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By H. V. Winchell

It seems to me that uniformity of mining law in North America must of necessity start with uniformity in each country. I understand that the Provinces of Canada have the right to make their own individual laws and conditions, to prescribe the terms under which the prospector or the applicant for mineral titles may secure the same. That is not true of the states in the United States. In this country, the Federal Mining Law was made applicable to the public domain, which, at the time of the adoption of this Act in 1872, was chiefly west of the Missouri River; it is impossible to locate a mining claim in most of our eastern states. It is true, however, that there are certain holdover rights, mostly obsolete, arising from the fact that at the time of the formation of the Confederation of States, the land that belonged to each state became the property of the Federal Government. I am not quite correc-t in that, it was sometime after the adoption of our Constitution, I think it was 1778, but those rights were largely, by agreement, surrendered to the Federal Government; but it is a fact that the great acquisitions of territory in the West, with the single exception of Texas, were of domain that came into the possession of the Federal Government and our Federal Mining Law applies to that territory. No state has the right to (by legislative enactment) enlarge upon the rights given by the Federal Mining Law, governing the acquisition of mining claims in its territory, within its boundaries. Each state, however, may, and some of them do, limit somewhat the rights given to the prospector. For instance, the Federal Mining Law provides that a claim may be taken, staked upon the public domain, of 600 ft. in width and 1500 ft. in length. Some of the states, like South Dakota and Colorado, have at times said "that is an excessive amount of land for a single mining claim; we will therefore limit it to 300 ft. or 200 ft. in width." There is, therefore, not any direct and immediate need for uniformity of mining laws in the United States, such as there might possibly be if it were considered at all desirable upon the whole in Canada. The initiation of mining rights under the Federal Mining Act is the act of discovery of valuable mineral in place, referring now to the lode mining claims, but the same is true of the placer claim. It is true that the emphasis has never been laid upon the word valuable and that

Jan 1, 1920

By L. G. Graper, E. L. Ramsey

THE present program of increased production of armament and lend-lease material for mechanized war has created a problem for the shops that must do the machining. They have naturally turned to the steel producers to provide them with a steel that can be accurately machined with the greatest possible speed. The adding of sulphur to steel as an aid to machinability has long been practiced; however, it may cause red shortness in rolling and may result in billets with seams and cracks, which must be removed before rolling can be continued. This conditioning of billets slows down production and adds to the cost of making steel. Experience with various grades of sulphur steel made to different specifications has shown that Bessemer sulphur steels roll better than similar grades made in the open hearth, and also that low-carbon steels that are open or semi-killed as tapped roll better than completely deoxidized or killed steels. This has led to the belief that oxygen plays an important part in the rolling qualities of sulphur-bearing steels. It is generally held that the red shortness of sulphur steels is due to the low melting point of the sulphide compounds that separate out at the grain boundaries when the steel solidifies. At the rolling temperature of steel these sulphide compounds melt and cause cracking. ADDING SULPHUR AS A SULPHITE These difficulties can be avoided if sulphur is introduced into the steel by means of an anhydrous sulphite, such as sodium sulphite or sodium bisulphite, which-upon decomposition-forms sulphur dioxide. It is assumed that, in this case, the oxygen of the sulphur dioxide forms part of the sulphide inclusions in the steel, and raises their solidification temperature enough so that the formation in the steel of a low-melting eutectic is prevented. The result is the prevention of hot shortness and a more uniform distribution of inclusions. Fig, I shows photomicrographs of steels made with sulphur, while Fig, 2 illustrates the structure of steels made with sodium bisulphite. These samples were cut from the steels as cast-that is, before rolling and were polished and lightly etched to bring out the grain boundaries. Fig. I shows that sulphide inclusions segregate more or less at the grain boundaries, and it can be seen how the continuity of these low-melting inclusions would cause red shortness. Fig. 2 shows that the sulphide inclusions are more or less uniformly distributed throughout the matrix. This arrangement of inclusions has no apparent effect on the rolling qualities of a steel. This statement has been substantiated by the observation of the rolling of over 6000 tons of steel made with a sulphite addition. RESULTS As stated before, the sulphur dioxide is added to steel by means of the decompcsi-

Jan 1, 1942

AT the meeting of the Board of Directors held on June 25, 1926, and in response to numerous in-dividual suggestions for changes, a committee on Re-vision of the Constitution and By-Laws of the Insti-tute was appointed, consisting of C. F. Rand, Archi-bald Douglas and H. Foster Bain. Various confer-ences were held, much correspondence conducted and a preliminary draft was prepared. It proved imprac-ticable to complete the work in time to submit the matter to the membership for approval or disapproval at the annual meeting in 1927, and the Committee was continued with instructions to prepare a report as a basis of action in 1928. After Mr. Rand's death George Otis Smith was appointed in his place and the tentative draft herewith submitted has been pre-pared in its present form by Messrs. Smith, Douglas and Bain, though not differing in any material mat-ter from an earlier draft approved by Mr. Rand. In preparing this the Committee has kept in mind primarily the desirability of simplification and of making the By-Laws conform to the actual practice of the Institute as worked out through experience. The Constitution and By-Laws adopted in 1912, and which with minor amendments only still govern the Insti-tute, are full of specific provisions regarding pro-cedure; such as that laid down for guidance of the Papers and Publications Committee. Many of these have proved unworkable and in practice have not been always strictly followed. It now seems wise to write into the Constitution and By-Laws only the general fun-damental principles to he followed and to provide for such easy change in methods of following them out as will permit efficient conduct of the business. It is this thought that has guided the Committee in rewrit-ing many of the sections. With this in view also the Constitution, as such, has been shortened to the brief-est feasible statement of fundamentals. All matters relating to means of making these principles effec-tive have been put into the By-Laws or in the hands of committees whose work is subject to control and whose rules are subject to approval or disapproval by the Board of Directors. Many suggestions for changes have come to the Committee that have not been incorporated in this draft. Some of these are in themselves excellent but have not been incorporated here because the Commit-tee discovered no sentiment for them such as would be likely to secure their approval, or found them out of harmony with the general plan followed herein.

Jan 9, 1927

By Major N. R. Junner

Although manganese-garnets are rarely seen in hand specimens of the manganese ores and associated rocks, they have been detected by the writer in thin sections of all the ores and wall rocks that have been sliced, with the single exception of the Insuta deposit. Rhodonite, and an almost colorless amphibole, which appears to be manganiferous, are less common. Types of Occurrence (a) Rocks Composed of Manganese-garnet and Quartz The best known examples of this type are from near Bole and Wa in the Northern Territories of the Gold Coast, and from near Chama in the Gold Coast Colony. Normally these are fine and even-grained rocks, in which the garnets cannot be recognized in hand specimens. They are often stained with secondary manganese oxide. Thin sections examined microscopically are seen to be composed of aggregates of minute crystals of garnet in a matrix of mosaic quartz. Some manganese oxide and braumite (?) is often present, but other minerals are exceptional. The relative proportions of garnet and quartz in these rocks vary greatly and there is a complete gradation from quartz-rock to garnet-rock. (6) Rocks Composed Mainly of Manganese-garnet and Manganese Oxides Rocks of this type are known from Kalimbi Hill near Siripe, Pabini Hill near Bangwon, near Odumase and Konongo, and in the Ya Ya creek, about 5 miles east of Dunkwa. These are usually fine-grained banded dark-colored rocks, composed of abundant minute garnets in a matrix of black manganese oxide and braunite (?). A little microcrystalline is often present, and occasionally a little colorless amphibole. quartz (c) Rocks Composed of Rhodonite and Manganese-garnet Rocks of this type are not common. They are known from near Chama, and from the road between Senyong and Mangkuma. Some quartz is usually present. All these rocks resemble closely in texture and composition certain rocks from India, described by Fermorl as "gondite;" and they also resemble certain rocks described by Derby2 from the Queluz district,

Jan 1, 1927

By Edward Wisser

The environment of an ore body is taken to mean not only its physical surroundings but every factor, passive or active, that conditioned the ore shoot, saving only the original composition of the solutions that formed the shoot. Collection of data related to the shape and characteristics of veins should be followed by correlation of the data and the formulation of generalizations regarding ore formation. The nature of the criteria used in arriving at these generalizations is discussed. Certain of the criteria, when used with an understanding of their underlying causes, become "ore-guides." In the course of his study the geologist must not confine himself to the immediate surroundings of the veins, but should attempt to work out the geologic history of events culminating in the crucial epoch for any mining district, the period of mineralization. The work may involve study of features far removed from the veins and related to them only indirectly. It commonly means thorough study of the geology of the entire region surrounding the ore deposits. The following question has been suggested for discussion: "Are there any criteria by which one can determine when mining operations have reached the roots of an ore deposit?" The question deals less with the roots of a particular ore body than with the lower limit of the vertical range within which ore bodies may be expected. It concerns a critical line upon the longitudinal vertical projection of a vein.† Below this line it is useless to look for ore shoots; above the line exploration below the bottoms of individual ore shoots may be justified. Can we learn to determine the position of such a line? In some multivein districts the line for any given vein may be approximated by simple interpolation or extrapolation. Where this is possiblc the bottoms of the lowest ore shoots in the various veins are points on an imaginary, gently rolling surface. The trace of this surface upon the vein is our critical line for that vein. The imaginary surface rolls so gently that it may be projected from two or more known veins to an unexplored vein near by. Here is a criterion for the bottoming of ore that has nothing to do with changes in the appearance of the vein in question; it rests solely on the depth at which the ore bottomed in adjacent veins. The method is not applicable in districts only slightly explored in depth, nor where the lower limit of the ore-bearing horizons

Jan 1, 1941

By Gerald A. Munson, Fremont F. Clarke

DURING recent years the use of lithium has expanded greatly in industrial, chemical, and metallurgical fields, while at the same time modernized methods of mining and refining lithium have increased production. Technical literature includes many papers describing the geology and mineralogy of lithium deposits. Mining and beneficiating problems, however, have not been thoroughly described. Published reports have failed to emphasize that one of the chief reasons lithium minerals were not extensively mined until recently is the difficulty of beneficiation. Four lithium minerals of pegmatites and the lithium-sodium-phosphate byproduct from the brines at Searles Lake, Calif., have been sources of lithium. Among the pegmatite minerals, only spodu-mene and petaline are known to occur in deposits large enough to support large tonnage operations. Spodumene, a lithium-aluminum-silicate, is the principal lithium mineral mined in the U. S. Lithium Corp. of America, during its rapid development and growth, has successfully employed three different methods of concentration: 1) hand sorting, 2) Heavy Media separation, and 3) froth flotation. Each method, though economic in its sphere, is becoming outdated as extractive techniques improve. The most recent development has taken place at Lithium Corp.'s new operation in North Carolina, where the extractive process yields lithium compounds directly from mined rock without an intervening concentrating step. Until 1954 Lithium Corp. mined only in the southern part of the Black Hills of South Dakota, where the various types of lithium-bearing pegmatite could be used to develop untried processes of beneficiation. Concentrates from these operations are shipped to the corporation's chemical plant in St. Louis Park, Minn., where actual extraction of lithium and production of commercial compounds takes place. Nature of Deposits The geology of the southern Black Hills pegmatite deposits is admirably presented by a U. S. Geological Survey publication.' Only the factors pertinent to exploitation need be mentioned here. Lithium Corp. has been interested primarily in three deposits, the Edison, the Mateen, and the Longview-Beecher No. 2. The history of these deposits dates back to the mining boom of 1880 to 1900 in the Black Hills, when most of the deposits were prospected for tin by the ill-fated Harney Peak Tin Mining Co. The three deposits described here, however, lay idle and unwanted until Lithium Corp. opened the Edison mine in 1943 and the Mateen and Longview-Beecher No. 2 in 1951. Edison Deposit: The Edison deposit is about a mile southeast of Keystone, S. D., on the northeastern flank of the Harney Peak uplift. The deposit consists of no less than four and probably at least six separate pegmatites that coalesce in a central mass from which the individual pegmatites finger outward and downward in complexly folded schist and gneiss beds of the country rock.

Jan 1, 1956

By J. B. Clark

An exploratory study of the 60 wt pct Mg and 80 wt pct Mg sections of the solid constitution in the magnesium-rich region of the Mg-Al-Ca-Zn system was undertaken. The objective of the investigation was to determine the general configuration of the phase fields with respect to the magnesium solid solution in this complex system. The 335°C (635°F) tetrahedron was selected for study because the solid constitutions of the bounding ternary systems—Mg-Al-Zn,1 Mg-A1-Ca,2 Mg-Ca-zn3—were well known and, at least in these ternary systems, diffusion was rapid enough at 335°C for equilibrium to be reached fairly rapidly. Metallography and powder X-ray diffraction were selected as the best corroboratory methods for determining the solid phase equilibria. A total of forty-six quaternary alloys on the 60 wt Mg and 80 wt Mg sections were prepared, annealed to equilibrium at 335°C, and the phases present identified. Singly sublimed (99.99 pct) magnesium, electrolytic (99.99 pct) zinc, high-purity (99.99 pct) aluminum, and USP calcium were alloyed in graphite crucibles under a chloride flux and chill cast into a split graphite mold. Alloy samples were sealed under argon in Pyrex vials and annealed at 335°C ± 1/2° for a minimum of 500 hr. At the conclusion of the anneal, the alloy samples were quenched rapidly in ice water. Standard metallographic procedures for magnesium alloys were used. Powder X-ray diffraction patterns were taken on a G. E. Camera with a diameter of 14.32 cm using nickel filtered copper radiation. The phase equilibria in the 60 wt pct Mg section of the 335°C (635°F) tetrahedron is shown in Fig. 1. The complex equilibria in the zinc-rich region were not accurately determined and are shown only tentatively with dotted lines. The equilibria of the three bounding ternary 335°C sections from pure magnesium to 60 wt pct Mg are also shown as though folded away from the tetrahedron. The 80 wt pct Mg section has the same configuration of phase fields as that shown in Fig. 1. Thus it is reasonable to conclude that in higher magnesium sections, the same relative configuration of phase fields is maintained though the relative proportions of the individual phase fields may change slightly as the magnesium solid solution is approached. Note that all the ternary phases present in these ternary diagrams enter into the quaternary equilibria with the exception of the phase of the Mg-Al-Zn system which becomes unstable with the addition of as little as 1/2 pct Ca. No quaternary intermetallic phases were found. No liquid phase was detected in any of the quaternary alloys annealed at 335°C suggesting that if a quaternary eu-tectic exists, it must lie between 335°C and 339°C, the temperature of the ternary eutectic in the Mg-Al-Zn system.

Jan 1, 1962

By P. P. Scott, George C. Howard

A field remedial procedure utilizing a kerosene-cement slurry as a water plug-off agent in fractured formations was evaluated both in the laboratory and in the field. This procedure has proved to be capable of effectively shutting off water without causing permanent impairment of the oil production. Success was attributed to the fact that an immobile cement slurry, when placed in a water-producing strata, will set and form an impermeable barrier; whereas when placed in an oil-producing section the cement will retain a relatively high permeability and may be removed by acidizing. INTRODUCTION One of the most perplexing problems facing the oil industry is the selective exclusion of water production from oil or gas-producing wells. This problem has been studied by many investigators in an attempt to develop a material that is not only capable of reducing water production but is also capable of being selective in that it will not impair oil production in either fractured or intergranular type reservoirs. A study of these two types of formations indicated that two distinct types of materials for controlling water production might be required — a completely liquid plugging agent for intergranular formations and a semi-liquid or slurry type plugging agent for fractured formations. This paper is limited to the control of water production from fractured formations. A common source of water in the vicinity of oil bearing rock reservoirs is water which previously has entered and, because of its higher density, generally lies near the bottom of the formation. When the deepest point of penetration of a well into such an oil and water-bearing formation is above the level of the water, and the dynamical gradients due to the flow of oil overbalance the difference in densities between oil and water, water production becomes a problem. Then the water level rises in the shape of a cone and is produced from the lower depths. Other investigators1,2,3,4 have developed theories which define the pressure gradients and contours of this cone in a homogeneous formation and have shown that the placement of a plug in the bottom of a well is only slightly effective in temporarily reducing the flow of water. Assuming that the manner of flow of bottom water from fractured formations to a well is generally similar to the flow in homogeneous formations, then it would be expected that some form of coning, perhaps of less symmetry, would also occur. Then, because of the similarity of the manner of flow of water, placement of a vertical plug in a fractured formation would also probably be ineffectual for controlling water production. However, as has been shown by electric model flow study,' the placing of a plug in a well and an impermeable horizontal streak in the formation might prove to be a means for materially reducing or even eliminating water production in a fractured formation. An indication of the difference in effectiveness between horizontal and vertical plugs based on theory developed from study of the flow of water and oil in rock reservoirs is depicted in Fig. 1. These curves show the expected

Jan 1, 1955

By J. S. Marsh

JOSEPH PRIESTLEY prepared oxygen on Aug. 1, 1774, and noted with great surprise "that a candle burned in this air with a remarkable brilliant flame." On Aug. 2, 1774, some ironmaker possibly began to wonder if this substance could be used to increase his rate of production; at any rate, there is no disputing the fact that the notion of using oxygen for steelmaking in concentrations greater than that available in great abundance-as air-has been in existence for years. Action was delayed by the lack of enough oxygen at a cost within reach of the steelmaker. Within the last several years enough has been available to permit large-scale tests of its use for both combustion, with which this paper is concerned, and for decarburization. The literature is now enormous and easily available; it is sufficient here to cite three items of historic- importance in that all are about 25 years old and in that all are remarkably consistent as far as they go, with what is known today.1,2,3 SIGNIFICANCE OF HIGH-TEMPERATURE HEAT The principal 'function of the open-hearth furnace is to supply sufficient, high-temperature heat to melt the charge and then to increase its temperature to a range suitable for tapping, ordinarily in the neighborhood of 2900°F. That heat is required to make steel everybody; however, there seems to be some confusion now and then about the significance of high-temperature heat. Transfer of energy-and heat is energy is always from a point of higher potential to a point of lower potential and, other things being equal, the greater the potential difference, the greater is the rate of transfer of energy. In the open hearth the flame, of course, is the high-potential source. Perhaps the most satisfactory approach is through the notion of theoretical flame temperature; which is the ratio of heat input to the heat content of the combustion products,* the former is composed mainly of heat of combustion of the fuel plus sensible heat of the fuel plus sensible heat of the combustion air. Thus, flame temperature can be increased by increasing the value of the numerator, by decreasing the value of the denominator, or both. The first method is as old as the open-hearth process and, of course, makes use of preheated air; its possibilities have been by no means exhausted. The second method can be put into effect only by changing the composition of the combustion air, since the combustion of a given quantity of fuel produces a definite quantity of product, and since the denominator includes the non-reactive fraction of the air, principally nitrogen. In other words, the denominator consists of the volume of exit gas multiplied by its heat capacity and that volume consists of carbon l is understood by dioxide and water vapor as reaction

Jan 1, 1948

By Phillip B. Bucky, Fred D. Wright

The present known petroleum reserves are limited, and unless important new fields are discovered the Nation will be dependent, in the not too distant future, upon imports or upon synthetic liquid fuels to supplement domestic petroleum supplies. As a national defense measure, it would appear desirable to develop a substitute source of liquid fuels within the borders of the country if new discoveries of petroleum should Prove disappointing. Congress undoubtedly had this in mind when it passed the Synthetic Liquid Fuels Act (78th Congress, approved April 5, 1944). The act directed the Bureau of Mines to construct and operate demonstration plants for producing synthetic liquid fuels from coal and oil shale, and from forestry and agricultural products. As a part of this program, the Bureau of Mines has built a demonstration plant at Anvil Points, near Rifle, Colo., for retorting the oil shale, and has developed a mine to supply the plant with oil shale. At the beginning of mining operations, the physical qualities of the oil shale, which would have a bearing upon the selection of mining methods and practices for exploiting the deposits, were largely unknown. A comprehensive mining-research program has been set up to determine the best methods and practices to follow to obtain the lowest overall practicable mining cost for producing the oil shale on a large scale. Unusually low mining costs will be necessary for shale oil to be produced commercially. Consideration now is being given to exploiting a series of flat-lying beds 70 ft thick by a room-and-pillar method of three benches with the advance heading at the top. This report is one of a series giving the results obtained in research on mining problems, The structure and physical qualities of the oil shale indicate that the 70-ft interval of the oil-shale measure can be safely mined in open stopes; studies indicate that this method would be the most economical one to use.' As labor will be a major item of expense, the largest equipment that could be operated efficiently in the workings would be required to obtain the lowest practicable mining Cost. It Was therefore desirable to know the maximum safe span of unsupported rooms and the size of pillars necessary to support the overburden. This paper describes the work done at the Columbia School of Mines Barodynamic Laboratory in determining the maximum safe unsupported roof spans and the minimum safe pillar dimensions for the oil-shale mine at Rifle, Colo.

Jan 1, 1949

By R. J. Colony

THE failure, or disintegration, of concrete in structures, even when the cement, sand, and coarse aggregate used have passed satisfactorily all tests and inspections, is not uncommon. Such failures occur even when proper methods of mixing and placing have been used and where, weather conditions were correct. In these cases, the origin of the trouble must be sought in the cement, therefore some additional mode of determining the quality of cement must be employed. The problem is to find a simple, usable; easily applied method that will supplement the standard tests. The solution of this problem in-volves a knowledge of the chemical composition of Portland cements, also of their constitution (or componental composition), as the behavior of a cement, when gaged, is dependent on the physical and chemical characters of the compounds of which it is composed, the proportions existing between them, and the fineness of grinding. It is likewise essential to know the character, behavior, and composition of the hydration, products of Portland cement. The most promising method of attack makes use of chemical, mechanical, and petrographic methods. Chemical, by determining quantitatively not only the usual constituents, but the carbon dioxide and water. Mechanical, by determining the fineness with the air analyzer,1 which separates into fractions of various grain dimensions all of that portion, which in the ordinary sieve test passes the 200-mesh sieve and constitutes at least 75 per cent. of the total cement. These fractions may be further studied chemically and petrographically and micrometric measurements made of the grains. Petrographic, by the method of immersion, and by making thin sections from test pats of both neat cements and standard` mortars.

Jan 1, 1921

By C. E. Shoenfelt

The year 1939 witnessed the rapid development of several of the more important Rocky Mountain oil and gas areas and the discovery of new oil and gas fields. As a further result of an active year, many oil fields had their productive limits greatly extended or responded to deeper drilling with oil production in lower horizons. In Colorado there was a substantial increase in refinery capacity, with three new units constructed. Its contribution to the crude-oil supply was an important extension of the producing area of a Western Slope field and a deeper oil-producing horizon in an old field east of the Front Range. Occurrences of gas were reported in two wells in northwestern Colorado, but severe winter weather prevented tests and the value of these discoveries cannot be determined at this time. Montana's northern fields were extended and a number of record wells were completed. The North Cut Bank area gives promise of wide expansion in 1940. The gas-producing area of Wyoming's Elk Basin field was extended into Montana on the north plunge of the anticline. The most important developments in Wyoming oil fields in 1939 were extensions to the producing area of Lance Creek and the discovery of a deeper pay in the Tensleep formation at Wertz dome. A new gas field at Horn Valley in the south central part of the state was the only new field discovered, but wildcatting was at low ebb in Wyoming in 1939. Colorado In Colorado, the year 1939 saw the completion of several interesting tests, but largely with negative results. Oil was discovered, however, in a deeper sand in the old Fort Collins field and the productive area of the Wilson Creek field was extended. Gas had been noted in two Western Slope wells, at Yellowjacket-Buford and at Trull, but their volumes had not been determined at the end of the year. Of principal interest, however, were the failures, descriptions of which will be given presently. One of these established a new depth record for Colorado.

Jan 1, 1940

By L. A. Rapport, J. R. McCord, W. P. Drews, K. H. Coats

Water movement about an oil or gas reservoir can be predicted provided an aquifer influence function is known. This function is generally determined from an electric analyzer study or by fitting an idealized mathematical model to field data. A prohlem arises in determining that influence function which best reproduces field data and satisfies certain smoothness requirements, without making any idealizations concerning aquifer geometry and heterogeneity. This study shows the problem to be solvable through the linear programming technique and presents applications to one oil reservoir and two gas storage reservoirs. In addition, a theorem is stated and proven which confirms influence junction smoothness requirements heretofore accepted on physical intuition and establishes additiotzal smoothness constraints formerly not recognized. INTRODUCTION The pressure decline accompanying production results in water encroachment into oil and gas reservoirs situated adjacent to aquifers. The importance of this water movement derives from the significant dependence of production rate upon reservoir pressure and of pressure, in turn, upon water encroachment. Pressure and rate of water movement are uniquely related through an "influence" function which may be in the form of reservoir pressure response to a unit water encroachment rate or of water movement caused by a unit reservoir pressure drop. This influence function reflects the heterogeneity and geometry of the aquifer and is therefore particular to each reservoir. If the influence function is known, then reservoir pressure may be predicted from a production rate schedule, or vice-versa, with the aid of the material balance equation which relates water influx to reservoir production and pressure. The problem of determining this influence function for a given reservoir has been approached in three different ways. Van Everdingen and Hurst calculated and tabulated certain influence functions pertinent to idealized mathematical models which satisfy simplifying assumptions such as aquifer homogeneity and elementary reservoir-aquifer geometries.' Other studies developed additional tables for a variety of elementary reservoir-aquifer geometrical con- figurations and demonstrated their validity and utility.:' Hicks, et al. described the use of an electrical network to determine an influence function giving "best" match of field history and allowing prediction of future performance.' Finally, Hutchinson and Sikora5 and Katz, Tek and Jones attempted to develop a calculation method for deriving the influence function directly from field data with no idealizing assumptions concerning aquifer geometry and homogeneity. They encountered difficulties with inaccuracies in field data and with satisfaction of well-known smoothness requirements of the influence function. This study is concerned with the determination of influence functions from field data and, more specifically, treats the following problem: given field pressure-production data of arbitrary accuracy, how does one determine the influence function which, subject to satisfaction of known smoothness requirements, gives best agreement with field history? A rigorous solution to this problem is ohtained through linear programming as described below. Example applications to one oil and two gas storage reservoirs are presented. In addition, a theorem is proved which confirms influence function smoothness requirements heretofore accepted on physical intuition and establishes additional smoothness requirements formerly not recognized.

Jan 1, 1965

By H. Stuart, L. Zwell, N. Ridley

specimen that was subjected to 700°C for 250 hr is shown in Fig. 2(c). The precipitates in this foil appear round and exhibit only very faint strain contrast. From this evidence, along with that described above for the symmetry of the strain field, it may be concluded that this coherent precipitate is spherical, which is generally the favored shape for coherent precipitates when the lattice parameter mismatch is small.12 These observations are consistent with the assumption that this precipitate is the y' (Ni3Al, Ti) phase. y' is known to be spherical in the early stages of precipitation. It is fcc and is similar in composition to the matrix and thus would have contrast similar to that of the matrix as do these precipitates. Direct identification of the spherical precipitate did not prove possible because of its low volume fraction and small size. The results of this investigation suggest that the increases in yield strength and the decreases in elongation observed in 45-Fe 30-Ni 20-Cr alloys containing about 0.4 pct A1 and 0.4 pct Ti on prolonged aging at 550" to 700°C are very likely due to the presence of a coherent, spherical precipitate, thought to be y'. Mi-crohardness measurements indicated that the precipitation of semicoherent M23C6 resulted in some matrix hardening. However, this precipitation process occurs much more rapidly than the changes in mechanical properties at these temperatures. 1C. L. Clark, J. J. B. Rutherford, A. B. Wilder, and M. A. Cordovi: J. Eng. Power, 1962, vol. 84, p. 258. 2 F. A. Comprelli and U. E. Wolff: USAEC Report GEAP-4745, General Electric Company November, 1964. 3C. N. Spalaris: A Monograph, USAEC Report GEAP-4633, General Electric Company, July, 1964. THERE have been many X-ray investigations of the room temperature lattice parameters of austenite which has been retained in quenched steels of various carbon contents. The results of these investigations have been collected by Wrazej,1 Wever et al.,2 and by Roberts3 and are included in Fig. 1 due to Pearson.4 The dashed line in Fig. 1 was considered by Roberts3 to most reliably describe the variation with carbon content of the lattice parameter of retained austenite. This line is given by the equation: a (Å) = 3.555 + 0.044 wt % C and recent unpublished measurements by one of the authors (LZ) support this relationship. The object of this communication is to draw attention to a relationship which describes the variation of the room temperature lattice parameter of 'equilibrium' austenite with carbon content, and which is different from that for retained austenite. The relationship a(Å) = 3.573 + 0.033 wt % C has been obtained from lattice parameter measurements made on equilibrium Fe-C austenites at elevated temperatures, which have been extrapolated to room temperature. The room temperature lattice parameter of 3.555Å which the Roberts' relationship gives for pure y-Fe is no: in agreement with the value of 3.573Å obtained when the high temperature lattice parameter data of Basinski et aL.5 and of Goldschmidt6 is extrapolated to room temperature. A linear extrapolation was

Jan 1, 1970

By Ebert L. J., G. Sachs, Jr. Brown W. F.

It is a generally recognized fact that a steel quenched from the austenitic range and tempered to yield a structure composed of tempered martensite becomes increasingly more ductile with increasing tempering temperature. However, the conventional tensile test fails to yield any value that is sensitive to differences in behavior on tempering among the various low-alloy steels or among different heats of a particular steel. The notched impact bending test, on the other hand, has been recognized for a considerable length of time as capable of revealing differences in impact properties among various steels tempered to 'the same strength level (i.e., the same tensile strength in a conventional tensile test). However, this test is very complex and its significance has not been clarified up to the present time. Of its three characteristic features—the high speed, the notch, and the bending—the notch has been found by Davidenkov2 to be the most potent embrittling factor. Recent investigations on low-alloy steels have shown static notch-bar tensile tests to be more lucid and to evaluate the metal properties in much the same manner as impact tests. In an attempt to analyze the fundamental nature of this test, it was found possible to separate the effects of the two basic characteristics of the stress pattern introduced by the presence of a circumferential notch, the stress state and the high initial stress concentration at the notch bottom. The major conclusions drawn from these previous investigations were as follows: I. The magnitude of the triaxiality at fracture depends primarily on the initial notch depth. Its effect is a great reduction in the average ductility (contraction in area at fracture in the notched section) as compared with that observed in uniaxial tension. This triaxial stress state occurs at a point in the interior of the notch specimen. It determines the notch ductility if the notch is mild and/or the metal possesses a considerable ductility. On the contrary, brittle specimens probably fracture on the metal surface (at the notch bottom) at which point biaxial stress state is present. This biaxiality also considerably reduces the ductility of the metal. For small notch ductilities the notch strength and the notch ductility become very sensitive to embrittling factors. This is contrary to the behavior. of the ductility values derived from a conventional tensile test, which are comparatively insensitive.

Jan 1, 1947

By Howard J. Smith

At the meeting of this Institute in February 1933,I presented a paper on potash development in southeastern New Mexico1, which contained a brief review of the Geological Survey's 20-year search for commercial sources of soluble potash minerals and of the events that led to the discovery, exploration, and first development of the deposits in that state. AS a more comprehensive review of the subject was published in December2, the present paper is intended only to discuss recent developments in the domestic potash industry, particularly in New Mexico. A summary of the findings of potash in the Permian Basin, by G. R. Mansfield and W. B. Lang, geologists of the United States Geological Survey, is now in process of publication by the University of Texas and will be omitted from this paper. In New Mexico prospecting for potassium salts during the past two years has increased materially the known area of commercial deposits; development has resulted in an increase from one to three in the number of shafts and the starting of a fourth; an increase of annual productive capacity to 1,000,000 tons of crude salts, or 250,000 tons of K2O; and an increase in annual refining capacity to 140,000 tons of muriate of 62.5 per cent grade. Construction has been completed to increase still further the production of high-grade salts. In California the American Potash & Chemical Co., operating on Searles Lake brines, has increased its plant capacity from about 100,000 tons to 180,000 tons of muriate a year and is now producing soda ash and salt cake in addition to potash and borax. Potash production from cement-plant and industrial-alcohol wastes remains unimportant.

Jan 1, 1938

By Frederick G. Tickell

Petroleum engineers are displaying considerable interest in those fundamental properties of matter and energy that control the phenomena of oil and gas production. The subject is a difficult one to investigate by laboratory experiments for two reasons: (1) it is impossible to reproduce in the laboratory the scale of forces and dimensions that exist in the underground reservoir; (2) if we attempt to scale down the dimensions we are unable to reduce all proportionally. It is as if we tried to construct a model blast furnace for the reduction of iron ore, and reduced all lineal dimensions. We should find that the interstices between the miniature chunks of ore would not permit rapid transfer of gases, that combustion and heat transfer would not take place as in the full size furnace and that, in short, the contraption would not work. Just so, when we attempt to make a reduced scale oil field we find we must have, not only miniature reservoir and miniature wells, but "miniature" sand, 011, gas, etc. Much valuable work, however, has been done along these experimental lines and more will no doubt follow, but investigators should bear this point in mind and strive to attain dimensional homogeneity and dynamical similarity in order that their conclusions may be translated into terms applying to the oil reservoir. As Gibson says,' "These conditions are attained when all terms of the physical equation have the same dimensions, . . . when all corresponding particles of the two systems trace out similar paths and when the velocities are such as to make all corresponding forces acting on two such particles in the same ratio." It is the purpose of this paper to discuss the mechanics of fluid movement as it pertains to the oil pool and to point out the complexity of the laws of fluid delivery under the conditions often found. We have to do, fundamentally, with confined fluids, possessing potential energy whose expenditure is restricted by certain properties of the confining media and of the fluids themselves. The equation of motion and time is completely stated when we can assign values to the propulsive

Jan 1, 1929

By C. L. Berrien

Many fires have occurred in the mines of Butte in recent years, and while all have been of a serious nature, simply because they were mine fires, six of them have been especially dangerous in respect to loss of life and property, and the expense of extinguishing or controlling them. It is not my intention to discuss the relative merits of methods used in fighting these different fires because the conditions under which they occurred varied in each case, and it was not always advisable to expend the large sum of money necessary to actually extinguish them if they could be bulk-headed off from the rest of the mine. It is needless to say that everything possible has been done to check all fires at the beginning, but without success in some cases; and it has then become necessary to bulkhead all connections to them, in which state several now exist. The mine fires of Butte, or fires in any mine, may be divided into two classes, namely: Those occurring in accessible workings, and those occurring in inaccessible workings; because these two conditions govern to the greatest extent the methods of fighting fires. Accessibility and inaccessibility in the case of mine fires concern not only new open workings and old closed workings, respectively, but also the condition of the ventilation in and about those places. When a fire is accessible at the start it should not be difficult to confine it to a small area and extinguish it in a relatively short time, but when it is impossible to actually reach a fire in old filled, abandoned workings, or there is no opening by which the gases may be conducted away from the fire zone, then the time consumed in changing those conditions permits the fire to increase to such an extent that it is a long, hard fight to overcome it. These different conditions have been met in Butte, and of the six fires of serious proportions the Steward mine fire and the High Ore-Modoc mine fire were in new accessible workings and were extinguished in a month or so. The Anaconda mine fire, the Leonard-Minnie Healy mine fire, the West Colusa mine fire, and the Mountain View mine fire, were all inaccessible. The Anaconda mine fie started about 25 years ago and though safely bulkheaded is still active. The Leonard-Minnie Healy

Jan 1, 1916

By Daniel D. Pollock

The il'lott and Jones theory of thermoelectricity predicts that the absolute thermoelectric power of alloys of transition and noble metals should be a maximum when the concentration of the noble metal is approximately 55 to 60 at. pct. An examination of the emf of a series of relatively pure alloys of copper and nickel shows that the predicted maximum occurs at about 57 at. pct Cu. This excellent agreement with the theory is considered to substantiate the Mott and Jones theory of thermoelectricity for binary alloys of transition elements. This theory is extended to show that the emf behavior of dilute, ternary copper-nickel base alloys, which contain approsimately 60 pct Cu and 40 pct Ni, may be described in terms of a scattering mechanism. The scattering effect of a third element is demonstrated to be a function of its valence and its period in the periodic table. Small amounts of solute elements have additive scattering effects upon the emf of the Cu-Ni base. The Mott and Jones equation is modified to include this scattering parameter. This adaptation accurately describes the thermoelectric behavior of ternary and quaternary CLL-Ni base alloys. An empirical form of the modified Mott and Jones equation is derived which permits the calculation of thermoelectric power with an average error of less than 0.4 pct at 500 "C. CONSTANTAN has long been used as a thermocouple element. Its approximate composition varies from 50 pct Cu, 50 pct Ni to 65 pct Cu, 35 pct Ni. Small amounts of manganese, iron, and other elements have been used to modify the composition in order that the resultant emf vs platinum conforms to nationally accepted table. Adjustments of this type are made on a purely empirical basis. Constantan was originally made in Germany and was imported into this country for thermoelectric and electrical resistance purposes. During World War I, the supply of this material became seriously depleted. The work of Bash4 was done in this period in order to develop a satisfactory substitute for the imported material. Bash's empirical work on Cu-Ni alloys is still the basis for all commercial constantans made in this country. No reexamination of the electrical properties of this system has been made, despite the fact that it is now well known that Bash's alloys contained impurities which strongly affected their thermoelectric behavior.

Jan 1, 1962

By Ralph W. Bailey, William B. Price

During the past three or four years, the fabricators of silicon-bronze alloys have endeavored to induce users of phosphor bronze to use instead the silicon-bronze alloys, claiming that the silicon bronzes are superior to the phosphor bronzes for switches and springs, or where high fatigue resistance is desired. This paper gives the results of tests comparing several phosphor bronzes with a 3 per cent silicon bronze and a copper-nickel-tin alloy (Adnic), all processed by the Scovill Manufacturing Co. So far as the authors are aware, sheet-metal fatigue tests have not been made on any of the alloys included in this report, except on one phosphor bronze, material C, Table 1, which was tested by Townsend and Greenall1. Endurance Limit The majority of fatigue tests are designed to determine the endurance limit of a material. The number of repetitions of stress that will serve to establish an endurance limit varies with different materials. For ferrous materials, H. F. Moore2 has shown that stresses that do not cause failure up to 10,000,000 stress cycles will not cause failure up to 100,000,000 (and sometimes to 1,000,000,000) cycles. Thus an endurance limit for ferrous materials can be determined with a minimum of 10,000,000 stress cycles. For nonferrous materials, no such generalization holds. R. R. Moore3 has shown that for manganese bronze and elektron metal, 13,000,000 and 28,000,000 cycles, respectively, will serve to determine an endurance limit, while certain duralumin specimens gave no indications of having reached an endurance limit up to 400,000,000 stress cycles. J. B. Johnson6 showed that an endurance limit for duralumin was not found by tests running up to 500,000,000 cycles. H. F. Moore2

Jan 1, 1937