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By R. K. Iyengar, G. C. Duderstadt

An investigation was carried out to determine the effect of Ca-Si additions on the dissolved oxygen content of liquid steel. An apparent equilibrium was reached after holding the melt for some time when the total oxygen content of the melt was identical with the dissolved oxygen. Results of the investigation show that for deoxidation with silicon and manganese the apparent equilibrium is reached after 8 to 12 min and the oxygen content of the melt is in good agreement with values reported in the literature for similar steel compositions. Ca-Si additions decrease the dissolved oxygen content appreciably below that obtained with Si-Mn deoxidation. It is postulated that some calcium dissolved in liquid steel at the time of its vaporization combines with dissolved oxygen to form CaO which then fluxes the manganese silicate, thereby lowering the activity of the deoxidation products. Slow flotation of calcium silicate inclusions is attributed to their slower growth rate. An addition of aluminum (to yield <0.005 pct Alsol) prior to introduction of Ca-Si improves the kinetics of removal of resulting deoxidation products. WITH the introduction of continuous casting of billets and blooms, application of calcium-containing alloys for deoxidation purposes has gained new interest. More so than in conventional ingot casting, the degree of control of the dissolved and total oxygen contents in steel for continuous casting can determine the success or failure of the operation because these affect both surface (pinholes) and internal quality of the billets. Of the available deoxidizers, only silicon has so far found wide application. However, in the typical range of application (0.20/0.30 pct Si), it is too weak a deoxidizer to suppress pinhole frequency to the level desirable for all but the least demanding appli-cations (approximately 10/50 pinholes per sq ft, de-pending on degree of subsequent reduction). On the other hand, Vincent&apos; has shown that it requires ap-proximately 0.007/0.008 pct A1 soluble in the steel to suppress pinhole formation to <10 pinholes per sq ft. In view of the difficulty of consistently maintaining this aluminum level and the associated problem of tundish nozzle constriction2 when aluminum is added to the ladle, steelmakers have searched for other de-oxidation alloys to circumvent the problem. Calcium-containing alloys offer such a possibility. When employed as a partial substitute for silicon, CaSi (30 pct Ca/60 pct Si) additions are reported to yield adequate pinhole contro1.3 Its use simultaneously preserves the "fluidity" of the steel and ensures good castability.4 Oxygen contents as low as 0.007 to 0.014 pct have been obtained with CaSi additions varying between 3 to 8 lb per ton.5-7 Due to the high degree of vaporization of calcium at the temperature of molten steel and the different methods used to introduce it into the liquid, the reported results show considerable scatter and lack of consistency. According to several investiga- deoxidation tors, the flotation characteristics of CaSi products are not as favorable as those found for alumi-num but are similar to those established for silicates with low alumina content.678 Thus, cleanliness ratings were improved when CaSi was replaced by a com-bination of Si + A1 followed by CaMnSi additions.5,9 In view of the lack of a comprehensive description of the deoxidation potential of CaSi alloys, a study was undertaken of the effect of CaSi additions on oxygen content in comparison to Si + Mn and Si + Mn + Al. The alloy chosen for this study contained 63 pct Si, 32 pct Ca, <3 pct Al, and 2.5 pct Fe. EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDURE The experiments were divided in three groups as shown in Table I. In each group, the CaSi addition was increased successively while maintaining the melt composition constant. The experiments in the third group were designed to determine the effect of prede-oxidation with small amounts of aluminum. Ingot iron, containing 0.02 to 0.03 pct C and 0.03 to 0.05 pct Mn, was melted in a 100-lb magnesia crucible. Pig iron was added to the melt under air in an induction furnace to attain the desired carbon content of 0.05 to 0.15 pct and thereby control the initial oxygen content of the melt between 0.04 and 0.015 pct. After removal of the slag, the furnace was sealed and argon was introduced through an opening in the graphite cover, Fig. 1. When the desired temperature was reached, electrolytic manganese was added to the melt and pin samples were taken (7 mm silica tubing) to establish initial oxygen content. To obtain maximum efficiency, CaSi and metallic silicon were introduced in a sealed steel pipe into the bath. This procedure assured minimum loss of calcium through vaporization as the deoxidants were always released at the bottom of the melt. Samples were taken at regular intervals and quenched in water. Temperature of the bath was measured with a Pt/Pt-10 pct Rh thermocouple. Portions of the pin sample were used for oxygen analysis; five determinations per sample were made to obtain average oxygen content. Oxygen analyses were made by the inert carrier gas fusion method with frequent cross checks with the vacuum fusion method.

Jan 1, 1970

By John N. Dew, William L. Martin, `

This paper describes the results of a laboratory investigation conducted to obtain data for an evaluation of the in situ combustion process as a method of producing crude oil from reservoirs. Air and fuel requirements, rates of advance, com-bustion temperatures, and coke and fluid distributions are presented. The mechanism of oil recovery by in stiu combustion is discussed. Five crude oils ranging in gravity from 10.9 to 34.2"&apos; API were prodrrced from a semiadiabatic, uncon-.solidnted sand pack by in situ combustion. Experimental conditions were varied over a wide range in order to determine the inter-relation-.ships of process variables. The mini-mum air flux requirement for self-sustained combustion was found to he less than 10 scf/hr-ft&apos;l. The rate of advance of a self-sustained combustion zone was found to be nearly proportional to the air flux at the combustion front. The effects of presrure and injected air flux were studied in a series of experiments using a 21.2" API crude. A minimum air require-ment was observed at an air .flux of 20 scf/hr-ft&apos;. The oil saturation con-sumed as fuel averaged 5.5 per cent of pore volume. The effect of air pressure was, found to be .small for experiments having high combustion eficiencies. This study should promote a better understanding of the problems and mechanisms involved in labora-tory investigations and field applications of the in situ combustion pro-cess. The data presented will be use- ful in the interpretation of results of field tests. When tempered with volu-metric sweep efficiencies, the data can be used in making preliminary economic appraisals of the process as applied to reservoirs containing high porosity unconsolidated media. INTRODUCTION The purpose of this work was to obtain laboratory data for an evaluation of the in situ combustion process as a method of producing crude oil from reservoirs. In situ combustion basically consists of (1) injecting air into a reservoir through selected input wells to create an air sweep through the reservoir, (2) igniting the crude at the injection well, and (3) propagating the combustion front through the reservoir by continued air injection. By this means, oil is swept toward producing wells in the area. The fuel for combustion is supplied by heavy residual material (coke) which has been deposited on the sand grains during distillation and cracking of the crude oil ahead of the combustion front. Recovery of petroleum by a combustion or heat wave process is not a new idea. F. A. Howard was granted a patent in 1923 on a process in which air and a combustible gas were pumped into an injection well and ignited.&apos; Russian engineers reported on field experiments with a crude oil gasification process in 1935&apos;. Other known early field tests include those conducted near Bar-tlesville and Ardmore, Okla., in 1942." More recently completed field tests include an inverted seven-spot by Sinclair Oil Co. in the Delaware-Childers field, Nowata County, Okla.&apos;; a three-well and an inverted five-spot test by Magnolia Petroleum Co. in Jefferson County, Okla."."; and a test by California Research Corp. in the Irvine-Furnace field in Kentucky. The Worthington Corp. has completed a test in cooperation with the Forest Oil Corp. in Clark County, 111.l Several field tests are now in progress. Sinclair has acquired a 600-acre lease in the Humboldt-Chanute field, Allen County, Kans., and is under way with a large-scale operation. Three field tests are under way in California. The General Petroleum Corp. is conducting an inverted five-spot pattern test in the South Bel-ridge field in Kern County under a cooperative agreement with 11 other companies, including Continental Oil Co. California Research Corp. is conducting a four-well pattern test in Midway-Sunset field near Maricopa, and Richfield Oil Corp. is under way with a test in the Ojai field in Ventura County. Although the published information is valuable concerning results of field tests, little laboratory data other than that reported by Kuhn and Koch5 are available to aid in appraising the tests from a technical or economic standpoint. Engineering data needed to evaluate the process include the amount of air required per barrel of oil recovered, minimum injection rates which will support combustion, rates of advance, air required per unit volume of reservoir cleaned, amount of oil recovered, and amount of oil consumed as fuel. The present laboratory investigation was undertaken to provide these data for that portion of the reservoir swept by the combustion zone. The first phase of this investigation was exploratory in nature and was conducted at injection pressures less than 100 psig. Data were ob-

Jan 1, 1931

By Arthur Baker

The orebodies are long bedding-plane lenses of chalcopyrite and sphalerite, associated with garnetite masses. Most of the orebodies are within a 50-ft thickness of Cambrian limestone; other Paleozoic limestones and dolomites are locally metamorphosed but only slightly mineralized. Pre-mineral faults are numerous, but shallow folds were the main ore-localizing structures.

Jan 12, 1953

By C. W. Brown

In the author&apos;s experience and contact with engineering students the old form of recitations had grown into the lecture system in which the student was a passive receiver of digested material. Later, the tutorial system was developed because it was felt that the lecture system was breaking down. The student was too passive and was simply trying to absorb what was given him. The seminary method was then introduced and for the particular field the author believes that there is no better method, but that for 20 years he has been trying to change the attitude of the student in certain courses from a passive, almost noncommittal, to an active participation, to change him from a receiver to a doer. The student cannot look over the whole field. That must be presented by the instructor in charge. A topic such as structure or glaciation is taken up and from that standpoint are argued all the geologic problems that might confront the engineer. Problems relating to dams and foundations, and structures, tunnels and excavations, are particularly adaptable to the method. Usually, however, the problem comes to the engineer in more complicated form. By virtue of the character of the material the same topic cannot be assigned to the entire class. Different phases of the topic must be assigned. The greatest difficulty in after life comes in that the student cannot analyze the problem and has not the ability to see that there is a problem. He has had little or no training in the gathering of material and very little training in the arrangement of a report. Consequently, selecting different problems, putting them before small groups, and then starting the student on the way to make the knowledge of his particular topic an integral part of his own mentality, is something that will fix that part of the work firmly in his mind. Professor Brown has insisted on an introductory step in a great many classes, in that without the student knowning very much more than the general outline of the topic or problem, he is made in inductive fashion to take up the entire problem, look it over, and prepare an outline as far as he can; in other words, to expose the problem to his own mind. This preliminary outline is discussed with the student and if the arrangement or logic, with regard to the end in view, are faulty, he is shown where

Jan 1, 1929

By H. B. Bailey

SiNcE the gypsum deposits of Nova Scotia have been operated on a large-tonnage basis, it has become increasingly necessary that more study be given to the geological relation of gypsum to anhydrite. It was while attempting to work out some definite system of quarry operation for several operators that the factors relating to hydration as given in this paper became apparent. For convenience the words "the formation" are used to mean anhydrite and gypsum taken together as one bed geologically and forming a distinct unit from the rocks below or above. Also, the word "block" is used geologically to define a portion of the formation that is cut apart and separated by erosion from other portions. The formation is part of the Lower Carboniferous, the remainder of which is made up of red shales and shaly sandstones, coarse red conglomerates and limestones. Overlying the Lower Carboniferous are the even-bedded gray sandstones of the coal measures. To a large extent these sandstones have been eroded from above the formation and the usual cover is clay and unconsolidated sediments. The position of the limestone member which immediately underlies the formation usually furnishes the key to the general structure. Being harder, and subject to less erosion, it has a wider spread than the&apos;formation, and measures for dip read on it have a value which can not be applied to dips taken on gypsum or anhydrite. This limestone usually is not more than 25 ft. deep, but it has a remarkable tenacity—one would almost say elasticity—under strain of earth movements. In many cases it stands as a barrier to the erosion which otherwise would have destroyed completely the remaining block of the formation. No bedded limestone is found within the formation except in narrow seams close to the bottom and in short irregular masses in highly disturbed strata where it has been caught up by fault action. This paper is not concerned with the general theories of original deposition and no opinion is expressed as to whether gypsum or anhydrite was first deposited from evaporating sea water. For purposes of study, and as an observed fact, except in the few cases where there has been extreme disturbance, a block of the formation is regarded as a block of anhydrite which has become partly hydrated into gypsum. 177

Jan 1, 1931

By M. M. Austin

Pure metallic tantalum, from a practical standpoint, is one of the newer developments in the metal field. Although it was used as filament in incandescent lamps in 1906, only within the last, five years has the metal been available in sufficient quantity and suitable form for more general application. In addition to corrosion-resisting properties and high melting point, the metal has an ability to withstand unusual amounts of cold working. It affords some striking demonstrations of block movement during plastic flow. Strength and Ductility of Tantalum Since there is no good way of defining working properties numerically, illustrations will be used. It is possible to roll a bar of pure tantalum 0.4 in. thick to sheet 0.001 in. thick, without heating or annealing. The sheet produced will be sound and may be bent upon itself at right angles to the direction of rolling. Longitudinally the sheet will be somewhat brittle. A disk of annealed metal may be cupped and drawn to the form of a capsule 3/16 in. dia. by 146 1? in. long. If carefully handled this capsule can be further deformed by drawing to a tube having an outside diameter of 0.050 in. Disks of tantalum may be spun into tubes of 39 in. dia. and 1½ in. long. In the form of rod, reductions may be made from 0.4 in. to 0.001 dia. In the latter process, it is necessary to heat the wire four or five times to 500" C., at intervals between 0.040 and 0.001 in. Although the melting point of tantalum is 2850" C., these heatings at 500" C. are sufficient to distinctly anneal it. Published figures on the strength and ductility of tantalum are not particularly accurate. This is due to the fact that these properties vary widely, depending on the extent to which the metal is contaminated by gas. There are no sharp critical points in these changes with gas content; samples of metal will vary from a springy or actually brittle condition to one of leadlike softness. Samples that have had a prolonged heating at high temperatures in a good vacuum, under conditions such as would be provided in vacuum-tube experimentation, will yield a product of about the hardness of annealed copper. The usual commercial metal will have the hardness of annealed mild steel.

Jan 1, 1930

By J. P. Newell, R. W. Storey

AUGER mining is a form of continuous mining in that it completely replaces with a one-cycle operation the older conventional cut, drill, shoot, and load method of mining. Relatively new, having been utilized only within the last few years, it is even more continuous in its production of coal than some other forms of continuous mining being practiced in this country today. There are at present coal recovery .augers in operation working along strip-mined highwalls from the outside. This paper will deal with underground mining, specifically with an experiment which was carried out with a machine developed for this purpose. The location of this experiment was in Pike County in eastern Kentucky in the upper split of the No. 3 Elkhorn seam. Coal height was 32 in. and roof conditions were very bad, with 10 in. of soft draw slate coming down with every cut in conventional mining. The coal is high-grade bituminous, excellent for metallurgical coking. Underground auger mining fills a need for a method of recovering coal in thin seams, under bad roof conditions or in split seams. In many cases it might save money by eliminating the handling of excessive quantities of rock. In fact, if the coal can be recovered, as in the case of this experiment, without mixing with any impurities outside the seam, it may be possible to load or ship a satisfactory product with little or no preparation or cleaning expense. The need for some economical method for recovering coal from thin seams is becoming more pressing as the more profitably mined seams are exhausted. Basic Principles of Auger Mining The principles of the auger, or screw conveyor, have long been used in drilling small diameter holes for blasting and other purposes. These same fundamentals apply to large diameter drilling. However, considerably more attention was given to designing a cutting head that would not pulverize the coal and consequently would require a minimum of power to drive it. The head, as designed for this job, consists of a cylinder 25 in. in diam with steel bits set in 3 positions spaced around the forward rim. A conventional coal drill bit, at the head of a bursting cone in the center of the cylinder, trails the forward rim slightly, see Fig. 1. The bursting cone and auger connections are anchored to the cutter barrel by 3 arms spaced at 120 This head design proved to be very satis-

Jan 1, 1952

By David White

In these days, when detailed investigations of stratigraphy, structure, and sand conditions so frequently result in the discovery of new oil fields, and applause from oil companies and the public, geologists do well to walk humbly, and punctiliously to admit that the geologic principles controlling the distribution of oil and gas have as yet been discovered only in part, and that what remains yet to be learned is probably vastly more than what is already known. The few experiments already attempted have been fragmentary, and somewhat desultory, and however positive each of us may be with respect to certain theoretical conclusions, many of the fundamental questions as to the origin and mode of occurrence of petroleum are subject to radical disagreement. Of the chemical changes attending the generation of petroleum from organic matter, little is actually known. Most of the postulated formulas are liable to be misleading, through ignorance of essential factors. Open-minded-ness is therefore a prime essential at the present stage of our science. Nevertheless, adopting the hypothesis that oil originates in some manner fundamentally connected with the organic theory, and in possible departure from such open-mindedness, the writer will pay no attention to the so-called inorganic theory, since every attempt to apply this theory to the study of old oil fields, or to the discovery of new ones, affords cumulative evidence of its inadequacy. In this paper, some of the factors affecting the occurrence of petroleum that the writer believes worthy of consideration by the prospector for oil in any new region will be discussed. Some of these, which arc less generaLly understood, will be considercd somewhat in detail. Other points, the significance of which cannot now be determined, require more field study, and for that reason are here brought to the attention of the field geologist. On the other hand, certain theoretical points which do not bear especially on the oil possibilities of a new region will be given little or no attention. The main topics that will be discussed are: (1) sufficiency of carbonaceous detritus and residues in the oil-forming rocks; (2) stage of carbonization of the organic matter in the oil-bearing formations; (3) folding of the strata; (4) thickness of sedimentary formations; (5) conditions of deposition.

Jan 1, 1921

By T. E. Leontis, F. N. Rhines

THE oxide scale that forms upon magnesium at elevated temperatures is nonprotective in the sense that the rate of oxidation is constant and thus does not decrease with the growth of the scale as it does with other common metals. This generality was first stated by Pilling and Bedworth1 and has been verified by Suzuki2 and by Scheil.3 Pilling and Bedworth argued that the nonprotective characteristic could be predicted from the fact that magnesium oxide occupies less space than does the metal from which it springs, wherefore the scale is not expected to cover the metal so completely as to exclude all direct access to the atmosphere. Linear oxidation is thought by Scheil to be common to all cases where the reaction occurs at the oxide-metal interface. According to Suzuki,2 the product of high-temperature oxidation in the air is MgO contaminated with no more than traces of a nitride. When the metal is allowed to burn freely a fume composed of cubic crystals of Mg04 is given off. Delavault5 observed that excrescences form upon liquid magnesium and alloys in the course of oxidation. Beyond this it is known that the use of atmospheres containing small quantities of sulphur dioxide6 or carbon dioxide serve to retard the oxidation of solid magnesium and that beryllium7and calcium8 minimize the oxidation of molten magnesium exposed to the air. Many studies have been devoted to the nature and rates of "protective" oxidation, as exemplified by the cases of copper and iron, wherein the rate is characteristically parabolic. The theory of parabolic oxidation is well developed.9 Linear oxidation, on the other hand, has received but little attention and the theories proposed by Pilling and Bedworth and by Scheil have yet to withstand careful examination. There exists no comprehensive survey of the high-temperature oxidation of magnesium (or of any other metal that exhibits linear oxidation) over a broad range of temperature, under a variety of atmospheric conditions and covering a large group of alloys. It has been the purpose of the present investigation to provide such a survey, with the object of gaining a fuller understanding of linear oxidation, especially as applied to magnesium. EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDURE AND RESULTS The experimental studies undertaken were of two kinds: (I) measurement of the rate of oxidation as influenced by the

Jan 1, 1946

By James W. Guider

Of all the technology available to the iron blast furnace operator, raw materials preparation [(Fig. 1)] is by far the most important. Superior raw materials have been basic to the success of the Japanese steel industry, and they are just as essential to the American steel industry in winning its competitive battle against foreign government subsidized steel imports. Therefore, the mine operator and the ore beneficiation engineer must strive to produce the highest quality raw materials possible to meet the precise demands of the modem blast furnace and steel plant.

Jan 1, 1982

By D. R. Snow

The year 1930 stands out in the petroleum industry as an exceptional one in many ways. It is one of the few years in its history during which crude oil production declined from that of the previous year in nearly every important producing district in the United States and in the world as a whole. World production of crude oil declined approximately 81,000,000 bbl., from 1,484,451,000 bbl. in 1929 to 1,403,500,000 bbl. in 1930. Production of crude oil in the United States declined approximately 111,000,000 bbl., from 1,007,323,000 bbl. in 1929 to a production of 896,265,000 bbl. in 1930. World production outside of the United States increased approximately 30,000,000 bbl., due principally to the increased production in Russia. This, together with the decided decrease of production in the United States, resulted in a smaller percentage of world production in the United States than in any other year since 1921. This declining production occurred in the face of the greatest visible supply in the form of potential production that the industry has ever known and was clearly the result of the great efforts put forward to restrict production, both by proration and by unitization. Throughout the year, developments along the lines of proration and unitization have overshadowed all other developments in the minds of those interested in the oil industry and will, no doubt, continue to do so more and more in the future, as it is quite evident that the industry cannot hope to maintain itself in a profitable position, without some rational plan of bringing about a better balance between supply and demand than has existed in the past. The successful operation of the Van field unitization agreement and the recently completed Kettleman Hills plan are indicative of what mag be expected in the future along this line. That real progress has been made in this direction is shown by the fact that total crude oil stocks in the United States were decreased by approximately 28,000,000 bbl. during the year 1930. This is the only year on record during which such a decrease of crude oil stocks was accompanied by a severely declining price structure. This reduction of crude stocks is apparently continuing even after the price has reached its present low level, indicating that there is no

Jan 1, 1931

By Gilbert P. Moore

The production of petroleum in Argentina during 1932 was greater than in any preceding year. The total amount produced was 13,012,-756 bbl. This figure represents a decided increase in the production of oil in Argentina and can be attributed largely to the increased activities of the Royal Dutch operations at Kilometer 27 in the Comodoro Rivadavia district and those of the Standard Oil Co. of Argentina in the Salta region. Production from the Royal Dutch wells amounted to considerably more than 10,000 bbl. per day over quite a long period during the year. Of the 13,012,756 bbl. of oil produced during 1932, the Government Agency (Y. P. F.) was responsible for some 5,578,954 bbl., while 7,433,-802 bbl. were produced by private companies. Although in 1930 the Y. P. F. produced about 55 per cent of the total production and in 1930 50 per cent of the total, in 1932 its production had fallen to about 42 1/2 per cent of the total. This decrease in the proportion produced by the Y. P. F. was not due to a decrease in its production but to the decided increase in the production of private companies, particularly those two whose names are given above. One new discovery was recorded during the year. This was a well drilled by the Y. P. F. at Cacheuta in the province of Mendoza which came in pumping 80 bbl. of 15" gravity oil from a depth of 673 meters. This well was completed at approximately the same time that the provincial government of Mendoza granted a concession to the Y. P. F. and declared the whole province as a reserve in which no concessions may be granted for a period of 10 years. Under these conditions, the federally operated Y. P. F. will have no competition in the Cacheuta area from private companies such as they have in the other three fields of the republic. The Y. P. F. wildcat west of Comodoro Rivadavia at Pampa Maria Santissima on the Rio Senguerr was completed as a dry hole during 1932. This we11 was reported as a producer in 1930 by persons returning to this country from Argentina but it appears that they had been misinformed. The site of this test has been abandoned and a new location made north of the Rio Senguerr.

Jan 1, 1933

By F. J. Longworth

FoR a number of years an intensive study has been made to improve the blast-furnace practice at Copperhill not only as to cost% but to provide a good grade of gas for the acid plants. This study took us back to the fundamentals of successful pyrite smelting; namely, a blast furnace working on a clean sulfide ore, free from fines, and the use of quartz high in silica as a flux. In 1919, the quality of the flux was improved and its effect on the metallurgy was very marked. To improve the practice further, it was necessary to work out some method of treatment for the sulfide fines and the siliceous and refractory ores, other than in the blast furnace. A series of milling tests indicated that these products could be successfully treated by differential flotation, and in 1922 plans were made and a flotation plant built. It was estimated that the flotation plant would deliver to the smelter 40 to 50 tons of concentrates per day; the problem was what to do with these concentrates. It was out of the question to attempt to smelt them in a blast furnace because of the dust losses and because our practice demands a charge free from fines for satisfactory operation. There is no custom smelter in the vicinity to which concentrates may be sold, pending the time when the tonnage will be sufficient to warrant roasters and a reverbatory furnace. Sintering and nodulizing were investigated but neither method fitted into our scheme of metallurgy. A close study of the converter practice was then made to see if some method could not be evolved to smelt this tonnage of concentrates in a converter without preliminary treatment. At that time, the converter installation consisted of two 12-ft. Great Falls converters, which were handling 12 to 14 per cent. matte. The heat balance of the converters working with 12 to 14 per cent. matte was more than sufficient to smelt the contemplated tonnage of concentrates but the mechanical difficulties of feeding fines into the Great Falls converter made the use of this type of converter impractical. While there was no opportunity to experiment with the Pierce-Smith converter, equipped with a Garr gun, theoretically it seemed practical

Jan 1, 1925

By S. F. Reiter, R. W. Guard, J. H. Keeler

DURING the last several years the authors have been conducting tests on a tensile machine that autographically records load-elongation data. In certain tests at elevated temperatures on face-centered cubic, hexagonal close-packed, and body-centered cubic materials (binary alloys of nickel, zirconium, and iron), the load-elongation curve as shown in Fig. 1 reaches a maximum load (Pmax,) at relatively small amounts of strain and a large amount of elongation occurs subsequently with a continuously decreasing load, until finally localized necking and fracture take place. This early maximum load behavior has been found without the accompanying evidence of localized necking as has been assumed by some, or of evidence of cracking as observed by others.&apos; This behavior has also been observed by Nadai and Manjoinez whose results are in good agreement with ours. The prior strain, strain rate, test temperature, and crystal structure affect the observations. The influence of prior strain was observed in tests on unalloyed zirconium at 300°C in which specimens containing large amounts of prior strain (cold work) exhibited the type of curve shown in Fig. 1. No localized necking was observed after strain as much as that of point B. Annealed and recrystallized specimens of the same material showed a load-elongation curve with maximum load occurring after considerable strain hardening and at the beginning of localized necking. Interrupted tests (Fig. 2) show no loss in strength because of recovery or recrys-tallization during an interval at temperature without load. Recovery under stress such as found by Wood and Suiter3 in aluminum is now being investigated as one possible explanation. The strain rate is a contributing variable as shown in Fig. 3, a test on high purity nickel. Here the strain rate was decreased by a factor of ten during a test in which the maximum load was reached at a small strain. The slope of the true stress-true strain curve was positive with the more rapid strain rate and negative with the slower strain rate. In many binary ferrites an added effect of temperature has been observed. Fig. 4 shows the load-elongation plots for a binary ferritic alloy containing 2 pct Mo. The slope of the small portion of the stress-strain curve obtained at a strain rate of 0.01 mhr1 changes sign from negative to positive on going

Jan 1, 1955

By L. C. Snider

NO important discoveries of petroleum during 1932 are reported from Canada. New Brunswick, which has a small production from one field, was inactive, and the production showed a decline from 6600 bbl. in 1931 to about 6300 bbl. for the year 1932. The old fields in Ontario increased from 123,000 to about 131,000 bbl. Alberta showed a decline of more than one-third, from 1,413,631 bbl. in 1931 to about 913,000 bbl. in 1932. This decline was due principally to the restrictions placed on the flow of gas wells in the Turner Valley field, from which the crude naphtha is obtained that accounted for more than 93 per cent of the production of Alberta and for more than 80 per cent of the production of all Canada in 1932. The starting of new wells to the limestone that produces the naphtha-bearing gas was prohibited late in 1931, and only wells started before that time were finished during 1932. One well was drilled in the Turner Valley field to a depth of 7555 ft., establishing a depth record for Canada. It passed out of the Madison limestone at 5560 ft., and encountered showings of oil in the underlying formations, probably of Devonian age. Commercial production had not been established by the end of the year. Commercial oil wells were brought in in two areas in Ontario which had previously been considered as productive of gas only— in the Dawn gas field, Lambton County, and in Raleigh Township, Kent County. The discovery wells had initial productions of about 50 bbl. per day, but no production of major importance is indicated. In Alberta, outside the Turner Valley district, two wildcats were drilled northwest. of Lethbridge in the Keho Lake vicinity. Both failed to make commercial producers in the Madison limestone, but one was testing upper sands at the close of the year. Good showings of oil are reported. A very small production was found in the Madison limestone in a wildcat well on the Twin River structure southeast of Lethbridge and another well has been started near by on what is considered on geophysical evidence to be a better location structurally. About 15 locations were made on the Canadian side of the border north of the Cut Bank development in Montana.

Jan 1, 1933

By E. S. Shaw

Utah continues as a very unimportant factor in oil and gas production. During the year 1933 there were no developments of noteworthy significance. There were no completions of either producers or dry holes during the year. The only commercial production in Utah has been from the five fields listed in Table 1 and mentioned briefly in the following paragraphs. Virgin Field.—Oil was first discovered in 1907 in a well drilled in sec. 13, T.41S., R.12W. Of the first 15 wells drilled, all but three were failures. In 1920 production from four wells from 550 to 600 ft. deep was about 20 bbl. per day. San Juan Field.—The majority of drilling in this area was done during the years 1908 to 1911. Probably the first commercial well in the field was that drilled in NW.$i sec. 6, T.42S1 R.l9E., in 1909. Farnham Dome.—The discovery well was drilled by the Utah Oil Refining Co. in April, 1923. A number of years later a second well was drilled by The Carbon Dioxice a mica1 Co., the present operator, which markets the gas in the manufacture of "dry ice" and allied products. The eslimated production, as indicated in Table 1, includes 500 million cubic feet estimated to have been lost while drilling the discovery well. Cisco Dome.—The discovery well was drilled by The Utah Oil Refining Co. in November, 1924. The Crystal Carbon Co. markets the gas in the manufacture of carbon black. Ashley Valley Dome.—The discovery well was drilled by the Utah Oil Refining Co. in April, 1925. The Uintah Gas Co. markets the gas in Vernal, Utah, for fuel. Woodside Structure.—In February, 1924, gas was discovered in a well drilled by Utah Oil Refining Co. in sec. 12, T.l9S., R.l3N., on the Woodside structure. This gas is reported to contain an appreciable amount of helium. It is being held as a helium reserve by the United States Government. Salt Valley Structure.—The test of the Utah Southern Oil Co. in sec. 31, T.23S., R.21E., on the Salt Valley structure has been shut down for some time at 6120 ft. This test has passed through more than 5000 ft.

Jan 1, 1934

The following have been compiled from information furnished through the courtesy of Dr. W. P. Haynes, of London, and Mr. T. V. Grigorescu of Ploesti, Rumania. Gura Ocnitzei was the most active field during the year, furnishing 40 per cent of the production and 50 per cent of the drilling activity. Extensions to the west in this field were made both by Concordia and Romana Americana. In these new extensions the bulk of the production comes from the Drader member of the Dacian, with an average depth of 1300 m.; the underlying third Meotic at 1700 m. has not been developed yet. In Gura Ocnitzei east no new drilling has been done in 1933, but here declining pressures have led to the extensive use of gas-lift and pumps. Ochiuri saw some small drilling activity, but production declined. Two good wells were brought in by Unirea and Astra at the close of the year. Boldesti continued to be developed on a general plan by the four major companies interested. Production was from the Meotic, which in this dome has been penetrated for 356 m. Reserves have been estimated at about 63,000,000 bbl. An important discovery in this area was the bringing in of Credit Minier No. 1 Harsa to the east of the main field and producing from the Meotic. This well came in during October, 1932, and is now making 1400 barrels. In the Moreni Piscuri field only routine operations have been carried on. The prolific sands are now declining rapidly. Ceptura also saw only routine operations. In the Arcesti field development of the Meotic continues. Seven new wells were brought in during the year and ten were drilling at the close of 1930. The field produced over a million barrels for the first time during 1933. In the other fields only routine operations were carried on. A considerable increase in efficiency of operations was noted during the year. The average drilling time has been reduced, coring programs have been amplified, and much care has been taken in straight hole drilling. The Schlumberger electrical coring apparatus is extensively used. Electric-driven rotaries have been introduced at Gura Ocnitzei. The Moniteur du Pétrole Rouman reports that the index cost of drilling one meter, taking 1929 as a base of 100, has been reduced to 32 in 1933.

Jan 1, 1934

PHILIP D. WILSON,* Warren, Ariz. (written discussiont).-Mr. Tovote&apos;s idea of attempting to classify according to their broad geologic relations the ore deposits and prospects of the Southwest is an admirable one. Attempts have been made to evolve some comprehensive scheme of classification that would be of practical assistance in determining the possible value of prospects, but the ore deposits are too varied in type, form, genesis, and distribution to lend themselves readily to any definite, scientific pigeon-holing. The classification Mr. Tovote recommends, combining the age of the mineralization with the type of the rock supposed to be its source, is open to criticism even on the evidence he presents. The age of many deposits is not nor can be definitely determined because of the absence of sedimentary rocks in their vicinity. Furthermore, the character of the mineralizing solutions has, in a large majority of cases, no relation to the composition of the associated igneous rock. While the solutions may have originated in the same magma, they were usually a much later manifestation of it, often appearing after the intrusive rock had completely solidified and been subsequently crushed and fractured, and in many cases the chemical difference is very marked. It is true that igneous activity in the Southwest is definitely related to-certain geologic periods. The statement, however, that no ore deposits can unmistakably be referred to periods earlier than late Cretaceous is not supported by fact. The bonanza copper orebodies of the Jerome District are definitely pre-Cambrian. As suggested by J. R. Finlay,1 they are probably post-Beltian or late Algonkian in age, perhaps related to the same great mountain-making period as the copper deposits in the Keweenawan series of Lake Superior and the Sudbury, Porcupine, and Cobalt deposits of Ontario. The proof that they are pre-Paleozoic may be summarized as follows: 1. The pre-Cambrian complex in which they occur is overlaid by a great thickness of Paleozoic sediments with the Tonto or Tapeats sandstone at their base. The only primary mineralization in these sediments is an economically unimportant one connected with very recent basalt. 2. In the United Verde Extension mine, the gossan over the great orebody extends to the old pre-Cambrian surface where it is directly

Jan 2, 1919

By T. G. Madgwick, W. Calder

Production of petroleum increased again during 1929, thus maintaining the steady growth inaugurated by the bringing in of Royalite No. 4 in Turner Valley, Alberta, towards the end of 1924, prior to which a decline over a number of years had been experienced. The growth has been confined to the Province of Alberta, the older production in New Brunswick and Ontario showing declines, although in the latter case considerable activity in the search for new gas structures was maintained and during the last six months two wells were brought in, one at Howard in the Trenton at a depth of 1250 ft., giving 5,500,000 cu. ft., and the other at Tilbury in the Guelph or Salina at 750 ft. giving 9,000,000 cubic feet. As has been the case during the past five years, interest in the search for structure and in the following up and development of areas already recognized has centered in Alberta and adjacent portions of Saskatchewan. This was due in the first instance to the striking of wet gas in the Palaeozoic limestone (Madison) of Turner Valley, some 30 miles south of Calgary, in Royalite No. 4 in October, 1924. The bringing in of other wells of similar importance late in 1928 and in the spring of 1929 which extended the productive area 3 miles southwards led to greatly enhanced drilling activity throughout the structure and adjacent areas and in other parts of Alberta. As a result good strikes of heavy crude oil have been recorded during the year at Ribstone, Oyen, Skiff and Coutts, in each case at moderate depths and in sufficient quanitity to justify prolonged testing. The prospects of a satisfactory production of this grade of oil are very encouraging. Actual oil production in the west is still confined to the Province of Alberta and for all grades of oil totaled 997,359 bbl., which compared with previous years shows a gratifying increase. To this increase the naphtha obtained from the wet gas of Turner Valley has proved the principal contributant, heavy crude also showing an improvement, while the light crude, the product of the Cretaceo-Jurassic sands overlying the Paleozoic of Turner Valley, remains unchanged. This is largely owing to operators casing off these sands in their endeavor to reach the limestone, but, there is evidence that in future more attention will be paid to

Jan 1, 1930