Search Documents

By J. Richard Maier

Short-range mine planning (less than five years) previously was accomplished using contour and isopac maps, pencil and paper, an abacus, and our lucky quarter. Through the use of both micros and mainframe time sharing, Glenrock Coal Company (GCC) has been able to virtually put the old equipment away (except the problem solving quarter). In the process, GCC has saved many man-days and eliminated the more tedious parts of mine planning, such as picking elevations off a map with an engineer's scale and repetitive calculations. These savings have allowed GCC to do a more extensive job of mine planning as well as offer more alternatives, making GCC better prepared for possible economic changes. Mine planning, simply, involves looking at what has been done and deciding what needs to be done using various constraints. The application of this concept is not as easy as it sounds. The need for experience and insight cannot be replaced by a machine, but machines can supplement a person's ability by doing the bookkeeping and the repetitive work. Through the application of computers and their accessories, GCC has brought mine planning to a more modernized state. The following paper will detail the development and use of one system as used at GCC. Please note: In the figures and tables following, some of the data has been altered to protect confidential information used in mine planning.

Jan 1, 1983

THE book covers principally the assaying of silver and gold and the determination of these values in ores, sweepings, and base metal. It seems to have been written more for the goldsmith and jeweler than for the primary producer of metals. There were approximately sixty different substances needed in the operations described and not over a dozen different types of raw material (ore, matte, crude or alloyed metal) are mentioned. The methods of separation used were essentially simple and reasonably reliable, though the processes were not sufficiently understood to permit the selection of the simplest effective ingredients, and there was a great tendency to employ complicated fluxes, with unnecessary repetition of long-continued heatings indicative of a leisurely pace of life. Practically all the processes described are based on a few chemical facts: the inability of gold to combine with sulphur, while silver and the base metals form easily fusible sulphides; the ready oxidation of base metals; and the ii- solubility of gold in nitric acid. Fluxes serve to make earthy impurities fusible, and to carry oxidizing or sulphurizing ingredients. Many of the processes of assaying had changed little up to the beginning of the present century. Even as late as 1924, when the writer took a University course in fire assaying, the crucibles, cupels, scorifiers, molds, and tongs were identical with those of the sixteenth century, though the wind furnace had a stack on it and the muffle for cupelling was gas-fired.* The fluxes were purer, but of the same essential composition. That this branch- or twig-of metallurgy had not advanced in any funda-

Jan 1, 1949

By N. J. Keys, B. Barlin

Operating properties of Bancroft Mines Ltd. are in the Western Province of Northern Rhodesia, just south of the Katanga border and at the north- western end of the Rhodesian Copperbelt. The concentrator, above, was commissioned in January 1957 to treat 150,000 tons per month of ore derived from the nearby Kirila Bomwe South orebody, and the Konkola orebody eight miles away. The Konkola orebody is comparatively low grade and mining was discontinued there in early 1958. Development work on the new mine at the Kirila Bomwe North orebody commenced in 1959. Today, the plant treats approximately 150,000 tons of ore per month from the Kirila Bomwe South orebody and development ore from the north orebody. Ultimately, 100,000 tons of ore per month will be produced from the north orebody.

Jan 9, 1963

By R. Simon

Maurer's review1 summarizes quite thoroughly the various theoretical developments and experimental findings that contribute to the knowledge of rock mechanics in drilling. This discussion supplements Maurer's paper by including generalities that either have been incompletely treated in his review, or formulated from new considerations by the discussant and from hitherto unpublished experimental data. These generalities are associated with the observation that all mechanical methods of rock drilling essentially comprise a sequence of indexed, concentrated loadings on the bottom of the hole being drilled. A concentrated loading is defined as a mechanical loading by a tool that contacts at any one time only a small fraction of the surface of the body being worked and penetrates only a small fraction of the body thickness. The surface in this application is the bottom of the hole. The deformation of ductile material by concentrated loading has received considerable attention because of the importance of indentation tests for measuring hardness of metals. Some of the generalities involved in concentrated loadings on ductile materials apply also to concentrated loadings on more brittle materials such as rock. Among these generalities is the applicability of similitude considerations to scaling laws and to force-displacement and energy-volume characteristics for tools of various shapes, as summarized by Tabor.2 Vork on the flow and fracture behaviors of glass loaded with pyramidal and spherical indenters is reviewed by Douglas.3 Maurer refers to the work of Evans and Murrell on wedge loadings on coal and on mixtures of pitch and sand. It is evident from Maurer's paper that a considerable portion of the studies of rock mechanics in drilling, such as crater formation experiments, has involved concentrated loadings on rock.

Jan 1, 1967

By A. U. Seybolt

Experiments on both suljidation and hot corrosion have been carried out using ternary Ni-Cr-X alloys and commercial nickel-base superalloys. It has been shown that lhere are certain micro structural similarities between sulfidation using H,S/H2 mixtures and hot corvosion using Na,S04 in "crucible" experiments or hot corrosion tests using a flame tunnel apparatus. It is proposed that two key processes in the hot cowosion process are: 1) formation of chromium sulfides which deplete the alloy matrix, and 2) oxidation which can be accelerated because of chromium depletion. Other processes play an important role in the hot corrosion process, such as accelerated oxidation attack due to the presence of a N& S04 or N&SO,- NaC2 film which inhibits the formation of a protective external oxide scale. However, this latter phenomenon was not studied in this work. THE term hot corrosion has come to mean a combination of sulfur and oxygen attack on nickel-base or cobalt-base superalloys used as gas turbine blades or partitions. This attack can be initiated by any combustion process in air involving fuel containing sulfur if the sulfur level is sufficiently high. Levels of 5 pet SO2l for example, in the combusting gas have been observed to produce hot corrosion attack on nickel-base alloys. The important immediate corroding medium in aircraft gas turbines, however, has been established to be Na2S04, formed from reaction between NaCl from sea air and sulfur in the fuel.' The Na2S04 concentrates the sulfur sufficiently so that superalloy parts heated in the range 1400" to 1900°F can become sulfided by reducing the Na2S04 film which forms on the parts, and this reaction allows sulfur to gain access to the alloy. The sulfur thus released diffuses into the superalloy and forms primarily chromium sulfides of various compositions, but frequently Cr2S, has been identified. Figs. 1 and 2 show the morphology typical of hot corrosion of a cobalt-base superalloy X-45 (25 Cr, 10 Ni, 7.5 W, 0.25 C) and a nickel-base alloy, Udimet 500 (19 Cr, 19 Co, 4 Mo, 3 Ti, 2.9 Al, 0.07 C). Both alloy samples were subjected to the same hot corrosion conditions: 616 hr at 1600°F in a combusted 2.9 pct S distillate oil containing 125 ppm Na as NaC1. It will be noted at once that the nickel-base alloy is much more severely attacked. The depth of corrosion is much greater and the number and size of the sulfides present are much greater. Both alloys show a duplex oxide scale, which is more noticeable in the X-45 alloy. The external scale is probably a spinel in both cases, with CrQ3 lying next to the alloy. Many investigators1 -"ve been concerned with hot corrosion phenomena, but there has been a lack of unanimity of opinion as to the details of the hot corrosion mechanism. More than one definition of hot corrosion is possible. Some investigators con- sider as a measure of hot corrosion only the weight gain due to an accelerated oxidation. However another point of view is that the total depth of affected alloy may be used as a measure. While it is recognized that surface oxidation attack is greatly accelerated by the presence of salts like Na2S04 or Na2S04-NaC1 mixtures, sulfur penetration into the alloy also undoubtedly produces very important effects. The region of sul-fide penetration which is so prominent in Fig. 2 is one of the outstanding characteristics of hot corrosion. For highly stressed parts, such as first-stage buckets, this sulfur-penetrated region can be more significant in mechanical property loss than the reduction of cross section produced by the formation of the massive external scale. In addition, evidence will be presented that this sulfided region can be less resistant to subsequent oxidation attack. Since it appears that the sulfided region below the surface oxide scale plays an important role in the overall corrosion process,

Jan 1, 1969

By Bernard Moore

THE last few decades have witnessed the introduction of many new nonmetallic mineral products and changes in the use of many of those already well known. Among these is diatomite, formerly employed as a mild abrasive and, at one time, as the absorbent material in dynamite. Now nearly 100,000 tons a year are mined and milled into such things as filter aids, cement admixtures, insulants, fillers, absorbents, cosmetics, cleansers, etc. Pumice, commonly regarded as only an abrasive, is now also employed as an insulant, as light-weight aggregate and as a concrete admixture. With increasing use of insulants, light-weight aggregates, and acoustic stuccos and plasters in the building trades, both these mate-rials should find increased application. Very large deposits occur in eastern Oregon and have been studied by the U. S. Geological Survey in cooperation with the Oregon State Mining Board.

Jan 1, 1934

By Carl R. Christiansen, James J. Scott

Advance mine planning, coupled with good mining practice, can be employed to develop underground space in stone mines for future industrial usage. To assure the developer the maximum return on his investment, initial planning should consider all aspects of the commercial operation, including surface layout, mining, and underground industrialization. The modular concept of mining to compartmentalize the space offers several advantages over conventional methods. Some expenditures can be considered as mining costs with a reduction of profit from stone production while lowering the capital requirements for conversion for usable space.

Jan 1, 1977

By M. S. Klima, P. T. Luckie

Interfacing new or improved unit operations SUBMODULES with the EXECUTIVE of a macro analysis simulator usually requires modification of the input data. For example, particle processing SUBMODULES that are sufficiently general in nature to provide useful predictions require input data for rather narrow size fractions. Such data is not always available for the EXECUTIVE and must therefore be generated by the SUBMODULE. A successful interface to allow incorporation of a new SUBMODULE for comminution and one for classification in a general stream state flowsheet simulator is presented. The general nature of the SUBMODULES, as well as the logic of expanding and contracting the required data input is discussed.

Jan 1, 1983

By Alwyn Birchmore Cox, Ian William Wark

In defending the chemical theory of flotation, Taggart, del Giudice and Ziehl have criticized1 the views of those who prefer to attribute the effects of certain flotation agents to adsorption. Perhaps with some justification, they describe the latter term as the "haven of refuge of writers lost in a morass of shaky experiment and muddy thinking." We prefer to regard it, however, as a haven of refuge for writers who seek a conventional term to describe the formation of films of flotation reagents on solid surfaces, because in many cases it is not yet possible to specify the forces that hold them there. Originally, as Taggart and his associates state, adsorption connoted a concentration difference and nothing more. In recent years, workers in the field of surface chemistry have tacitly added other meanings, and they now speak of orientated adsorption of unimolecular films on a solid sub-strate, of chemi-adsorption, and of exchange adsorption. Thus the term adsorption may connote simply the Gibbs layer of excess concentration at the surface of a solution, or a unimolecular film at the surface of a solid. Perhaps this has led to the misunderstanding of Taggart, del Giudice and Ziehl concerning the relationship between surface tension and adsorption at solid surfaces. The change in "surface tension" accompanying adsorption at a liquid surface can be used as a measure of the adsorption, and the Gibbs equation as quoted by these authors correlates these two conceptions. But, to correlate two conceptions docs not necessarily imply an attempt to explain either, although sometimes such an "explanation" is carelessly inferred. Use of "surface energy per unit area" instead of the numerically equal but more difficult and less definite conception of "surface tension per unit length " would lessen many of the present difficulties. (Compare with Adam.2) At interfaces involving a solid phase, neither '" surface tension " nor " interfacial tension "can have any meaning, but the conception "interfacial energy per unit area" call be understood by anyone who is familiar with the concept of free energy. While it is true that surface energy cannot be directly measured at a solid surface,

Jan 1, 1939

By Ian William Wark, Alwyn Birchmore Cox

In defending the chemical theory of flotation, Taggart, del Giudice and Ziehl have criticized1 the views of those who prefer to attribute the effects of certain flotation agents to adsorption. Perhaps with some justification, they describe the latter term as the "haven of refuge of writers lost in a morass of shaky experiment and muddy thinking." We prefer to regard it, however, as a haven of refuge for writers who seek a conventional term to describe the formation of films of flotation reagents on solid surfaces, because in many cases it is not yet possible to specify the forces that hold them there. Originally, as Taggart and his associates state, adsorption connoted a concentration difference and nothing more. In recent years, workers in the field of surface chemistry have tacitly added other meanings, and they now speak of orientated adsorption of unimolecular films on a solid sub-strate, of chemi-adsorption, and of exchange adsorption. Thus the term adsorption may connote simply the Gibbs layer of excess concentration at the surface of a solution, or a unimolecular film at the surface of a solid. Perhaps this has led to the misunderstanding of Taggart, del Giudice and Ziehl concerning the relationship between surface tension and adsorption at solid surfaces. The change in "surface tension" accompanying adsorption at a liquid surface can be used as a measure of the adsorption, and the Gibbs equation as quoted by these authors correlates these two conceptions. But, to correlate two conceptions docs not necessarily imply an attempt to explain either, although sometimes such an "explanation" is carelessly inferred. Use of "surface energy per unit area" instead of the numerically equal but more difficult and less definite conception of "surface tension per unit length " would lessen many of the present difficulties. (Compare with Adam.2) At interfaces involving a solid phase, neither '" surface tension " nor " interfacial tension "can have any meaning, but the conception "interfacial energy per unit area" call be understood by anyone who is familiar with the concept of free energy. While it is true that surface energy cannot be directly measured at a solid surface,

Jan 1, 1939

By S. Leber, R. F. Hehemann

This investigation describes the kinetics of alloying in a (Cb-15 wt pct W. 5 wt pct Mo, 1 wt pct Zr) powder-metallurgy alloy. The degree of homogeneity obtained in hydrostatic ally pressed and vacuum-sintered samples is described by composition distributions resulting from analysis of X-ray dvfraction line profiles. Sintering variables and degvee of powder dispersion were evaluated. The utility of single-value parameters obtained from composition distributions is disaissed. The spatial distribution of composition, as revealed by anodically tinted metallographic sarrzples, was used to provide diffision models based on a concentric-sphere geometry. Diffusion equations developed from these models were found to be in general agreement with experimental results. The powder-metallurgy method for the production of refractory metal alloys has the ability to produce an inherently fine-grained, fabricable structure. The more general use of this method is inhibited, in part, by the presumed difficulty in obtaining homogeneity on a microscale. The degree of homogeneity therefore is an important, but usually neglected, variable in specifying the quality of a powder-metallurgy alloy. Convenient techniques for measuring the degree of homogeneity are now available,' and have been used to develop a model describing the process of alloying in a simple binary mixture.' In this investigation, the process of alloy formation has been studied in a more complex system. PROCEDURE The columbium-based F-48 mixture was prepared from the constituent powders shown in Table I. The particle sizes tabulated were provided by the vendors of the individual powders. Standard laboratory techniques utilizing a jar mill were employed for blending. The blended powders were hydro-pressed into 1-in. diam rods which were then sliced into thin discs for vacuum sintering. All samples were given a preliminary treatment at 1700°C for 2 hr. Varying degrees of homogeneity were obtained using additional treatments at higher temperatures. The degree of homogeneity obtained by a specific sintering treatment was evaluated metallographi-cally using the anodic-tinting technique described by olff,' and quantitatively by the analysis of X-ray diffraction line profiles using the X-ray diffraction technique developed by udman.' The diffraction technique is strictly valid only for binary systems. However, the relatively small difference between the lattice parameters of tungsten and molvbdenum when compared with columbium permitted the treatment of the complex composition of F-48 as a (W, Mo)-Cb pseudobinary. Calculations were weighted in accord with the W-Mo ratio in the F-48 composition. The contribution of the 1 pct Zr was ignored since it could not even be detected in the blended powder. Two factors are required to convert an X-ray line profile into a composition distribution. The variation of these factors with composition is shown in Fig. 1. Curve A was used to convert angular posi-

Jan 1, 1964

By Robert J. White

Strong's equation for calculating bottom-hole pressure reduction due to gas cutting of drilling mud is corrected, resulting in a simpler equation which is easier to use. Use of the equation is illustrated by examples. It is shown that reduction of weight of a 10 lb/gal mud by 50 per cent at the surface due to gas cutting produces only n 3 per cent decrease in hydrostatic head at the bottom of a 5,000-ft well. It is also shown that at the surface 5 volumes of air per volume of mud are required to reduce the apparent mud weight from 8.5 to 6.5 lh/gal in a 3,000-ft well. Illustrative graphs are included to show the effect of various degrees of gas cutting on apparent mud weight at depths of 2,000, .5,000 and 10,000 ft and to show variation of apparent mud weight, with depth for a 100 lb/cu ft (13.37 lb/gal) mud gas cut to 90 lb/cu ft (12.03 lb/gal) at the surface. INTRODUCTION In 1938, Strong' published the following equation for calculating reduction in bottom-hole pressure due to gas cutting of drilling mud h = 1/D [p + pn/100 In p + p(1-n/100)/p(1- n-100)] where: h = depth in feet P = pressure in atmospheres at depth h due to mud column only D = hydrostatic pressure in atmospheres of a col-umn of uncut mud 1 ft high p = back pressure at well-head (in atmospheres) n/100 = fraction by volume of gas in mud at well-head at back pres-sure p This equation was recently found to contain an error due to an incor-rect expression for variation of vol-ume fraction of gas with pressure. Values calculated by the original equation are close to the correct values for small percentages of gas for which it was derived but become increasingly erroneous as the gas content increases and are completely unusable at the very high gas con-tents employed in aerated mud. DERIVATION The nomenclature used is the same as in Strong's paper. The pres-sure dP exerted by a lamina of thickness dh at a depth h ft is ex-pressed by Eq. 1 where x = volume fraction of gas at depth h dP = D (l - x)dh . . . (1) When we express x in terms of the wellhead per cent gas n, the well-head pressure p and the pressure P at depth h, the result is Eq. 2. x = (np/p+p)/(100-n) + (np/P + p) When this is substituted in Eq. 1 and rearranged to separate the var-iables the result is dh = 1/D [dp + np/100-n dp/(P + p]. Integration between appropriate lim-its results in or if the wellhead is open so that p = 1 atm and we rearrange Eq. 4, the result is loss in head = hD — P = n/100-n In (P + 1) ...(5) Eq. 5 can be solved easily by successive approximation using hD as a first approximation for P on the right-hand side and calculating a first value for loss in head. This can then be used to get a new value of P using the left-hand side of the equation. Values converge very rap-idly even for quite large values of per cent by volume gas n. EXAMPLES The effect on bottom-hole pressure of 50 per cent gas cutting of the mud in a 5,000-ft well using 10 Ib/ gal mud will be calculated, we have: h = 5,000 ft 10 X 7.48 144 X 14.7 = 0.0353 atm/ft hD = 176.5 atm n = 50 Substituting these values in Eq. 5 and using hD as a first approxima-tion of P on the right, we have, approximate loss in head = 50/50 In (176.5 + 1) = 2.30 log 177.5 = 5.17 atm. We calculate a new value of P as follows:

Jan 1, 1958

By N. L. ALISON

MUCH has been published on the general subject of metal mine ventilation but, so far as I can discover, few specific data on selection of fan equipment to meet the requirements of a given mine ventilation problem are available. This article is intended to point out some of the more important considerations which influence the selection of such equipment. It will be assumed that the mine operator is able to determine the quantity of air which is necessary in the various parts of his mine to produce the required results and the pressure in inches water gage needed to circulate this quantity of air through the mine. There may be instances in which this assumption is not justified, but the fact remains that, with proper engineering talent, these data can be approximated sufficiently close for practical purposes.

Jan 1, 1930

By W. H. Davitt

While it is true that taxes, especially income taxes, whether they be federal, state, or local, are not usually thought of as a "cost" of doing business, it is equally true that these tax costs do reduce the distributable profits just as much as the cost of power, supplies, or labor. Therefore, the consideration given to taxes is often as important as that given to other costs. Hopefully you will recognize that, within certain limits, taxes can be controlled to an economic advantage. The tax laws as now imposed are quite complex. Many of these laws and the regulations thereunder involve many factual determinations, technical considerations, and specialized valuations that can best be made by people trained in the specific area concerned. A substantial amount of a tax liability turns on the proper consideration given to issues involving facts and principles which are peculiarly engineering in nature. The importance of these "engineering" issues in tax administration has been significantly increased in recent years by our rapidly advancing technology, automation, stepped-up mineral and oil exploitation, new industries such as electronics and nuclear power, and the extension of percentage depletion to all minerals. These specialized requirements incorporated in the law are so technical that full consideration can not be given by people with a non-engineering background.

Jan 7, 1974

By Donald Cummings

CERTAIN dusts are dangerous when inhaled, but most hazardous of all dusts are quartz or other forms of pure crystalline silica. The inhalation of dusts containing silica in combination with other elements gives rise to changes in the lung which differ from those produced by pure silica. As a generality, silicates are less dangerous than pure crystalline silica and vary greatly among themselves in harmfulness. Repeated analyses have shown that approximately 70 per cent of the total number of particles involved in any dust-producing operation are below 1 to 2 microns in diameter. (A micron is. approximately 1/25,000 in.) Similar studies of dusts recovered from silicotic lungs post mortem have demonstrated essentially the same size frequency distribu-tion, except that the upper limit of size retained in the air sacs is approxi-mately 10 microns. Experiments carried on by Gardner and the author have further demonstrated that greater changes were produced by a fixed weight of very fine quartz particles (2 to 3 microns and smaller) than by the same weight of slightly larger particles (8 to 10 microns). Any attempt to control a dust hazard should therefore be directed toward the removal from the working atmosphere of particles less than 10 microns in size, and particularly those below 3 microns. All industrial hygienists agree on this matter, but there remains considerable dispute as to the lower limit of particle size capable of causing injury. It has been gen-erally conceded, however, that particles of harmful dusts smaller than ¼ to ½ micron are not essentially concerned in the development of pulmonary fibrosis. This opinion is partly substantiated by the existence of large numbers of these small particles in practically all atmospheres that are, not associated with any known hazard. Such particles are so small that they have very little mass, fail to settle even in quiet air, and probably are not easily retained in the lung. Until further research proves that they are involved in the dangers provoked by the inhalation of certain dusts, engineers will generally agree that it is better to dis-regard them.

Jan 1, 1935

By Petri Bryk, John Ryselin, Rolf Malmstrom, Jorma Honkasalo

THE theoretical possibilities for the realization of flash smelting have been known for a long time. Calculations concerning the same can be found in previously published literature,1 and suggestions for its accomplishment in practice are described in patents on the subject. Likewise a smaller number of practical test results are known. Autogenous smelting is closely connected with flash smelting, since in flash smelting techniques it is possible to use the heat evolved by oxidation of the sulfides for the smelting process to such an extent that under certain conditions smelting can proceed without additional fuel. However, in the event that insufficient heat is available from the oxidation of the sulfide concentrates, then additional heat may be supplied by preheating the air, using oxygen enriched air, on burning additional fuel with the concentrate.

Jan 6, 1958

By Alfred F. Beasley

The slags derived from the smelting of lead and copper ores are composed essentially of silicates. The problems arising from the smelting of these ores consequently involve the study of silicate fusions. In the absence of specific knowledge concerning the compounds occurring in slags, it has been the practice of metallurgists to treat them in terms of their total chemical composition. Slags have been classified as monosilicates, bisilicates, sesquisilicates, and subsilicates according to the relative amounts of oxygen in the acid and basic radicles of the hypothetical salt produced. While this has been a useful guide to metallurgists in computing the furnace charges, it falls far short of a basis for the scientific investigation of slags. In order to understand the nature of a slag as a whole it is necessary to learn the physical and chemical properties of the mineral compounds which go to make up that slag. The efficiency with which an ore is smelted in a furnace depends primarily on the physical properties of the compounds formed during the operation. When the melting points and fields of stability of each of the mineral compounds in slags have been established, it will be possible to determine the properties of any given slag by examining the nature and amounts of its mineral constituents. Earlier Investigations In 1884 and succeeding years an extensive survey of lead and copper furnace slags was made in Europe by Vogt, and a large part of the present knowledge of the subject is due to his publications.' Vogt's interest in artificial fusions was directed primarily towards the explanation of problems in igneous and economic geology and his subsequent works have been confined wholly to that subject.

Jan 1, 1930

By Mark Malamphy

DURING colonial times, Brazil was famous for the richness of her alluvial gold deposits. Paul Ferrand has estimated that the gold produced during the period from 1700 to 1820 was the equivalent of some 64 million pounds sterling. Since that time, most of the more prolific alluvial deposits have been exhausted. A few gold mines are still func-tioning, notably the Morro Velho mine, which is one of the deepest mines in the world. Today, the gold production of Brazil is insignificant when compared with world figures, but there are still many gold-bearing regions and it is probable that in at least some of them profitable returns would result from an exploitation program taking advantage of all the most modern innovations in gold mining and ore treatment on a large scale. In order to demonstrate the value of some of these abandoned pros-pects and stir up interest in increasing the national gold production, the government has stimulated research. Experimental plants have been and are being established in various places, and tests on large quantities of ores are being carried out on a semicommercial basis. The Geological Survey of the State of Minas Geraes is very active in this line and the Federal Institution is also showing an increased interest in the matter. One of the lesser known gold-bearing regions of Brazil is in the vicinity of Lavras, in the State of Rio Grande do Sul. Gold was first reported from this region in the early part of the nineteenth century. In 1811, D. João VI sent an experienced prospector from Minas Geraes to investi-gate the validity of the reports. According to the reports of Baron

Jan 1, 1934

By W. T. Thom

Interest naturally attaches to fissuring and subsidence of the earth's surface, whatever the cause may be, and the induced movement and fissuring of the impervious strata overlying an oil sand is of even greater practical importance because of its bearing upon the recoverability of the portion of the oil not already extracted or extractable by ordinary production methods. It is probably true that significant ground movement induced by oil production occurs only in oil fields in relatively young formations, where the oil comes from incoherent or only slightly cemented sands and oil-soaked clays, but inasmuch as a great proportion of our "gusher" wells produce from "running" sands and yield a large part of the total oil output, it seems worth while to make an effort to inspire the collection and recording of data indicating the nature and magnitude of oil-field subsidence, both surface and subsurface. Goose Creek Field The single known instance in which the nature and magnitude of the surface subsidence incident to petroleum withdrawal has been accurately ascertained is that in the Goose Creek oil field of Texas, described by Pratt and Johnson.' There subsidence caused the submergence of a considerable area within the oil field, and, because the title to the naturally submerged lands of Texas rests in the State, it became necessary to determine whether the submergence was due to natural or artificial causes. A detailed study revealed that the sunken area conformed very closely to the limits of the productive oil field and that the cumulative depression over an eight-year period ranged from zero at the margin to 3.25 ft. at the center. This depression was accompanied by the development of local marginal surface fractures along which the subsiding ares

Jan 1, 1927

By Arthur Knapp

The petroleum industry is confronted with the problem of conservalion. This is not a simple problem in view of a wide difference of opinion among authorities as to whether conservation is necessary and the specific direction that it should take. Many writers accuse the petroleum industry of wasting the natural resources of the country. Others link the consuming public with the industry in this waste. Let us define our terms; agree, if possible, on where and when waste occurs in connection with either the recovery or use of petroleum and select such plans for conservation as appear most practical. A plan for conserv3tion which appears to be logical today may not meet the problem tomorrow. The conservation of petroleum is closely linked with the advancement of marly arts and sciences and as these advance, the plan of conservation has to change. The need for conservation does not necessarily rest upon the elimination of waste. There is not necessarily a fixed connection between waste and conservation. Conservation may be necessary or desirable although there is no waste. Definitions Waste: Useless or unnecessary expenditure. Conservation: The preservation of the natural resources for economical use. Both definitions contain adjectives the interpretation of which is extremely difficult. It is the determination of what expenditures are "unnecessary" or what uses are "economical" that will require study and agreement. If one lets his automobile engine run in cold weather in order to keep it hot, it is difficult to measure that necessity. If an automobile is driven two blocks, when the driver is physically capable of walking, what is the measure of necessity. This question is in the realm of one of the oldest of sociological problems, "What is a luxury?"—a problem which has not been solved. The history of society indicates that the measure of a man's wealth has been the measure of necessity. What he can afford to buy without stinting himself in some other direction, is not a luxury to him and, if it fulfills his desires, may be considered his necessity.

Jan 1, 1927