Search Documents

By Thomas J. Pike, Keith G. Kirk, Mark F. Weider, Lawrence E. Welborn

As part of the mine permitting process as delegated by the Surface Mining Reclamation and Control Act of 1977 the regulatory authority must assess the probable hydrologic consequences and cumulative hydrologic impacts of surf ace mining. The U.S. Office of Surface Mining (OSM), in conjunction with Energy & Minerals Technology Assessment and ENCORE Systems Inc., has developed a user friendly groundwater model that is capable of predicting the effects of surface mining on groundwater quality and quantity. The model is a variation of the Prickett-Lonnquist model which has been modified to be specifically applicable to surface mine applications. This model is presently being used by OSM, the states, and industry to determine mining impacts on groundwater resources. The model is designed for use by the hydrologist with minimal computer training. The model accounts for multiple pumping wells, injection wells, multiple mine pits, and mine pit movement through time. This paper presents an example of how the model may be used in permit application review and how the model can be used by industry to simplify permit preparation.

Jan 1, 1983

By J. A. Barr, R. B. Burt, I. S. Tillotson

THE pumping of solids in water suspension is an important part of many metallurgical and mining operations. In most cases, it is still in the rule of thumb category for which no universal formula has been developed, and much research is needed. Because of the limited and incomplete data available, this article may be classed as an experience paper, which is presented with the hope that some contribution will be made toward the development of the so-called universal formula. This formula, if and when developed, may be evolved from several factors, many of which are not now available for general application. The designing engineer is interested in obtaining accurate forecasts on: 1—the minimum velocities needed to prevent choke-ups in the pipeline, which in turn dictates pipe sizes, 2—power required for pumping, 3—pump selection. The basic factors for a given problem will include: 1—weight per unit of time of solids to be handled, 2—specific gravity of solids, for calculation of volume, friction and power, 3—screen analysis of solids with the colloidal acting, i.e., the slime fraction, a very important factor, 4— shape of particle or some means of determining a friction constant, 5—effects of percentage of solids, 6—development of a viscosity factor to be used in the overall calculations, 7—calculation of the lower limits of pipeline velocities permissible, 8—calculation of total head, pump horsepower, and 9—setting up of pump specifications. In certain limited cases horsepower and total heads and minimum velocities may be computed and a suitable pump selected from basic data, but in many cases, as in mining of Florida pebble phosphate, experience rather than a hydraulic formula still should be used as a basis of selection. Pumping Florida Pebble Matrix Pumping at the Noralyn mine of International Minerals and Chemical Corp. will be used as an example. Other areas will vary as to the characteristics of the matrix, especially the slime content. A typical screen analysis of this matrix is: +14 mesh, pebble size,* 2.1 pct; —14 +35 mesh, 11.4 pct; -35 +I50 mesh, 60.5 pct; -150 mesh, 25.0; total, 100 pct; moisture in bank, 20.0 pct; weight per cu ft in bank, 120 lb. The —150 mesh fraction may increase to as much as 35 pct in adjacent areas. When thoroughly elutriated, the matrix has a relatively slow settling rate, which is an important factor in permitting lower pipeline velocities without choke-ups. Exact data is not available to evaluate settling rates. For a factor of 100 a suspension of clean building sand in water is suggested. When pumping long distances, a quick settling matrix allows the coarser solids to settle out along the bottom of the pipeline, causing drag, turbulence, and increased friction. With a slow settling matrix as at Noralyn, turbulence acts to keep the solids in suspension at a lower friction head, regardless of the pumping distance. When the pebble content of the matrix, i.e., the + 14 mesh fraction, is in excess of 10 pct of the total solids, trouble may be expected from settling out even in normal pumping distances. To prevent choke-ups and maintain tonnage, an additional pump must be added in the long runs, where one pump would otherwise be satisfactory. A typical pulp handled is: total volume, 7800 gpm; water, 4500; solids pumped per hr, 4200 lb; sp gr pulp, 1.4; percent solids in pulp, 46.; pipe size, 16-in. ID; pulp velocity, 12.85 fps; probable critical velocity, 10 fps, as below this minimum velocity choke-ups would be numerous. In calculating friction heads the Armco handbook is used where a roughness factor based on 15-year-old pipe is set up. Because the pipe used in pumping matrix is smooth and polished because of the scouring action of the phosphate and its silica content, the head losses in the Armco table for water are practically the same as in pumping the Noralyn matrix through smooth pipe, plus the fact that conditions vary widely over short periods, making accurate determinations difficult to obtain. New pumps and pump changes are being tested continuously and a wealth of data built up. This has resulted in a substantial improvement and lower relative costs in pumping matrix. The Florida phosphate industry is constantly seeking to offset higher wage and material costs with improved technique. Until a few years ago a 12-in. discharge pump was commonly used, with heads as low as 80 ft. Sizes have gradually increased and heads more than doubled. For example, the following pump was placed under test at the Noralyn mine: make, Georgia Iron Works; size, suction 16 in., discharge 14 in.; impeller, 39-in. diam; motor, 600 hp, slip ring; full load speed, 514 rpm. The results were increased head, higher capacity than the older design, with fewer pumps in the line from mine to washer.

Jan 1, 1953

By R. B. Burt, J. A. Barr, I. S. Tillotson

THE pumping of solids in water suspension is an important part of many metallurgical and mining operations. In most cases, it is still in the rule of thumb category for which no universal formula has been developed, and much research is needed. Because of the limited and incomplete data available, this article may be classed as an experience paper, which is presented with the hope that some contribution will be made toward the development of the so-called universal formula. This formula, if and when developed, may be evolved from several factors, many of which are not now available for general application. The designing engineer is interested in obtaining accurate forecasts on: 1—the minimum velocities needed to prevent choke-ups in the pipeline, which in turn dictates pipe sizes, 2—power required for pumping, 3—pump selection. The basic factors for a given problem will include: 1—weight per unit of time of solids to be handled, 2—specific gravity of solids, for calculation of volume, friction and power, 3—screen analysis of solids with the colloidal acting, i.e., the slime fraction, a very important factor, 4— shape of particle or some means of determining a friction constant, 5—effects of percentage of solids, 6—development of a viscosity factor to be used in the overall calculations, 7—calculation of the lower limits of pipeline velocities permissible, 8—calculation of total head, pump horsepower, and 9—setting up of pump specifications. In certain limited cases horsepower and total heads and minimum velocities may be computed and a suitable pump selected from basic data, but in many cases, as in mining of Florida pebble phosphate, experience rather than a hydraulic formula still should be used as a basis of selection. Pumping Florida Pebble Matrix Pumping at the Noralyn mine of International Minerals and Chemical Corp. will be used as an example. Other areas will vary as to the characteristics of the matrix, especially the slime content. A typical screen analysis of this matrix is: +14 mesh, pebble size,* 2.1 pct; —14 +35 mesh, 11.4 pct; -35 +I50 mesh, 60.5 pct; -150 mesh, 25.0; total, 100 pct; moisture in bank, 20.0 pct; weight per cu ft in bank, 120 lb. The —150 mesh fraction may increase to as much as 35 pct in adjacent areas. When thoroughly elutriated, the matrix has a relatively slow settling rate, which is an important factor in permitting lower pipeline velocities without choke-ups. Exact data is not available to evaluate settling rates. For a factor of 100 a suspension of clean building sand in water is suggested. When pumping long distances, a quick settling matrix allows the coarser solids to settle out along the bottom of the pipeline, causing drag, turbulence, and increased friction. With a slow settling matrix as at Noralyn, turbulence acts to keep the solids in suspension at a lower friction head, regardless of the pumping distance. When the pebble content of the matrix, i.e., the + 14 mesh fraction, is in excess of 10 pct of the total solids, trouble may be expected from settling out even in normal pumping distances. To prevent choke-ups and maintain tonnage, an additional pump must be added in the long runs, where one pump would otherwise be satisfactory. A typical pulp handled is: total volume, 7800 gpm; water, 4500; solids pumped per hr, 4200 lb; sp gr pulp, 1.4; percent solids in pulp, 46.; pipe size, 16-in. ID; pulp velocity, 12.85 fps; probable critical velocity, 10 fps, as below this minimum velocity choke-ups would be numerous. In calculating friction heads the Armco handbook is used where a roughness factor based on 15-year-old pipe is set up. Because the pipe used in pumping matrix is smooth and polished because of the scouring action of the phosphate and its silica content, the head losses in the Armco table for water are practically the same as in pumping the Noralyn matrix through smooth pipe, plus the fact that conditions vary widely over short periods, making accurate determinations difficult to obtain. New pumps and pump changes are being tested continuously and a wealth of data built up. This has resulted in a substantial improvement and lower relative costs in pumping matrix. The Florida phosphate industry is constantly seeking to offset higher wage and material costs with improved technique. Until a few years ago a 12-in. discharge pump was commonly used, with heads as low as 80 ft. Sizes have gradually increased and heads more than doubled. For example, the following pump was placed under test at the Noralyn mine: make, Georgia Iron Works; size, suction 16 in., discharge 14 in.; impeller, 39-in. diam; motor, 600 hp, slip ring; full load speed, 514 rpm. The results were increased head, higher capacity than the older design, with fewer pumps in the line from mine to washer.

Jan 1, 1953

By R. R. Spencer, C. A. Campbell, R. J. Marcotte, A. S. Kromer, P. H. Ostlender

Calumet Div. of Calumet & Hecla Inc. is engaged primarily in mining, milling, and smelting the native copper ores of northern Michigan. The copper occurs in fragmental tops of lava flows and in certain interbedded felsitic conglomerates of Pre- Cambrian age. The most famous native copper ore- body in world history is the Calumet conglomerate, which outcrops between the villages of Calumet and Laurium for a distance of about 2 miles. The Osceola lode parallels the conglomerate lode and is mineralized for about 3 miles. Horizontal distance between the two is 750 ft. In 1932 the price of copper dropped to 54 per lb. Coupled with the high cost of obtaining copper from extreme depths, this low price made the venture un- profitable, and the mining unit was abandoned. After the shaft pillar copper was removed from several of the conglomerate shafts in a retreating operation, the mine was allowed to fill with water. In post-depression years, when the price of copper stabilized at about 12¢, Calumet Div. found it profitable to operate its remaining mines on other lodes, as well as its tailings reclamation plants.

Apr 1, 1956

By H. Van F. Furman

As the cyanide-method for the extraction of gold from ores is extensively used in the United States and elsewhere, and appears destined to prove a factor of increasing importance in the metallurgy of gold, a description of the latest laboratorymethods may prove of interest. The history of the development of the process in the United States has been analogous to that of all new processes. Many failures are to be recorded and a few successes. It is the opinion of the writer that, had the following simple tests been better understood, many of the failures would not have occurred, and we should probably have a larger number of successful plants in operation. While the process is not simple, but requires a high degree of chemical and engineering skill, the determination of the adaptability of an ore to the method is generally not difficult. While the laboratory-results will not always coincide with the actual results obtained in the mill, they will serve as a guide and control on the working of the mill, and mill generally suffice to determine if the ore can be

Jan 1, 1897

By D. Havlena, A. S. Odeh

The material balance equation used by reservoir engineers is arranged algebraically, resulting in an equation of a straight line. The straight line method of analysis imposes an additional necessary condition that a successful solution of the material balance equatiott should meet. In addition, this algebraic arrangement attaches a dynamic ineuning to the otherwise static material balance equation. The straight line method requires the plotting of one variable group vs mother variable group. The sequence of the plotted points as well as the general shape of the resulting plot is of utmost importance. Therefore, one cannot progrm the method entirely on a digital computer ar is usually done in the routine solution of the material balance equation. If this method is applied, then plotting and anaIysis are asential. Only the appropriate equations and the method of analysis and interpremtion with comments and discussion are presented in this paper. Illustrative field examples for the various cases treated are deferred to a subsequent writing. INTRODUCTION One of the fundamental principles utilized in engineering work is the law of conservation of matter. The application of this principle to hydrocarbon reservoirs for the purpose of quantitative deductions and prediction is termed "the material balance method of reservoir analysis". While the construction of the material balance equation (MBE) and the computations that go with its application are not difficult tasks, the criteria that a successful solution of the MBE should fulfill have always been a problem facing the reservoir engineer. True and complete criteria should embody necessary and dcient conditions. The criteria which the reservoir engineer uses possess a few necessary but no sufficient conditions. Because of this, the answers obtained from the MBB are always open to question. However, the degree of their acceptability should increase with the increase in the number of the necessary conditions that they should satisfy. Generally, the necessary conditions commonly used are (1) an unspecified consistency of the results and (2) the agreement between the MBE results and those determined volumetrically. This second criterion is usually overemphasized. Actually, the volumetrically determined results are based on geological and petrophysical data of unknown accuracy. In addition, the oil-in-place obtained by the MBE is that oil which contributes to the pressure-production history,' while the volumetrically calculated oil-in-place refers to the total oil, part of which may not contribute to said history. Because of this difference, the disagreement between the two answers might be of paramount importance, and the concordance between them should not be overemphasized as the measure of correctness of either one. In this paper, a third necessary condition of mathematical as well as physical significance is discussed. It is not subject to any geological or petrophysical interpretation, and as such, it is probably the most important necessary condition. It consists essentially of rearranging the MBE to result in an equation of a straight line. This straight line method of the MBE solution has invalidated a few long time accepted concepts. For instance, it has always been advocated that if a water drive exists, but one neglects to take it into account in the MBE, the calculated oil-in-place should increase with time. The straight line method shows that in some cases, depending on the size of the neglected aquifer, the calculated oil-in-place might decrease with time. The straight line method requires the plotting of a variable group vs another variable group, with the variable group selection depending on the mechanism of production under which the reservoir is producing. The most important aspect of this method of solution is that it attaches a significance to the sequence of the plotted points, the direction in which they plot, and to the shape of the resulting plot. Thus, a dynamic meaning has been introduced into the picture in arriving at the final answer. Since the emphasis of this method is placed on the interpretation of the sequence of the points and the shape of the plot, one cannot completely automate the whole sequence to obtain "the best value" as normally done in the routine application of the MBE. If one uses the straight line method, then plotting and analysis are musts. The straight line method was first recognized by van Everdingen, et al,2 but for some reason it was never fully exploited. The advantages and the elegance of this method can be more appreciated after a few cases are carefully treated and worked out by it. SOLUTION OF THE MATERIAL BALANCE EQUATION SATURATED RESERVOIRS The MBE for saturated reservoirs written in AIME symbols is

By V. A. Phillips, M. Safdar Ali

The tensile properties of Cu-0.20 pct Al, Cu-0.45 pct Mg, Cu-0.27 pct Cr, and Cu-0.22 pct Be solid-solution alloys were studied at -196°, 18°, 2509 and 500°C on wires internally oxidized at 900°and 1000°C. Internal oxidation produced marked increases in yield strength relative to pure copper, particularly at low temperature. The yield strength decreased with increase in temperature to a much greater extent than predicted by current theories of dispersion hardening. The strengthening effect of internal oxidation persisted throughout the entire stress-strain curve, but since a marked loss of ductility occurred at all test temperatures, only modest increases in tensile strength were realized. INTERNAL oxidation involves the preferential oxidation of a baser solute in a relatively noble solvent by diffusion of oxygen into the solid. Since the process is diffusion controlled, it is expedient to carry it out at a high temperature often approaching the melting point. The amount of solute is limited and the oxidation conditions adjusted so that oxygen diffuses inwards to meet the solute causing reaction to progress inwards and form subscale instead of only sur face scale. The reaction can be made to occur throughout the thickness of thin material producing a fine dispersion of oxide inside the metal. C. S. Smith1"3 appears to have been the first to recognize the true nature of the process of internal oxidation. Although extensive kinetic and metal-lographic studies followed by Rhines and coworkers,4-5 Chaston7 andMeijering and Druyvesteyn8 working independently were the first to report hardening effects due to internal oxidation. These results prompted detailed studies of the effects of internal oxidation on the hardness, tensile, creep, and fatigue properties of a number of alloys by G. C. Smith and coworkers9-12 in England, on hardness by Gottardi13 in Italy, and on hardness and tensile properties by wood14 in the U.S.A. Publications dealing with other aspects of internal oxidation will not be reviewed here. Internal oxidation of solutes having a high affinity for oxygen provides a means of obtaining very fine dispersions stable in a suitable atmosphere at temperatures well above those at which most age harden ing precipitates coalesce. The process therefore offers a method of producing thin sheet and wire of possibly outstanding creep resistance. The size limitation might be overcome by internally oxidizing porous powder compacts made from alloy powder before final sintering. PREPARATION OF ALLOYS The alloy ingots, which were approximately 5 1/2 in. long by 1 in. diam, were made up in a high-frequency furnace, using as raw materials OFHC copper, 99.99 + pct Al, high-purity magnesium, and master alloys of Cu-4.19 pct Be and Cu-10 pct Cr. The alloys containing aluminum and magnesium were melted ii closed high-purity graphite crucibles and solidified in the crucible which was lowered partly Out of the coil to give a hot-top effect. The alloys containing beryllium and chromium were made by melting in vacuo in alumina-lined sillimanite crucibles. The magnesium, chromium, and beryllium

Jan 1, 1960

By I. E. Campbell, R. I. Jaffe

Oxygen, nitrogen, and hydrogen are known to be absorbed by titanium at elevated temperatures. Ehrlichl reports that about 30 at. pct oxygen can be dissolved in solid solution by alpha-titanium. Nitrogen also has a solid solubility in alpha-titanium, but there is no information as to its extent. The solid solubility of hydrogen in titanium also is high. Kirshfeld and Sieverts2 report 50 at. pct soluble, while Hägg3 reports about 33 at. pct hydrogen to be soluble in alpha-titanium. General statements are made in the literature that oxygen, nitrogen, and hydrogen embrittle titanium, but no quantitative measurements have been made of the effect of these gases on the mechanical properties of the metal. One reason for this is the lack of a source of titanium pure enough to be considered a suitable starting material. Iodide-refined titanium, made by thermal decomposition of titanium iodide vapor on an incandescent wire,4 contains small amounts of carbon, silicon, iron, and aluminum, but is very low in oxygen, nitrogen, and hydrogen content, and, therefore, was used in this work. A further reason for the lack of quantitative information on the effect of these gases, particularly oxygen, is the difficulty of carrying out accurate analytical determinations at the low concentrations of interest in this work. For this reason, the oxygen, nitrogen, and hydrogen were added in measured amounts as gases, and diffused into the titanium, to avoid the necessity of chemical analysis. The purpose of the work reported here was to isolate and measure the effects of oxygen, nitrogen, and hydrogen on titanium of the highest purity available at the time. The concentrations studied were 0.25, 0.5, and 1 at. pct in each case. Experimental Work One-half of a 24-in. hairpin of iodide-refined titanium was available for this work. The rod was approximately 0.25-in. in diam and had a 0.003-in.tung sten core. From chemical and spectro-graphic analyses, the purity of the sample was estimated to be between 99.80 and 99.95 wt pct. The chief impurities (aside from the tungsten core) were iron (0.04 pct), silicon (0.01-0.1 pct), aluminum (0.05 pct), carbon (0.03 pct). The tungsten core constituted 0.05 pct by weight of the sample. Although some alloying undoubtedly took place between the tungsten and the titanium during the deposition reaction, the core remained substantially intact in the deposited metal. The initial average hardness of the titanium as deposited was 105 Vickers (10-kg load). The maximum hardness was 116 Vickers and the minimum 91 Vickers. The metal was somewhat harder than that currently being obtained by the iodide process, that is, 75-90 Vickers. The rod was cold swaged to ¼-in. diam and then cold rolled in diamond shaped rolls to about 0.080-in. square, using reductions of 15 pct in area per pass. The 0.080-in.-square wire was cut into 6-in. lengths for the preparation of the alloys by the gaseous absorption and diffusion method. ADDITION OF OXYGEN, NITROGEN, AND HYDROGEN TO TITANIUM A modified Sieverts' absorption apparatus, shown in Fig 1, was used in

Jan 1, 1950

By Joseph L. Jernegan

The Whale Lode occurs in the main range of the Rocky Mountains, Park County, Colorado Territory, at Hall Valley. It has been opened up and worked to some extent by the Whale Mine, situated some 11,300 feet above the level of the sea. The mine, with 700 feet of the lode on either side of the discovery shaft, is the property of the Hall Valley Silver-Lead Mining and Smelting Company. The adjacent country rock is a compact, fine-grained gneiss; its general strike is about north and south, dipping steeply to the west. In the immediate vicinity of the mine, the strata are very nearly vertical. The gneiss incloses numberless veins of a reddish granite, in which the feldspar largely predominates over the quartz and mica, the latter oftentimes being scarcely perceptible. As a general rule these granitic veins seem to more frequently follow the lines of stratification of the gneiss than otherwise. They are of varying width, some large, some small; the larger are from 5 to 6 feet wide. Gash veins of feldspar and quartz are also of very frequent occurrence. The general trend of the lode is about northeast. and southwest, intersecting the country rock at about an angle of 45 to its stratification. It dips to the northwest at an angle of 65. I am unable to state accurately how far this lode has been traced upon the surface, but it is at least well known to extend entirely through the mountain upon which the mine is situated, and is traceable over the ridge by a hollow extending for some distance along the surface, in which the lode crops out. This hollow in the surface rock has probably been formed through decomposition of the vein matter by atmospherical influences. The width of the crevice is variable, generally between 5 and 10 feet; the pay vein varies from an inch, or less, to 36 inches. The vein is generally accompanied both on foot and hanging walls by a whitish, semi-decomposed fock, composed of quartz and decomposed feldspar, and in some places—where the process of decomposition has not reached as advanced a stage—a lightgreenish or black mica. This rock, therefore, is in places composed of all the constituents of gneiss, and is undoubtedly nothing more or less than the same in a decomposed condition. It is often very strongly impregnated with iron pyrites, generally crystallized in minute cubes, and it is probably owing to the presence of this min-

By H. S. Gipson

A process that has come to be known locally as "multistage stabilization" has been developed in the Haft Kel field of the Anglo-Iranian Oil Co. in southwest Iran, for the recovery of casinghead gasoline. It consists in releasing the dissolved gases from the crude by stages, a practice common in many fields, but which, so far as is known, has nowhere been carried to the extent to which it is employed in Iran. It has been in use there for nearly nine years, during which time some 200 million barrels of crude have been handled by the process. This process of gasoline retention consists in preventing the greater part of the casinghead gasoline hydrocarbons (the butanes and pentanes) from ever leaving the crude, instead of allowing them to be vaporized and then recovered from the lighter gases by the usual compression or absorption processes. Its efficiency is fully equal to that obtained by the absorption process; its disadvantage is that it increases the quantities of ethane and propane in the crude sent to the refinery, but with the growing demand for propane this drawback is vanishing. When casinghead gasoline is recovered as a separate liquid in the Iranian fields, it is blended with the crude, as the only outlet is through the refinery, and the crude-oil pipe line offers the cheapest means of transportation. It is under these conditions that the retention of the butanes and pentanes in the crude by multistage stabilization is a most attractive process, possessing as it does the following advantages: (1) extreme simplicity, (2) low first cost, (3) easy installation! (4) practically 100 per cent operating-time efficiency, (5) no operators required, (6) no water or other services required, (7) negligible maintenance, (8) once established, very little routine testing is necessary. The one essential for reasonably efficient multistage stabilization is that the flowing pressures of the wells should be relatively high; i.e., they should not be less than about one-third the saturation pressure of the crude in the reservoir. This is a very general statement, of course, and much depends on the type of crude and its temperature.

Jan 1, 1940

By H. S. Gipson

A process that has come to be known locally as "multistage stabilization" has been developed in the Haft Kel field of the Anglo-Iranian Oil Co. in southwest Iran, for the recovery of casinghead gasoline. It consists in releasing the dissolved gases from the crude by stages, a practice common in many fields, but which, so far as is known, has nowhere been carried to the extent to which it is employed in Iran. It has been in use there for nearly nine years, during which time some 200 million barrels of crude have been handled by the process. This process of gasoline retention consists in preventing the greater part of the casinghead gasoline hydrocarbons (the butanes and pentanes) from ever leaving the crude, instead of allowing them to be vaporized and then recovered from the lighter gases by the usual compression or absorption processes. Its efficiency is fully equal to that obtained by the absorption process; its disadvantage is that it increases the quantities of ethane and propane in the crude sent to the refinery, but with the growing demand for propane this drawback is vanishing. When casinghead gasoline is recovered as a separate liquid in the Iranian fields, it is blended with the crude, as the only outlet is through the refinery, and the crude-oil pipe line offers the cheapest means of transportation. It is under these conditions that the retention of the butanes and pentanes in the crude by multistage stabilization is a most attractive process, possessing as it does the following advantages: (1) extreme simplicity, (2) low first cost, (3) easy installation! (4) practically 100 per cent operating-time efficiency, (5) no operators required, (6) no water or other services required, (7) negligible maintenance, (8) once established, very little routine testing is necessary. The one essential for reasonably efficient multistage stabilization is that the flowing pressures of the wells should be relatively high; i.e., they should not be less than about one-third the saturation pressure of the crude in the reservoir. This is a very general statement, of course, and much depends on the type of crude and its temperature.

Jan 1, 1940

By AIME AIME

Council.* PRESIDENT OF THE COUNCIL. JOHN HAYS HAMMOND* New York, N. Y. (Term expires February, 1909.) VICE-PRESIDENTS OF THE COUNCIL. SAMUEL B. CHRISTY BERKELEY, CAL. JOHN A. CHURCH NEW YORK, N. Y. PERSIFOR FRAZER PHILADELPHIA, PA. (Term expires February, 1909.) J. PARKE CHANNING NEW YORK, N. Y. FREDERICK 1V. DENTON PAINESDALE, MICH. JOHN B. FARISH DENVER, COLO. (Term expires February, 1910.)

Mar 1, 1908

By M. E. Nicholson

IT has been suggested by a number of investigators, I including Hume-Rothery and Raynor,' that certain intermediate phases in metal systems take on interstitial crystal structures because of an appropriate ratio of radii of the two atoms. If the size factor is an important parameter in determining whether or not an intermediate phase will have an interstitial structure, then it would appear reasonable that the relative sizes of interstitial atoms should have a direct relation to their solubilities in interstitial compounds. It was on such a basis that Petch,' in his discussion of the cementite structure, concluded that nitrogen is the only possible element which could replace carbon. Recent X-ray studies by Jacka indicate that the solid solubility of nitrogen in cementite is negligible. If this is the case, then on the basis of size factor it would not be expected that any element can replace carbon in FeaC, since according to Schwarzkopf and Kieffer4 the covalent atomic radii of nitrogen, carbon, and boron are 0.71, 0.76, and 0.87A, respectively. Nevertheless, Vogel and Tammann in 1922 indicated that a quasi-binary relation exists between the interstitial compounds FeaC and Fe2B and that the solid solubility of boron in FeaC at approximately 1150°C is 1.4 pct B by weight. Because of the apparent disagreement between theory and experiment, the solid solubility of boron in FeaC has been reinvestigated. In addition, the influence of boron on the saturation magnetic moment (per gram) and Curie temperature of cementite was determined. Experimental Procedure A series of Fe-B-C alloys which varied in boron content from 0 to 5.4 wt pct B were prepared by arc melting a 50-g ingot using carbonyl iron, Ache-son AUC graphite, and Cooper grade A boron for starting materials. The composition of these alloys is listed in Table I and shown graphically in Fig. 1. The samples represented by the solid circles were used for X-ray analysis and Curie temperature measurements; by the squares, samples used for quantitative metallography; and by the triangles, samples used for saturation magnetic moment measurements and Curie temperature measurements. After arc melting and subsequent quenching from 1000°C, so that all phases in the resulting microstructure were brittle, one half of the 50-g ingots were pulverized until a powder was obtained which was less than 100 mesh. These powders were then homogenized in evacuated Vycor capsules at 1000°C for 24 hr and water quenched. Although the homogenized powder had sintered somewhat, it was suitable for saturation magnetic moment and Curie temperature determinations, for which the 60 to 100-mesh fraction of the powder was used. For X-ray analysis the homogenized powder was crushed again until a 300-mesh powder was obtained. After crushing, the powder was mixed with Alundum of approximately the same grit size to prevent sinter-

Jan 1, 1958

By S. P. Barber, G. W. Cutting, V. Alesse, M. Ciriachi

Just what is happening in the preparation and mineral separation stages are questions frequently asked about most processing plants. It is unusual to find the answers readily available in the operating metallurgical data. Knowledge is nominally available from metallurgical balances about the head ore grade, grade and recovery of the concentrates, and the plant tailings. However, the mechanisms which control grade recovery and losses are seldom monitored in such a way as to permit specific analysis: Thus, when questions about the effectiveness of the process are asked, the answers are based frequently upon intuitive professional judgments and local expertise. Detailed investigations of process functions are extensive in terms of manpower, time, and interference with production. An investigation method in which process operating conditions could be provided in a cost effective manner would assist in local process assessment and control. Such a collection of process operating data is defined as a process audit and the development of the necessary techniques forms the subject of this paper. A typical application to a lead-zinc concentrator highlights both the manner of implementing a process and the plant data made available for local use.

Jan 1, 1980

By Nicasio del Castillo

INTRODUCTION The tax structure of foreign mining investment into the United States has a significant impact on the financing and the profitability of the operation. For these reasons, it is critical for the foreign investor to develop and implement a well planned tax strategy that will enable its venture to: (1) reduce its U.S. income tax liability (2) lower U.S. withholding taxes when funds are transferred from the United States, and (3) decrease or defer home country taxation on its U.S. earnings ALTERNATIVE FORMS OF INVESTMENT A threshold business and tax consideration is the form in which the investment is to be made. The most common alternatives include: forming or acquiring a U.S. mining corporation, directly establishing a branch mining operation, or entering into a joint venture or partnership with a U.S. mining company. U.S. Corporations The most common structure through which foreign mining companies engage in business in the United States is to form a U.S. mining corporation. Forming a U.S. Corporation. If the investor decides to establish a new U.S. corporation the organization is relatively simple. No distinctions are made in the United States between "public" and "private" forms of incorporation. Minimum share capital is not usually required and share capital may consist of shares with no par value. Since corporate law is the responsibility of the individual states, the foreign investor must choose a state in which to incorporate. If appreciated mining property is transferred to a corporation solely in exchange for stock or securities in that corporation, and the transferors have control of the corporation (defined as at least 80 percent of all voting shares and at least 80 percent of all other shares) immediately after the exchange, no gain or loss will be recognized. However, if the transferors receive cash or other mining properties in addition to stock, any resulting gain may, in certain situations, be taxed to the extent of the cash and the fair market value of other property received. Acquiring an Existing U.S. Corporation. Acquiring an existing U.S. mining corporation is not as straight-forward as forming a corporation. This alternative may be accomplished through either a stock or an asset acquisition. Generally, with a stock acquisition the purchaser inherits all of the business and tax attributes of the former mining corporation. If the investor is able to acquire mining assets, however, the purchaser will usually be able to avoid any unknown or hidden liabilities that could be attached to an existing corporation. Another principal advantage in acquiring assets is that the purchase price may be directly allocated to the acquired mines or other mineral-related assets with the result that the assets' depreciable base may be increased. Assuming the domestic seller and the foreign purchaser can agree, it is generally advisable to allocate the purchase price in the sales agreement to specific individual assets. From the foreign investor's standpoint, it is preferable to allocate the purchase price to depreciable assets such as buildings and equipment versus an allocation to mineral land holdings or intangibles such as goodwill, which are generally not depreciable. It is not uncommon, however, for a seller mining company being acquired to insist for tax reasons that the investor purchase shares rather than assets. If the foreign

Jan 1, 1985

By E. H. Bronson

PROPERTY of Malartic Gold Fields Ltd. is situaated in the great clay belt in the northern part of the Province of Quebec. This belt represents the floor of the glacial lake Barlow-Ojibway. The clay blanket has a gently rolling, almost flat surface, with here and there projecting knobs and ridges that outline the large irregularities of the surface on which the clay was deposited. At irregular intervals glacial eskers dominate the landscape. The ore-bearing country rock is covered by strata of clay, sand, and silt to a depth varying to 40 ft. There are serious structural problems when it is necessary to place loads of unequal intensities on this surface to support buildings and machinery for a modern mining plant. Earlier mining companies and their engineers paid little attention to the science of soil mechanics, partly because they believed it unnecessary and partly because they knew little of the subject. The results are evident in some of the tottering structures in older camps. Careful analysis of soil problems is well worth-while, since cost of foundations may vary from 20 to 50 pct of the final cost of a structure. Low operating and maintenance costs can be achieved only in this way.

Jan 11, 1957

By John E. Dowis

Ore distribution being what it is, many of today's mining companies are forced to develop foreign reserves to satisfy the demands of their customers. This necessity complicates the economic picture for a company, because management must look well be- yond grade and tonnage to determine the feasibility of developing a foreign orebody. Above all, the taxes on such a development must be assessed. The difference that taxes can make in mining profits will be illustrated here for three countries-Canada, Mexico and the United States. For purposes of comparison, identical orebodies will be assumed to occur in all three countries. Only the taxes on these properties will vary. Grade, tonnage, gross income, production costs and production rates will all be the same. The discussion will be limited to federal taxes, because state and provincial taxes are usually negligible by comparison. Assumptions relative to the orebody and the nature of the company undertaking the operation are as follows: (1) Copper is the only value to be recovered. (2) Sixty million tons of ore have been delineated. (3) Underground mining is required, and the production rate will be 3 million tpy. (4) The life of the property is 20 yr. (5) Operations in Mexico or Canada will be handled by a subsidiary of a U.S. parent company. (6) The subsidiary will offer stock.

Jan 1, 1970

By Aaron Miles

THE pressure distribution in a producing oil or gas reservoir has been obtained mathematically in a limited number of special cases where the boundary of the reservoirs are simple geometric figures with the wells conveniently located within them. Using some of the previous work as a basis, it can be proved that a number of additional problems of pressure distribution can be solved by use of soap film. This method is particu-larly applicable to a reservoir drained by a number of wells, or to a reservoir of irregular shape, or to both. Since this method obtains the pressure distribution, it also establishes the drainage boundaries of the wells. This paper derives the analogy between the equation representing the pressure distribution in a reservoir and the equation of the deflected membrane. It also describes the apparatus and the method of operation. The experimental method is employed to solve a problem whose mathe-matical solution is known and the results compared. These are found to be in good agreement. The method is applicable to any homogeneous liquid, compressible or incompressible, or to a gas, flowing in a reservoir of uniform thickness, permeability and porosity. The flow state may be either the steady state or the transient state wherein the density or pressure of the fluid in the reservoir declines at a constant rate.

Jan 1, 1938

By D. C. Seidel, E. F. Fitzhugh

Nickel sulfide ores lend themselves readily to concentration before smelting or pressure leaching, but neither of the major oxidized ore types-the iron-rich laterites and magnesium-rich, soft silicates-has been directly concentrated. Upgrading of crude ore in current practice is limited to cobbing lumps of the harder, lower grade rock (protore) from the softer, enriched silicate ore, because only a small percentage of the nickel in these ores occurs in discrete, contrasting mineral particles. There is no apparent mineralogical contrast in the superficial, iron-rich lateritic ores and, in fact, there is no firm assurance that the nickel atoms are within the lattices of the limonite minerals, or else irregularly adsorbed on the limonite. Within underlying, "rotten rock" silicates, occasional veinlets of garnierite and related nickeliferous silicates are found.1 The garnierite veinlets are only incidental, and the majority of the nickel atoms occur as erratic replacements of magnesium atoms in the micaceous chlorites of the ore mass.

Jan 4, 1968

By Doll. H. G.

THIS paper discusses a method and apparatus for determining the dip of formations traversed by a drill hole, by means of electrical measurements in the hole. The process consists in recording the Spontaneous Potentials present along three oriented generatrices in the hole, By comparison of the three curves thus obtained, after application of a correction factor to compensate for any deviations of the hole, the dip angle and the dip direction are determined. Excellent accuracy is obtained for dip angles over 10°. Because the method is simple and the apparatus rugged, the measurements are rapid and reliable; consequently, they can be made at all the levels that are of interest at any time after the well has been drilled. Mechanical cores are not needed to evaluate the dips. A convenient, time-saving procedure is to perform the dipmeter survey at the time the electrical log is taken, using for both operations the same cable and truck. Actual examples of results obtained in wells of the Gulf Coast area are given.

Jan 1, 1942