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By J. D. A. Morrow

TO my mind the National Bituminous Coal Act so far has proved one of the unhappiest experiences that has ever befallen the bituminous coal operators of the United States. Viewed in the light of its ugly consequences everyone should recognize this measure for what it is -a weird thing as unreal as a page from "Alice in Wonderland." Indeed it might be another stanza to the tale of the Walrus and the Carpenter, with the coal operators in the role of the unfortunate oysters who were taken on that memorable ramble. It is time that coal producers open their eyes, jerk themselves out of any lingering hypnotic optimism about the price-fixing provisions of this law, demand the repeal of these corroding clauses, and then set about remedying as best they can the disastrous effects of this retromingent scheme to regulate the coal business.

Jan 1, 1939

By C. R. Keyes

Discussion of the paper of C. R. Keyes, presented at the Chattanooga meeting, October, 190S, Bulletin No. 26, February, 1909, pp. 119 to 166. E. R. BUCKLEY, Flat River, Mo. (communication to the Secretary*) :-Some statements in the paper of Mr. Keyes relative to the nature and formation of the Ozark lead- and zinc-deposits seem to me erroneous and misleading, and I respectfully present the following criticisms, placing Mr. Keyes's original statements in quotations. Referring to the Ozark dome: (P. 127.) "It is a region that has been repeatedly upraised and planed off, until in the middle portion the oldest known' rocks only are exposed." Does he mean that the St. Francois mountains, which have always been considered as lying on the eastern flank of the Ozark dome, are the middle of the dome? Or does he mean that the Cambrian rocks of the generally-accepted middle are the oldest known rocks ? Certainly not the latter, and if the former, his idea of the middle of the dome is not in accord with that of others who are familiar with the region. (P. 138.) " . . . the ore-deposits are definitely associated with, or localized by, geologic structures of some kind that .produce in effect basins in which' the underground waters are impounded, or their flow retarded." This statement does not appear to be altogether consistent with the facts, since the ore- bodies of the Joplin district, as the rule, occur in those parts of the Mississippian formation which have a tendency to accel¬erate the flow of ground-water rather than retard it. I might name the open, breeciated ground near Joplin, Webb City, and Oronogo as especially noteworthy illustrations. The ore-bodies, everywhere, occur in positions where there must have been a free and copious circulation of dilute lead- and zinc-solutions in the presence of reducing constituents. The inequalities in the distribution of the ore-deposits are

Oct 1, 1909

By Chung Yu Wang

DURING the time I was in charge, of this mine, from 1914 to 1915, I had occasion to read the interesting papers by T. T. Read and C. M. Weld about these deposits, to find how far their observations corroborated mine. To quote from the paper on "The Mineral Production and Resources of China" by T. T. Read:' "The iron ores at Tayeh lie along the contact between a marble and an intrusive body of a dark gray syenitic rock. * * * * At one place it is slightly magnetic, apparently having been partly reduced to the magnetic oxide by the action of reducing solutions, which have deposited small amounts of copper and iron sulphides along the foot wall." To quote from the paper on "The Tayeh Iron Ore Deposits"2 by C. M. Weld: "I find the orebodies described as occurring along an approximately E-W contact between horn-blende-granite and limestone. * * * * The granite is a granitoid rock consisting essentially of quartz, potash-feldspar and hornblende." These quotations show the differences of opinion entertained by two observers. My own study of these interesting deposits has been intermittent amid the manifold duties devolving upon a superintendent. General Description of the Deposits The deposits are situated to the west of the Yangtse River, being con¬nected with the river by a standard-gage railroad of 56 li (16.16 miles, 26 km.) in length, as shown in Fig. 1. The general topography of the region is of mature age, showing broad valleys with sluggishly meandering streams. These deposits are worked as two mines, named the Tieh Shan Mining Department and the Teh Tao Wan Mining Department; the former consisting of three orebodies more or less connected, named Tieh Man Kan, Sha Mau Tze and Lung Tung, and the latter consisting of Chang Pei Shan, Sze Tze Shan, Ta Shih Men, Yeh Chih Ping and Tsin Shan, also more or less connected, as shown in Fig. 2.

Jan 3, 1917

By Chung Yu Wang

During the time I was in charge of this mine, from 1914 to 1915, I had occasion to read the interesting papers by T. T. Read and C. M. Weld about these deposits, to find how far their observations corroborated mine. To quote from the paper on "The Mineral Production and Resources of China" by T. T. Read:' "The iron ores at Tayeh * * * * lie along the contact between a marble and an intrusive body of a dark gray syenitic rock. * * * * At one place it is slightly magnetic, apparently having been partly reduced to the magnetic oxide by the action of reducing solutions, which have deposited small amounts of copper and iron sulphides along the foot wall." To quote from the paper on "The Tayeh Iron Ore Deposits"2 by C. M. Weld: "I find the orebodies described as occurring along an approximately E-W contact between hornblende-granite and limestone. * * * * The granite is a granitoid rock consisting essentially of quartz, potash-feldspar and hornblende."' These quotations show the differences of opinion entertained by two observers. My own study of these interesting deposits has been intermittent amid the manifold duties devolving upon a superintendent. General DescriptLon of the Deposits The deposits are situated to the west of the Yangtse River, being connected with the river by a standard-gage railroad of 66 li (18.16 miles, 26 km.) in length, as shown in Fig. 1. The general topography of the region is of mature age, showing broad valleys with sluggishly meandering streams. These deposits are worked as two mines, named the Tieh Shan Mining Department and the Teh Tao Wan Mining Department; the former consisting of three orebodies more or less connected, named Tieh Man Kan, Sha Mau Tze and Lung Tung, and the latter consisting of Chang Pei Shan, Sze Tze Shan, Ta Shih Men, Yeh Chih Ping and Tsin Shan, also more or less connected, as shown in Fig. 2.

Jan 1, 1918

By W. Rogers Wade, Alfred Wandtke

The Pilares mine of the Moctezuma Copper Co. is situated at Los Pilares de Nacozari, Sonora, Mexico, about 75 mi. (120.7 km.) south of the international boundary and about 7 mi. (11.26 km.) east of the town of Nacozari de Garcia. It is situated at an elevation of 5000 ft. (1524 m.) in one of the northward trending ridges that form part of the mountain mass that culminates in the Sierra Madre de Mexico. To the east, south, and west, the topography is rugged and diversified; to the north less diversity exists, ranges of mountains rise sharply out of almost level ground and give the basin range structure characteristic of the Southwest. The climate is dry, the average rainfall of 15 in. (38 cm.) being confined almost entirely to the months of June, July, and August. The winter consists of a few days of disagreeable weather when a little snow may fall; the remainder of the year is thoroughly delightful. Vegetation is typical of a semi-arid region. In the canons near the mine, where water flows intermittently, willows thrive; on the northern slopes of some of the mountains and in some of the broader canons pines may even become abundant. The dominant rocks are flows and pyroclastics which are cut by dykes, stocks, and batholiths. The mountain just west of Nacozari is, in part, composed of limestone of an unknown age which occurs as a syncline and is undoubtedly a part of a prevolcanic land surface. Overlying the limestone and faulted against it, are the volcanics; cutting the limestone is a coarse biotite granite. Whether the granite is older or younger than the volcanics has not been definitely established. No attempt has been made to differentiate the rock types of the volcanic~, of which there are exposed 3000 ft. (914 m.) in thickness of basic and acid flows (andesites, latites, and rhyolites) and andesite and latite tuffs and breccias. The latite breccias, the youngest of these volcanic~, cover the highest mountains in the immediate vicinity. The

Jan 1, 1920

By R. S. Archibald, L. S. Chabot

The Blueberry mine is about 10 miles west of Ishpeming, Marquette County, Michigan. The property consists of about 2000 acres in sees. 3, 4 and 5, T. 47, N.R. 28W. and secs. 32, 33 and 34, T. 48, N.R. 28W., and, excepting one intervening 80-acre tract, contains the iron formation for a length of about 21/4 miles. The property is traversed by State Highway M-28 and is served by three railways, the Chicago & Northwestern, the Duluth, South Shore & Atlantic, and the Lake Superior & Ishpeming. The Northwestern transports the ore to a dock at Escanaba; the other railways, to Marquette. Ore for Chicago goes via Escanaba and that for Lower Lake ports, as Detroit, Cleveland, and Buffalo, via Marquette. History The presence of iron formation in this property has been known for many years, and mining operations on a small scale have been carried on intermittently. The Dexter mine, on the SE.1/4 of the NW.1/4 of sec. 3, was worked from 1883 to 1897 and 118,000 tons of ore was mined. From 1907 to 1915 extensive exploration was carried on over the whole of sec. 3, including 79 diamond-drill holes with a total footage of 26,000 ft. The Chase mine, on the NE.1/4 of the NE.1/4 of sec. 3, was developed from this exploration work, but after about 200,000 tons had been mined the property was abandoned. From 1908 to 1910 exploration was carried on by another company on sec. 4, 47-28, including four drill holes with a total footage of about 5000 ft. Much of the drilling on sec. 3 and of the exploration work on sec. 4 are within the present developed area of the Blueberry mine. A general campaign of diamond-drill exploration was undertaken in 1924, and within a year a considerable amount of ore was developed. The Ford Motor Co. then took an option on the property and carried on check drilling and diamond-drill work until the spring of 1926, when enough ore had been developed to warrant the sinking of a shaft

Jan 1, 1937

By David B. Dill, Edgar R. Lea

The zinc deposits of the Balmat-Edwards Division of the St. Joseph Lead Company in northern New York State provide some 10 per cent of the domestic zinc produced annually within the United States. These complex ore deposits are contained within marbles of the Precambrian Grenville series, in a repetitive sequence of dolomites and silicated units. The Balmat ore bodies are localized at various intervals throughout some 1800 feet of the stratigraphic column on the northwest side of a band of gneiss that has continuity to the Edwards area, some 10 miles to the northeast. The Edwards ore bodies are located to the southeast of this gneiss. The marble formations are thought to have included repetitive intervals of marine sedimentation that provided mineralized source "beds" and were subsequently folded, flooded, and injected with melts at great depth and were sheared, recrystallized, and reconstituted. Detailed structural and stratigraphic studies throughout the northwestern Adirondacks, in the Balmat-Edwards district, and at each mine in particular indicate the close dependence of the ore deposits on the enveloping structure whether it be local, district-wide, or regional in scope. Primary folding has developed a northeast regional trend with northwest dips. Secondary folding has been developed by an almost horizontal northeast-southwest-oriented shear couple in the plane of the regional trend. The secondary folding has produced crossfolds that intersect the regional northeast trend and plunge north to northwest at various angles. The ore bodies are found within certain stratigraphic horizons where repeated alternation of competent and incompetent beds encouraged unusually complex folding. Analysis of individual mine structures indicates that the location of each deposit is controlled by structural crossing of primary and secondary folding. The ore bodies, which are tabular, lenticular, or pod-like in form, have features that suggest parallelism to true bedding or modified flow banding, developed by northeast-southwest shearing stresses related to the development of the crossfolds. The ore deposits in general follow both structural and recrystallization trends within the wall rocks. Mobilization of the pre-metamorphic ore minerals is believed to have involved a combination of plastic flow under stress and solution of the sphalerite, minor galena, and pyrite. The ore fluids are thought to have been guided by secondary shearing and microbrecciation into structurally prepared areas where reprecipitation took place. The presumed premetamorphic mineralization now exhibits epigenetic high-temperature features related to late-stage metamorphism.

Jan 1, 1968

By AIME AIME

A JOINT meeting of the Canadian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy and the American Institute of Mining and Metallurgical Engineers was held at Spokane, Wash., and Cranbrook and Kimberley, B. C., on Oct. 13 to 16, 1926, with a total attendance at one or another or all of the meetings of about 300 members, ladies and guests. At the opening meeting, on Oct. 13, in the Davenport Hotel, Spokane, about 175 were present. The morning was occupied with addresses of welcome by M. H. Sullivan for the Columbia Section, who called on Mayor Charles A. Fleming, President John F. Davies for the Chamber of Commerce, and E. R. Hannibal, president of the Associated Engineers, each of whom heartily welcomed the visitors. Philip N. Moore, former president, and special representative of President Samuel A. Taylor, replied for the A.I.M.E., and Lewis Stockett, president, and Charles A. Banks, chairman, British Columbia Division, Canadian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy, and Henry M. Parks for the visiting A.I.M.E. sections, made appropriate responses on behalf of those they represented. The members and ladies had luncheon with the Associated Engineers. Philip N. Moore addressed the assembly on "The Opportunity of the Engineer"; an excerpt from his address appears on another page. At the afternoon meeting, with Lewis Stockett in the chair, Frank M. Smith was asked to make a brief statement of the proceedings of the Silver Producers Association in Denver. Supplementing his talk by placing a well-prepared statement on "Silver and the Plan of the Royal Commission on Indian Currency and Finance" in the hands of those present, he narrated what had been undertaken by the Silver Producers Association and what they hoped to accomplish.

Jan 1, 1926

By James R. Finlay

SOMETIMES the American Institute of Mining and Metallurgical Engineers appears to be a strictly technical society, and if so my paper should deal with the technical operations of finding and producing gold. But I have not been engaged in practical gold mining since 1910. What I have been doing mainly for the last 25 years is to try to figure out what the income of a mine-gold, or any other-would be worth to an investor. So I have been in contact with gold mining, in one way or another, for some 42 years. I say that with a purpose. In that time the industry has been through one of its cycles. The value of gold mines is very dif¬ferent at different points in one of these cycles. For this reason the cycle of gold mining is a highly practical study. The cycle of gold is a more or less rhythmical change in its value or purchasing power measured in the grand average of other commodities, which is the same thing as its price. Taking the price of gold in 1897 as a stand¬ard, a dollar at that time declined to 55c. in 1913, to 26.8c. in 1920, and since then it has risen to 47.4c. in 1930 and to about 64c. in 1932. It is worth about 21/ times as much now as it was in 1920, but less than two¬thirds as much as in 1897. When this change is applied to the value of a gold mine still greater differences are evident. The cost of producing gold is of course measured in labor and other commodities, and as that cost goes down the margin of profit measured in the gold itself increases. Thus a mine which might make only 10 per cent profit in 1920 on its gross output may easily make 25 per cent now. The stockholder gets 2 ½ times more gold that is worth 2 1/2 times as much in purchasing power, therefore the real value of his holding has risen by the one factor multiplied by the other, giving him 61/4 times as much goods or services as he had in 1920.

Jan 1, 1933

By W. T. Isbell

Although the pressure to meet the heavy demand for lead still took precedence over new metallurgical developments in the field of roasting, smelting, and refining of lead in 1948 there nevertheless has been considerable activity in the experimental development of new processes and improvements as well as plans for the modernization of many plants both here and abroad. Increasing labor and material costs have stimulated the trend to greater mechanization, revamping of flow sheets, and construction of larger units wherever possible. Although there have been many serious labor stoppages in the United States, Mexico, and Europe, labor supply has improved in most plants even if it has fallen off in efficiency.

Jan 1, 1949

By Arthur F. Hagner

The titaniferous magnetite deposit at Iron Mountain, Wyoming, is in Precambrian anorthosite. Individual ore bodies are lenses, commonly arranged en echelon, conformable to the platy crystal structure and compositional layering of the anorthosite; a few transect these features at various angles. The ore bodies are on the east flank of the principal anticline in the anorthosite mass. Magnetite and ilmenite, accompanied by spine!, are the ore minerals. The principal gangue minerals are olivine, which was introduced with the ore, and plagioclase, the chief constituent of the anorthosite. The anticlinal region appears to have been a structurally weak zone, and westward-bowing curves of the axis were especially favorable sites for localization of the two largest massive ore bodies. These bodies are synclinal and plunge southeast. The proportion of magnetite-ilmenite to olivine and to anorthosite appears to be related to structural features. Where magnetite-ilmenite is present with olivine, the magnetite-ilmenite is encountered along the most pronounced parts of a fold where anorthite content is highest, whereas olivine is associated principally with more gently folded portions. During granulation and recrystallization of the anorthosite mass, temperature and pressure changes furnished the energy required to release and mobilize iron and other elements that migrated to areas of low pressure, the ore zone. Some iron and magnesium may have combined with silica from partly dissociated plagioclase to form olivine. The ore formed by replacement of anorthosite as indicated by: (1) the marked changes in mineralogy along strike, dip, and plunge of an ore body; (2) the concentration of massive ore in folds and olivine on limbs; ( 3) the halo of low-grade mineralized rock that transects the structure of the anorthosite in the hanging wall; and ( 4) the layering in the large southern ore body, that strikes more easterly than the trend of the body.

Jan 1, 1968

THE annual meeting of the Lake Superior Mining Institute was held on Sept. 7 and 8, Crystal Falls and Iron Mountain, Mich., being the principal centers of activity. Members of both institutes began assembling early, and by the evening of Sept. 6, some 60 had already arrived at Crystal Falls. The greater number arrived the following morning, however, and after the usual formalities of registration were attended to, the party were loaded into automobiles and set out on a tour of inspection of the mines near Iron River; some properties were passed through, and some were briefly visited to permit the inspection of any unusually interesting piece of equipment or detail of practice. The last stop of the morning was at the Caspian, Iron River, where the entire party was entertained at luncheon at the Caspian Club House. Both the food and the company were excellent, and as the weather was superlatively good (though the natives of the district modestly declared it was only ordinary autumn weather) the lunch was served on the lawn at the rear of the club, where the green turf, abundant flowers, and music by the band, added to the charm of good fellowship. The degree to which mining men have become addicted to golf was indicated by the large number of plus fours in evidence, whose wearers appeared just before lunch and disappeared immediately afterward.

Jan 1, 1928

By LEE H. CORNELL

Drilling activity in Kansas during 1945 continued at an accelerated pace to meet the demands of war; 1810 tests were drilled as compared with 1856 tests the previous year, 1771 tests in 1943, and 1516 tests in 1942. During the year 31 new oil pools and 10 new gas pools were discovered. Of a total of 364 wildcats drilled, 323 were dry; and of 1446 tests drilled in pools, 825 were oil wells, 197 gas wells, and 425 dry holes.

Jan 1, 1946

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

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

Jan 1, 1966

By Maurice E. Peloubet

This discussion of accounting will describe the statements and the information that the accounting system produces, from the point of view of those who use such systems rather than of those who prepare them and who do the detail and technical accounting work. In any well organized mine, quarry, or other enterprise exploiting a mineral deposit, no matter how small, some clerical and accounting work must be done. Miners and other employes must be paid, supplies must be purchased and issued, and various tax and information returns, which even the smallest enterprise must file, have to be prepared. In this chapter it is assumed that the enterprise has employes of this type and that they understand the fundamentals of record keeping and accounting. It would be impossible here to give sufficiently full explanations to enable a man with no previous clerical and accounting training to set up and operate an accounting and cost system for even the simplest extractive operation. Rather, we shall hope first, to tell the investor and the operator, from the chief engineer or president down to a subforeman, what to expect from the accounting statements and records and how to use this information in his daily work; and second, that it will enable the man with some knowledge of accounting or book- keeping, but with little or no experience in any extractive industry, to set up and operate a satisfactory system for a mine or other extractive enterprise. For readers who wish to go further, the bibliography at the end of this chapter contains many references. T he emphasis has, therefore, been placed on the statements to be produced and the purposes for which they are to be used rather than the underlying books and records. These are, with a few exceptions which will be described later, essentially what might be found in any industrial enterprise and would probably, in the extremely small enterprise, consist of handwritten journals, ledgers, analysis books, payroll books, and stores ledgers. In the larger enterprise, various types of mechanical accounting would be introduced in proportion to the complexity of the operation.

Jan 1, 1964

By GORDON H. FISHER

During the year 1945, the drilling pace in West Texas increased above that in the year 1944, and represented the highest number of well completions since 2941. The 1680 new wells drilled 8,287,958 ft. of hole for a per well average of 4933 ft. This depth is approximately 30o. ft. deeper than the average for the year 1944. Although the deepest well drilled in West Texas (Phillips Petroleum Company's Ada Price No. 1, in Pecos County) was completed during the year. 1944 to a depth of 15,279 ft. and tested the Ellen-burger horizon, the producing depth record for West Texas was set during the year 1945 with the completion of Amerada Petroleum Corporation's Jones No. I-A, in the Jones Ranch field, Gaines County, which now is producing at 11,422 ft. from the Devonian formation.

Jan 1, 1946

By AIME AIME

A CORPORATION would go into bankruptcy if its affairs were conducted as are those of the state of New York, according to the Committee on New York State Government Reorganization of the American Engineering Council of the Federated American Engineering Societies, in a report to the chairman, of the Joint Judiciary Committees of the Senate and Assembly. The report, just made public, was signed by the three members of the committee who were appointed by Herbert Hoover. They were H. de-B. Parsons, chair- man, Paul G. Brown and Lewis B. Stillwell. Although the American Engineering Council is a national organization, it decided to aid in governmental reorganization in New York State because of the magnitude of the task. The Council's committee in its report urged the passage of three state reorganization amendments for consolidation of departments, an executive budget system, and a four-year term for the higher state officials. In the words of the report :

Jan 1, 1921

By W. A. Ver Wiebe

Under the impetus of new demands caused by the war, the oil and gas industries of Kansas established new records during the year 1942. In all, 1513 test wells were drilled, which is somewhat of a drop from the figure of 2113 for 1941. The 1513 tests yielded 800 new oil wells, 85 new gas wells, and 628 dry holes. Thus there was an increase in two categories, the gas wells and the dry holes. Considering that last year only 592 dry holes were completed out of a much larger total, the figure of 628 dry holes causes some concern among local operators. The increase in unsuccessful tests illustrates once more the fact that each year it is becoming harder to find the remaining oil pools. When the figures are broken down, it appears that western Kansas accounted for 1177 tests, of which 689 were oil wells, 33 gas wells, and 455 dry holes. The total potential daily initial production uncovered by the successful wells amounted to 753,178 bbl. of oil and 619,734,000 cu. it. of gas. The figures for new initial production indicate a substantial drop from last year's figure of 1,691,000 bbl., and the figures on gas are slightly higher. In 1941 the new gas as based on a daily potential was 508,000,-000 cu. ft. In eastern Kansas, 336 wells were drilled. Among these in were oil wells, accounting for a daily initial potential production of 16,199 bbl. The new gas wells numbered 52 and added 253,725,000 cu. ft. per day to the gas potential production of the state. The remaining tests, 173 in number, were dry. It is interesting and perhaps significant that about half (630) of the wells drilled in western Kansas were drilled by the independent operators. Among the large companies, the Cities Service Oil Co. drilled 163 wells; the Stanolind Oil and Gas Co., 52; the Skelly Oil Co., 39; the Continental Oil Co., 48; and the Shell Petroleum Co., 21 wells. In eastern Kansas the independent operators drilled 297 out of the total of 336 wells. Among the major oil companies the Cities Service Oil Co. drilled 19; the Phillips Petroleum Co. 7; and the Sinclair-Prairie Oil Co., 6 wells. The figures based on relative percentages of dry holes to successful oil or gas wells are revealing. In western Kansas almost one half of all wells drilled by the independent operators were dry holes. The major oil companies drilled approximately 547 wells in western Kansas, of which 379 were successful in finding either oil or gas. It thus appears that the major companies fared better than the independents. In eastern Kansas the major companies drilled 39 wells, of which 29 were successful in finding commercial quantities of oil or of gas. No less than 329 wildcat test holes were put down in western Kansas and 105 in eastern Kansas, or 434 in all, during 1942. Considerably more than half of these were drilled by independent operators; 223 in western and 99 in eastern Kansas. An exploratory hole 56 mile or more from production is regarded as a wildcat well in Kansas. On a percentage basis, about 80 per cent of wildcat wells were failures. In western Kansas only 20 per cent found either oil or gas. The failures were about equally distributed among the major

Jan 1, 1943

By W. A. Ver Wiebe

Under the impetus of new demands caused by the war, the oil and gas industries of Kansas established new records during the year 1942. In all, 1513 test wells were drilled, which is somewhat of a drop from the figure of 2113 for 1941. The 1513 tests yielded 800 new oil wells, 85 new gas wells, and 628 dry holes. Thus there was an increase in two categories, the gas wells and the dry holes. Considering that last year only 592 dry holes were completed out of a much larger total, the figure of 628 dry holes causes some concern among local operators. The increase in unsuccessful tests illustrates once more the fact that each year it is becoming harder to find the remaining oil pools. When the figures are broken down, it appears that western Kansas accounted for 1177 tests, of which 689 were oil wells, 33 gas wells, and 455 dry holes. The total potential daily initial production uncovered by the successful wells amounted to 753,178 bbl. of oil and 619,734,000 cu. it. of gas. The figures for new initial production indicate a substantial drop from last year's figure of 1,691,000 bbl., and the figures on gas are slightly higher. In 1941 the new gas as based on a daily potential was 508,000,-000 cu. ft. In eastern Kansas, 336 wells were drilled. Among these in were oil wells, accounting for a daily initial potential production of 16,199 bbl. The new gas wells numbered 52 and added 253,725,000 cu. ft. per day to the gas potential production of the state. The remaining tests, 173 in number, were dry. It is interesting and perhaps significant that about half (630) of the wells drilled in western Kansas were drilled by the independent operators. Among the large companies, the Cities Service Oil Co. drilled 163 wells; the Stanolind Oil and Gas Co., 52; the Skelly Oil Co., 39; the Continental Oil Co., 48; and the Shell Petroleum Co., 21 wells. In eastern Kansas the independent operators drilled 297 out of the total of 336 wells. Among the major oil companies the Cities Service Oil Co. drilled 19; the Phillips Petroleum Co. 7; and the Sinclair-Prairie Oil Co., 6 wells. The figures based on relative percentages of dry holes to successful oil or gas wells are revealing. In western Kansas almost one half of all wells drilled by the independent operators were dry holes. The major oil companies drilled approximately 547 wells in western Kansas, of which 379 were successful in finding either oil or gas. It thus appears that the major companies fared better than the independents. In eastern Kansas the major companies drilled 39 wells, of which 29 were successful in finding commercial quantities of oil or of gas. No less than 329 wildcat test holes were put down in western Kansas and 105 in eastern Kansas, or 434 in all, during 1942. Considerably more than half of these were drilled by independent operators; 223 in western and 99 in eastern Kansas. An exploratory hole 56 mile or more from production is regarded as a wildcat well in Kansas. On a percentage basis, about 80 per cent of wildcat wells were failures. In western Kansas only 20 per cent found either oil or gas. The failures were about equally distributed among the major

Jan 1, 1943

By Harold Vance

The Lafitte field, the largest oil reserve in South Louisiana, is in Jefferson Parish, some 25 miles due south of the City of New Orleans. The discovery well, The Texas Company's No. I, Louisiana Land and Exploration Co., in the southeast corner of sec. 19, T. 17 S., R. 24 E., was completed on May 15, 1935. The initial production of this well was 960 bbl. of 34.9º A.P.I, gravity oil per day, through 1/4-in. choke, with a tubing pressure of 1600 lb. per sq. in. Producing depth was 9558 to 9572 ft., the total depth being 9572 feet. The development of the field has been at the rate of three to eight new producing wells per year. Up to Jan. I, 1944, 60 producing wells and three dry holes had been drilled, while two of the original producing wells had been abandoned, Although the field is not unitized, The Texas Company was the sole operator in the field until the Lafitte Oil Co. completed its NO. I Jefferson Parish, near the center of the west line of the NW/4 sec. 20, T. I7 S., R. 24 E., on July 27, 1941. No additional wells have been drilled by the Lafitte Oil Company. Drilling and WeLl-completion Practices All drilling operations have been conducted with the steam-driven rotary equipment mounted on submersible barges. A canal is dug to the well location and the drilling unit is floated into position. The seacocks are then opened and the barge settles to the bottom. After the well is completed, seacocks are closed and water is pumped out of the barge. This procedure permits the barge, with drilling equipment still in place, to be floated and moved off the location. The conventional open-hole and the gun-perforation method of completing wells has been used in this field. Where possible, the initial completion is from the deepest 'sand and recompletions are made progressively up the hole, by plugging back with cement to the upper sand and gun-perforating opposite the new sand. The oil string usually is 7 5/8 in., 26 to 34-lb. casing. Three wells have been completed using 9 5/8-in. 44-lb casing set below 10.000 feet. Fig. I shows the completion and recom-pletion practices on one well in the field. This figure also shows the relative locations of the different producing sands as shown on the electric well log. Structure The structure is an elongated dome, cut by two north-south faults, which divides the field into three segments. The west segment is the highest structurally and contains most of the recoverable oil and gas. The center segment is less important and the east segment is of little value. Figs. 2, 4, 6, 8 and 10 are depth contour maps on top of the five main producing sands in the field. These maps show the relative size of the five reservoirs and the

Jan 1, 1945