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By H. E. Lee, P. C. Feddersen, D. R. Gittinger, G. W. Dunn, J. B. Schuettenhelm

The new Bunker Hill slag-treatment plant, designed ior, a capacity of 300 to 400 tons of hot slag per day, was "blown in" April 5, 1943. In the ensuing I5-months period, 157,530 tons of slag was processed, with an average recovery of over go per cent of the zinc and practically all of the lead contained. In addition to this high metal recovery, utilization of the waste heat in the gas and fume venting, the process has enabled the generation of 231,376 tons of steam at 250-lb, gauge. Over the first six months opcration the volume of slag treated averaged somewhat under 300 tons per day. Reclaimed dump slag made up only about 1 5 per cent of the plant feed. In October 1943, preparations for the smelting of additional tonnages of dump slag were completed and the plant capacity was increased to an average of about 420 tons of slag per day. During the nine-months interval since that date, monthly averages of 450 toils per operating day have been maintained several times. The new plant (Fig. I) is constructed in close proximity to blast-furnace operations. The fuming furnace and other necessary equipment are housed in an eastward extension of the existing blast-furnace building. Beyond this housed extension the dust-laden gas is conveyed about the perimeter of a large rectangle formed by the flues, cooling towers and baghouses. The course of a 10-ft. balloon flue, which transports the fuming furnace gas, describes the west and south perimeters. This flue connects with a set of cooling towers located at the southeast comer. The flue and cooling-tower system serving the deleading kiln constitute the north side and the two baghouses, serving the kiln and furnace operations, -border the east side. From these baghouses the several discharge gas flows are come biped and conveyed in to the rectangle, being vented to atmosphere by means of a fan through a centrally located zoo-ft. brick stack. In general, the plant design and operation follow quite closely that dictated by experience gained in years of slag-fuming practice by the Anaconda Copper Mining Go., at East Helena, Mont., and the Consolidated Mining and Smelting Co. of Canada, Ltd., at Trail, B.C., and more recently by the International Smelting and Refining Co. at Toocle, Utah. : Fuming operations at the East Helena and the Tooele plants are more or less identical. Trail practice differs chiefly in the methods employed for the storage of the hot feed slag and in the methods utilized for the handling and cooling of the fuming furnace gas. The new Bunker Hill fuming plant closely follows Trail procedure in the treatment of the furnace discharge gas while East Hclcna methods have been adopted for the storage of feed slag.

Jan 1, 1944

By M. C. LYNN

RECENT completion of a $40,000 lubricating oil plant will make it possible for students in the School of Petroleum Engineering at the University of Oklahoma to carry out on a large scale the entire process of refining crude oil, from the time it is received in tank cars and pumped through the 1/4-mile University pipe line to storage tanks on the campus until the various products appear in finished form. This plant is part of a $100,000 expansion program which this school has been carrying out during the past year. Two years ago the Oklahoma State Legislature appropriated $50,000 for the School to use in improving its laboratory facilities. A few months later a $30,000 PWA grant was ob-

Jan 1, 1937

By Theron Wasson

The year 1942 in Michigan was devoted largely to the development of fields discovered in 1941 but was also characterized by a great increase in prospecting for new productive horizons below the Dundee limestone. Some new fields were discovered but as yet these have shown few signs of being of major importance. Michigan's total production for 1942, of 21,754,000 bbl. of oil, as reported by the U. S. Bureau of Mines, was second only to the record year of 1939 when 22,799,000 bbl. of oil were produced. All important fields were prorated throughout the year, and it is obvious that without proration a new all-time high would have been established for the state this year. From 1925 to the end of 1942, Michigan has produced annually the following amounts of oil: Year Barrels Source 1925 4,000 1926 94,000 1927 435,000 1928 592,000 1929 4,641,000 1929 Michigan Geological Survey 1930 3,928,000 3,785,000 1932 6,925,000 1933 7,942,000 1934 0,603,000 1935 15,776,000 U.S. Bur. Mines, 1937 1936 11,928,000 U.S. Bur. Mines, 1938 1937 16,628,000 U.S. Bur. Mines, 1939 1938 19,211,000 U.S. Bur. Mines, 1938 1939 22,799,000 1940 19,764,000 1941 16,361,000 1942 21,754,000 Total 183,170,000 This tabulation shows the steady growth of the industry in Michigan since the first discovery of oil in 1925. Maes A map of the oil and gas fields of Michigan in 1941, published in the report for 1942, shows the main producing areas and should be referred to if information in regard to their location is desired.* The main producing zones were shown in the columnar section in the same publication. Development in Fields Reed City Field.—During 1942 the Reed City field, which ended 1941 with 112 producing oil wells, added 70 new producers to bring the total at the end of the year to 182 wells and 4700 proven acres. A south extension of the field developed during the year was in large part responsible for the increase. Approximately 9,000,000 bbl. of oil was produced from the field during the year, bringing the total accumulated production to the end of the year to roughly 11,750,000 barrels. Headquarters Field.—The Headquarters field, which started the year with ro producing oil wells, ended the year with 41 wells aid 1240 proven acres. Approximately 2,300,000 bbl. of oil was produced in 1942. Kawkawlin Field.—Although not a 1941 discovery, the Kawkawlin field has been actively developed on the 40-acre spacing plan during the last year, 42 producers having been completed, bringing the total number of wells at the end of the year to 77. Nearly 500,000 bbl. of oil was produced during the year.

Jan 1, 1943

By Theron Wasson

The year 1942 in Michigan was devoted largely to the development of fields discovered in 1941 but was also characterized by a great increase in prospecting for new productive horizons below the Dundee limestone. Some new fields were discovered but as yet these have shown few signs of being of major importance. Michigan's total production for 1942, of 21,754,000 bbl. of oil, as reported by the U. S. Bureau of Mines, was second only to the record year of 1939 when 22,799,000 bbl. of oil were produced. All important fields were prorated throughout the year, and it is obvious that without proration a new all-time high would have been established for the state this year. From 1925 to the end of 1942, Michigan has produced annually the following amounts of oil: Year Barrels Source 1925 4,000 1926 94,000 1927 435,000 1928 592,000 1929 4,641,000 1929 Michigan Geological Survey 1930 3,928,000 3,785,000 1932 6,925,000 1933 7,942,000 1934 0,603,000 1935 15,776,000 U.S. Bur. Mines, 1937 1936 11,928,000 U.S. Bur. Mines, 1938 1937 16,628,000 U.S. Bur. Mines, 1939 1938 19,211,000 U.S. Bur. Mines, 1938 1939 22,799,000 1940 19,764,000 1941 16,361,000 1942 21,754,000 Total 183,170,000 This tabulation shows the steady growth of the industry in Michigan since the first discovery of oil in 1925. Maes A map of the oil and gas fields of Michigan in 1941, published in the report for 1942, shows the main producing areas and should be referred to if information in regard to their location is desired.* The main producing zones were shown in the columnar section in the same publication. Development in Fields Reed City Field.—During 1942 the Reed City field, which ended 1941 with 112 producing oil wells, added 70 new producers to bring the total at the end of the year to 182 wells and 4700 proven acres. A south extension of the field developed during the year was in large part responsible for the increase. Approximately 9,000,000 bbl. of oil was produced from the field during the year, bringing the total accumulated production to the end of the year to roughly 11,750,000 barrels. Headquarters Field.—The Headquarters field, which started the year with ro producing oil wells, ended the year with 41 wells aid 1240 proven acres. Approximately 2,300,000 bbl. of oil was produced in 1942. Kawkawlin Field.—Although not a 1941 discovery, the Kawkawlin field has been actively developed on the 40-acre spacing plan during the last year, 42 producers having been completed, bringing the total number of wells at the end of the year to 77. Nearly 500,000 bbl. of oil was produced during the year.

Jan 1, 1943

By Donald A. Brobst

The minerals barite (BaSO4 barium sulfate) and witherite (BaCO3 barium carbonate) are the chief commercial sources of the element barium and its compounds whose many uses are nearly hidden among the technical complexities of modern industrial processes and products. Barite, the major ore mineral, is extremely vital to the petroleum industry which in 1973 consumed at least 80% of the world's produc¬tion of 4.4 million tons as a major ingredient of the heavy fluid, called mud, that is circulated in rotary drilling of oil and gas wells. The re¬maining 20% of the barite production was consumed chiefly in the manufacture of barium chemicals and glass and as a pigment, filler, and extender. Barite occurs throughout much of the world and is available from three major geologic types of deposits-vein and cavity fill¬ing, residual, and bedded-in sufficient quantity at competitive prices to meet current demands. The world's demand for barite is expected to increase, and geologic circumstances are favor¬able for the discovery of new deposits of com¬mercial value. Witherite is much less common and abun¬dant than barite, although it is more desirable in many ways as a raw material for the pro¬duction of barium chemicals. The United States has not produced witherite since about 1950; England is currently the chief producer of witherite. End Uses Most of the world's barite production since 1926 has been used as a weighting agent for the muds circulated in rotary drilling of oil and gas wells. The muds fundamentally are mixtures of water, clay, and barite in different proportions that vary according to local reservoir condi¬tions. Muds with a specific gravity as great as 2.5 are used. The mud is pumped down the hollow drill stem, passes through the bit at the bottom of the hole, and rises to the surface in the space between the drill stem and the wall of the hole. In the course of this circulation the drill bit is cooled, cuttings are removed, the drill stem is lubricated, the walls of the hole are sealed, and the hydrostatic head of the column of weighted fluid helps to confine high oil and gas pressures. The latter feature aids in prevention of gushers, thus reducing both environmental pollution and waste of oil and gas resources as well as conserving the natural reservoir pressure for greater production and rate of recovery of the products contained in the rocks. Barite is particularly well suited for drilling mud because it is clean, easy to handle, soft (nonabrasive), heavy, virtually inert chemi¬cally, and relatively inexpensive compared to many other available heavy materials. Barite is used in the manufacture of glass in continuous tanks. The addition of barite ho¬mogenizes the melt and gives greater brilliance and clarity to the finished glass. Ground barite, both unbleached and bleached by sulfuric acid, is a common industrial filler, extender, and weighting agent. The rubber in¬dustry is a major consumer of barite as a filler. Barite also is added to bristolboard, heavy printing paper, playing cards, rope finishes, brake linings, clutch facings, plastics, and li¬noleum, to name but a few uses. Bleached barite has long been an extender in white lead paint because of its weight. The low index of refraction of barite, however, makes its ability to cover marks poorer than some other sub¬stances, but its low capacity for absorption of oil is a good feature. Off-color or unbleached barite can be used as a filler in colored paints. In the construction industry, some lump barite is used in concrete aggregate to weight down pipelines buried in marshy areas and to shield nuclear reactors. Because barite absorbs gamma radiation well, its use reduces the amount of expensive lead shielding otherwise

Jan 1, 1975

By Dean W. Lynch

Arizona: The San Xavier Indian Reservation mine is located approximately 2 ½ miles northwest of Asarco's Mission Mine southwest of Tucson. The company plans to produce oxide and copper-bearing siliceous ore at this operation, construction of which is scheduled for completion in 12 months. Asarco also plans a copper leaching and iron precipitation plant at its mine. The plant will leach 4000 tpd of oxide ore using sulfuric acid produced at the company's acid plant now under construction at Hayden. Copper precipitates will go to the smelter at Hayden. A drilling program at the Sacaton copper prospect in Pinal County, has disclosed two porphyry copper deposits. One deposit, mineable by surface mining, has approximately 17 million tons of material averaging 0.80% Cu. A deeper deposit suitable for under- ground mining has approximately 12 million tons averaging 1.5% Cu. Although Asarco intends to place this property in production, no startup date has been determined.

Jan 1, 1970

By Waldemar Lindgren

I. INTRODUCTION AT the time of the discovery of America the old world had a scant supply-of the precious metals. Both the northern and the southern part of the new continent proved wonderfully rich in gold and silver and its treasures were eagerly looted; though the looting has lasted four centuries, the nines of its mountain chains are far from being exhausted. Even the later discoveries in Australasia and eastern Siberia could not rob the Western Hemisphere of its position as the greatest gold and silver producing region of the world, though finally the developments in a narrow and circumscribed area in South Africa wrested from the Americas their supremacy in the production of gold. Nevertheless the history of the two parts of the great western continent has been strikingly different. At first the Spaniards extracted vast treasures of silver from Mexico, Peru, and Bolivia, while Colombia and some placer deposits in Peru yielded a smaller quantity of gold. A couple of centuries later, a stream of gold began to flow from Brazil, the silver production from the countries mentioned above continuing strong in the meanwhile. Later on, the yield of South America diminished, but to offset this there began a wonderful series of discoveries in North America. The gold fields of California astonished the world; and when the cream of these had been skimmed off there began a no less amazing development of the Central Cordilleran gold and silver districts, which soon wade the United States the greatest producer of the precious metals. Aided by ever improving technique, extensive exploration, and a system of railroads, the yield was maintained and increased. Still later followed the discoveries of the gold fields of the arctic region and silenced those who had maintained that the zenith in gold production had passed. Recently the province of Ontario in eastern Canada

Jan 4, 1916

By Alfred Boyles

"Heredity"1 in cast iron has been a subject of much discussion. Numerous experimenters have found that the properties of gray iron may vary greatly without corresponding variations in composition or thermal treatment. The main structural difference in such cases is in the size and distribution of the graphite flakes and the explanations given usually attribute this difference to some chemical element not shown by ordinary analysis or to some physical factor, such as inclusions in the melt. It cannot be said that any of these theories is completely satisfactory. Much remains to be learned about cast iron and for this reason a study of the material was undertaken as a part of the program of fundamental research at Battelle Memorial Institute. A review of the literature indicated that very little systematic work had been done on the mechanism of freezing in cast iron. The experiments described below are largely concerned with that problem. Normal and "Dendritic" Cast Iron As examples of variation in type of structure, photomicrographs of two test bars of cast iron are shown (Figs. 1 and 2) and the composition and properties are given in Table 1. Both are common, unalloyed gray iron. Test bar No. 13 has normal graphite flakes while No. 49 has very fine, lacy graphite arranged in a dendritic pattern, the matrix in both being pearlite. These two types of cast iron are well known to foundry-men and need no detailed description.

Jan 1, 1937

By H. O. Hofman

The sudden decease, April 1, 1910, in Chicago, of Dr. Franklin R. Carpenter was a shock to his many friends. He died in his sixty-second year, of heart paralysis. To most fellow-members of the Institute who have followed the progress of the last twenty-five years in the mining and treatment of non-ferrous ores, the work of Dr. Carpenter in that line is familiar; but very few, even of those who knew hinl well in the later years, are acquainted with his earlier struggles to satisfy an inborn hunger for knowledge. The story of his life resembles that of the pioneer who opens up new country; overcoming hardships with indomitable courage, meeting doubts and difficulties with an alert and open mind, and exercising in the face of reverses an unconquerable perseverance. It seems appropriate to place on record in the Transactions a brief outline of the life and work of this eminent engineer. During the past 15 years of his life Dr. Carpenter was much interested in genealogy. In the pursuit of this study as an avocation, he traced his own ancestry to the time when ((Hugh," called "le Charpentier" on account of the dexterity with which he had swung his battle-axe as a crusader, settled in Sussex on lands received from William the Conqueror. The Carpenters came to this country with William Penn. A prominent member of the family was Joshua Carpenter, the founder of Christ Church, Philadelphia. Dr. Carpenter's branch of the family moved from Pennsylvania into that part of Virginia which is now West Virginia, where his grandfather settled in Harrison county, while the grand-uncle went further west, and built the first iron-furnace at Hanging Rock, Lawrence county, Ohio. In fact, since early times, the Carpenters appear to have been iron-masters. Franklin R. Carpenter mas born, Nov. 5, 1848, in Parkers-

Jan 1, 1911

Several of the current concepts of brittle fracture involve consideration of, the existence of defects or flaws. Griffith 1 observed that the tensile strength of brittle materials was several orders of magnitude less than might be expected from the calculated strength of the molecular bonds. He was able to show that the stress concentration at the tip of an elliptical crack is sufficient to raise the local stress level many fold. He therefore proposed that real materials do contain such stress risers in the form of minute cracks and that this accounts for the rather large difference between theoretical and actual strengths of brittle materials. The degree of stress magnification depends to a great extent upon the orientation of the crack with respect to the general stress system, and to the general geometry of the crack. It is but a small step to extend the theory to include flaws and defects of other sorts which, though they may be less tractable mathematically than cracks, may still function as stress risers in a real sense in real materials. Brace 2 proposed that the application of the Griffith theory to rock material could be tested in two ways: "(a) by finding the orientation of cracks from which macroscopic fractures have developed and (b) comparing failure strengths from tests at different conditions of loading." In 1963 the author and coworkers at the Bureau of Mines, Twin Cities Mining Research Center, working on a problem involving relationships between strength, sonic velocity, and microstructure "eveloped an experimental technique to examine several somewhat similar questions; namely. does the frequency of occurrence of actual or potential stress risers dictate the relative strength of the material as proposed by Weibull;4 can actual flaws or defects in the rock structure be identified and related to strength and perhaps other properties in accordance with Griffith's theory; and is the anisotropic strength and elastic behavior of certain rocks related to the preferred orientation of these actual or potential stress risers? The experimental approach developed to answer these questions appears equally applicable to the testing of Griffith's theory as proposed by Brace. Basically the approach consists of a series of point-load tensile tests followed by petrofabric examination of thin sections prepared from the specimens in order to identify and apply a quantitative measure to microstructural defects which may have contributed to the failure process. In the point-load test, tensile stresses are induced by a compressive load applied to the center of a disc-shaped specimen by means of two opposing hemispherical indentors. Failure generally occurs as a single fracture parallel to the axis of loading and bisecting the disc. Because of the geometrical symmetrical the induced tensile stresses are symmetrical about the loading axis

Jan 1, 1967

Jan 1, 1925

By David Mandolesi

An examination has been made of the structures of strand cast blooms and the rails rolled from them; this paper details the characteristics of these typical structures. Results of mechanical testing data show that this product compares with rails processed from conventional ingot steel. Improvement in processing yields and surface quality standards are also briefly discussed.

Jan 1, 1972

By G. R. Speich

RECENT studies by Smith and Olney,1,2 Olney,3 Greifer and Salli,4 Rys etal., and Olney and smith 6 have established that graphite is the first decomposition product to format the surface of hypereutectoid plain-carbon steels when they are austenitized in a vacuum or inert atmosphere and slowly cooled. This graphite evidently forms directly from the austenite and only at the surface of the specimen. The interior of the specimen is found to be free of graphite. The graphite layer can almost completely cover the specimen surface and the rate of its formation is markedly sensitive to the orientation of the austenite. The present work was undertaken to study this phenomenon further, especially with regard to the effect of temperature and austenite orientation. The material studied in this work was a high-purity iron-carbon alloy containing 0.88 pct C, 0.005 pct Mn, 0.016 pct Si, 0.005 pct S, and 0.002 pct P. Specimens were heat-treated in a commercial hot stage modified for rapid quenching.7 This permitted direct observation of the formation of the surface graphite. A vacuum of 10"" to 10-5 mm of Hg prevented oxidation or decarburization of the specimens. Specimens were austenitized for 30 min at 1100°C and quenched to a series of lower temperatures where they were isothermally transformed. Surface graphite was observed to form at 700°, 750°, and 780°C but not at 825°, 900° or 1000°C. Since the maximum solubility of austenite for graphite is 0.88 pct C at 800°C,8 surface graphite only forms at tem-

Jan 1, 1962

By A. L. Mular

Optimization strategies of possible interest to mineral processing are reviewed and typical strategies initiated in processing plants to date are discussed. Both On-Line and Off- Line optimization procedures have been employed by industry, assisted either by operators or by digital computers. In every case, dollar benefits have accrued.

Jan 1, 1976

By R. T. Mishler

I wish to express my keen appreciation of the article on the above subject by Coe and C1evenger.l It has been doubly interesting to me, for the reason that the experience recorded and the principles evolved practically parallel the results of similar investigations made by myself and others at The Lucky Tiger Mine, El Tigre, Sonora, Mex. An outline of the work at El Tigre may aid in confirming the principles expressed by Coe and Clevenger. El Tigre has the unenviable distinction of possessing a slime with a much lower settling rate than any recorded in the article discussed. Under most favorable conditions the settling rate is about one-third that reported for the Liberty Bell mill, and one-tenth that reported for the Nipissing, Golden Cycle, and Presidio mills. This slow settling characteristic of Tigre ore has necessitated careful investigation of settling phenomena throughout the various evolutions of the plant. Previous Settling Investigation at Tigre During construction work at the mill, the metallurgical engineer in charge, D. L. H. Forbes, ran a series of experiments on settling. His tests proved that deep settling tanks were not ordinarily necessary. The use of tanks 2 or 3 ft. in depth was suggested.2 Later experiments demonstrated that the following principles of settling applied to Tigre pulp.3 1. In settling dilute pulp, settling rates are independent of pulp depth. 2. In settling thick pulp, settling rates are approximately proportional to pulp depth.4

Jan 1, 1918

By Bernard N. Moore

At present the demands of the United States for strorltium are met by imports from Germany, England and Canada, which vary considerably in proportions of ore and finished salts, in tonnage and in value. Statistics for the period 1926-1932 are given in Table 1. Domestic deposits arc known in many states, but the larger and purer ones are in the West, particularly in the desert region of southeastern California and western Arizona. These deposits are large enough to command interest, particularly in consideration of future cheap power at the Boulder Dam. The deposits described in this paper were examined during an investigation of the mineral resources of the Boulder Dam region by the United States Geological Survey for the United States Bureau of Reclamation in the spring of 1934. Mr. D. F. Hewett, who had general charge of the investigation, Mr. W. T. Schaller and Mr. M. I. Goldman contributed many helpful suggestions. Mr. N. H. Harshman assisted efficiently during the field work. Celestite Deposits The celestite deposits described in this paper are of sedimentary origin and Tertiary age. They are widely scattered, as shown on Fig. 1,

Jan 1, 1935

By Bernard N. Moore

At present the demands of the United States for strorltium are met by imports from Germany, England and Canada, which vary considerably in proportions of ore and finished salts, in tonnage and in value. Statistics for the period 1926-1932 are given in Table 1. Domestic deposits arc known in many states, but the larger and purer ones are in the West, particularly in the desert region of southeastern California and western Arizona. These deposits are large enough to command interest, particularly in consideration of future cheap power at the Boulder Dam. The deposits described in this paper were examined during an investigation of the mineral resources of the Boulder Dam region by the United States Geological Survey for the United States Bureau of Reclamation in the spring of 1934. Mr. D. F. Hewett, who had general charge of the investigation, Mr. W. T. Schaller and Mr. M. I. Goldman contributed many helpful suggestions. Mr. N. H. Harshman assisted efficiently during the field work. Celestite Deposits The celestite deposits described in this paper are of sedimentary origin and Tertiary age. They are widely scattered, as shown on Fig. 1,

Jan 1, 1935

Illustrated guidebooks treating in a popular descriptive way of the geology and other features of the Western United States have been issued by the U. S. Geological Survey. They will be of much interest to mem¬bers in connection with the Arizona Meeting of the Institute and espe¬cially the guidebook of the Santa Fe Route, with side trips to the Grand Canyon, containing as it does relief maps, topographical and geological maps, covering the entire route of the railroad, illustrations from photo¬graphs and other interesting descriptions of this great country. The method of treatment is adapted to the lay-reader, although it includes much valuable and interesting technical information concerning the geographical and other features. The books are well indexed. These volumes sell for 50 c. each and may be obtained from the Superintendent of Documents, Washington, D. C. These guidebooks originally sold for $1 each, but the reprint edition has been reduced to 50 c. A list of the different guidebooks follows: Bulletin 611. Guidebook of the Western United States, Part A, The Northern Pacific Route, with a Side Trip to Yellowstone Park, by M. R. Campbell, and others. 1915. 212 pages, 27 route maps, 27 plates, 39 text figures.

Jan 6, 1916

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 at-tempted 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-mindedness 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 are less generally understood, will be considered 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

Jan 2, 1920

By George D. Dub

Owens Lake is at present a source of important nonmetallic minerals, sodium carbonate (soda ash, Na2CO3); sodium sesquicarbonate (trona, Na2CO3.NaHCO3.-2H2O) and borax, (Na2B4O7.10H2O). Owens Lake is a closed basin in the southern part of Inyo County, California, at the southern end of Owens Valley, east of the Sierra Nevada Mountains and west of the Coso and Inyo Mountains. Broadly considered, it is in the Great Basin area, but at no time was it a part of Lake Lahontan. Closed Basins Closed basins are phenomena of arid or semiarid regions where outflow is considerably less than inflow and where accordingly soluble salts concentrate in residual liquid. When inflowing waters originate in areas where the rocks are predominantly marine sediments, the residual basin liquid is primarily a chloride, brine; if the rocks are largely igneous, the residual brine tends to be alkaline containing carbonates, and sometimes borates as well. Since normally, both types of rocks occur in regions contiguous to closed basins, residual liquids do not often fit into the two broad divisions mentioned. No two residual brines are exactly alike, just as no two ore deposits are exactly alike. Even out of the same closed basin, it is possible to get widely different analyses of liquids since underground and surface flows, as well as local evaporation rates and other conditions might have a marked influence on residual-liquid compositions. At Searles Lake, The American Potash and Chemical Corporation is building a plant to process a lower-level brine which is considerably higher in sodium carbonate and borax, and lower in potassium chloride, than that company has processed for many years. F. W. Clarke1 has classified waters of closed basins as follows: I. Chloride type; largely sodium chloride (NaC1) and of oceanic type, such as Great Salt Lake. Related is -the Dead Sea, a bittern residue of magnesium, potassium and sodium chlorides. a. Sulphate type; largely sodium sulphate (Na2SO4) with considerable sodium chloride such as Sevier Lake, Utah; Laramie Lakes, Wyoming; Dale Lake, California. 3. Carbonate type; high in carbonates and fairly high in sulphates, such as Moses Lake, Eastern Washington; and the Nebraska Potash Lakes. 4. Carbonate—chloride type; lower in carbonates than type 3 and about equally rich in sulphates, such as Pyramid Lake, Nevada. 5. Sulphate—Carbonate type; quite high in sulphates and carbonates, such as Pelican Lake, Oregon. 6. Triple type; considerable quantities of carbonates, sulphates and chlorides

Jan 1, 1948