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By Henry G. Granger, Edward B. Treville

The Republic of Colombia is the northernmost country of South America. Its northern coast line exteilds from the frontier of Costa Rica to that of Venezuela, on the Caribbean Sea. On the west it fronts on the Pacific Ocean, along the Panama Isthmus, and down to Ecuador. It is bounded on the south by Ecuador, Peru and Brazil, which latter country with Venezuela form its boundaries on the east. Its area exceeds 500,000 square miles. It is deemed unnecessary to give here a map of the country. Fig. 1, a map of the department of Antioquia, studied in connection with a good modern general map of Colombia, will explain itself. Fig. 1 contains also some of the region of the Cauca valley, described in this paper. Access.—The interior of Colombia is reached through the ports of Sabanilla and Cartagena on the Caribbean Sea, each of which places is connected with the Magdalena river by a short narrow-gauge railroad, running respectively to Barranquilla and Calamar. From these points lines of river-steamers serve the ports of the upper Magdalena, which they reach in journeys of a week to ten days. After leaving the steamer, a short railroad journey, followed by a long and tedious mule-ride, reaches the cities of Bogota and Medellin. Quibdo, at the head of the navigation of the Atrato, and its most important town, is connected by steamer-service with Cartagena, by canoe-routes with the various districts of the Choco, and by mule-road, at present well-nigh impassable, with the heart of Antioquia. On the western coast the port of Tumaco is a starting-point for canoe- and mule-travel to the southern part of the department of Cauca, while Buenaventura is the port of the central section of the valley of the Cauca,

Jan 1, 1899

By L. O. Brockway, W. C. Bigelow, J. A. Amy

Specimens of Inconel-X alloy solution-treated at 2050°F and aged for periods of 1, 10, 100, and 1000 hr at 1200°, 1400°, and 1600°F have been examined by electron microscopy and by electron and X-ray diffraction. Four minor phases were identified: titanium nitride, niobium nitride, an M23C6 complex carbide, and the intermetallic ? phase. The two nitrides were found in all of the aged specimens and in the solution-treated alloy, the y' phase formed at all aging temperatures, while the M23C6 carbide formed only on aging at 1200° and 1400°F. Variations in the hardness, rupture strength, creep strength, and yield strength of the alloy have been shown to be related to variation in the size and distribution of the particles of the y' phase within the matrix grains of the alloy, with maximum values of these properties occurring when there is a maximum amount of the phase present and a fine state of dispersion of the particles prevails. THE nickel-chromium alloys containing titanium and aluminum are widely used in applications requiring high strength at elevated temperatures. Studies on relatively simple ternary and quaternary alloys'-4 have indicated that the favorable high-temperature properties of these alloys are related to the precipitation of an intermetallic ?'-phase having a structure based On that of the Ni3A1 phase of the nickel-aluminum system. The present investigation was undertaken to identify the minor phases and to study the microstructural changes occurring in one of the more complex commercial alloys as a result of aging in the service temperature range, with particular emphasis on investigating the role of the ?' -phase. The microstructural changes were studied by electron microscopy and the minor phases were identified by X-ray and electron diffraction. MATERIALS AND METHODS Inconel-X alloy was selected for this investigation because the previous studies of Frey, Freeman, and white6 provided extensive information on the variations in metallurgical properties of this alloy resulting from high-temperature aging treatments. Specimens aged 1, 10, 100, and 1000 hr at 1200°, 1400°, and 1600°F were made available for the present use. These were taken from 1-in. round-bar stock of a commercial heat having the following weight composition: 0.04 C, 0.56 Mn, 6.59 Fe, 0.007 S, 0.38 Si, 0.03 Cu, 73.22 Ni, 14.97 Cr, 0.78 Al, 2.38 Ti, and 1-02 Nb. They were solutjon-treated at 2050 for 4 hr and then water-quenched prior to aging. Powder X-ray diffraction patterns were obtained from insoluble minor phases which were separated from the alloys by digestion in the reagent of Mahla and Nielsen.6 Back-reflection patterns were obtained from electrolytically polished surfaces of the bulk search to detect the ?'-phase' Cu-K a radiation was used in both cases. In the electron-diffraction studies, the general method developed by Heidenreich, Sturkey, and

Jan 1, 1959

By David W. Kennedy, Stephen P. Harrison

In the past few years, a new system has been developed for ventilating longwall panels in some gassy coal mines in the Northern West Virginia area. This system utilizes a five or six foot diameter air shaft to ventilate a group of three or more longwall panels dependent on conditions. This shaft exhausts all the air needed to, ventilate the active longwall and adjacent gob areas. By law, this bleeder fan can handle double the maximum methane concentration allowed in a normal return air course. As a result, the methane that must be diluted by the primary ventilation circuits is reduced. This new ventilation system was first conceived by mine management as a means of coping with a sudden shift in production mode that occurred a few years ago. Formerly, production often consisted of room and pillar mining with continuous miners. The high methane liberation rate was handled by driving entries around a large block of coal prior to mining. This isolated the future mining area from the adjacent coal seam and allowed a major portion of the trapped in situ methane to bleed off. Also, these bleeders served to exhaust return air from the mining area. Once the bleeders were established, productive mining could start. When the decision was made to shift production mode from continuous miners to longwall mining, some of the bleeders did not encompass large enough unmined areas under the old ventilation system to initiate longwall production. Also, many other established continuous miner section bleeders were either improperly positioned or too restricted for longwall ventilation. Unfortunately, standard bleeder development can take up to two years' time. In order to eliminate the old style bleeder system and maintain or increase the margin of safety for ventilation, the bleeder shaft system was conceived. With this system, the only entries developed are those necessary for the longwall, significantly reducing the production delay. In this area, the Pittsburgh #8 coal seam dips to the northwest. As a result of this dip, the bleeder shaft is constructed in the northernmost set of tailgate entries. In this manner, groundwater accumulations can be pumped to the surface and bleeder entries kept dry. During the initial longwall entry development, the bleeder fan can be used to ventilate entries adjacent to virgin coal where significant methane liberation often occurs. Once longwall production starts, the bleeder shaft exhausts the entire air quantity necessary to safely ventilate the longwall. As the bleeder entries deteriorate, the air quantity and pressure characteristics must be increased. The extreme flexibility of the centrifugal fan used at the surface allows the air quantity and pressure to be adjusted without stopping the fan. This improves safety by decreasing the possibility of a methane buildup resulting from the fan being out of service. The bleeder shaft system of ventilation, developed by mine management in Northern West Virginia, can provide a safe means for effectively ventilating longwall panels in excessively gassy mines. This system should be considered where mining conditions are comparable.

Jan 1, 1982

By V. N. Krivobor

The study and use of low-carbon manganese steels have been curiously neglected in the general history of developments in alloy steels. Hadfield1 made an extensive study of manganese-iron-carbon alloys about 1886, which culminated in the wide application and use of Hadfield austenitic manganese steel. His alloys were nearly all high in carbon, as compared with the steels discussed in this paper, and he found a marked tendency toward brittleness in the alloys of medium and low manganese content, that is, below 7 per cent. manganese. As a result, there has been a widespread prejudice against the use of manganese steels containing between 1.0 to 3.5 per cent. manganese with comparatively low carbon. Steels of this composition have never been studied adequately in comparison with other alloy steels, and have had litttle use in practice. In a very recent paper by Sir Robert Hadfield2 the following statement appears: 6L... manganese-iron alloys with little or no carbon do not seem to offer any practical employment; they only become valuable in the presence of quite high percentages of carbon, 0.90 to 1.50 percent." The results of the present investigation are so contrary to the findings of Hadfield that the writers feel fully justified in presenting the preliminary report incorporated in this paper. Previous Investigations As early as 1886 the Terre Noire CO.3 in France produced alloys containing up to 2.5 per cent. of manganese, using ordinary low-grade

Jan 1, 1927

By B. A. Cheadle, K. P. Steward

Axial tensile, ring tensile, closed end burst, and free end burst tests were done at room tempe.vature and 300°C on three batches of Zircaloy-2 sheathing zuith different textures. Knoop hardness tests were also done on all batches. The mechanical properties of the tubes were largely dependent on the percentages of cold work, but were also markedly affected by the textures, particularly with respect to deformation behavio'r. The deformation behavior observed confirmed Picklesimer's predictions, zuhereas Knoop hardness results could be correlated with texture and yield strength anisotropy after the ,method of Wheeler and Ireland. From the mechanical properties, and from efjectiue strain values deterrlzined at the fractures using a photoqid technique, it zuas concluded that tubing witlz a single preferred orientation of radial basal poles best combines strength and ductility for any given deqee of cold work. THE mechanical properties required in collapsible Zircaloy-2 fuel sheathing for water-cooled power reactors are strength to resist wrinkling deformation by coolant pressure and ductility to accommodate a small amount of deformation in service without rupturing. Zircaloy-2 tubing during fabrication develops pre- ferred orientations of the a Zr grains due to aniso-tropic deformation behavior, and these textures markedly affect mechanical properties. Picklesimer' had predicted the deformation behavior of tubes with various textures, but the texture required to provide the optimum strength and ductility for a given degree of cold work has not been reported. To investigate this problem, tests at three transverse to axial stress ratios were done at room temperature and 300°C on three batches of Zircaloy-2 tubing covering a wide range of textures and percentages of residual cold work. Knoop hardness values were also measured to correlate with preferred orientation and yield strength anisotropy after the method of Wheeler and relland.' 1) MATERIAL For this investigation, three batches of tube-reduced tubing were chosen from the Zircaloy-2 sheathing produced for the Douglas Point Reactor. Individual tubes were 191/2 in. long, 0.600 in. OD, and 0.0165 in. nominal wall thickness. The identities of the batches, together with their textures, are shown in Table I. The tubes had the normal Zircaloy-2 composition3 of 1.5 wt pct Sn, 0.3 wt pct Fe, Ni, Cr combined with the following oxygen concentrations: Batch VII 1140 to 1390 ppm 0 Batch VIII 1400 to 1750 ppm 0 Batch IX 880 to 1320 ppm 0

Jan 1, 1968

By L. L. Swift

AT the present time there are four base metals being used for automotive bearing alloys. Of course there are numerous variations in the amounts of alloying elements added to each base metal and nearly all of these alloys have the conventional, if not classical, duplex structure; that is, they are composed of a hard constituent embedded in a soft matrix. The well-known theory is that the former will wear well, while the latter will be plastic enough to allow the bearing to be broken in and conform to the contours of the shaft. The requirements of the modern bearing have been most aptly described by W. M. Corse: In order to meet the engineering demands of today a good bearing metal must be able to carry the weight of the shaft and stand up under steady or suddenly applied loads, or even blows in some types of service. A certain amount of plasticity is desired to compensate for minute irregularities in the shaft or bearing surface, and to permit yielding, thereby avoiding dangerous stresses in bearing and shaft and preventing overheating and rapid wear of parts. Less plasticity is required in a bearing metal if the surfaces of bearings and journals are machined accurately, aligned, and kept in alignment. It is desirable, of course, that a bearing metal have a low coefficient of friction. Under most operating conditions the friction depends on the unit pressure of the bearing, the speed, the temperature, and the properties of the lubricant. A good bearing metal must have a low rate of wear to reduce the necessity for frequent replacements, and adjustment of the bearings. It must wear more rapidly, however, than the journal or shaft running on it, because replacement of the journal or shaft is more difficult and costly than replacement of the hearing., The hardness of, the bearing alloy is a property closely related to several of the foregoing. With a duplex microstructure, the measurement of hardness with any of the usual commercial devices means little. The Bierbaum method of measuring the hardness of the individual constituents was developed to, fill this need. MICROCHARACTER The Bierbaum microcharacter2.3 measures the scratch-hardness of a solid by pulling a weighted diamond point over the surface. The diamond point is ground. so that it is the corner of a cube, and mounted

Jan 1, 1938

By P. A. Fisher, J. B. Wilson, D. J. Whitehead, C. J. P. Ball, A. C. Jessup

The properties of a new magnesium alloy ZT1 containing 3.0 pct Th, 2.5 pct Zn, 0.7 pct Zr are described. The alloy possesses good creep and fatigue resistance up to 650°F, is free from microporosity, and is readily sand-cast. ZT1 is shown to be superior to zinc-free Mg-Th-Zr alloys. THE advent of the jet engine created a demand for a light sand-casting alloy capable of being cast into large complex shapes and capable of resisting creep at temperatures up to 500°F. This demand has been largely met by alloys of the magnesium-cerium mischmetal-zirconium types, containing about 3 pct Ce mischmetal and 0.7 pct Zr, typified by Elektron magnesium alloys MCZ and ZREI, the latter alloy also having a zinc addition of 2.5 pct. These alloys utilize the valuable properties at elevated temperatures conferred by the addition of rare earth metals to magnesium, a fact which has been known for many years and discussed by several investigators.1-1 Murphy and Payne8 showed that the addition of the powerful grain-refining element zirconium to Mg-Ce mischmetal alloys produced alloys with attractive room temperature properties combined with good creep properties and castability. With the increasing power of modern jet engines the temperatures to which some of the magnesium parts are subject are likely to exceed the safe working range of the cerium-mischmetal-containing alloys, and at the beginning of the research considerable interest had been shown by aeroplane engine designers in a magnesium sand-casting alloy suitable for service at higher temperatures, e.g., 600°F and above. At an early stage in the development of this type of alloy a check on the fatigue properties at elevated temperatures indicated that, since the fatigue limit even at 108 eversals was appreciably higher than any permissible creep stress, the main emphasis of the research could be concentrated on creep behavior. The primary aim in developing the new alloy has therefore been to attain maximum creep resistance; but due consideration has also been given to other important properties such as castability, tensile strength, and cost. It is by now well established that it is not possible to correlate creep strength with other short time mechanical properties such as are obtained in tensile

Jan 1, 1954

APPROXIMATELY 3500 people thronged the Hotel Statler from February 18 to 24 for the 173rd general meeting of AIME. It was a technical extravaganza in that 82 technical sessions were held, at which 500 authors presented some 350 papers. Fortunately, Jerry Peirce, outgoing President, didn't have, to preside at all the events although after his year's stint as President, he has more than a nodding acquaintance with some of the latest problems in the mining, metals, and petroleum industries. Although the Welcoming Luncheon on Monday noon was the official opening of the meeting, Local Section Delegates and the Board of Directors convened on Saturday and Sunday, respectively. The large attendance and business like demeanor of these two groups was in accord with the energetic and competent service they have rendered the Institute through the year. To the applause of engineers and their wives who thronged the grand ballroom of the Statler for the Welcoming Luncheon, President Peirce introduced Oliver B. Hopkins, president of the Canadian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy and C. Gerow, secretary of CIM. Dr. Hopkins brought greetings from the CIM and expressed his satisfaction in the splendid spirit of cooperation that exists between the two Institutes. Dr. Hopkins is president, Interprovincial Pipe Line Co., Toronto, and counts as a close personal friend M. L. Haider, who is the 1952 President of AIME and lately of Toronto where he was a director and general manager of Imperial Oil Ltd. Mr. Haider will be known shortly as Mike to thousands of AIME members as he makes his Local Sections presidential tour. There was a pause in luncheon proceedings when Judge Harold R. Medina arrived amid the applause of the audience and somewhat breathless from his trip via motorcade from an antitrust trial against investment bankers at the courthouse downtown. With the Judge at his elbow, President Peirce took the opportunity in his introduction to good humoredly chide the Judge for the vixenish habits of public servants in their treatment of astute businessmen. The successful inventor who patents his inventions is a monopoly; the copper manufacturer who buys his competitors a drink is in collusion; but the business failure need only look to the government for a subsidy, Mr. Peirce pointed out. Judge Medina, quickly captured the admiration of his listeners. He spoke about justice, deploring partisan deals on nominations for judge-

Jan 1, 1952

By H. W. Russell, Paul D. MILLER

IT is known that austenitic chromium-nickel steels that have free carbide in the grain boundaries are subject to intergranular corrosion. It is difficult to detect such a susceptible condition in a fabricated article because present test methods require a sample section for examination and in most cases this is difficult to obtain. The question of the nature and prevention of intergranular corrosion in austenitic stainless steels have been ably discussed by Bain and co-workers1-3 and by other investigators.4-10 The present methods of study subject samples to corrosive conditions in such reagents as the Strauss solution, a. mixture of copper sulphate and sulphuric acid. Such tests usually require at least 72 hr. to run. Various methods of measuring the degree of sensitization have been employed, such as the measurement of electrical resistivity, magnetic measurements, measurement of the degree of cracking produced on bending over a mandrel, and microscopic studies. The detection of carbides at the grain boundaries by metallographic polishing and etching methods is tedious and requires a skilled operator. A recent report on such methods of carbide detection is given by the American Society for Testing Materials Subcommittee VI of Committee A-10 11 and by Arness.12 The present investigation was undertaken to develop a simple test procedure for detecting carbide precipitation or susceptibility to intergranular corrosion. The test is designed for use in the plant and for the testing of fabricated structures. Carbide precipitation, the factor leading to susceptibility to corrosion, is produced by heating the alloy in the temperature range 800° to 1600°F., as in welding, in improper annealing or in service where such temperatures are met. The connection between such precipitation and susceptibility to corrosion has been thoroughly discussed, as has been the use of stabilizing addition elements to prevent precipitation. EXPERIMENTAL METHOD A small area of the steel under test is subjected to an anodic treatment in a cell that can be clamped onto a sample or an actual structure. The cell and electrical circuit used are illustrated in Fig. I. The cell C is lead, joined to the steel plate D and insulated from it by a short piece of rubber tubing E. The cell is forced tightly against the steel plate by a spring or clamping device. The seal formed by the rubber against the steel plate is sufficient to retain the liquid bath inside the cell. The spot treated can be made any shape desired, depending on the shape of the rubber gasket. The cell illustrated polishes a circular spot about 3/8-in. diameter. The bath consists of 60 per cent (by weight) sulphuric acid to which is added 5 ml. per liter of Glycyrrhiza extract (U.S.P.). The cell requires about 2 to 2.5

Jan 1, 1941

By W. A. Walker, G. W. Ostroot

An increase in the number of deep wells being drilled where extreme bottom-hole temperatures are encountered, and the anticipated drilling of wells where temperatures in the range of 500°F or higher may occur, has brought about a comprehensive investigation of cementing materials and of the techniques involved in their proper usage at these elevated temperatures. Included are developments in cements, retarders, weighting materials and other cement additives which make it possible to formulate a variety of compositions to help resolve the cementing problems of these extreme well conditions. The problems associated with the selection and testing of cements are discussed, and a resume of field results is included. Previous studies on strength retrogression indicate that caution should be exercised in the selection of a cementing composition for use in high-temperature wells. It now appears that, by the addition of silica flour as a stabilizing additive to certain cements, compositions covering a wide range of slurry densities can be designed to meet extreme well conditions without strength retrogression. Improvements in cement retarders make it possible to produce a four-hour thickening time at static temperatures up to 500°F. This temperature is considerably higher than conditions presently being encountered in drilling and completion work. Inert weighting materials, used to produce 20-lb/gal or heavier cement slurries, are reviewed. INTRODUCTION As the search for oil continues, the number of wells being drilled to depths of 10,000 ft or below has continued to increase over the past decade. During 1959, there were 50,893 wells drilled in the United States for a total of 209 million ft of hole. Of this total, approximately 4.45 per cent were drilled below 10,000 ft and 0.30 per cent below 15,000 ft, with a record depth of 25,340 ft recorded (Table 1). With the drilling of this record-shattering hole comes the question, "How deep can wells be drilled?".' Limitations with respect to equipment (surface and subsurface), cementing materials and techniques would cause some concern; however, a panel of experts have agreed that the U. S. oil industry has the equipment and know-how to drill a 50,000-ft hole. The greatest deterrent would be the 700°F temperature they would anticipate encountering at this depth. Although the number of wells drilled under what is generally considered hot-hole conditions (230°F and higher) has been relatively high, each well often presents distinctly individual problems and requires separate consideration and selection of special materials, techniques and equipment. At the present time there are over 30 additives and special cements available for use in "tailoring" a cementing composition for a specific well. It is not uncommon to use three or four different additives with the basic cement to produce the desired slurry characteristics. A generally accepted procedure is to make laboratory tests on selected cementing compositions prior to pumping them into wells deeper than 12,000 ft, or where static temperatures are in the range of 260°F or higher. In some instances, it is recommended that laboratory tests be made where less severe well conditions are encountered. Prior to selecting a cementing composition for a particular well, key personnel representing the operator, drilling contractor and service company should meet to determine that each individual is acquainted with every detail which might influence cementing results and to discuss the execution of the job. For cementing hot-holes, a number of factors must be evaluated before proceeding with the operation. Consideration must be given to the following. 1. Thickening time—The slurry must remain fluid for a sufficient length of time to allow displacement down the casing and up the annular space in a primary cementing job or, in squeeze-cementing, adequate thickening time for both the build-up of a satisfactory squeeze pressure and the reversing out of excess cement. The thickening time of standard retarded cements will often be too short under extreme temperature conditions, thus involving special formulations and requiring laboratory tests to determine the proper amount of additional retarder to obtain the desired pumpability.

By M. H. Shumate

Rope-type haulage has had many applications in the mining and allied industries. Records have indicated favorable results both from a standpoint of efficiency and investment. The Truax-Traer Coal Co. has used some variations of rope haulage at their mines and preparation plants. They have built a system which solves their particular problems, and have an investment which has indicated an annual savings in operating costs. Rope haulage, as applied to the mining industry, goes back many years for both underground and surface mining, or a combination of both. The Truax-Traer Coal Co. has used gravity retarding hoists as well as several variations of rope haulage, including electrical and combinations of both, but each was limited in its use and application by natural conditions and economies of the operation. Several systems of rope haulage equipment are offered by manufacturers today for handling railroad car movement on a limited or continuous basis. The portal and railroad loading facilities of Truax-Traer Coal Co.'s Burning Star Slope mine, located in Jackson County, Ill., were moved in 1960. The old location was abondoned, eliminating 3% miles of underground track haulage. The mine was converted to an all-belt system, and coal is loaded at a new raw coal plant and shipped by railroad cars to a central cleaning plant. The company wanted to operate the surface facilities as efficiently as possible, employing a minimum number of workers, using the latest type railroad car movers. The existing rope haulage facilities at several locations throughout the country were examined and considered for the Slope mine location. The application of each appeared favorable but lacked flexibility, and it was difficult to justify the capital investment. The company decided to investigate the possibility of building a system that would apply to their problem, and have an investment that could be amortized in a relatively short period. SPECIFICATIONS They employed the services of Allen and Garcia Co. of Chicago, Ill. Through combined efforts, a railroad car rope system was designed to specifications as shown in Fig. 1. The Falk Corp. of Milwaukee, Wis. built the hoist to the specifications as shown in Fig. 2. It has an all welded base and pedestals. The all welded drum is not grooved. A single helical gear was used in lieu of herring bone type. A Falk speed reducer, Unit 90Y3-A, is driven by a 25-hp 1800-rpm, 440-V ac type 'C' (high starting torque) drip-proof, Frame 324-U motor. The speed reducer shaft is equipped with a solenoid operated ac spring set shoe brake, operating on a 7-in. diam. brake wheel. The dolly car, shown in Fig. 3, was field constructed, using the trucks and frame of a railroad tank car. Truax-Traer did not alter the frame but added plates and anchors for hoist ropes and frames for 8.5 tons of concrete to be used as ballast on the car. The limit switch operating shoe was also installed and the car coupler latch mechanism overhauled. The hoist rope selected was 1% in. in diam., 6x37 improved plow steel extra flexible, right lay, regular lay, with independent wire rope core, and preformed. Wedge sockets were used to connect rope to the dolly car as shown in Fig. 4. The system employs two 30-in. and three 16-in. diam. sheaves. All are bronze bushed and equipped with grease fittings. Larger sheaves are used for directional change of hoist rope and the smaller ones as snub sheaves to correct fleet angle of rope as it approaches the hoist drum. The Trench lay cable, buried between the two tracks, is used for electrical distribution and controls between hoists and operator's cab. Foundations for the system required 187 cu yards of reinforced concrete using approximately 60 cu yd each at three locations. Four hoists are employed in the system, two for each track. A pair is interconnected electrically and when one operates, moving the cars, the tail hoist idles with brake released. The process is repeated for the reverse direction. A limit switch, mounted in the track near each end of the system, is tripped by the dolly car as it approaches the hoist. The limit switch controls movement in one direction only, protecting the dolly car and establishing positive con-

Jan 1, 1962

By R. E. Jenkins

The Bell Canyon member of the Delaware Mountain group has yielded quite a large number of fields in which completion and production problems have been numerous and complex. Reserves are difficult to estimate due to the problem of evaluating the formation water saturation, and the feasibility of water flooding is questionable. Extensive laboratory investigations were undertaken to determine if normally measured rock and contained fluids properties could account for many of the peculiar characteristics of the formation. A statistical study or routine core-analysis data was made. Capillary-pressure data were obtained by several techniques. Fresh-water and brine permeabilities were measured and relative permeabilities of oil, water and gas were determined. Some qualitative wetta-bility tests were performed, and the petrography of a few thin sections was studied. The results of this work are presented, with typical or average data shown for each test. The permeability -to- water characteristic of the Delaware was found to be abnormally poor. Correlations of laboratory and field performance data indicate high water saturations in much of the formation. Pore geometry is highly uniform. INTRODUCTION The Delaware formation has undergone extensive exploration and development in the past few years. This has resulted in the discovery of quite a number of fields—producing oil for the most part. A large percentage of the productive wells have produced water along with the oil. Often there is no apparent pattern for the percentage of water cut experienced. In several instances vertical displacments of over 200 ft have been established between communicating wells in which the formation appears to be about the same, yet the structurally high wells yield a much higher water cut than the lower wells. Drill-stem tests have contributed little to well completion because they nearly always show small amounts of water (usually mud filtrate), regardless of what is produced later in the life of the well. Other formation evaluation methods have had no more than limited success in indicating ultimate productivity. Consequently, predicting the type of fluid productivity of Delaware wells has been very difficult. Hydraulic fracture treatments are almost universal, and unstimulated Delaware wells have not exhibited the productivity that normally would be expected of wells with the specific permeabilities encountered. Some operators have indicated that their Delaware wells need frequent re-stimulation. The uncertainty of reservoir water saturations reported for the Delaware has made difficult the task of evaluating oil in place in the reservoirs and estimating primary recovery. The unreliability of this data also will cause feasibility studies for water flooding or other secondary-recovery methods to be problematical. Several opinions have been voiced to explain why the Delaware performs as it does. Chronically poor well completions, dynamic water and tilted water tables, capillary inequi-libria, peculiar relative permeability characteristics and oil-wetness are among the suggested reasons. The dual purpose of this paper is (1) to describe the principal rock characteristics, and (2) to present an evaluation of those characteristics so that approaches can be made to explain the irrational behavior of wells completed in the Delaware. STUDY OF ROUTINE CORE-ANALYSIS DATA A statistical study of routine core-analysis data has been made to relate fundamental rock properties and characteristics of the formation to well productivity. For the most part, well production data were obtained from operators and augmented by production data from commercial information services. Only data which were available in detail and which were considered to be accurate were used. The core data used were obtained on samples from the perforated or open interval only and, thus, may not always represent the total productive interval in a well. All the core-analysis data included in this study are from the Bell Canyon member of the Delaware and were obtained by "plug-type" techniques, as opposed to whole-core or full-diameter techniques. Porosity values were obtained by the summation-of-fluids technique, permeability values are air permeabilities corrected for slippage to an equivalent liquid permeability, and the oil and water contents were determined by means of a high-temperature downdraft retort. All the procedures used are discussed at length in Ref. I. The core-analysis data were sorted

By A. Phillips, D. H. Killpatrick, V. Kerlins

The tensile failure of two dispersion-strengthened Ni-20 Cr alloys was studied and compared to the fracture of a similar alloy with no dispersoid. The fracture characteristics were studied using electron fruc-tography and transmission electron microscopy. In all three cases, the mode of failure was found to be microvoid coalescence. The failure in the dispersion-strengthened alloys was found to have initiated at the particles. The size of the dimples in the fracto-graphs was found to be related to the spacing of the particles, but not to the total elongation before failure. The elongation before failure was found to be related only to the amount of dispersed phase. These results are compared to those predicted by a theoretical model of ductile failure. THE continually increasing strength requirements for creep-resistant materials capable of long life at service temperatures above 1600"F (875"C) have developed considerable interest in dispersion-strengthened nickel-base alloys. The high yield strength of these alloys results from the presence of a dispersion of fine particles of thoria which act to impede the normal motion of dislocations. Many theories have been presented to explain the role of the dispersion in the strengthening of these alloys. A good review of these theories is presented by Ansell.' The ultimate strength of such alloys is not only related to mechanisms raising the yield strength, but also to the amount of work-hardening which occurs. This work-hardening is determined by the work-hardening rate and the amount of plastic strain before failure. Since fracture limits the amount of plastic strain, a study was undertaken to gain a better understanding of the fracture mechanisms in these alloys. Electron fractography and transmission electron microscopy were used to study the fracture characteristics in two dispersion-strengthened alloys and one similar alloy containing no dispersoid. These results are related to the tensile properties of the dispersion-strengthened alloys at room temperature and at 2000°F (1095°C). The results are also related to a theory for ductile fracture. 1) PROCEDURE Standard tensile specimens were made from 0.020-in. (0.051-cm) sheets of three different Ni-Cr alloys. The alloys had nominal compositions of Ni-20Cr, Ni-20Cr-2Th0,, and Ni-2OCr-4Th0,. All alloys were supplied in an annealed condition. The specimens were fractured in tension at room temperature to determine the effect of the dispersed thoria on the fracture appearance. The tensile properties were determined from the average of a minimum of three ten- sile specimens for each condition tested. The fracture surface of all of the alloys was examined by electron microscopy using standard two-stage plastic-carbon replica techniques. Thin foils of the dispersion-strengthened alloys were used to investigate the size and spacings of the dispersion particles, and to investigate sections of the 2 pct thoria alloy taken from areas of the specimen adjacent to the fracture surface. The thin foils were mechanically ground to 0.010 in. (0.025 cm) and then chemically polished to approximately 0.001 in. (0.003 cm) in a solution of 29 g of ferric chloride and 10 ml hydrochloric acid in a liter of water. The polishing solution was maintained at 150"F (65°C) during the thinning operation. The final thinning of the foil was done electrolytically using a solution of 700 ml ethanol, 100 ml 2-butoxy eth-anol, 120 ml distilled water, and 78 ml perchloric acid (70 pct). The potential was maintained at 15 v and the bath temperature at -20°~ (-29°C) during the thinning operation. The final thickness of the foil was approximately l000A as determined from the width of twins boundaries observed in many of the foils. 2) RESULTS AND DISCUSSION The electron fractographs of the fracture surfaces of the alloys are shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 3. The normal interpretation of this type of fractographz is that, as a result of the difference between elastic and plastic properties of the matrix and the particles or other inhomogeneities in the alloy, microvoids are formed

Jan 1, 1969

By Anthony Tuke

Members of the Society of Mining Engineers may well regard it as rather unusual that a paper on this subject is being presented by someone whose first taste of mining came at the age of 60 or so - someone who last heard of cathodes and anodes in 1938. On the other hand, the title does refer to the financing of a mine and at least I can claim to have spent all my business life since the war until 1981 in the world of banking, though this inevitably means that I have been used to looking at these and other problems through what you might regard as the wrong end of the telescope. The lending of money, and more particularly the provision of finance for commerce and industry, is the central job of a banker and I have been involved in this in various ways over many years, but regrettably only very marginally in the world of mining. As you will see from what follows, the rather specialised form of finance which RTZ required was, to my regret, not provided by the British banking community since the great majority of the finance came from American banks and, to a lesser extent, from German banks. I am most indebted to Mr. Roy Wright for a great deal of the nuts and bolts in this paper. He was one of the three central figures in the growth and expansion of RTZ during the 1950's and 1960's and was right at the centre of the negotiations with bankers, with governments and with many others. The going, as you will see, was far from easy. The essential basis for the financing of each of the RTZ group's mining projects was a firm long-term sales contract for sufficient of the output of the particular mine to produce the cash flow necessary to service the loans. Wherever possible, loans were raised in the same currency as the sales contracts were made. Each sales contract was designed to give the customer the product he wanted with a long-term assurance of supply and at the same time to give the bankers the protection they required. Thus the marketing concept and the financing concept for a particular mine formed one overall plan, and talks with the customers and the bankers were conducted in parallel until a satisfactory marketing/financial package was agreed in principle. Preliminary talks were begun soon after the discovery of a potentially viable orebody. As confidence about a discovery increased, customers were persuaded to enter into contingent sales contracts before the very detailed and costly business of the economic and technical feasibility study of the mine was launched; such a study might cost 10% or more of the estimated total capital cost. At the same time provisional understandings were reached with the bankers. The contingent sales contracts usually gave a period of grace of eighteen months to two years, during which time the decision whether or not to continue with the mine had to be made. This decision rested mainly on the result of the feasibility study and also on coming to a firm agreement with the bankers. If all went well and the mine went ahead, then the contingent sales contracts became firm, but they fell away if the decision was negative. The Company was fortunate that during the whole period when its major mines were being developed, world trade was increasing rapidly and Japan was becoming a dominant industrial power. The Japanese supported many of the mines, including Hamersley Iron Ore, Lornex Copper, Bougainville Copper to name a few, with the basic long-term sales contracts that enabled their development. The Germans supported Palabora and to a lesser extent Bougainville. The mines were financed as individual projects generally with a loan/equity ratio of about 65/35, without legal recourse to RTZ for the loans. RTZ was, however, responsible for providing any capital overruns required to bring the mines into commercial operations. Nevertheless, the RTZ management regarded itself as morally responsible to the lenders because, Palabora aside, the sales contracts had either a fixed selling price (like Hamersley), an indexed price (like the Elliot Lake Uranium Mines and Mary Kathleen), or a floor price (as in Lornex, Bougainville and Rossing). Thus the Company believed that any financial failure would have been due to poor management or technical

Jan 1, 1985

Jan 1, 1920

Jan 1, 1953

By R. H. Frazier, C. H. Lorig, F. W. Boulger

This investigation establishes the effect of ferrite grain size resulting from various heat treatments on the transition temperature of a semikilled steel plate. Different austenitizing temperatures and various cooling rates were used. The ductile-brittle transition temperatures were determined by the Navy tear test and the keyhole Charpy test. THE data presented in this paper deal with quality characteristics of ship-plate material which were investigated in a research project sponsored at Battelle by the Bureau of Ships, Dept. of the Navy. Specifically, the object of this investigation was to establish the effect of ferritic grain size (resulting from various heat treatments) on the so-called transition temperature of ship-plate steel. Transition temperature is not a fixed property of steel. It is derived from a series of static or dynamic tests made at various temperatures and is qualified by specifying the type of test employed as well as the testing criteria. Because in earlier investigations of ship-plate quality1,2 the so-called Navy tear test and standard notched-bar tests (keyhole Charpy) proved to be useful in interpreting instances of brittle behavior of ship plate in service, these tests were used in the investigation reported in this paper. By definition,' in the Navy tear tests the highest temperature at which one or more of four specimens breaks with a brittle fracture (that is, when less than 50 pct of the fracture area has a dull fibrous texture) is termed "transition" temperature. In the Charpy tests, the 12 ft-lb level of energy absorption was used as a criterion indicating the "transition" temperature, although other levels of energy absorption were also used for comparison. Earlier work" on ship-plate steels indicated that the temperature at which ship plate is finished has a very significant effect on its notched-bar properties. Plates rolled in the laboratory, where the finishing temperature can be carefully controlled, showed a 16°F decrease in tear test transition temperature when the finishing temperature was lowered 200°F (from X" to Y°F). The same plates showed a drop of 10°F in the keyhole Charpy transition temperature from the same decrease in finishing temperature. Commercially finished plates' exhibit a similar trend. When the ferrite grain size of the hot-rolled laboratory plates was determined, a close relationship was found between the ferrite grain size and the notched-bar transition temperature." " he indicated relationship between grain size and transition temperature was in agreement with the findings on low carbon steels of Hodge, Manning, and Reichhold' despite the differences in composition of the steels. The cooling rate after rolling varies from one steel plant to another. This variation changes the micro-structure" and appears very likely to affect the notched-bar properties of the steel plates. In the investigation summarized in the present paper, heat treatments simulating finishing practices in the hot rolling of ship plate were used in order to vary the ferritic grain size. It is believed that the indicated relationship between grain size and transition temperatures of the ship-plate material will prove useful in estimating the effect of rolling temperature and of cooling rates from rolling temperatures on the notched-bar properties of semikilled steel plate. Material The semikilled steel plate used in this investigation was a ¾ in. hot-rolled plate from an open hearth heat. Other plates from this heat have been used on many other studies performed for the Ship Structure Committee," "," and the heat has been identified as project steel "A". The chemical composition of the plate1 was 0.25 pct C, 0.49 pct Mn, 0.011 pct P, 0.045 pct S, 0.04 pct Si, and 0.004 pct N.

Jan 1, 1956

By E. D. McMurry

INTRODUCTION Before discussing the use of the free piston; it may be well to explain briefly the type of gas lift valves with which the loo] is designed to function. The gas lift valve ii nothing more or less than a small back pressure regulator. It; construction consists of an outer hous ing covering a seamless metallic bellows in such a way as in form a sealed pressure vessel or pressure dome. To the bellow* in attached a stem and to this stem is attached a .rating member. When the valve is run into the hole, a pre-delermined pressure charge is placed in the pressure dome. As shown in Fig. 1. the valve is furnished in four different major assem-blies. to accomplish good results in different types of wells. The valve is mounted on a pup joint (Fig. 2a) : the eoin-plele assembly is entered into the tubing siring at the desired location. Each valve is furnished with a revere flow check valve (Fig. 2-b) to eliminate any back wash through the mechanism. Valve action is as follows: At any time the casing pressure is allowed to exceed the pressure forces within the pressure dome of the valve, the valve simply opens and passes gas from the rasing annulus into the tubing. When the casing pressure forces arc allowed to bleed to a force less than the pressure force within the dome, of the valve. the valve closes. With this type of construction. it is possible to open and close the valve or valves at will from the surface, the medium of the gas pressure in the rasing annnlus. The cycle of operation is governed by a tine cycle motor valve, commonly referred to as a gas lift interutitter or gas life surfacr controller (Fig. 3). In actual practice. after the well is unloaded only one valve is in operation . . . all other valve.: remain in the closed position. On pre-determined time cycles, it is possible to open and close this operating valve at will, and to pass the desired amount of gas through this valve wheneler needed. This method of gas lift is widelv used and has been found In be very efficient. However, it has long been known that even greater efficiency would be obtained if it were possible to place Piston between the injected gas and the fluid head. The free piston which will be discussed here was designed to accomplish this end and has been found to do so with very satisfactory results. DESIGN AND OPERATION OF THE FREE PISTON Basically. the free piston consist- of a telescoping assembly in which are incorporated the various control and operating parts (Fig. A set of sleeve valves which are opened and closed by movement of the telescoping section is contained in the. tool. A cross section of the free piston is shown in Fig. 4-11, 'rile main body cotain- a seamless monel bellows of the same type as that generally used in pressure charged gas lift valves (Fig. 4-c), and a valve core to permit placing a pressure charge in the bellows before the free piston is placed in service. The bellows is the main control unit of the free piston and performs two function: 1. It governs the opening and closing of the sleeve valves. a.: dictated by the producing activities of the well in which the piston is operating. 2. In its normal position, it holds a rubber packer in an elongated position to permit passage of fluid between the packer and the tubing walls. The lower section of the free piston contains a hydraulic shock absorber which cushions the return of the tool to its

Jan 1, 1953

By Henry S. Rawdon

The relation between the course, or path, of the fracture of metals and alloys, produced in service or as a result of certain laboratory tests, and the crystalline units of which such materials are composed is of utmost importance. The fracture of normal material is, in general, intracrystalline, i.e., it consists of a break across the grains rather than of a separation between them. An interorystalline fracture indicates either that the metal is of very inferior quality or that the break occurred under very unusual conditions, e.g., at a very high temperature. The usual mechanical tests, when applied to metals of the type that breaks with an intercrystalline fracture, merely measure the coherence of adjacent grains for one another and reveal little as to the real properties of the metal itself. Even such a soft plastic substance as lead, under suitable conditions, may be rendered so weak and brittle that the metal can be easily crumbled into powder by the fingers although the constituent grains have lost none of the intrinsic properties of lead. Various erroneous explanations of this behavior of lead have appeared in the scientific literature, the change being described usually as an allotropic one. The importance, in an industrial sense, of a proper explanation of this type of the corrosion of lead justifies the description of the type of metal deterioration that follows. Corroded Lead Sheathing In Figs. 1 and 2 are shown two typical specimens of corroded lead sheathing selected from materials submitted to the Bureau of Standards for examination. Fig; 1 shows a section of the sheathing of an aerial cable; Fig. 2, that of the lead covering of a subterranean feeder-line of an electric light system. In this case the deterioration had proceeded to a much great'er extent than in the case shown in Fig. 1 so that certain portions of the metal could easily be crumbled into a coarse gray powder by the fingers. This was particularly true of those portions of the sheathing

Jan 1, 1921

By Robert B. Hoy

If the reader finds that the basic information in a commodity chapter is insufficient, he can consult the appropriate sources in this chapter to find more detailed or more up-to-date information. In these days, technology develops so rapidly that this 5th edition will be somewhat out of date even by the time it is distributed. A comparison of this edition with the 4th edition (1975) of Industrial Minerals and Rocks will clearly demonstate how rapidly the scene changes. One of the best sources of new information, of course, is attendance at technical meetings. For example, the papers presented at the national and sectional meetings of AIME usually discuss new developments in the respective divisions of the society. Frequently this information is available in Preprints. In addition some are printed in Mining Engineering and/or the Transactions of the Society of Mining Engineers of AIME. Furthermore, other professional and trade journals contain articles pertinent to the field. A journal introduced in 1967, Industrial Minerals, published by the Metal Bulletin, Ltd., London, is an excellent source of information. The Mining Journal, Ltd., also in London, publishes a weekly journal, a Mining Magazine (monthly), and a Mining Annual Review. The latter covers the field from three aspects: (1) by commodities, (2) through technical developments, and (3) geographically. The Industrial Minerals Directory 1977, 1st ed., Metal Bulletin Books, Ltd., London, provides addresses of organizations in the field. Other useful magazines and periodicals include Engineering and Mining Journal, Pit and Quarry, Rock Products, and World Mining, all published in the United States. In addition many new books related to industrial minerals have been published since the 4th edition of Industrial Minerals and Rocks. Most of these are included in the bibliography of each chapter in this volume. Another excellent information source is the proceedings of the Forum on Geology of Industrial Minerals. This group, which held its 18th annual meeting in 1982, is sponsored by a state geological survey or another mineral agency on a rotational basis. The proceedings have been published by the various sponsors and are available as indicated in Table 1. Two major sources of basic industrial mineral and rock data in the United States, and also a good source for many foreign countries, are the US Geological Survey and the US Bureau of Mines. The two agencies publish many reports and maps on a variety of geological and mining subjects. In addition, each agency has an indexed list of all their publications with a free service announcing new publications: New Publications of the Geological Survey, US Geological Survey, 329 National Center, Reston, VA 22092 and New Publications-Bureau of Mines, Publications Distribution Branch, US Bureau of Mines, 4800 Forbes Ave., Pittsburgh, PA 15213. The US Bureau of Mines (USBM) publishes annually Minerals Yearbooks which provide statistical data on mineral products including production, consumption, imports and exports, as well as information on new developments. Another very useful USBM series is called Mineral Facts and Problems. Editions were published in 1960, 1965, 1970, and 1975. Four major series of publications by the Bureau are Information Circulars, Reports of Investigations, Mineral Trade Notes, and Minerals and Materials. The last two are particularly good for news of foreign developments. The Bureau of Mines Employee Directory, available at all USBM offices, lists addresses and telephone numbers for all offices as well as same for all commodity and area specialists.

Jan 1, 1983