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By H. C. Fowler

No exact demarcation can be made between producfion engineering and engineering research projects which interest production engineers because the results of today's engineering research make possible many of the applied production engineering methods of tomorrow. A corollary of the development of fundamental research is that so-called practical research becomes necessary. Assuming engineering research to include all subjects related to oil and gas production on which knowledge is being increased through experimentation and through analyses of data obtained from both the laboratory and the field, a review of the work of 1932 shows that the fundamental concepts of at least three major problems have become better understood—bottom-hole pressures, solubility of gas in oil, and fluid movement—and that the established data on the relationships of oil and gas have been applied to obtain more efficient and more economic production of both. Engineers no longer are concerned primarily with the initial development of devices for obtaining the pressures at the bottom of wells. Advancement in the technique of obtaining reliable pressure readings in wells has been rapid. One of the first public suggestions regarding apparatus for obtaining precise information at the bottom of oil wells was made before the Petroleum Division of the A.I.M.E. in 1928. Even during the early development stages in East Texas, reservoir pressures were estimated from well-head observations. Soon, however, a number of proved devices and methods were available, and today bottom-hole pressures in many fields are being recorded and studied as an essential part of the production programs. The research now turns to interpretations of data, obtained with these devices, in terms of reservoir energy and to the development of methods whereby the oil and gas will be withdrawn in accordance with rational and equitable programs based on oil-gas-energy relationships. The term ((bottom-hole pressures" should not be interpreted as indicating the full scope of all research on this problem. By using pressure (and temperature) data obtained in related vertical-flow studies,

Jan 1, 1933

By S. H. Ash

The United States Bureau of Mines has published relatively little on the flooding and unwatering of coal and metal mines. Bulletin 229, Fifty-Nine Coal-Mine Fires, published in 1927, contains several instances of the flooding of mines or sections thereof to extinguish fires but does not describe their unwatering. Report of Investigations 2649, Explosion Hazards Incidental to Unwatering Coal Mines, published in 1924, warned against the possibility of gas accumulations in flooded mines and indicated the precautions to be taken. Report of Investigations 2255, An Unusual Hazard in Reopening Long-Flooded Timbered Metal Mines, published in 1921, told of methane being pocketed and the danger thereof. The flooding of mines originates in many ways. At some mines flooding followed reopening after what was thought to be permanent abandonment; also, explosions have caused some mines to be flooded. Extinguishing fires, accidental encountering of underground streams or flooded old workings, and caves of strata admitting water from underground workings, water-bearing strata, or surface accumulations have also flooded all or parts of mines. Unfortunately, un watering often necessitates much study and causes apprehension largely because experiences in similar situations are not generally known, as few descriptions of successful or unsuccessful methods are available. The job has sometimes been contracted for outside the local management involved and has become a matter of record for the contractor only. As the cost-plus contract system often employed in the past is now known to be expensive, careful managements elect to handle the problem themselves, in line with the general policy of cutting expense where possible. This report describes specific in-stances of successful unwatering by operators.

Jan 1, 1933

By W. R. Webster

SINCE the delivery of our paper on Some Comparative Properties of Tough-pitch and Phosphorized Copper,1 a new brand known as "oxygen-free high-conductivity copper" (brand OFHC) has become available to consumers. It was thought desirable to make a comparison between the properties of this material and those of the materials covered by our original paper and its discussion. FIG. 1.-CHARACTERISTIC ANNEALING CURVES OF VARIOUS TYPES OF COPPER. Preliminary tests had indicated some notable differences. A billet of oxygen-free high-conductivity copper was taken from regular production. A chemical analysis of the particular billet was not made, but the producer of the material has given as typical the analysis shown in Table 1. The

Jan 1, 1933

Jan 1, 1933

By A. C. Richardson

The mine of the Porter Coal Co. is located at the town of Porter in the northwestern part of Jefferson County, Ala., about 20 miles west of Birmingham. The operations in this mine are confined to the middle and bottom benches of the Mary Lee bed. The coal from the Porter mine is handpicked and washed before being placed on the market. The handpicked lump coal and the washed egg and nut coal are sold chiefly as domestic and steam-raising fuel. The coal finer than 1 inch is washed in 2-compartment jigs and utilized in the manufacture of metallurgical coke. The coal company has found that, when coal ranging in size from 1 to 0 inch is washed in jigs, a considerable amount of high-ash material finer than 3/16 inch remains in the washed coal. This paper gives the results of an investigation which was conducted for the purpose of determining the washing characteristics of the through 3/16-inch raw coal and the extent to which the ash might be reduced by means of coal-washing tables. This investigation has been made in connection with an extensive study of the coal-washing problems now being conducted by the United States Bureau of Mines and the University of Alabama, with the cooperation of the coal-mining companies of the State.

Jan 1, 1933

By Paul Tyler

THE extensive employment of nonmetallic minerals antedates the use of metals, but only within the last two decades has the production of nonmetals begun actually to keep pace with the complicated activities which characterize the so-called Machine Age. The economic changes ushered in by the Industrial Revolution were reflected first in an increased demand for metals and for fuels. In the modern sense, therefore, the nonmetallic mineral industries are new and afford new opportunities for engineer and economist alike. A certain amount of caution is indicated, therefore, before attempting to apply ready-made formulas to the problems of these industries. Economics is not an exact science. In the field of production technology where the number of variables is fairly well known, the principles of economics are readily applicable, but as the student proceeds through the province of marketing into the unexplored regions of psychology and sociology he must distinguish carefully between scientific reasoning and purely metaphysical speculation, even when the latter masquerades as economics. The present paper attempts to prove no preconceived theorems and is designed primarily to stimulate careful thinking on sundry neglected phases of these industries. An attempt is made to differentiate the general problems into single aspects which afford promise of being comprehended separately; also, some fundamental statistical data are presented, but merely to indicate a method of scientific approach applicable to more intensive studies.

Jan 1, 1933

By Irwin Roman

NUMEROUS results and formulas have been published for analyzing seismic records, but most of them apply only to large-scale phenomena such as are encountered in studying earthquakes. In a few cases,1 formulas have been published for some of the simpler structures. In the present paper, an attempt will be made to analyze several types of struc-tures without using methods more advanced than those of a first course in calculus. In, tracing a disturbance through a medium, it is almost always possible to base the analysis on Fermat's Principle of Extreme Time, which states that waves of displacement travel between points in such a manner as to make the time of travel an extremum with respect to all neighboring paths. In the simpler cases, comprising most of those used in optics or geophysical prospecting, this time is a minimum and the principle is often referred to as the Principle of Least Time. Within a homogeneous medium, having a uniform speed of transmission of the disturbance in all directions and throughout the medium, the paths are straight and are refracted at the interfaces in accordance with the Snell law of refraction, which states that the ratio of the sine of the angle, made by the ray with the normal to the interface, to the speed of trans-mission is the same on both sides of the interface. Thus, in any medium composed of homogeneous sections, this same ratio has a constant value at all points. In particular, if all interfaces are horizontal, it is apparent that the angles of incidence are the angles made by the ray with the vertical direction. Furthermore, the incident ray, the refracted ray and the normal to the interface are all in the same plane at each refraction;

Jan 1, 1933

By John A. Allan

Introduction There are times when meditation on the past is worth while. Too often does it happen that in the busy routine there appears t9 be little time for reflection, and little good or benefit to be derived from what has already taken place, or what has become past achievement. Under conditions such as those that prevail at present, consideration is being given to many subjects that a few years ago were not looked upon as worthy of time or thought. The temporary lull in industrial development is permitting of a stock-taking investigation, a perusal of past activities, and a planning for future development with the return to normality. It is not proposed to include much new data in this address, but the endeavour will be made to survey, in resume, the sequence of events which led up to the birth of the mining industry in Canada, and to show how, as new discoveries were made, the centres of interest changed from time to time until mineral development extended across Canada from the Atlantic to the Pacific. It will appear, also, that external causes have accentuated mineral development at one time and retarded it at another. Early Records A, historical background to the mining industry extends even to an earlier date than the discovery by white men of that part of the continent of North America represented by Canada. It has been stated that the aborigines were still in the neolithic stage when the white man arrived. One metal only was known to the natives, and that was copper, obtained from possibly many parts of Canada, but particularly from the shores of lake Superior in Ontario, from the Coppermine river on the Arctic coast, and from die coastal regions of British Columbia.

Jan 1, 1933

By Cyril Stanley Smith, Earl W. Palmer

A complete discussion of the literature on the subject of the influence of copper on iron and steel will be published elsewhere.' The present paper is concerned especially with the precipitation-hardening of copper steels, and brief mention will be made here only of the work of Kin-near,2,3 Nehl4 and Buchholtz and Koster,5 who alone have studied this phase of the subject. Kinnear found that normalized low-carbon steel castings containing about 1.0 per cent copper on drawing at temperatures in the neighborhood of 530" C. (1000" F.) increased in tensile strength and yield point, with little decrease in ductility. The maximum effect was obtained with about 0.9 to 1.0 per cent copper, and when the copper exceeded 3 per cent no improvement occurred on reheating. Kinnear did not study the effect of time of reheating—an all important factor where precipitation is concerned. Neh1,6 who apparently was unaware of Kinnear's work, recognized the change as due to precipitation and studied the interdependence of time and temperature of reheating, the temperature of the initial solution heat treatment, and the speed of cooling necessary to retain the bulk of the copper in supersaturated solution and to give an increase in hardness and tensile strength on reheating. Nehl found that if the final rolling or forging temperatures exceeded 700" C. (1300" F.) it was not necessary even to normalize the steel, but full precipitation occurred on merely reheating the forged or rolled shapes at 500" C. (930" F.). Buchholtz and Koster7 studied in detail the precipitation-hardening of a mild steel containing 1.0 per cent copper and 0.5 per cent chromium. From data on the electrical and magnetic properties of copper steels, they drew the portion of the equilibrium diagram in Fig. 1, assuming the

Jan 1, 1933

By G. S. Rice

The Experimental Mine of the United States Bureau of Mines is a unique coal mine that serves as a large-scale testing laboratory. It is used primarily for testing the explosibility of coal-dust and gases but is also the workshop for many other kinds of research work of which the chief object is to increase safety in mining. The mine is situated in Allegheny County, Pa., about 13 miles southwest of Pittsburgh among the high hills of the west bank of the Monongahela River, at the northeastern edge of the gas-coal district of the Pittsburgh coal bed which extends south through the Connellsville coking-coal district into West Virginia. The Pittsburgh bed, of the Upper Carboniferous age, is one of the most extensive continuous coal beds in the United States, if not in the world. Throughout large areas it shows remarkable uniformity of thickness, levelness, and character of coal, which is a coking coal of high-grade bituminous rank. Its thickness in the northern part is 5 to 5 ½ feet and in the central and southern part is 7 to 9 feet.

Jan 1, 1933

By J. Mackintosh Bell

External trade strongly influences the well being of all nations. In the modern economic mechanism, no country is so well endowed that it has not to import commodities from others and to export its products in turn to make good its deficiencies, to rectify or improve its financial structure. From the standpoint of international commerce, Canada is strategically well placed. On the south she is bounded by the richest country in the world. On the east she faces the Atlantic, on the west the Pacific. On both coasts there are fine harbours to which lead great lines of railway that span the continent. Canada is now fifth among the exporting nations of the world. For disposal abroad, she has enormous quantities of primary commodities and substantial amounts of manufactured goods as well. But she is far from being self-sustaining. She is unusually dependent on foreign trade, not only because of the commodities she has to sell but because of the lack of many essential articles she does not or cannot produce. To Canada, external commerce is vastly more important than internal trade. The wealth of nations is decided by their ability to produce more than they need, to sell more than they buy, and to build up favourable balances resulting from trade or services. With few countries, however, are returns perennially satisfactory. Fruitful periods are followed by leaner years. In times of prosperity foreign credits are increased, monetary systems strengthened, reserves accumulated to withstand recurring days of strain. Today, the foundations of financial systems are being re-examined, "dogmas hitherto accepted as canonical are being questioned" . It is not only in Europe and America that men search for illumination in problems arising from monetary restrictions.

Jan 1, 1933

Reno, Nevada. J A Fulton, Director For publications of either the Mackay School of Mines or the State Bureau of Mines, address the School of Mines at the given address. Except where the contrary is indicated in the following list, available publications are sent free From the Mackay School of Mines. Bulletin 1, The identification of Nevada's common minerals, 50 cents; 3, Notes on the ore deposits of Cave Valley mining district, Lincoln County, 4, A preliminary survey of the Scossa mining district, Pershing County, 5, Ore deposits of the Gold Circle mining district, Elko County, 6, Bedded deposits of manganese oxides near Las Vegas, 7, Spruce Mountain district, Elko County, and Cherry Creek (Egan Canyon) district, White Pine County From the State Bureau of Mines: Bulletin 1, Mineral resources of southern Nevada One volume: Mining districts and mineral resources of Nevada, by F C. Lincoln (1923), $1.50.

Jan 1, 1933

State of Louisiana, Department of Conservation, Division of Minerals, 126 New Orleans Court bldg , New Orleans, La. Dr. J. A Shaw, Director The Bureau of Scientific Research of the Minerals Division has recently issued the first of a proposed series of Geological Bulletins on the geology of Louisiana, by parishes The bulletin may be had for 25 cents postage by writing to the above address: Geological Bulletin 1, Geology of Iberia Parish (1931) Other bulletins of a more general nature have been published in the past. Bulletin 13, A brief survey of the natural resources of Louisiana (1930) (revised 1931), 14, The clays of the Shreveport area (1927), 16, The clays of Monroe area (1928), 19, The clays of Alexandria area (1929). The latest (Tenth) Biennial Report of the Department of Conservation for 1930-1931, containing a review of the natural resources of the state in the report of the Division of Minerals, may be obtained on payment of 25 cents for postage

Jan 1, 1933

By W. J. Asselstine

Introduction This paper is prepared from data gathered for a similar paper to be submitted to the United States Bureau of Mines, for publication as one of their information circulars. It covers the history and development of the present milling practice at Premier. The authors wish to acknowledge the assistance and suggestions given during the preparation of this paper by D. L. Pitt, Manager of the Premier Gold Mining Company, Limited; also their indebtedness to various members of the Engineering Staff and of the Accounting Department who have assisted materially in gathering the data used. Location The Premier mine and mill are situated in northern British Columbia, approximately fifteen miles north of the head of Portland canal, in the Salmon River section, about half a mile east of the Alaska-British Columbia boundary line where it crosses die Salmon river. The mill is located on a rather steep hillside on the horizon of the main haulage level of the mine, and is within a hundred feet of the mouth of the tunnel. Both the mine and mill are connected with tidewater at Stewart, B.C., by an aerial tramway (1) eleven and one-half miles in length, which delivers both ore and concentrate to the bunkers at the dock for shipment to the smelters. All mine and mill supplies are transported from Stewart dock to Premier over this tramway, except heavy machinery. Heavy pieces have to be hauled either by truck in summer or sleighs in winter over a good road which runs from Stewart dock to Premier.

Jan 1, 1933

By William Rawles

THIS report is the first of a series planned by The Mineral Inquiry, organized by the American Institute of Mining and Metallurgical Engineers to make factual studies of the world's mineral resources in their political and international relations. The efforts of The Inquiry are directed toward filling certain notable gaps in available information, without duplication of many other investigations touching this field which" are being conducted by other organizations, public and private. Much of its work is indirect-suggesting topics for study by other individuals and organizations and aiding in their planning and correlation. The present report is designed to show the nationality of the commercial control of mineral resources, in addition to the geographic distribution of production by nation-in other words, the overlapping of political and commercial control. Detailed accuracy cannot be claimed for the figures presented. For some companies division of ownership by nationality has been very difficult to ascertain, as many companies are reluctant to dis-close the extent of their holdings in other corporations, and the impossi-bility of tracing all stock ownership is obvious. Also there are frequent changes in the distribution of stock control. The percentages given rep-resent only the participation that has been identified definitely, even though it is known in some cases with fair certainty that larger interests exist, as, for instance, American participation in foreign chromite companies. In bringing' together these figures we have had the cordial co-operation of the United States Bureau of Mines, the United States Geologi-cal Survey, the Mineral Division of the Bureau of Foreign and Domestic Commerce, the Brookings Institution, and of many specialists connected with the mineral industries covered. The report does not cover the entire list of minerals. Coal, although it is one of the most important minerals, was omitted because not more. than one or two per cent of the world's production comes from mines that are owned by companies foreign to the countries where the coal is produced. Others, such as gold, are omitted because sufficient data have not yet been accumulated. It is hoped that some of these may be covered in subsequent reports. It is not our purpose here to discuss the significance of the figures sub-mitted, but only to point out the general nature of the problems on which they have a bearing.

Jan 1, 1933

By H. Sherman

The general curtailment of activities, so marked in 1931, was continued and intensified in 1932 and although production was maintained at approximately the level of the previous year, 1932 was chiefly characterized by the virtual cessation of drilling in many of the proven fields, a further decline in wildcatting activities, particularly in the Maracaibo Basin, and the relinquishment of large blocks of unfavorably located acreage. A total of only 60 wells was completed during the year of which six were wildcats, while at the same time concessions aggregating approximately. 3,222,000 acres were renounced and reverted to the National Government. The maintenance of production at the previously established level was made possible through the large potential built up by drilling in previous years and by a gradual increase in pumping and gas-lift installations. Towards the end of the year there was a slight but perceptible tendency towards increased drilling in certain of the proven fields. Total production for the year came to 118,076,000 as compared to 118,418,000 bbl. for 1931, while exports amounted to 114,758,000 as against 116,683,000 bbl. in 1931. Table 1 shows production and exports and the average rate per day for the first half of 1932 as compared to the second half. Table 1.—Petroleum Production and Exports in 1932, Venezuela (Barrels of 42 Gallons) Production Rate per Day Export Rate per Day I January-June............ 61,943,000 1 390, 347 July-December.......... 56,133,000 305,071 50,788,000 276,022 Total.........,....... 118,076,000 322,612 114,758,000 313,546 During 1932 the number of active vessels comprising the Lake Maracaibo fleet of shallow-draft tankers was still further reduced, some being temporarily laid up and some transferred to service in other coun-

Jan 1, 1933

State of California, Division of Mines, Ferry bldg., San Francisco, Calif. Walter W. Bradley, State Mineralogist. A list of publications available will be sent upon request. Bulletin 77 is a list of publications complete from 1880 to 1917 and contains synopses It is sent free. Bulletin 105, California mineral production and directory of mineral producers for 1930, brings the complete list up to date, sent free on request The Division of Mines issues principally (1) A series of Reports, (2) Bulletins, (3) Preliminary Reports, and (4) maps. The Reports were first issued biennially, later annually, and for the past few years they have taken the form of quarterly reports. The yearly subscription price for the quarterly reports is $1, payable in advance Reports and separate chapters available are Report 2, First Biennial (1892), $1, 14 (1913-1914), Chapter on mines and mineral resources of Colusa, Glenn, Lake, Mann, Napa, Solano, Sonoma, and Yolo counties, 50 cents, 15 (1915?1916), Mines and mineral resources of Butte, Lassen, Modoc, Sutter and Tehama counties, 50 cents, and Mines and mineral resources of Monterey, San Benito, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara and Ventura counties, 65 cents, 16 (1917-1918), Nevada County, 75 cents, Plumas County, 50 cents, Sierra County, 50 cents; 17 (1920), Mining in California during 1920, $1 75, 18 (1922), Mining m California, chapters for Aug , Sept , Oct , Dec , free, 19 (1923), Mining in California, chapters for Jan , Feb , Mar, Sept , free, 20 (1924), Quarterly chapters on mining in California (except July, out of print), 25 cents, 21 (1925), Quarterly chapters containing county reports- Jan (Sarcramento, Monterey, Orange) 25 cents, April (Calaveras, Merced, San Joaquin, Stanislaus, Ventura), 25 cents, July (Del Norte, Humboldt, San Diego) 25 cents, Oct (Siskiyou, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara), 25 cents; 22 (1926), Quarterly county reports: Jan. (Santa Cruz, Trinity), 25 cents, April (Shasta, San Benito, Imperial), 25 cents, July (Mann, Sonoma) and Copper in California, 25 cents, Oct (El Dorado, Inyo) Minarets District, 25 cents, 23 (1927), Quarterly county reports- Jan (Contra Costa), 25 cents, April (Aniador, Solano) Bibliography of clay

Jan 1, 1933

By C. Stansfield Hitchen

THE introduction of the logarithmic sector method of quantitative spectrography by Scheibe and Neuhäusser in 1928, and the subsequent .modification and improvement of the method by Twyman and Simeon, would seem to have marked yet a further advance in quantitative spec-trum analysis and its industrial application, inasmuch as it offers a simple means of eliminating some of the uncertainties inherent in the older methods based upon mere visual comparison of line intensities. In their recent admirable review of the position and capabilities of industrial spectroscopy, Brownsdon and van Someren1 say: Ways and means of facilitating the comparison of line-intensities so as to give them numerical values are helpful, and of these a logarithmic sector rotating in front of the slit appears to he one of the most promising; . . . the success recently experienced by the author in using this method for the examination of steels and solutions of metallic salts prompted him ,to investigate its possible use in estimating the impurities commonly present in crude and refined tin. The results of this investigation are submitted in the present paper. Details of a number of spectrographic analyses of tin for various impurities have already been published. Thus, Schweitzer2 describes the spectrographic examination of tin for lead, bismuth and cadmium, and was able to distinguish between such atomic percentages as 0.01, 0.05, 0.10, 0.30, 0.60, 1.20, 3.00 and 10.00. Negresco3 investigated the bismuth content of tin over a range of from 0.0005 to 35 per cent. Meggers, Kiess and Stimson4 compare spectrographic and chemical analyses of tin metal for copper, lead, iron, zinc, silver, nickel and bismuth. They stress also the value of spectrum analysis in the examination of tin used for boiler plugs, where the requirements that only minute quantities of impurities shall be present render the chemical analysis both tedious and difficult.

Jan 1, 1933

By Robert Mehl

THE Widmanstätten figures found in the steels have been long recog-nized and in some aspects carefully studied,1 especially as they occur in cast hypoeutectoid alloys. Aside.from the practical importance of the structures obtained in the steels by various heat treatments, a study of the characteristics of these figures is interesting because of the rich opportunity the system affords, to, obtain new data on the mechanism of segregation from solid solutions. This opportunity is twofold: first, by changing composition within the austenite range the proeutectoid precipitate may be changed from that of ferrite to that of cementite, thus offering the same opportunity for changing the type of precipitate while maintaining the same basic lattice as that afforded by the Cu-Zn alloys;2 and second, the eutectoid inversion leads upon drastic quenching to the formation of martensite, a Widman-stätten figure of unique interest from ;the crystallographic viewpoint, particularly in comparison with those formed on-slow cooling.3 We have, therefore, two types of structure to study: that formed on slow cooling of hypoeutectoid and hypereutectoid alloys, and that formed on quenching hypoeutectoid, eutectoid, and hypereutectoid alloys. For each of these types of structure we require the crystallographic plane in the mother austenite along which the precipitate forms (we shall see that the precipitates in these alloys are invariably platelike in form), and also the orientation of the precipitate upon this plane. Some of these

Jan 1, 1933

By R. J. Traill

Introduction Following the discovery of high-grade deposits of pitchblende in the Great Bear Lake area of the Northwest Territories by Mr. Gilbert LaBine in May, 1930, samples were submitted to the Mines Branch for examination and investigation as to suitable methods of treatment (1). The purpose of this paper is to present, briefly, the results of the investigative work conducted on the ores and an outline of the methods developed for the extraction of the radium content and recovery of the by-products. The paper is presented in two parts. Part I gives a review of the history of radium production and of the principal processes used in other countries. Part II describes the work and gives the results of the Mines Branch investigation. Part 1-Radium Production In Other Countries Historical Outline Uranium was discovered in 1789, and more than a century later Madame Curie, while studying the physical properties of this element, observed that the ore of uranium exhibited greater activity than the pure uranium com-pounds she had prepared and traced the cause to the presence of a new element which she named radium. Eventually, research proved radium to be a disintegration product of uranium, and always present in uranium ores.

Jan 1, 1933