. 10, 1914.

Jan 7, 1914

By A. T. Yu

As the first loads of Noamundi iron ore rumbled into the new 54-in. Gyratory Crusher on March 30, 1968, one of India's largest and most modern iron ore processing complexes began operations. The completion of the $13 million mining and processing complex brought to a successful conclusion the second chapter of a phased expansion program initiated in 1958 by India's gigantic Tata Iron and Steel Co. The completed complex will yield annually 2.5 million tons of washed, sized ore and sinter fines destined for Tata's furnaces at Jamshedpur. Hewitt-Robins Div. of Litton Industries was awarded the turnkey project on the basis of world- wide competitive bids. Eighty miles southwest of the city of Jamshedpur, Noamundi lies on an approximate geographic grid of 22º-5' latitude north and 85º-30' longitude east. The mine is approximately 600 ft above sea level.

Jan 11, 1968

By Henry F. Adams, Guy H. Ruggles

IN this paper the authors aim to chronicle the experience and salient points brought out in changing flotation reagents at a concentrator which had probably been using a mininium amount of oil at a minimum cost per ton, to a more complicated system requiring a partial chemical control. The original oils were coal tar and pine oil. The new reagents are lime, xanthate and pine oil. It was found that there were no insurmountable difficulties and eventually the cost of the new reagents per ton of ore proved to be very little more than that of the old. LIME PLANT When the question of handling lime came up there were two propositions open: (1) to handle the lime dry; (2) to handle it wet in the form of an emulsion. Granting that a dry lime feeder would function properly, delivering lime uniformly, the chief objection was the dust that would be raised when these feeders were being charged or operated, as the only possible location was on a gallery beneath which men were working. With this objection the handling of lime as an emulsion seemed to be the better scheme. The lime plant which was first installed was for experimental work on one section. This was gradually changed and developed until it was of sufficient size to accommodate 20 sections. The various changes will not be discussed and the following description deals only with the fully developed plant. Crude as it is, and perhaps somewhat expensive to operate, the lime-handling plant has been quite successful. Much has been learned which will pave the way for a better installation in the future. Burnt lime is received loose in standard gage box cars. This is the product of the kilns and has had no screening or sorting. A grab sample is taken from each car as it is unloaded. An average of the analyses of samples from 44 cars gave the following: [ ]

Jan 1, 1928

Abbey, Robert Graham, District Mgr.. The W. W. Sly Mfg. Co., 50 Church St.. New York, N. Y. '21 Abbott, A. N., Mines Supt., Mazapil Copper Co., LtdConcepcion del Oro, Zac., Mexico. '28 *Abbott, Argyle Campbell, Dev. Dept., E. I. du Pont de Nemours & Co., Wilmington, Del. '29 Abbott, Clarence E., V.P., Charge of Raw Materials, Tenn. Coal, Iron & R. R. Co., 1242 Brown-Marx Bldg.. Birmingham, Ala. '04 Abbott, Louis Benjamin, Chief Engr., Elkhorn Div., Consolidation Coal Co., Jenkins, Ky. '16 Abeel, George H., Jr., Cons. Min. Engr Box 427, Santa Monica, Cal. '18 Abel, Albert E., Asst. to Pres., Valley Mould & Iron Corp Hubbard, Ohio. '19 Abel, Raymond L., Asst. Prof., Dept. of Pet. Refin., Univ. of Pittsburgh Pittsburgh. Pa. '28 Abeel, Leo M., Research Engr., Sullivan Concentrator Chapman Camp, B. C., Canada. '31

Jan 1, 1929

By E. P. Mathewson

THE experiments described in this paper were made at the Washoe Reduction Works, Anaconda, Mont., for the purpose of determining the relative speed of elimination of the iron, sulphur and arsenic during the process of bessemerizing copper-mattes. The samples were taken from a horizontal "barrel" converter, 8 ft. in diameter and 12 ft. 6 in. long, having an average charge of 9 tons of matte, and blown with a 16-1b. air-pressure. All samples were taken with the blast on, turning the converter from its normal blowing-position to nearly verti¬cal, so that a conical mold, with a long handle attached to a horizontal rod, could be introduced from a platform above the converter into the mouth of the converter and a sample taken. The difficulties of taking a sample with the blast on are appar¬ent, and the irregularities of the lines in Figs. 1, 2 and 3 can be readily accounted for by the amount of slag in the samples. On the whole, the plotting of the results gives comparatively uniform lines, considering the conditions. The samples were taken by the regular sampling-force of the works at 10-min. intervals, as shown in Tables I., II and III, which also give the chemical analysis of the samples so taken. The test shown in Table I. was made with a new converter; that of Table II with a converter that had made three charges and had been cleaned out; that of Table III with a converter that bad blown one charge to white metal, and had then been " washed " out and used for the test. In plotting these results, it was necessary to take, as a basis, the percentage of copper in the samples. This basis does not exactly represent the true condition, since the volume is constantly decreasing and a certain quantity of copper passes into the slag, but it is as near as can be obtained in practice. Take, for instance, in Table I., the sample No. 5, which shows : Cu, 59.9;

Jan 1, 1907

By C. D. Ramsden

DURING the war years of 1941 to 1945, maintenance of mine locomotives and other mine equipment took the form of rebuilding rather than of renewing. Pur¬chase of new parts became increasingly difficult and mine operators found it necessary to maintain equipment by sal¬vaging old parts. Mine-locomotive wheels, although not representing a high cost per pound of material, contain a con¬siderable amount of steel and without rebuilding would have to be scrapped long before even a moderate percentage of the steel in the wheel is actually consumed. Many mine operators have been re¬building locomotive wheels for several years with automatic open arc-welding equipment. In 1927, the Pittsburgh Coal Co. started such a program, using a single Westinghouse automatic welding head. Since that time, many refinements have been added, until in 1944 the setup was operating very efficiently. A desire to increase wheel life and to hold down rising costs led the company in 1944 to investigate the possibilities of the under¬flux arc-welding process for wheel rebuild¬ing, although at that time, little or no work had been done on multiple pass or "build-up" welding with the underflux arc. Work with this process had been confined largely to welding together flat plates in a "down hand" position. Possibilities for savings were intensified by the fact that the company has 300 locomotives in operation, using actively or as spares 1200 sets of wheels. During 1942 and 1943, about 500 sets of wheels were sent each year to the company's maintenance shop at Library, Pa., for rebuilding. Based on having 800 sets in service (many of the company's heavy locomotives have three- sets of trucks), the average life of a set of wheels was approximately 19 months. Anything that could be done to increase wheel life promised sizable annual savings. OPEN ARC WELDING With the open arc process, a set of wheels could be rebuilt for about 40 pct of the cost of new wheels. Underflux arc welding gave promise of greatly increased welding speeds, more homogeneous, dense deposits and the chance for use of a wider range in welding-wire compositions. Against this was ranged the higher cost of materials and the cost of developing the process from the theory to a practical reality. Since 1927, when a single open arc head was placed in operation, fixed welding procedures had been gradually developed, a positioner for handling a set of wheels was built, and a second head was placed in operation in order to weld two wheels simultaneously. The fixture, or posi¬tioner, which was built to position and turn the wheels under the two welding heads, included a motor drive, controlled by a rheostat, which rotated the wheels through a double set of speed reducers and a removable jaw coupling attached to one end of the axle of the wheel truck.

Jan 1, 1946

By Persifor Frazer

At a time when all those interested in the iron trade are carefully scanning the horizon for new sources of the raw material, a few words concerning a field, which though not new, has not been hitherto fruitful of statistical information, may be deemed appropriate at this meeting. The district alluded to is the belt of the Middle James River, or in other words, that portion of the ferriferous belts of Virginia lying between Josua Falls and the little settlement of Norwood, in the counties of Amherst and Nelson, and on the left bank of the James River. This region shows unmistakable signs of developing a very considerable market for iron ores and for iron in the future, as well as a tempting appearance of possible productiveness in the former. It, is extremely hazardous to deal in generalizations as to the productiveness or non-productiveness of these measures without a more thorough development than has yet been attained. It is true that they probably constitute an horizon whence comes a part of the marvellous mineral wealth of the northern peninsula of Michigan. But

Jan 1, 1883

By Andrew Hyslop

In our never ending search for new and better ways of underground mining, we find that transportation has had its share of new ideas in the past few years. The old and still effective method of track haulage has had some competition from rubber-tired cars and belt conveyors, each of which has its own safety hazards which demand close scrutiny in any safety study. The use of shuttle cars, in particular, has introduced clearance hazards caused by the absence of the more or less positive guides formed by the rails of a track sys- tem; likewise the requirement of greater clearance tends to increase roof hazards which we all know to be great enough with the best of methods. However, the subject of transportation hazards is too broad to be covered entirely in one paper, so I will confine myself to track methods which carry the preponderance of underground tonnage. I am quite sure that to this group it is an evident fact that haulage accidents are of major importance. However, to stress the point, it may be well to look at a few figures. Safety statistics can be quite boring and often are subject to question as to mathematical accuracy because of different

Jan 1, 1949

By Peter N. Blakey, Thiann R. Yu, Douglas O. Tansey

A flexible, efficient, and relatively low-cost drilling and blasting operation has evolved at Texasgulf Canada, Ltd.'s Kidd Creek underground mine. Located 32 km (20 miles) north of historic Timmins, Ontario, the underground operation utilizes a sublevel open stoping method developed with large-diameter blastholes. Over the years, Kidd Creek engineers have experimented with various drill-and-blast techniques, leading to the present-day practice. Continuing work is being conducted to further mechanize the blasting operation.

Jan 6, 1976

By W. B. Wise, H. D. Attra, W. M. Black

The purpose of this paper is to illustrate a comparatively new approach for solving a problem that has plagued oil producers for many years—how to make the most money with available field production capacity. In a very basic operation such as a top-allowable one-well field, a computer and staff of engineers are not required to determine that the best operation is to produce that well at its maximum for as long a time as it will produce. However, as the problem becomes more complex and the number of wells and number of reservoirs increase, it probably will be a wise choice to devote some engineering thought and calculation time to determine the best way to operate that field on both an ultimate and day-to-day basis. Continued developments in the field broadly referred to as "operations research" have led to a number of useful engineering analyses for optimizing field operational problems. One of these techniques, termed linear programing, is parlicularly interesting because of its potential applications to the study of complex oilfield operating problems. Linear programing is concerned with the problem of planning a complex set of interde~endenl activities in the best possible (optimal) fashion. A field application of linear programing is being used to maximize daily income from a multi-reservoir producing operation. The initial results of this study indicate that the linear programing technique (I) can be applied effectively to field problems, (2) can be used to detect unsuspected avenues for improving operations and (3) can effect a significantly improved means of controlling field operations through the use of the highspeed computer. INTRODUCTION The usual approach for studying complex field operational problems has been to look in detail at several basic plans suggested by judgement and experience and, then, to choose the best plan from those investigated. This approach is entirely satisfactory provided: (1) that judgment and experience alone will reliably pick the best or near the best program as one of the plans to be investigated; and (2), and most important, that the factors which control field production will not change. This paper deals with the large group of field operations which are at least one-step removed from a satisfactory solution using the conventional method of analysis. Problems such as pipeline- and gathering-system design, transportation studies, large field development projects and multi-reservoir producing operations fall in this latter category. To find the best program for handling these problems when the best program is not obvious, a complete optimization study is required, and high-speed computers are required to continually update the program once it is selected. Operations of this type have an extremely large number of possible solutions. However, only one will result in maximum economic return and, more important, this one program must be re-evaluated and adjusted constantly to accomodate such changing field factors as the number of producing days, the price of crude, the discovery of new reserves, declining reservoir pressure with subsequent decline in production and a host of other factors which characterize specific operations. One of the most widely used, direct methods of optimization is a numerical procedure termed "linear programing", which is designed to investigate systematically each of the possible solutions involved in a given problem, determining rapidly and uniquely the optimum answer. As implied by the name, linear programing requires that all field variables be either defined or expressed in a series of interdependent linear equalities or inequalities. These relationships are solved simultaneously, using a form of matrix solutions to determine the optimum values for each producing variable that will maximize net profits. The solution techniques used in a recent field case study is termed the "simplex method" and is discussed in full detail in Ref. 1.