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By E. H. Boswell, E. M. Cushing

The Mississippi embayment east of the Mississippi River is part of a vast geologic and hydrologic province. The abundance of water available is largely responsible for the agricultural history of the area and is perhaps the key factor in the rapidly accelerating trend toward industrialization. The multiple artesian aquifer systems that underlie the region and the alluvial aquifer along the Mississippi River are virtually undeveloped sources of fresh water in that they are yielding only a fraction of the water available. The potential yield of the 12 aquifer systems is estimated to be about 25,000 mgd (million gpd) of which only about 600 mgd is presently being withdrawn. The amount of water in storage in these systems is about 1600 trillion gal. Ground water having a dissolved-solids content of less than 500 ppm is generally available at depths of less than 1000 ft, and water having a dissolved-solids content of less than 1000 ppm is available in some places to depths of more than 3000 ft. Iron is the most common troublesome chemical constituent in the ground water. Water in varying amounts is also available from streams within the region. The amount of water which originates within the region and which leaves it as streamflow during a year averages about 50 million acre-ft (about 45,000 mgd). An additional 375 million acre-ft (about 340,000 mgd), which originated outside the region, leaves the region as streamflow during an average year. Some streams have considerable flow during periods of no precipitation and the water during these periods generally has a low dissolved-solids content. Large quantities of water from streams and waterbearing sands (aquifers) are available in the Mississippi embayment east of the Mississippi River. Most of the region is underlain by aquifer systems that will yield large quantities of water to wells, making ground water the most readily available source of fresh water. About 90% of the water used in the region is obtained from wells. Streams have been used primarily to dispose of, and dilute, wastes that have been dumped into them. The Mississippi, Ohio and Tennessee rivers, and the lower parts of the Tombigee and Yazoo rivers also serve as a means of transportation. This nominally water-rich region receives from 48 to 56 in. of precipitation in average years and is crossed by several large rivers. The largest, the Mississippi River, is the western boundary of the region discussed in this paper. The economy of the region is basically agricultural, but industry has become increasingly important since World War 11. The diversification and mechanization of agriculture have resulted in a surplus of manpower, most of which is being absorbed by the expansion of industry. Further industrial expansion probably will occur because of the available manpower, natural resources and economical transportation. Increasing demands on available water supplies will be made and the future economic growth of the region will be largely dependent upon wise utilization and management of the water resources.

Jan 1, 1969

By R. W. Smith

Many industries such as the cement industry handle large quantities of limestone and clay slurries. However, at present very little is known about the flow properties, such as friction loss due to flow of slurries in pipelines. This lack of knowledge has made it often very difficult to calculate the total dynamic head of a proposed slurry handling system, and therefore has often made the selection of correct size slurry handling equipment difficult. Because of lack of knowledge about slurry flow a study of slurry flow theory has been made at the Portland Cement Association's Research and Development Laboratory with the idea of developing a method whereby friction losses due to slurry flow may be predicted for any size pipeline. The flow equations developed have been checked by pilot plant size equipment. DERIVATION OF FLOW EQUATIONS It has been known for some time that limestone and clay slurries handled in cement plants do not flow in the same manner as a Newtonian fluid such as water. When a Newtonian fluid flows the shear stress at any flow velocity is proportional to the rate of shear. This phenomenon can be illustrated by a line (Figure 1). The viscosity of the fluid is the slope of the curve. Thus, the flow properties of the material may be characterized by a single materials constant: viscosity. When a non-Newtonian fluid with the type of characteristics exhibited by limestone and clay slurr-ries flow, a similar curve can be constructed (Figure 2). This graph is a shear diagram of a Bingham plastic non-Newtonian fluid. It should be noted that with the Bingham(1) plastic type of flow viscosity, the slope of the curve, is still an important materials constant. In addition, however, there is another materials constant, namely the yield stress of the material. One way to visualize this constant is to consider it as the amount of energy that must be put into a Bingham plastic material to start it flowing.

Jan 1, 1961

In 1962, minerals beneficiation showed definite signs of coming out of the doldrums into which it has drifted after the uranium boom. Demand by steelmakers for high-grade iron pellets has created the need for concentrating plants to upgrade specular hematite by spiral concentration or flotation and magnetites by magnetic means and flotation. According to a paper given at the AMC annual meeting by C. S. Arms of Pickands Mather, "the shipment of pellets, started in the mid-1950's, has increased to 17.6 million tons in 1961 from North American operations. Many plants already underway will raise this production to about 42 million tons by 1965. This will be a very sizeable percentage of the total iron ore production contemplated by that date." Iron ore concentration methods are gradually raising the assay of pellets into the 65 to 69% Fe range and lowering silica to the 4 to 7% range. Quebec Cartier's Lac Jeannine concentrator went into operation in late 1961 and all grinding units were running by 1962. The Iron Ore Co. of Canada's new Carol Lake plant was started in mid-1962.

Jan 2, 1963

By John Chipman, Wayne L. Worrell

Using recent thermodynamic data for the carbides and oxides of tantalum, columbium, and vanadium, the stable solid phases aboue 1300°K and at 1 atm CO(g) pressure in each M-C-O system have been determined. Pourbaix-Ellingham diagrams have been constructed and are used to estimate the minimum temperatures necessary to obtain these metals by carbothermic reduction under reduced pressures. TANTALUM, columbium, and vanadium react with carbon to form the M,C and MC carbide phases. The M,C carbides have narrow homogeneity ranges, but the MC phases possess considerable ranges of homogeneity.' The free energies of formation of the MC carbides were recently measured, and those of MC and M2Ccarbides have been estimated., (The notations MC and MC denote, respectively, the carbide compositions at the carbon-rich and at the metal-rich boundaries of the homogeneous MC phase.) In this paper, these carbide data are combined with thermodynamic data for the oxides to predict the stable phases in the Ta-C-O, Cb-C-O, and V-C-O systems at specified temperatures and oxygen pressures. M-C-O PHASE DIAGRAMS The solid phases in equilibrium above 1300°K for each M-C-0 system are shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 3. Above 1300°K, the vapor would consist entirely of carbon monoxide; and these phase diagrams were obtained by specifying the vapor pressure of CO(g) to be 1 atm. The temperature at which any two solid phases become unstable is specified along the two-phase equilibrium lines in each diagram. To simplify the diagrams, all solid phases in the Ta-C-O and Cb-C-O systems are represented as stoichiometric compounds. However, the homogeneity ranges of VO and VC are indicated, because they form a complete series of solid solutions.3 It also should be noted that the homogeneity range of

Jan 1, 1964

By C. C. Harris Discussion by B. K. Loveday

B. K. Loveday (National Institute for Metallurgy, Johannesburg, Republic of South Africa) - The paper and subsequent technical note' describing a method of determining the parameters of the three-parameter size-distribution equation developed in the paper were read with much interest. This equation was also used at National Institute for Metallurgy (NIM) to describe size distributions in grinding tests, because it was necessary to have a single equation to describe the size distribution at any time during a test. A graphical method also was used to determine the three parameters, and the use of this method as an alternative to Professor Harris's latest method is discussed here. The three-parameter model can be expressed as follows: Eq. 1 can be rearranged and transformed to Yield a linear reiationship between Y and X (transformed) log

Jan 1, 1970

By Charles Will Wright

The present struggle for economic and industrial supremacy by the Communist world is against the United States, its main target, and the other Free World nations. The basis of industrial power is minerals, so the Communist nations are building up mineral production within their borders, often regardless of costs, and are acquiring quantities of mineral products from Free World countries for future use. They are contracting for additional supplies and advancing funds for the development of these quantities. A number of the less developed mineral producing countries of the Free World are being infiltrated by Communists and Communistic influence. This situation is well known, but as yet little has been done to oppose these activities or to awaken the public to their seriousness. The Communist countries are still far behind the Free World Nations in production of many essential minerals. But, shortages are being made up from Free World nations in exchange for petroleum, manganese ore, chromite and other products. Restrictions on shipments of strategic materials to Communist countries have not been maintained.

Jan 1, 1964

By Mehmet Guney

At the Armatcuk mine in Turkey, various modifications of sublevel methods have been tried during the last decade in an effort to eliminate gob fires, dangers from roof falls, and surface subsidence, and also to increase extraction efficiency. From the experience thus gained, it was decided that the most likely system to give maximum benefits, considering the existing geological conditions and coa1-seam characteristics, was hydraulic stowing. This paper examines trends in the working techniques of hydraulic stowing and discusses the favorable results and technical problems that the method produced at Armutcuk. The Armutcuk mine, a subsidiary of Eregli Coal Mines (EKI), produces 1300 tons of run-of-mine coal daily from thick (about 10-90 ft) and highly dipping (about 50-90°) coal seams. The coal is highly volatile with good coking properties that make it highly suitable for industrial use. Most of this coal is used in the iron and steel industry at Eregli on the Black Sea coast. Complete recovery of the coal is of vital importance to industrial development and progress. Initial coal extraction was carried out by means of a sublevel mining system modified to accommodate local geological conditions and coal seam characteristics. This method is similar to that employed in metalliferous mines. Several problems arose from the application of the method, one of them being the prevalence of gob fires which caused periodic shutdowns in some sections. To achieve maximum coal extraction with minimum dilution, to eliminate gob fires and surface subsidence, and to reduce fatal accident rates, a decision was taken to change from this method to a hydraulic stowing system. The pres- ence of large deposits of conglomerate and sandstone on the surface contributed to the decision to employ this new method. Although hydraulic stowing practices have been carried out in America and Germany, Upper Silesia may, so far as coal is concerned, be considered the birthplace of the method. Here the process was adapted to thick coal seams on a large scale to reduce dangers from gob fires and damage from surface subsidence. Today, the mining system is not only widely used in the coal mines of France, the Saar, India and Poland, but has also been successfully applied to the iron ore and potassium salt mines in Russia and Germany. LOCATION AND HISTORY The Kandilli-Armutcuk coal field, the most western outcrop of the North Anatolian coal basin, extends for five miles along the Black Sea coast (Fig. 1). The Armutcuk Mine is situated on the southern boundary of the coal field about 40 miles from Zonguldak and about 12 miles from Eregli. The history of coal mining in the North Anatolian coal basin goes back more than a century. Mining commenced on a small scale in the Kandilli-Armutcuk coal field in the late 1880's, and from this time until nationalization in 1940 the mines were operated by private Turkish and foreign interests. In 1940, Eregli Coal Mines was established to takeover the management of these enterprises. The Armutcuk Mine was developed for the first time in the mid-1940's. Since then it has been in continuous production and it now produces an annual 440,000-ton run-of-mine output from which 320.000 tons of salable coal is obtained. MINE GEOLOGY The carboniferous inlier of the Kandilli-Armutcuk coal field crops out over an area about three miles long and one mile wide. The major part of the inlier consists of the Namurian formation with only a relatively small area of Westfalian-A visible on the surface (Fig. 2). The Namurian formation, which has no exploitable coal seams in the Armutcuk Mine, consists mostly of arkose sandstones and black shales often having

Jan 1, 1969

By Austin E. Dwight

IT has been shown by Oelsen and Wever' that the effect of a solute element on the allotropic transformation in iron is dependent upon the quantity

Jan 1, 1957

By J. F. Havard

The enterprises based upon the industrial minerals are diversified in geologic habit, mining systems, processing techniques and marketing methods. Nevertheless, in 1972 these enterprises faced many of the same frustrations and hopes and knotty problems and crucial decisions. Volume and profits were generally improved but were uneven in extent and effect. The U.S. cement industry, for example, was unable to meet demand in major markets. It was constricted by a frozen low-level price structure, faced expensive pollution control measures and watched heavy imports penetrating its markets from several European nations, Mexico and Canada.

Jan 1, 1973

By R. E. Gilchrist, R. F. Nielsen

When a gas is displaced by mother in a porous medium, and there is a relative immobile liquid present. there is a transition zone in which the gas composition varies from essentially that of the original gas to that of the injected gas. The change in extent of this zone with time may be governed by a mixing process in the direction of flow and by the rate of establishment of gas-liquid equilibrium, if the gases are appreciably soluble in the liquid. The relative importance of these two factors in deterri~ining the growth of the transition zone is discussed, with appropriate equations and experimental data. INTRODUCTION The various solution methods of oil recovery involve a transfer of the components of a mixture, whether within a single phase or between a liquid and gas. The similarity of a natural porous medium to systems used in separation and chromatographic processes makes it seem reasonable that certain concepts used by chemical engineers in "mass transfer" might be applicable to petroleum reservoirs. One approach, the HETP (height equivalent to a theoretical plate), involves a distance or length of time over which equilibrium might be con. sidered as established. Another approach involves direct use of a rate of mixing or rate of establishment of equilibrium. The latter approach has been preferred in relation to production problems. DISCUSSION AND PROCEDURE When a gas or liquid in a porous medium is displaced by one of different composition but miscible with it there will be set up a transition zone in which the composition varies from cssentially that of the original fluid to essentially that of the injected fluid. If the fluid being displaced is a gas, and there is a relatively immobile liquid present, the transition zone may be

CYRIL STANLEY SMITH, Chairman CARL E. SWARTZ, Past-Chairman ARTHUR PHILLIPS, Vice-Chairman E. E. SCHUMACHER, Vice-Chairman H. A. MALONEY, Treasurer FRANK. T. SISCO, Secretary 9 West 39th Street, New York, N. 1. Executive Committee 1944 1945 WILLIAM C. ELLIS C. S. BARRETT ALAN MORRIS T. A. WRIGHT KENT R. VAN HORN L. L. WYMAN

Jan 1, 1943

By K. P. Fournier

This report describes work on the problem of predicting oil recovery from a reservoir into which water is injected at a temperature higher than the reservoir temperature, taking into account effects of vis cosity-ratio reduction, heat loss and thermal expansion. It includes the derivation of the equations involved, the finite difference equations used to solve the partial differential equation which models the system, and the results obtained using the IBM 1620 and 7090-1401 computers. Figures and tables show present results of this study of recovery as a function of reservoir thickness and injection rate. For a possible reservoir hot water flood in which 1,000 BWPD at 250F are injected, an additional 5 per cent recovery of oil in place in a swept 1,000-ft-radius reservoir is predicted after injection of one pore volume of water. INTRODUCTION The problem of predicting oil recovery from the injection of hot water has been discussed by several researchers. l-6,19 In no case has the problem of predicting heat losses been rigorously incorporated into the recovery and displacement calculation problem. Willman et al. describe an approximate method of such treatment. 1 The calculation of heat losses in a reservoir and the corresponding temperature distribution while injecting a hot fluid has been attempted by several authors.7'8 In this report a method is presented to numerically predict the oil displacement by hot water in a radial system, taking into account the heat losses to adjacent strata, changes in viscosity ratio with temperature and the thermal-expansion effect for both oil and water. DERIVATION OF BASIC EQUATIONS We start with the familiar Buckley-Leverettg equation for a radial system:* This is sometimes referred to as the Lagrangian form of the displacement equation. If the injection water is at some temperature Ti which is above reservoir temperature TR, then lw, the flowing fraction which is water, is a function of both water saturation and fluid temperature at any given time and position in the reservoir. The temperature dependence of lw results from the temperature dependence of the viscosity ratio µo/µm of which lw is a function. Thus:

Jan 1, 1966

By A. M. Keenan, R. H. Carpenter

Geologic faults have always been a plague to the mining industry, and have often reduced a mining venture from a profitable to a marginal operation, and even at times have forced companies to liquidation or bankruptcy. The use of geology as an economic tool in coal mining is not generally recognized, particularly in coal deposits which are horizontal or essentially flat-lying, in which faulting might not be prevalent. However in pitching coal seams, the existence of faults is considered an inherent challenge, as the inclination of the seam or seams per se, is a product of geologic disturbance. The problems of faults are a constant challenge to the management of the Thompson Creek Coal and Coke Corp. in their operations in Pitkin County, Colorado, where high grade medium volatile coking coal is mined. The background for this paper has been provided by the experiences of these operations, in overcoming the effects of faults in mining, and resolving the fault structures. The properties of the Thompson Creek Coal and Coke Corp. are located in central Colorado, 13 miles southwest of Carbondale, Colorado, a tow] on the main highway between Glenwood Springs and Aspen, Fig. 1. The elevation at the mine portals is approximately 8000 feet: there is a relief of some 2.000 feet to the adjacent ridges rising away from the [nine portals. 'The entire present production of these properties totaling 180.000 tons of clean coal per year is trucked to the railhead at Carbondale, Colorado, from whence it is shipped to the Geneva Steel Plant at Provo, Utah. The properties were initially opened in September 1952. A total of 125 men are currently employed with the production conting from the Number 1 and 3 Mines, and development workings of the Number 2 and 5 Mines respectively. While the No. 2 Vine was opened in 1953 prior to No, 3 Mine, the encountering of faults without sufficient development work accomplished to sustain production, necessitated the diversion of manpower to the other [nines for economic considerations. GEOLOGY '1-he productive coal seams occur in the Mesaverde formation of Late Cretaceous age which outcrop along the eastern edge of the Piance Creek Basin from the Grand Hogback, a part of the southwestern flank of the White River Uplift north of Glenwood Springs, southward through the 'Thompson Creek area and the

Jan 1, 1961

By S. H. Ward, R. A. Barker

THE Juniper Prospect is in Carleton County, N. B., at approximately 46" 31' north latitude, 67" 20' west longitude. During the summer of 1955 an area in west-central New Brunswick was selected for aerial electromagnetic prospecting with American Metal Co.'s helicopter-mounted equipment. Generalized, small-scale government geologic maps had suggested that this area was located along the western border of the northeast-trending granitic backbone of northwestern New Brunswick and might be underlain by the Ordovician-Silurian sediments and volcanics that are the host rocks for the recently discovered sul-fide deposits of the Bathurst-Newcastle district. The helicopter electromagnetic equipment located an anomalous conductive area, coincident with a small aeromagnetic closure, about five miles west of the town of Juniper. Subsequently 30 mining claims (total area about 6600 x 8000 ft) were staked and company personnel conducted geological, geophysical, and geochemical investigations on the property. The claims and immediately contiguous areas were mapped geologically, and an area of about 2000 x 4000 ft was soil-sampled and also surveyed by ground electromagnetic and gravity methods. Finally six diamond drillholes, totaling 3500 ft in length, were drilled to test the anomalous conditions discovered by the several exploration techniques used. The discovery of base metal sulfides during drilling was a technical success for the exploration methods, but the quantity of sulfides was too small to be profitably exploited.

Jan 1, 1959

By C. A. Allen

For over three years we have been endeavoring to reduce the number of fatalitics and minor accidents in Utah. The physical condition of the FIG: 1.—Number kiLlEd per million short tons of coal produced in ColoraI)o, New Mexico, utah, Wyoming, and bituminous mines of the United States 1014 to 1920. mines, concentrators, and smelters is good, yet the number of accidents,

Jan 1, 1923

By C. A. Allen

For over three years we have been endeavoring to reduce the number of fatalitics and minor accidents in Utah. The physical condition of the FIG: 1.—Number kiLlEd per million short tons of coal produced in ColoraI)o, New Mexico, utah, Wyoming, and bituminous mines of the United States 1014 to 1920. mines, concentrators, and smelters is good, yet the number of accidents,

Jan 1, 1923

By A. E. Anderson, H. J. Hilll

Laboratory data for 155 field muds and 77 .shales have been used to develop correlations to estimate the net streaming potential component of the SP. Analysis of these data and comparison with field tests show that streaming potential corrections must be made to obtain an accurate estimate of the electrochemical potential for use in the determinntion of formation water resi-iiviy. The self-potential curve is related to formation water resistivity, and considerable effort within the oil industry has been directed toward clarifying this relationship. The Schlumbergers and Leonardon1,2 recognized that two types of potentials, electrochemical and electro-kinetic, resulted in the net potential variation in the borehole. Most of the later papers have dealt with the electrochemical component and its controlling parameters. The investigations of Wyllie,2" Salisch' and Moore5 provide the most extensive sources of data on streaming potentials across mud cakes. These authors observed streaming potentials of sufficient magnitude to be of critical importance in SP interpretation, if it is assumed that streaming potentials develop only opposite permeable beds. Streaming potentials across shales have been reported by Schenck and by Gondouin, et al.7 Since SP magnitude is the difference in potential opposite shale and sand beds, these authors suggested that the net streaming potential component may be negligible. The present investigation was initiated to evaluate empirically some of the parameters controlling the magnitude of the net borehole streaming potential and to determine whether useful relations between mud properties and net streaming potential could be established. Field muds were used in this investigation. These muds were characterized by the amount and type of chemical treatment utilized for five days before Sampling. Filter loss, mud resistivity, mud density and filtrate resistivity were determined for each mud with conventional methods and apparatus. Mud filtrate pH was estimated with Hydrion pH paper for the appropriate range. Streaming PotentIals Across MuD Cakes Commercial calomel-saturated KC1 electrodes are subject to potential changes attributed to contamination of the very small fiber-tip bridge by particles of clay from the drilling mud.3 To minimize this difficulty, a large diameter bridge (Fig. 1) was constructed with saturated KC1-agar gel and a filter disc of microporous porcelain. Experiments showed that streaming potentials across this bridge are less than 0.2 mv at pressure dif-

By V. H. Whihelm

Since 1935 California has enjoyed a remarkable cycle of discovery, which has placed the state in a very satisfactory position in regard to oil reserves. Most ol the geophysical plays have been drilled and it is possible that new discoveries must be made by the application of careful geologic and stratigraphic studies. During 1940 only one new field was discovered, which, although not of major importance, may lead to additional discoveries. During the year, 113 wildcats were drilled. New discoveries, extensions and a reappraisal of discoveries made in 1939 will not approximate over 50,000,000 bbl., as against an estimated withdrawal during the year of 224,000,000 barrels. Demand in terms of crude for 1940 was 632,000 bbl. per day as against 626,000 bbl. per day for 1939. Demand for gasoline was the same as in 1939, but the demand lor fuel oil increased 3.8 per cent. Compared with 1939, Japanese shipments decreased from 75,786 bbl, per day to 61,000 bbl. per day, but the balance of Pacific foreign shipments increased from 59,409 bbl. per day to 61,304. Total with-drawals from storage during the year will approximate 7,000,000 bbl., almost all of which is fuel oil. Drilling activity was slightly greater than in 1939 and accounted for 890 new producing wells as against 851 for 1939 (Table 3). Production averaged 611,900 bbl. per day as compared with 614.,842 bbl. per day for 1939. The productive acreage figure of the state was increased by 4000 through discoveries and extensions. New Discoveries Los Angeles Basin District Del Vdle Field.—Northwest of Newhall, where the first oil well in California was drilled, R. E. Havenstrite completed his Lincoln No. I well, flowing 390 bbl. of 50" gravity oil together with 7000 M CU. ft. of gas. Later the well was recompleted, after cutting off the gas, for 950 bbl. of 34" gravity oil. The type of structure from which this production is coming is a plunging anticline, complicated by faulting. The Lincoln No. I well uncovered approximately 180 ft. of net sand. This field contains a gas cap and its indicated productive area approximates 500 acres. An intensive wildcat drilling campaign is expected during this coming year in the district in the vicinity of the Del Valle field. Extensions and Deeper Sand Developments Los Ange1es Basin District Athens Field.—On the northwest plunge of the Athens structure, the Thorley Oil Co. completed its No. 12-1 well, flowing 250 bbl. of 3 2" gravity oil from a depth of 8097 ft. The area in which the well is located is complicated by faulting and it is impossible at this date to determine the importance of this deep-zone discovery.

Jan 1, 1941

By V. H. Whihelm

Since 1935 California has enjoyed a remarkable cycle of discovery, which has placed the state in a very satisfactory position in regard to oil reserves. Most ol the geophysical plays have been drilled and it is possible that new discoveries must be made by the application of careful geologic and stratigraphic studies. During 1940 only one new field was discovered, which, although not of major importance, may lead to additional discoveries. During the year, 113 wildcats were drilled. New discoveries, extensions and a reappraisal of discoveries made in 1939 will not approximate over 50,000,000 bbl., as against an estimated withdrawal during the year of 224,000,000 barrels. Demand in terms of crude for 1940 was 632,000 bbl. per day as against 626,000 bbl. per day for 1939. Demand for gasoline was the same as in 1939, but the demand lor fuel oil increased 3.8 per cent. Compared with 1939, Japanese shipments decreased from 75,786 bbl, per day to 61,000 bbl. per day, but the balance of Pacific foreign shipments increased from 59,409 bbl. per day to 61,304. Total with-drawals from storage during the year will approximate 7,000,000 bbl., almost all of which is fuel oil. Drilling activity was slightly greater than in 1939 and accounted for 890 new producing wells as against 851 for 1939 (Table 3). Production averaged 611,900 bbl. per day as compared with 614.,842 bbl. per day for 1939. The productive acreage figure of the state was increased by 4000 through discoveries and extensions. New Discoveries Los Angeles Basin District Del Vdle Field.—Northwest of Newhall, where the first oil well in California was drilled, R. E. Havenstrite completed his Lincoln No. I well, flowing 390 bbl. of 50" gravity oil together with 7000 M CU. ft. of gas. Later the well was recompleted, after cutting off the gas, for 950 bbl. of 34" gravity oil. The type of structure from which this production is coming is a plunging anticline, complicated by faulting. The Lincoln No. I well uncovered approximately 180 ft. of net sand. This field contains a gas cap and its indicated productive area approximates 500 acres. An intensive wildcat drilling campaign is expected during this coming year in the district in the vicinity of the Del Valle field. Extensions and Deeper Sand Developments Los Ange1es Basin District Athens Field.—On the northwest plunge of the Athens structure, the Thorley Oil Co. completed its No. 12-1 well, flowing 250 bbl. of 3 2" gravity oil from a depth of 8097 ft. The area in which the well is located is complicated by faulting and it is impossible at this date to determine the importance of this deep-zone discovery.

Jan 1, 1941

By R. P. Harvey, J. E. Walstrom, A. A. Brown

In view of the large number of wells directionally drilled from offshore platforms and urban drillsites, greater interest is being focused on the directional survey and on the uncertainty inherent in calculating the position of the bottom of the hole, or other benchmarks in the wellbore. Of the two methods presented here for evaluating this uncertainty, the first is analytical and uses the principles of probability and statistics. The second method uses Monte Carlo simulation to generate a pattern of the scatter of possible bottom-hole locations. Both methods are based on a model for which the usual assumption is made that the curvilinear axis of the wellbore is adequately represented by a large number, M, of linear segments joined end to end from the top to the bottom of the hole and closely following the course of the hole. The errors due to this approximation are assumed to be negligible and are not studied here. One form of the model is to consider that for a given hole there exists a perfect set of data describing it, of the above form. Each linear segment has an angle of inclination with the vertical 7, in radians, an azimuthal angle from true north xi in radians, and a length Si, in feet. The subscript variable, i, extends from 1 to M. Each of the M linear segments representing the axis of the wellbore has three components in the X, Y, and Z directions. These components are calculated from the equations: The bottom-hole coordinates as determined from the reference set of data for the wellbore are given by the following for i = 1 to M: X=SX, Y = Sy, Z=SZ; . (2) A directional survey instrument, lowered into the wellbore to the M segments, or stations, measures the values of the 7; and the 3,. In general, because of errors from various sources, the resulting angular measurements will not be precisely equal to the 7" and xi. Random variables l, and Ai are therefore considered with associated probability density functions fi(li) and gi(Ai), respectively, which represent the distributions of potential survey measurements for this hole. Since it is assumed that the values Si are accurately measured they are treated deterministically. The random variables corresponding to the surveyed bottom-hole coordinates are given, for i = 1 to M, by:

Jan 1, 1970