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By J. M. Bugbee

The engineer and the conservationist agree that effective water drive is the desirable reservoir production mechanism. Water drive may result either from the expansion of edge water, the reservoir water bordering an oil pool, or from the artesian flow of edge water from the outcrop. Thus, the extent of the reservoir has an important bearing upon both the rate and the ultimate quantity of water influx to an oil pool. Lens-type reservoirs are generally recognizable, but the complete structure of the more important domal types, having possible limitations from crestal and synclinal faulting, is not well understood. The delineation from cores, electrical logs and exploitation phenomena of the crestal portions of reservoirs is increasingly exact. This paper suggests that inference from these factual pictures, combined with the scattered well and geophysical data of the synclines and with consideration of the dynamics of structural formation, may be applied to solving the complete geologic structure. Since faulting on the domes and in the synclines may effectively seal and thus limit the size of a reservoir and bar additional water influx, consideration of geologic structure and its possible effects is essential to complete analysis and prediction of reservoir performance. Introduction Implicit in reservoir studies is the fact that the oil must be displaced from the reservoir rock by some other fluid, either gas or water, and this understanding yields the terms descriptive of the major reservoir production mechanisms, gas expansion and water drive' Three recent papers1-2-3 make clear the economic and conservation preeminence of Water drive as a production mechanism; in fact, the title of the latest of these is " Production under Effective Water Drive as a Standard for Conservation Practice." There appears to be an assumption at times among analysts that the effectiveness of a water drive is solely dependent on the rate of oil production; that is, if water drive appears to be insufficient or lacking, a lower oil-recovery rate would increase or reveal it. This assumption might result from the fact that the analysis has been wholly developed during the period of production curtailment; that is, since 1929. The writer takes it that the recurrent phrase in De Golyer's paper,3 "some degree of water drive," is related to this assumption. In California, an extraordinary phrase, "inactive water drive," is rather common and the connotation of uncertainty regarding our knowledge of reservoir performance is evident. Wyckoff2 speaks of the type of reservoir and performance as follows: "In general, reservoirs may be any one or a combination of domal, faulted, lenticular, or stratigraphic traps. Insofar as the dynamic performance of such reservoirs is concerned, the particular type merely determines whether regional flow is symmetrical as in a uniformly developed domal or lenticular type, or one-sided as in many stratigraphic or faulted traps." But whether the flow is

Jan 1, 1943

By Etienne A. Ritter

The Evergreen mine, located at Apex, in the northern part of Gilpin county, Colorado, has opened a very peculiar and interesting copper-deposit, in which both bornite and chalcopyrite occur as rock-minerals. The country-rocks are crystalline schists cut by dikes of granu-lite and of pegmatite. At the Evergreen property they have been cut by a dike of a uew kind of eruptive rock, to which I have given the name " Evergreenite." The rock is composed of quartz, alkali feldspars, orthoclase and albite (often interlocked as microperthite), with augite of the ægirine variety and long needles of enstatite and diallage. For reasons stated below, I believe the dike to be of Tertiary age. It is easily traced on the surface of the ground, from a point in the bottom of Pine creek, about a mile below Apex, to the top of Nevada hill, 1,500 ft. beyond and 600 ft. above it. (See Fig. 1.) It varies from 3 to 12 ft. in width, and is bounded on both sides by contact-zones about 60 ft. wide, in which the crystalline schists have been changed into pseudo-quartzites or pseudo-gneisees, according to the injection of an excess of quartz or of feldspars through the special layer of the schists. The most interesting feature is the presence of the pyroxenes, which are always found, though in very variable proportions from place to place, in the layers of these metamorphosed crystalline schists. The dike has torn from its walls a large number of fragments of the wall-rock. It must have been in a viscous state when that happened, because these fragments of the wall-rock do not show any sign of resorption or of assimilation by the magma. In places they are so distinct and so numerous that the rock looks to the naked eye like a pseudo-breccia, of which, never-

Jan 1, 1908

By Charles Y. Clayton

The shank, to give good service, should not upset nor should it cause excessive wear on the various parts of the machine. To fulfill these requirements, the steel must have a certain hardness—that is, resistance to deformation. The hardness is expressed in conventional terms, as Brinell or scleroscope number. Before deciding on the hardness that is proper, several factors should be considered; the most important are: type of drill steel used (whether hollow or solid), length of steel, nature of ground, air pressure, and hardness of hammer or anvil block (usually 600 Brinell). These are not all, but they are the most cogent ones. Without doubt, it would be better to use a shank that is too soft than one that is too hard. Most satisfactory service will be obtained from shanks that are just hard enough to resist any tendency to upset. To express the proper hardness in terms of Brinell numbers would mean a great many tests over a long period of time, or a study of drill steels that are being used successfully in the various districts. To obtain some information along this line, the persons making this investigation requested, a number of companies to send to them drill shanks that had been given the usual treatment at that mine. The results of the hardness tests are given in Table 1. The hardness values given in Table 2 are those of shanks known to have been quenched in water and drawn. These results show that where water quenching and drawing are in vogue the hardness is rarely under 400 Brinell.

Jan 1, 1923

By Charles Y. Clayton

The shank, to give good service, should not upset nor should it cause excessive wear on the various parts of the machine. To fulfill these requirements, the steel must have a certain hardness—that is, resistance to deformation. The hardness is expressed in conventional terms, as Brinell or scleroscope number. Before deciding on the hardness that is proper, several factors should be considered; the most important are: type of drill steel used (whether hollow or solid), length of steel, nature of ground, air pressure, and hardness of hammer or anvil block (usually 600 Brinell). These are not all, but they are the most cogent ones. Without doubt, it would be better to use a shank that is too soft than one that is too hard. Most satisfactory service will be obtained from shanks that are just hard enough to resist any tendency to upset. To express the proper hardness in terms of Brinell numbers would mean a great many tests over a long period of time, or a study of drill steels that are being used successfully in the various districts. To obtain some information along this line, the persons making this investigation requested, a number of companies to send to them drill shanks that had been given the usual treatment at that mine. The results of the hardness tests are given in Table 1. The hardness values given in Table 2 are those of shanks known to have been quenched in water and drawn. These results show that where water quenching and drawing are in vogue the hardness is rarely under 400 Brinell.

Jan 1, 1923

SPEAKING generally, it may be said that leaching is the simplest method of recovering copper from its ores. Likewise it is perhaps the oldest method of treatment used by copper metallurgists of the modern era. Reliable records indicate that as early as 1752 cupriferous pyrite was leached in the famous Rio Tinto region in Spain. Though the manipulation was quite different from that in use today at Chuquicamata, New Cornelia, Inspiration, and Andes, it resembled that employed by Phelps Dodge at Bisbee, as described in Chapter XIV. Leaching consists of subjecting ore to the action of a liquid solvent or menstruum (usually an aqueous solution) which dissolves the major part of the soluble copper minerals. The resulting pregnant solution is drained off or otherwise separated from the residual ore; and the copper in the solution is then recovered by some appropriate means of precipitation. When sulphuric acid is the lixiviant, as is usual, the simplest procedure is to pass the copper-bearing solution through large troughs containing scrap iron. The iron displaces the copper in the solution, precipitating it as a slime coating the iron and varying in color -from bright copper to a dull black. This may be washed off at intervals, collected as a sludge, dried, and melted with a little fluxing material to produce reasonably pure copper. Usually, of course, the mud is sent to a smelter where most often its destination is the converter or reverberatory furnace. Modern practice uses precipitation on iron only as a complemental process to electrolytic precipitation or deposition, wherein the pregnant copper-bearing solution, acting as the electrolyte in a cell having insoluble anodes and copper cathodes, is depleted of the copper it contains. Cathode copper, 99.5 per cent pure, is produced ready for the market as refined copper, or for a simple process of melting, fire-refining, and casting in

Jan 1, 1933

By Otis W. Freeman

Production of oil in Indiana during 1944 is estimated at approximately 4,950,000 bbl., a decline of 6 per cent from the preceding year. Shortage of labor and material, together with governmental regulations resulting from the war, largely account for the drop in output and limited new developments. Three new pools were discovered in the state during 1944. Two of these, New Harmony, South, and Hovey, West, are in Posey County. Six wells in the New Harmony, South, field produced 66,422 bbl. of oil last year. A third field, Cato, in Pike County, did not market the oil from its discovery well during 1944. Several wells discovered oil in the Henderson field of Jay County along the Ohio state line. An important south extension of the St. Thomas field in Knox County was discovered during the year. Active drilling took place in the Inman, East, and Upton fields, Posey County, both discovered in 1943. Twenty-two wells in Inman, East, produced 151,1gr bbl. in 1944 and 12 in Upton produced 107,052 bbl. Owensville, and especially Owensville, North, in Gibson County, made large gains in production as a result of active drilling. The Dodds Bridge field in Sullivan County continued good production from deep sands reached in 1942. The Griffin continued to be the largest producer among the oil pools of Indiana, accounting for 2,004,180 bbl., over 40 per cent of the state's output. The next largest producing fields are Mt. Vernon and New Harmony, both in Posey County. The largest gas well brought in during 1944 was in the Rockport field, Spencer County, and had an initial output of 2,680,000 cu. ft. per day. The most productive gas fields in Indiana are Rockport, Spencer County, Greensburg, Decatur County, and Unionville, Monroe County. Total production in the state is . hard to estimate, as considerable gas is consumcd in farm homes and for other local uses, and never is reported, but was near 1500 million cubic feet. Some oil from the Trenton field is also used locally and is unreported from pipe-line runs. A total of 606,145 ft. of new hole was drilled in Indiana in 1944. Most of the completions were in Posey and Gibson counties, although wells were drilled in 36 different counties. During the year 331 wells were completed. Of these, 145 found oil in commercial quantities and 28 were gas wells. The initial production of the 145 oil wells was 11,908 bbl. per day. Settled production would be less, of course. The largest wells reported during the year were two on the J. W. Mann farm, in the Mt. Vernon field, with a flush flow of 500 to 800 bbl. each.. Six pools, all small "one well" affairs, were abandoned in 1944; i.e., Fleenor and Patoka in Gibson County, Grafton and Rapture in Posey County, Vaughn in Vandei-bwgh County and Millersburgh, Warrick County.

Jan 1, 1945

By R. M. Brick

Segregation can occur only in cast alloys that solidify over a range of temperatures with a difference in composition of liquid and solid phases within this range (ignoring monotectic systems and chemical reactions as in rimming steels). Thus a pure binary eutectic alloy should show no segregation unless undercooling occurs for one of the solid constituents of the eutectic; e.g., chill-cast Al-I2 per cent Si alloys. The phasial condition implicitly described above—solidification over a range of temperatures with a compositional difference between solid and liquid—is found in nearly all solid solutions or combinations of solid solutions and eutec-tics, Metastable conditions of solidification of these types of alloys cause coring; i.e., a difference in composition between the center of a dendrite and its periphery. This composition gradient can be detected usually only by microscopic examination of etched structures; it is a "micro" effect. The gradient of more immediate industrial concern is that between the center of a cast section and the surface layers. This gross (macro) effect is usually deter-minable only by sampling of the casting at different points, with chemical analyses of each sample. If the compositional difference is of the same type as in coring, the first parts to freeze being enriched in higher-melting-point constituents, and vice versa, the effect is called normal segregation. When what is apparently the first part of the casting to solidify shows a higher concentration of low-melting-point constituents, the effect is called inverse segregation. These macro effects are quite separate from the micro effect, coring, yet the latter must be described first because it is an essential part of the picture. Coring Solid Solution, Ni-Cu The nickel-copper phase diagram is reproduced in Fig. Ia, in which the solid lines represent the equilibrium liquidus I, 3, 7 and solidus 2, 5, 8, and where the vertical I, 4: 8 represents a 55 per cent Cu alloy. Upon moderately rapid solidification, the first dendritic axes of composition 2 (see Fig. Ib) start to form at a temperature somewhat under I. Solidification continues by growth of the dendritic nuclei, but at temperature 4 the increment solidifying is of composition 5. The rapidity of this crystal growth prevents diffusion of nickel and copper atoms from adjusting the composition of the entire dendrite at 5, which it would be under equilibrium conditions. The average composition of a specific dendrite, or the entire solid phase, at temperature 4 might be that indicated

Jan 1, 1945

By J. D. H. Strickland, K. J. Jackson

IN previous papers' ' details were given of the constructlon and use of an apparatus to study the rate of chlorine consumption and the rate of sul- fate and sulfur production when dilute aqueous chlorine solutions were allowed to react with pyrite and galena in acid solutions at or near room temperature. The reaction with pyrite was very rapid, and hence entirely transport-controlled in its kinetics, and produced only ferric and sulfate ions. The behavior of galena was much more complex and was studied in some detail. Sulfur monochloride could be detected as a reaction product and both

Jan 1, 1959

By C. F. Cigliana

TO accommodate a large tonnage at high speed from a single level at San Manuel, a very flexible haulage system was designed to give maximum access to stoping areas, minimize delays, and pro- vide for safety. With these requirements as a guide, the haulage was laid out as a simple double loop with one-way traffic of continuous pull. These loops consist of two parallel drifts 100 ft apart, center to center. Haulage drifts are numbered from north to south, the northernmost being the No. 1 drift. This holds true on both the North and South haulage loops. Haulage drifts are connected at 1000-ft intervals with crossovers so that it is possible to bypass any given section that may be inaccessible. Two of these turnouts are double diamonds, one located on the approach to the rotary dumps at the hoisting shafts and the other on the departure from the dumps. The turnout on the approach or North haulage is 835 ft in front of the rotary dump, and the one on the departure, or South haulage, is 1058 ft from the dump. This type of turnout allows trains coming down either haulage drift No. 1 or No. 2 to be routed into either shaft and expedites movement by avoiding delays due to congestion in the dumping area. The double diamond on the return haulage loop facilitates returning empty ore trains to the panels.

Jan 5, 1958

By N. K. Chen, C. H. Mathewson

Recrystallization of aluminum single crystals after plastic extension is carefully studied in relation to the structure of the deformed matrix. The shapes of the new grains are analyzed with regard to slip planes and to the presence or absence of deformation bands. A mechanism by which the orientations of the grains are related to the parent lattice is described. EXPERIMENTS previously reported&apos; have been extended to develop some of the characteristics of the new crystals which are formed on annealing axially strained crystals whose deformational characteristics had been documented with special care. Thus, the presence of deformation bands affects the growth contours of the crystals, some of the strained crystals produced single crystals anew, and some, polycrystals, on annealing, while others merely "recovered" or "polygonalized" after the 600°C annealing treatment generally adopted in these tests. In the matter of orientational relationships between new crystals and the strained matrix, the present experiments have added little to previous experience, which had demonstrated great variety in the range of orientations encountered and no simple theory or correlation. For example, there has been ample evidence for the predominance in various face-centered cubic metals of a favored orientational relationship; viz., a rotation of 30° to 40° around a <1ll> axis, between grains growing in a matrix with a strong single orientation texture and the matrix itself.&apos;-&apos; This reorientation has been interpreted by various investigators in support of both the "oriented nucleation" and the "oriented growth" hypothesis. In the case of axially extended single crystals of aluminum, no general relationship, such as the one stated above, can be used to correlate the orientations of the recrystallized grains with that of the original crystal. Thus, Carpenter and Elama and Burgers and Basart7 were content to assume that the orientational relationships so developed were random in nature. Mathewson, however, in the Campbell Lecture of 1943 "rgued on the basis of <112> slip that a complex strain, chiefly characterized by rotation around a variable axis in the slip plane combined with a principal rotation around the pole of the slip plane, could be responsible for such devious relationships. Nevertheless, owing to the limited data now available dealing with orientational relationships between new grains and the single crystals strained in tension from which they have recrystallized, no adequate examination of the above generalization could be made. Here, there is the disturbing preliminary condition that any desired orientational relationship may be expressed by means of two rotations about mutually perpendicular axes, so the process lacks a certain critical flavor and any successful choice of axes meeting certain theoretical requirements could be replaced by another differently selected pair. With this reservation clearly in mind the process of double rotations, as previously indicated, was used to relate the orientations of the single crystals which grew out of the strained single crystalline matrix and was construed as certain evidence in favor of the theory of incongruent shearing action proposed by Mathewsons as a necessary element in the (111) slip process with close-packed metals. There is here

Jan 1, 1953

By T. L. McCall

THE late Walter Herd1 in 1929 gave a full description of past and present conditions in No. 2 mine, Springhill, Nova Scotia, developed theories regarding the cause of these bumps and made certain suggestions regarding possible methods of future development. Recapitulating briefly from Mr. Herd&apos;s paper, the seam is bituminous coal, averages 9 ft. in thickness and has a well defined parting containing fusain about 14 in. from the roof. This roof coal is somewhat stronger than the rest of the seam and has a tendency to cling to the roof. The pitch of the seam where it is now being worked is about 20°. The first manifestations of bumps began when the room and pillar workings had reached a depth of cover of 1900 ft. and under continuously increasing depth of cover these bumps increased to such an extent, both in number and severity, that in the year 1924 it became apparent that some change in the system of extraction was necessary. After closely studying all the factors involved and benefiting largely by valuable out-side advice obtained by the Provincial Department of Mines of Nova Scotia,2 the system of working was changed from room and pillar to longwall retreating. Mr. Herd&apos;s paper described in detail three remarkable bumps in the year 1928 in April, July and October that affected the 5700-ft. and 5900-ft. East levels, the last bump being so severe both in intensity and in extent of damage done that this district was abandoned. The longwall workings to the west of the slope had been stopped in the year 1926 owing to an inbreak of water, coming from the flooded waste of No. 3 seam lying some 400 ft. vertically overhead. This inflow was not excessive, but a large quantity of water being impounded in the old workings it was considered advisable to take the prudent course and not incur the risk of possibly increasing the flow by further working. This district has remained idle ever since.

Jan 1, 1934

By R. E. Head

Under existing economic conditions, the treatment of gold ores occupies an outstanding position in metallurgical activity. The increased price of gold has automatically brought about a reclassification of old dumps and low-grade orebodies, and many that formerly were considered valueless are now being vigorously investigated and worked. This situation has developed problems that have taxed the ingenuity and ability of metallurgists to the utmost. Some gold ores give a high extraction of gold by standardized methods of treatment; other ores of apparently similar character yield but a relatively small percentage of their gold when treated by the same processes. Surface Contamination The experience gained by microscopic study of numerous gold ores and tailings has shown that there are pronounced differences in the physical characteristics of the minerals composing them, more especially of the gold. Repeated studies of tailings from flotation and cyanidation of gold ores has established the fact that surface contaminations on gold particles are often directly responsible for high gold losses; comparison of gold particles isolated from flotation concentrates and the resulting tailings have showed that the clean gold has been recovered and the tarnished or contaminated gold invariably lost in the tailing. Obviously, it is not possible to make such a comparison of gold ores treated by cyanidation, as the clean gold has been taken into solution; but when the gold found in cyanide tailing has a tarnished or coated surface, one may infer, with a reasonable degree of certainty, that the clean gold has been extracted. This premise is supported by experimental evidence obtained by isolating particles of tarnished gold and exposing them to cyanide solution in small parting cups. In one such experiment, tarnished gold particles picked from a cyanide tailing showed but slight evidence 01 dissolving at the end of 27 days. In this test, a cyanide solution of 1.6 11). per ton was used and the leach solution was decanted arid renewed every

Jan 1, 1939

By R. E. Head

Under existing economic conditions, the treatment of gold ores occupies an outstanding position in metallurgical activity. The increased price of gold has automatically brought about a reclassification of old dumps and low-grade orebodies, and many that formerly were considered valueless are now being vigorously investigated and worked. This situation has developed problems that have taxed the ingenuity and ability of metallurgists to the utmost. Some gold ores give a high extraction of gold by standardized methods of treatment; other ores of apparently similar character yield but a relatively small percentage of their gold when treated by the same processes. Surface Contamination The experience gained by microscopic study of numerous gold ores and tailings has shown that there are pronounced differences in the physical characteristics of the minerals composing them, more especially of the gold. Repeated studies of tailings from flotation and cyanidation of gold ores has established the fact that surface contaminations on gold particles are often directly responsible for high gold losses; comparison of gold particles isolated from flotation concentrates and the resulting tailings have showed that the clean gold has been recovered and the tarnished or contaminated gold invariably lost in the tailing. Obviously, it is not possible to make such a comparison of gold ores treated by cyanidation, as the clean gold has been taken into solution; but when the gold found in cyanide tailing has a tarnished or coated surface, one may infer, with a reasonable degree of certainty, that the clean gold has been extracted. This premise is supported by experimental evidence obtained by isolating particles of tarnished gold and exposing them to cyanide solution in small parting cups. In one such experiment, tarnished gold particles picked from a cyanide tailing showed but slight evidence 01 dissolving at the end of 27 days. In this test, a cyanide solution of 1.6 11). per ton was used and the leach solution was decanted arid renewed every

Jan 1, 1939

By J. W. Fuller

During the last 20 years, experimenters have sought to utilize pulverized coal in boiler plants, but refractory and slag troubles have usually overbalanced any gains in efficiency that were obtained. These troubles were caused largely by lack of knowledge of the proper methods of coal preparation and lack of a furnace design that would be adaptable to pulverized-coal firing. When this information was obtained the results were so much more satisfactory that within the last 5 years approximately 80,000 boiler hp. have been installed in plants ranging from 1000 to 20,000 boiler hp. rated capacity, which are operating at an average of 174 per cent. of rating. The first commercial installation for burning pulverized coal under boilers was made at the Parsons shops of the M. K. & T. railroad in 1916. Of eight 250-hp. water-tube boilers thus fitted, six were operated continuously for 3 yr., when oil was obtained at such a low price as to warrant its use. Since then, this plant has been operating alternately on pulverized coal and oil, depending on prevailing prices. Recently gas has been discovered within 20 mi. of this plant, so that this fuel may also be used. No change in furnace design was made when changing from pulverized coal to oil or gas firing. One of the principal advantages of this method of firing is its ability to utilize, with maximum efficiency, all kinds of coal, irrespective of quality or physical characteristics. In fact, quite a number of the present pulverized-coal installations were made for the purpose of utilizing coal that could not be marketed or used in any other way. The Pacific Coast Coal Co., at Black Diamond, Wash., formerly hand fired the boilers, using approximately 125 tons of prepared steam-size coal daily. The Black Diamond steam coal is the best quality of coal for steaming purposes mined in that section of the country, and there is a market for all that can be produced. By installing a pulverizing plant, it was possible to substitute coal of a size and quality that had no commercial value, so that 125 tons daily of the best steam coal formerly used at the mines is now marketed. This company made a similar installation, at its New Castle, Wash., mine with approximately similar results. Each of these two plants has a

Jan 1, 1922

By Strathmore R. B. Cooke, Iwao Iwasaki, C. S. Chang

The effects of aeration on an aqueous suspension of pyrrhotite were studied and their results correlated with flotation tests using xanthates as collectors. The effects of copper activation and of pH variation were determined and possible mechanisms postulated. PYRRHOTITE has long been considered a gangue mineral to be eliminated as tailing in the treatment of various sulphide ores. However, in recent years the world-wide lack of sulphur resources has called attention to this mineral as a potential source of both sulphur and iron. Its importance as an economic mineral, however, has not been particularly emphasized. For this reason very little is known about its response to flotation, except that it can be depressed easily in alkaline circuit, by long aeration,1,2 addition of oxidizing agents,3 or by starch.&apos; The object of this work was to study the floatabil-ity of pyrrhotite. This includes the effect of oxidation by aeration, of copper activation, and of change in pH. Preparation of the Pyrrhotite Sample: It was desirable that the highest grade of pyrrhotite obtainable be used for this experiment, since the presence of other minerals could affect the surface properties.5 However, no pyrrhotite was available as crystals, and massive deposits of hydrothermal origin commonly contain considerable amounts of chalcopyrite. Pyrrhotite concentrate was, therefore, prepared from a sulphide deposit occurring near Aitkin, Minn. The deposit is of pyrometamorphic nature consistirlg mainly of pyrrhotite and pyrite with graphite, silicates, and carbonates as gangue. The ore, already crushed through 3 mesh when received, was screened at 65 mesh and the undersize discarded. The oversize was crushed through rolls, and then stage-ground dry in an Abbe porcelain mill, the —65 mesh portion being screened out after every 15 min of grinding until all the material passed through this size. The ground product was then concentrated with a drum-type dry magnetic separator. The rougher concentrate was cleaned twice and then demagnetized. The final product was split in a Jones splitter and stored in air-tight bottles. Microscopic examination of the concentrate showed that it was relatively clean and free of pyrite, locked particles, and gangue. By means of the krypton gas adsorption method," the specific surface was determined to be 3000 cm2 per g. The chemical and screen analyses of the final concentrate are given in Tables I and II respectively. It is a well-recognized fact that the oxidation of some sulphide ores during stockpiling, grinding, and conditioning affects their flotation behavior. The problem of oxidation may become serious in the case of pyrrhotite, since this is known to be more easily oxidized than many other sulphides. To ascertain the extent of oxidation, an experiment was carried out by aerating an aqueous suspension of pyrrhotite with air, oxygen, and nitrogen as follows. A 300-g sample of pyrrhotite in 2700 ml of water was agitated and simultaneously aerated in a Fager-gren-type laboratory flotation machine. A Precision wet test meter was connected to the air inlet valve, the flow rate of the gas being kept constant at 0.3 cu ft per min throughout the experiment. Samples of approximately 30 ml each were taken from the cell at 0, 4, 10, 20, 35, 60, and 90 min. After the pH was taken, each sample was filtered and the filtrate was analyzed for total iron and sulphur. The iron was determined colorimetrically by the thioglycolate method using a green filter.&apos; The filtrate was oxidized with bromine to convert all of the soluble sulphur compounds into sulphate and this was determined with a Parr turbidimeter." When aeration tests were made in alkaline circuit, calcium hydroxide or sodium hydroxide was added at regular intervals to maintain a constant pH. A similar procedure was followed in an experiment to determine the abstraction of copper. ion by pyrrhotite. In this case various quantities of cupric chloride were added. The filtrate from each sample taken was analyzed for copper, total iron, and sulphur. The carbamate method with a green filter was used for the copper analysis,&apos; since this method could tolerate a considerable amount of iron in the solution. A pneumatic cell, made from a 350-ml fritted glass Buechner funnel, was used for this experiment. The detail of the assemblage has been described elsewhere." In the present work a stainless steel baffle was inserted in the cell. This baffle overcame the tendency for the coarse pyrrhotite particles to be swirled around the wall of the cell and thus fail to collect in the froth. A 50-g sample of pyrrhotite was added to the cell which contained 260 ml of water. When pretreat-ment of the sample was desired, reagents, such as activator and pH regulator, were then added and the pulp was conditioned for a specified conditioning time. Prior to the addition of the collector approximately 15 ml of the solution were removed for pH measurement and for iron and sulphur analyses. Copper when used as activator was also determined. Collector and frother were then added and the pulp was conditioned for an additional 2 min. Air was admitted to the cell and the froth removed. The separation required from 4 to 6 min, depending on the characteristics of the froth. The float and non-float products were filtered, dried, weighed, and assayed for iron.

Jan 1, 1955

By R. H. B. Jones

This paper reviews pertinent geology of the Biwabik iron formation, Mesabi Range, Minnesota. This iron formation is divisible into four members. Each member is distinctive and contains marker horizons, which are recog nizable throughout all phases of alteration from lean, fresh rock to high-grade iron ore. Some beds have a larger magnetite content than others. During the process of ore genesis, which is essentially an oxidation process, the magnetite content is lowered. Alteration from iron formation to ore includes both oxidation of iron minerals and silica removal by leaching and these distinct processes progress at variable rates for different locations and structures. Magnetic intensities, of each horizon of the iron formation are dependent chiefly upon its preoxidation magnetite content, upon the subsequent degree of oxidation, upon the character of the enclosing rocks, and on the extent of fracturing, folding, or faulting. The results of a number of magnetic surveys are described and are correlated with results of drill-hole and mine exploration and developmerit. The magnetic anomalies obtained are discussed in relation to phases of formation of ore within the iron formation. General Information One hundred years ago a party of surveyors, applying the principles of geophysical prospecting, discovered iron ore in the state of Michigan in the Lake Superior district. This event was officially reported as follows:&apos; On Sept. 19 (1844) while running the east line of Town 47 North, Range 27 West, they observed by means of the solar compass remarkable variations in the direction of the needle, amounting to 87" from the normal. Ascribing this phenomenon to iron ore, they sought and found it in ledges or outcrops at several points. The solar compass referred to was invented by William A. Burt, deputy surveyor in charge of this party.2 It is used for determining the true meridian by an observation on the sun. Eight years later, on July 7, 1852, the first iron &apos;re, consisting of 6 bbl. of Ore, was shipped from Marquette, Michigan. It was another 40 years before the first or> shipment left the Mesabi Range in Minnesota, in October 1892. It totaled 4245 tons. Fifty years later, 90 years after the original shipment, during 1942 the Lake Superior district shipped 93,495,392 gross tons of iron ore. Production came from Minnesota, Michigan, Wisconsin, and Ontario, Canada. Throughout the 90-Year period it was known that magnetic properties of most of the ore bodies, and of the iron formations in which they occur, affected the compass. This phenomenon, later to be made use of to outline areas of ground favorable for exploration, was at first a

Jan 1, 1949

By R. H. B. Jones

This paper reviews pertinent geology of the Biwabik iron formation, Mesabi Range, Minnesota. This iron formation is divisible into four members. Each member is distinctive and contains marker horizons, which are recog nizable throughout all phases of alteration from lean, fresh rock to high-grade iron ore. Some beds have a larger magnetite content than others. During the process of ore genesis, which is essentially an oxidation process, the magnetite content is lowered. Alteration from iron formation to ore includes both oxidation of iron minerals and silica removal by leaching and these distinct processes progress at variable rates for different locations and structures. Magnetic intensities, of each horizon of the iron formation are dependent chiefly upon its preoxidation magnetite content, upon the subsequent degree of oxidation, upon the character of the enclosing rocks, and on the extent of fracturing, folding, or faulting. The results of a number of magnetic surveys are described and are correlated with results of drill-hole and mine exploration and developmerit. The magnetic anomalies obtained are discussed in relation to phases of formation of ore within the iron formation. General Information One hundred years ago a party of surveyors, applying the principles of geophysical prospecting, discovered iron ore in the state of Michigan in the Lake Superior district. This event was officially reported as follows:&apos; On Sept. 19 (1844) while running the east line of Town 47 North, Range 27 West, they observed by means of the solar compass remarkable variations in the direction of the needle, amounting to 87" from the normal. Ascribing this phenomenon to iron ore, they sought and found it in ledges or outcrops at several points. The solar compass referred to was invented by William A. Burt, deputy surveyor in charge of this party.2 It is used for determining the true meridian by an observation on the sun. Eight years later, on July 7, 1852, the first iron &apos;re, consisting of 6 bbl. of Ore, was shipped from Marquette, Michigan. It was another 40 years before the first or> shipment left the Mesabi Range in Minnesota, in October 1892. It totaled 4245 tons. Fifty years later, 90 years after the original shipment, during 1942 the Lake Superior district shipped 93,495,392 gross tons of iron ore. Production came from Minnesota, Michigan, Wisconsin, and Ontario, Canada. Throughout the 90-Year period it was known that magnetic properties of most of the ore bodies, and of the iron formations in which they occur, affected the compass. This phenomenon, later to be made use of to outline areas of ground favorable for exploration, was at first a

Jan 1, 1949

By C. S. Matthews, H. M. Girner, C. D. Williams, M. J. Edwardson, H. R. Parkison

Quantitative interpretation of electric logs requires knowledge of formation temperature. In this paper, methods are developed for computing changes in formation temperature caused by circulation of mud during drilling operations. The basis of the method is the mathematical solution of the differential equation of heat conduction. The solution of this equation is presented in a series of graphs. These graphs are used to determine formation temperature disturbance at various radii for arbitrary mud circulation histories. Example comparisons with field results show reasonable agreement. It is concluded that, in general, the temperature disturbances caused by circulating mud are small beyond 10 ft from the wellbore but are quite significant near the wellbore. INTRODUCTION Quantitative interpretation of electric logs requires knowledge of the formation temperature in order to establish the resistivity of the formation water with accuracy. To determine the formation temperature, the temperature disturbances produced by circulating drilling mud must be evaluated. -The objective of this investigation was to develop a method for the numerical determination of these temperature disturbances at any distance from the wellbore as a function of time. The first step was to solve the differential equation describing the temperature behavior in the formation during and after mud circulation. This solution was used to calculate a series of curves relating temperature disturbance to shut-in time for various circulating periods. An "exact" method for computing formation temperatures with the use of these temperature-disturbance plots is described, and the results of an application of this method to a well in Montana are presented. Procedures for approximating formation temperatures are also discussed. BASIC EQUATIONS AND ASSUMPTIONS With the assumptions that (1) cylindrical symmetry exists, with the borehole as the axis, (2) heat flow is 1. The formation can be treated as though it is radially infinite and homogeneous in extent, as regards heat flow. 2. The presence of mud cake can be disregarded. 3. The effect of heat generated by bit action is negligible. 4. After mud circulation ceases, the rate of radial heat flow at the wellbore is negligible and is assumed zero for purposes of calculating temperature change with time. These assumptions are believed to be reasonable because of the agreement achieved between calculated and measured borehole temperature in a well, to be discussed later. Further, the agreement at the wellbore indicates that temperatures in the formation were also approximately correct. since it is the formation temperatures that determine wellbore temperature after ceasing circulations SOLUTION OF THE DIFFERENTIAL EQUATION AND ITS APPLICATION The solution of Eq. 2 for the temperature behavior during and after a single period of mud circulation is

By Norris Johnston, Carrol M. Beeson

For many years the permeability of reservoir sands has been measured by flowing air through a cleaned and dried core sample. This differs from the true reservoir permeability in one important respect: the rock particles in the reservoir are surrounded by interstitial water, not air, and their physical shape and condition of hydration are greatly dependent thereon. Permeability as defined must be measured with a single-phase fluid. Since no means exist for removing the oil and gas from a core sample by simply flowing water through it, the sample must be cleaned and then resatu-rated with water before testing. The present discussion attempts to show that after the cleaning process a considerably different permeability is determined with salt or fresh water than is obtained with air. The postulate is made that the salt-water permeability is probably closer to the true reservoir permeability than is the measurement with air. This is discussed in relation to both physically possible and economically feasible measuremerits. Data On more than 1200 core samples are given to show the nature of the effects observed, and a plea is made for others to consider water permeability measurements as a routine necessity, eventually replacing air permeability in regions where the differences are great. Introduction Permeability is defined1 as a "a measure of the capacity of a porous medium to transmit fluids, when there is no interaction between the solids and the fluid." Darcy&apos;s law of liquid flow in porous media states: kA?P QµL/A?L [I] where Q represents milliliters of liquid of viscosity p centipoises passed per second through a porous medium of permeability k darcys and cross-sectional area A sq. cm. under a pressure gradient ?P/L atmospheres per centimeter, the flow being understood to be laminar or viscous, not turbulent. This equation defines the darcy. For the case of radial flow in a uniform sand, such as usually exists in the neighborhood of a well in an oil or gas sand, Darcy&apos;s law becomes:2 Here h is the net sand thickness in feet, Pe and Pw are pressures at the drainage radius4 and well radius, and re and rw are these radii, respectively. The productivity index3 is defined as the barrels of liquid produced per day per pound per square inch mean pressure differential between ferences and well bore, and is thus: By further definition, the specific productivity index is: or in terms of practical units, and allowing for shrinkage:

Jan 1, 1945

By F. Cadena

Hiwassee Darn, now under construction by the Tennessee Valley Authority on the Hiwassee River, a tributary of the Tennessee River, will require aggregate for approximately 800,000 cu. yd. of concrete. Near the damsite deposits of natural sand or gravel are not available and graywacke, a rock that is found in abundance, suggested itself as a likely source of manufactured aggregate. Graywacke is a metamorphosed sandstone composed principally of a mixture of quartz (65 per cent), mica (25 per cent), and feldspar (10 per cent). Other minerals are present in negligible amounts. The rock varies in different parts of the quarry from very fine to a coarse grain containing particles of about ¼ in. maximum size, although the bulk of the deposit is medium grain. Extensive tests showed that graywacke would be suitable as a source of both coarse and fine aggregates. The aggregate plant available for use at Hiwassee Dam consisted of the coarse-aggregate and sand plant used on the Norris project. The coarse-aggregate plant had also been used at Chickamauga Dam. Although most of this plant equipment is now in use at Hiwassee, the present flowsheet is not only different from that at Norris and Chickamauga but is also unique as compared to the flowsheet of the average crushed-stone aggregate plant. It is hoped that this paper will show the importance of proper arrangement of equipment if the optimum in flexibility and capacity is to be attained. Flowsheet Rock is ioaded by 3-yd. electric shovels into 12-yd. dump trucks, which carry the rock to the primary crusher, a 42-in. Superior McCully gyratory unit set at 4¾ in. (Fig. 1). The primary crusher discharges directly onto a 42-in. inclined belt conveyor, which carries the product to a surge storage pile with a maximum live storage capacity of approximately 3000 tons. A concrete tunnel under this storage pile houses the feed end of a 36-in. belt conveyor (conveyor B) fed by a 36 by 66-in.

Jan 1, 1942