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By A. W. Furbank

In reviewing the aerial cameras produced in different countries, it becomes apparent that in nearly all of them an attempt has been made to secure the greatest possible angle of view. This angle, of course, is determined by the objective. The objectives most commonly in use in aerial cameras have a maximum angle of 65". The objective developed for this new Zeiss camera combines freedom from distortion and brilliant definition, with an angle of 95". Aerial mapping, it is claimed, has been placed on a different economic basis, and new possibilities presented, particularly in connection with automatic stereoscopic plotting instruments, to which some short references are made. One way of enlarging the angle of view is to couple several instruments with their axes convergent, thereby producing a multilens camera. Typical of cameras of this sort in the United States is the Bagley four-lens camera, which later was developed into the five-lens camera (T3-A) of the U. S. Air Corps. More recently, in order to get away from the unfavorable Maltese cross image field of the five-lens camera, and to obtain a more practical form, two five-lens cameras were combined. By using them in tandem and rotating them by 45" relatively to each other, a ten-lens camera was produced, covering an octagonal ground area, with a total angle of view of 140". Similar designs have been evolved in other countries. In all of them, however, a number of difficulties have arisen, quite apart from their large weight and high cost. Because of their complex mechanism, numerous shutters and magazines, and the high precision with which these parts must be interadjusted and synchronized, these cameras are far from dependable. Moreover, a multilens camera by itself does not yet constitute a complete outfit for producing pictures suitable for photogrammetric survey. Because all the component pictures, except the central one, are obliques, it is always necessary to employ rectifying apparatus which transforms the marginal views to the perspective of the central one. In multilens cameras with many individual magazines, it is not convenient to

Jan 1, 1941

By Norman B. Pilling

The technical difficulties hampering the metallographic analysis of silicon steels are chiefly the result of the extreme corrodibility of these alloys. The addition of silicon to iron in increasing quantities, up to about 6 per cent., rapidly increases the susceptibility of the alloy to chemical attack, not only in acid solution, but in water. This renders the preparation of metallographic sections very difficult, because of a non-selective attack upon the finely polished surface by the water used as a lubricant in polishing. This water attack masks the true structural details revealed by suitable etching reagents. It is thus necessary to use alcohol as a polishing lubricant in the last stages of preparation and to avoid all etching reagents having an aqueous base. A specific reagent for the identification of iron carbide in ferrous alloys, and the one hitherto used almost' exclusively by metallurgists, is an alkaline aqueous solution of sodium picrate, which stains this constituent selectively. Its application to silicon steels has not proved successful, as its distinctive selective action is more or less completely hidden by the general attack of the aqueous solvent on the silico-ferrite, greatly accentuated by the fact that this reagent must be used at its boiling temperature (105' C.). Thus, a powerful metallographic aid to the study of the higher silicon alloys, such as transformer steels, is lost. A new reagent has been developed for the purpose of overcoming this difficulty. It is with some hesitation that the list of etching reagents, already overburdened, is increased, but the properties of this new reagent are advantageous in several ways and a definite field for it may be found in the metallography of ferrous alloys. The reagent consists of a dilute solution of nitric acid and methyl alcohol in nitrobenzol. It is a great advantage to secure an anhydrous solution, as a tendency toward acidic etching has been traced to small amounts of water. A convenient method of preparation is to make an anhydrous stock solution of nitric acid in methyl alcohol in the proportion 20 per cent. acid by weight (12.5 per cent. by volume). The alcohol can

Jan 1, 1924

By W. M. Small

Austria.—Austria produced some 430 cisterns of 10,000 kg. each of crude oil of a 0.9428 sp. gr. during 1934. Gosting II well near Zis-tersdorf was placed on the pump in August and at the end of the year was still producing about three cisterns daily. This well is owned by the Erdöl-Produktionsgesellschaft while Gösting I is owned by Raky-Danubia. Only five wells were completed in the republic during the year. These accounted for 1783.5 meters of the 2225 meters drilled. The only producer completed was Gosting 11. At the close of the year, four rigs were in operation and one rigging up. At least 8 or 10 new wells are planned in Lower Austria for 1935. The European Gas & Electric Co. put its 6-km. gas line into operation in May and has sold 12,301,550 cu. m. of gas to the Vienna City Electric Works. A 2-km. pipe line was built from Gösting II to the railway loading rack near Zistersdorf. Hungary.—No oil or gas was produced except a small amount of gas trapped from flowing artesian wells. The Government completed and abandoned a 1500-m. hole at Tisztaberek in northeastern Hungary and is drilling at 967 m. near Bogáes, 120 km. northeast of Budapest. It is unofficially reported it plans to drill two new wells in 1935. The European Gas & Electric Co. has a rig up for a test at Mihalyi in Transdanubia. Czechoslovakia.—In Gbely (Egbell) there were produced 1283 cisterns of 10,000 kg. of 0.935 sp. gr. oil and a small amount of gas used for fuel. This field is operated by the Government; 17 shallow producing wells and three dry holes were drilled, with a total of 3351 m. of hole completed. In Hodonin (Goding) there were produced approximately 1300 cisterns of 10,000 kg. each of 0.91 sp. gr. oil and a small amount of gas used for fuel. The field is operated by the Apollo, which drilled four producing wells averaging 460 m. in depth, one small gas well of 550 m., one small gas well 260, and one dry hole 230 m. Two wells were deepened a total of 80 meters. The Government is drilling below 800 m. in a wildcat test in eastern Czechoslovakia near the Rumanian frontier.

Jan 1, 1935

By Henry Howe

1. The purpose of the National Research Council as organized for war purposes is twofold, to stimulate those outside its own personnel to conduct researches of importance for winning the war and to carry on such researches through its personnel to a limited extent. How this is clone is explained in Section 10. "Research" is used here in a very broad sense, including, for instance, inventing and developing mechanical and physical devices. The need of this work arises from the inevitable concentration of most of the governmental war agencies on the production and transportation of war materials of. the types now adopted, as distinguished from devising new kinds of instrumentalities, such as armor, guns, aircraft, and apparatus for detecting, locating, observing, signaling, transporting, and many other military purposes. But it is important that we should devise new agencies. The war came near being won by an invention, the submarine, and its course has been affected greatly by two other inventions, tanks and aircraft. In spite of our numerical superiority victory may well be snatched from us by an invention, if we allow Germany to outstrip us in inventing. Hence the importance of the Council's work in mobilizing and organizing the services of the patriotic civilian experts throughout the country, so as to bring their powers to bear on important war problems and on inventing war devices, as an adjunct to the development work of the regular governmental bodies. 2. Status of the Council.-Though President Wilson's request caused the Council to be created by the National Academy of Sciences under its congressional charter in 1916; though his executive order of May 11, 1918, directs the heads of "Governmental departments immediately concerned" to "continue to co-operate with it in every way that may be required;" and though the Government has contributed largely to its financial support (Section 12, page 10), it is not a department of the Government but an independent research body, aiming to evolve the necessary mechanism for the novel work of systematic stimulation and guidance of research. Thus the Government, which instigated the creation of the Council, recognizes and collaborates with it, and in part supports it. The Council acts moreover as the Department of Science and Research of the Council of National Defense.

Jan 12, 1918

By J. M. Lommel

DURING an investigation into the effect of heat-treatment on the creep properties of the magnesium alloy ZW1, (1 pct Zn, 0.6 pct Zr), the previously published methods of final polishing were found to be unsatisfactory. A new diamond-polishing technique has been developed to facilitate the study of fine precipitates in this and other magnesium alloys, and is described in this note. The sectioning and coarse grinding techniques are those of Fox and Hall,' and Hess and Cieorge.' Pre- liminary mechanical polishing is done with 6-µ, and 1-µ( grades of diamond compound on 'Microcloth' using a lubricant of 'Hyprez' oil. When the conventional technique is used with a 1/4- µ diamond wheel for the final polishing of magnesium alloys, scratching is likely to result from the abrasive action of the 'Microcloth' nap on the soft metal surface. This problem has been overcome by the use of a cream on the wheel in order to separate the specimen surface from the polishing cloth. To prepare this cream, a solution of 6-ml tri-ethanolamine in 75-ml water is stirred into 12.5 g stearic acid at a constant temperature of 80o to 90°C. The cream is allowed to cool, and is then 'whipped' to a smooth consistency with 100-ml 'Hyprez' oil. Before polishing, the diamond loaded 'Microcloth' is moistened with a few drops of 'Hyprez' oil, then a small amount of cream is worked into the nap. For the best results a wheel speed of 500 rpm should be used for polishing, and the specimen should be held by hand with a light pressure while being rotated in the opposite direction to the wheel. After polishing it is necessary to swab the specimen thoroughly in methylated spirits to remove residual cream and oil from the surface in order to avoid uneven etching and drying stains. Fig. 1 shows the surface finish obtained on a specimen by polishing on a 1/4- µ diamond wheel using the cream, and Figs. 2 and 3 the precipitate observed in ZW1 after polishing, and etching for two seconds in nitric acid 15 pct in ethylene glycol. This new diamond-polishing technique has made a valuable contribution to the programme of metal-lographic research on ZW1 and has become a routine laboratory practice for other low alloy content magnesium alloys.

Jan 1, 1961

By Leslie G. McMillion

A field project to develop and demonstrate a method for alleviating problems of highly mineralized ground water where they occur as isolated zones or pockets in fresh-water aquifers is being conducted in the Ogallala aquifer of eastern New Mexico by the Robert S. Kerr Water Research Center. Removal of contaminated water is by a large-capacity well and the pumped poor-quality water is used locally for secondary recovery of oil. Benefits of the operation are threefold in that the aquifer is being reclaimed for future fresh-water production, contaminated water is being used beneficially, and fresh water which otherwise would have been used for waterflooding is available for other purposes. Ground-water quality in the site has improved markedly after two years of operation. Use of water in the arid and semiarid Southwest has grown so rapidly that demands in many localities far exceed available supplies. In the High Plains region of New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas, the only large sources of water are underground reservoirs, being depleted at an alarming rate. In some parts of this region, the aquifers contain pockets of highly mineralized waters; and the mineralized waters in some of them have started spreading in response to the drawdown effects of pumping wells. The aquifers of this region are primarily composed of sand and gravel beds; any cleanup by natural processes will require many tens or even hundreds of years. Most of these pockets of highly mineralized water were caused by oil-field brines seeping downward from earthen disposal pits. Thousands of these pits were in use in the region until only a few years ago when they were prohibited by the oil regulatory agencies of the respective states. The resulting areas of poor quality water are serious enough to warrant much corrective attention. Correction will involve one or more of three approaches: 1) Restrict the pumping of fresh water in the zones where the drawdown of the pumping well will significantly influence the movement of the contaminant. 2) Remove the highly mineralized water entirely from the affected area. 3) Develop and pump the poor-quality water in such a manner that its movement is held in check, even though only a part of the contaminant is actually removed. The principal hurdle to overcome in applying methods 2 or 3 is financing of the operations, since there are very

Jan 1, 1972

Discussion of the paper of F. M. Simonds and E. Z. Burns, presented at the New York Meeting, February, 1913, and printed in Bulletin No. 75, March, 1913, pp. 369 to 402. W. L. SAUNDERS, New York,. N. Y.:-Mr. Burns in his native Colorado modesty has said that he apologizes for things left out of this paper. I am much impressed by what he has put into the paper, as of all the papers that I have read on the subject, describing, as it does, a specific piece of work that has been accomplished, I do not recall one that gives so much information in such a practical way. Mr. Burns has also said that it is very hard to get men to put things down while the work is being driven. My experience is that it is very much harder to get the men in charge of work of this kind to bring them in in the form of a report before a body of engineers after the work is done. We have a great many cases where records are kept in much detail, but they are usually kept under cover, with the mistaken idea that the information gained is private information for the benefit of those who have done the work. Messrs. Simonds and Burns have opened up this case so that we can get the benefit of that experience which they have had, and so that we can learn something for the future. The description contained in this paper, as I have said, is a very practical one. You will notice in going through it. that the authors have given in detail a record of their work from the beginning to the end, and they even go so far as to publish an exact copy of the Rawley Mining Co.'s daily report. That daily report is something which those of us who are engaged in similar work might copy to great advantage, and having it before us we can check up our men while doing work and exact from them equal conditions, if it is possible to do so.

Jan 5, 1913

By Oliver B. Hopkins

Peruvian production for the year 1935 amounted to 17,064,879 bbl., a record amount for any year, bringing the cumulative production of the country up to 188 million barrels. The 1935 figure is an increase of 785,769 bbl. over the 1934 total. The property of the International Petroleum Co. contributed 636,812 bbl. of this increase, and the Lobitos property 158,625 barrels. Exploration work in the country was again active, with attention focused on three areas, the Huallaga River, Lake Titicaca and the Coastal Zone of the Province of Tumbes. It is reported that in the Huallaga River area the Selden Breck Construction Co. has completed geological and engineering studies on its Pachitea River concessions and has ordered a drilling rig. In the Lake Titicaca region further studies in the vicinity of Pusi were made by Government geologists. During the period from 1906 to 1915, the Pirin anticline in this area produced 285,936 bbl. of low-grade crude. The Government holds 120,000 hectares of reserved lands in this area. In the Coastal Zone of the Province of Tumbes explorations by the Government were continued on the National Reserve, and a test location has been selected in the Quebrada Zapotal about 10 miles from the Port of Zorritos. An order has been placed in the United States for drilling equipment. LaBrea-Parinas Estate.—Production on the LeBrea-Parinas Estate reached an all-time high in 1935 of 14,756,914 bbl., an increase of 636,812 bbl. over the 1934 record. The total production from 1890 to 1935 was 148,541,523 bbl. During 1935 a total of 63,021 ft. was drilled in new wells and 5449 ft. in deepening existing wells; 23 wells were deepened and 29 new wells were completed, of which 27 were producers and 2 were dry holes. At the end of the year 2873 wells had been drilled on the Estate, of which 1838 were still productive. The remaining 1035 wells represent abandoned producers or dry holes. Practically all the drilling on the property has been done with cable tools, but during 1934 three strings of rotary tools were introduced. Experience with these outfits has shown that rotary equipment can

Jan 1, 1936

By Rossiter W. Raymond

In the course of this address, President Raymond referred to the law, said to have been discovered at the French works of Terrenoire, that the amount of phosphorus may be increased without injury to steel, if the amount of carbon be proportionately decreased. The works named have been for more than a year, it is said, manufacturing in the open hearth, by the Martin process, steel rails containing as high as 0.35 per cent. of phosphorus, with about 0.15 per cent. of carbon, which were not found inferior to Bessemer rails. It is not claimed by the manager of the works that phosphorus is an ingredient to be preferred, or purposely introduced; but only that materials containing it (such as old iron rails, etc.), can be succesfully employed. Other parties have apparently a higher opinion still of the new manipulation, and are prepared to claim for " phosphorus steel" superior qualities. Mr. I. Lowthian Bell alluded to the subject in his recent address as President of the British Iron and Steel Institute, but without expressing a positive opinion. After pointing out that the commercial value of the process turned on the cheap manufacture of ferro-manganese, by means of which only could the necessary amount of manganese be introduced into the Martin bath, without increasing its contents of carbon, Mr. Raymond proceeded to say that the principle alleged to have been discovered at Terrenoire was already known years ago, in this country, at least. Not only had steel been manufactured here, containing high percentages of phosphorus, coupled with low percentages of carbon, and suitable for use in rails, boiler-plates, etc., but the reason of its surprising qualities had been distinctly surmised, if not widely proclaimed. The following analyses and extracts from private letters prove these assertions. Some of them assert a similar principle in .the case of wrought iron; but the analyses, and the remarks based upon them, have reference solely to the steel manufactured under the superintendence of Mr. Slade, at the works of the New Jersey Steel and Iron Company in Trenton.

By Rossiter W. Ph. D. Raymond

(From the President's Address at St. Louis, 1874.) IN the course of this address, President Raymond referred to the law, said to have been discovered at the French works of Terrenoire, that the amount of phosphorus may be increased without injury to steel, if the amount of carbon be proportionately decreased. The works named have been for more than a year, it is said, manufacturing in the open hearth, by the Martin process, steel rails containing as high as 0.35 per cent. of phosphorus, with about 0.15 per cent. of carbon, which were not found inferior to Bessemer rails. It is not claimed by the manager of the works that phosphorus is an ingredient to be preferred, or purposely introduced; but only that materials containing it (such as old iron rails, etc.), can be succesfully employed. Other parties have apparently a higher opinion still of the new manipulation, and are prepared to claim for "phosphorus steel" superior qualities. Mr. I. Lowthian Bell alluded to the subject in his recent address as President of the British Iron and Steel Institute, but without expressing a positive opinion. After pointing out that the commercial value of the process turned on the cheap manufacture of ferro-manganese, by means of which only could the necessary amount of manganese be introduced into the Martin bath, without increasing its contents of carbon, Mr. Raymond proceeded to say that the principle alleged to have been discovered at Terrenoire was already known years ago, in this country, at least. Not only had steel been manufactured here, containing high percentages of phosphorus, coupled with low percentages of carbon, and suitable for use in rails, boiler-plates, etc., but the reason of its surprising qualities had been distinctly surmised, if not widely proclaimed. The following analyses and extracts from private letters prove these assertions. Some of them assert a similar principle in -the case of wrought iron ; but the analyses, and the remarks based upon them, have reference solely to the steel manufactured under the superintendence of Mr. Slade, at the works of the New Jersey Steel and Iron Company in Trenton.

Jan 1, 1875

By Oliver B. Hopkins

Peruvian production for the year 1935 amounted to 17,064,879 bbl., a record amount for any year, bringing the cumulative production of the country up to 188 million barrels. The 1935 figure is an increase of 785,769 bbl. over the 1934 total. The property of the International Petroleum Co. contributed 636,812 bbl. of this increase, and the Lobitos property 158,625 barrels. Exploration work in the country was again active, with attention focused on three areas, the Huallaga River, Lake Titicaca and the Coastal Zone of the Province of Tumbes. It is reported that in the Huallaga River area the Selden Breck Construction Co. has completed geological and engineering studies on its Pachitea River concessions and has ordered a drilling rig. In the Lake Titicaca region further studies in the vicinity of Pusi were made by Government geologists. During the period from 1906 to 1915, the Pirin anticline in this area produced 285,936 bbl. of low-grade crude. The Government holds 120,000 hectares of reserved lands in this area. In the Coastal Zone of the Province of Tumbes explorations by the Government were continued on the National Reserve, and a test location has been selected in the Quebrada Zapotal about 10 miles from the Port of Zorritos. An order has been placed in the United States for drilling equipment. LaBrea-Parinas Estate.—Production on the LeBrea-Parinas Estate reached an all-time high in 1935 of 14,756,914 bbl., an increase of 636,812 bbl. over the 1934 record. The total production from 1890 to 1935 was 148,541,523 bbl. During 1935 a total of 63,021 ft. was drilled in new wells and 5449 ft. in deepening existing wells; 23 wells were deepened and 29 new wells were completed, of which 27 were producers and 2 were dry holes. At the end of the year 2873 wells had been drilled on the Estate, of which 1838 were still productive. The remaining 1035 wells represent abandoned producers or dry holes. Practically all the drilling on the property has been done with cable tools, but during 1934 three strings of rotary tools were introduced. Experience with these outfits has shown that rotary equipment can

Jan 1, 1936

By Joseph Jensen

Recent developments related to petroleum engineering discussed in this paper are: 1. Drilling wells in with oil or the use of chemical compounds or (Imud solvents" for removing rotary mud from wells in order to increase or make possible oil production. 2. Comparison of results of electrical logging methods in locating water, as shown in a recent test on a well in the Los Angeles Basin. 3. A new method for logging formations through casing, known as the Stratagraph. Drilling Wells in with Oil or the Use of Chemical Compounds or Mud Solvents During the time that the California fields showed high gas pressures, the pressure of the gas within the formation was sufficiently great to break down the mud wall or cake formed while the well was drilling. That this did not always occur was demonstrated by the fact that in some of the older fields new wells sometimes had substantially higher initial productions than other wells near by. The explanation seemed to be that some sands were mudded off in the original drilling. Their pressure was then not great enough to break down the mud wall in competition with the higher pressure of the sands, but the situation reversed itself so that a later well benefited by the pressure in these originally weaker sands. As time passed, in wells deeper than 5000 ft. the difficulty of bringing wells on production became more pronounced. This led to a hunt for substitutes, of which a number have been tried. The one that has proved most successful in our experience at Ventura is known as the Nobs solvent. At well No. 1 of the Associated-Ventura Land & Water Co. when it was recompleted in February 1936, about 10 days were spent in trying to bring the well in in the regular manner, but only about 113 bbl. of water could be swabbed from the well, and even this quantity decreased as time passed. The Nobs solvent was spotted in the bottom of the hole opposite the perforations, inverted Guiberson swab rubbers were used on the drillpipe and the hole was down-swabbed in stages, beginning

Jan 1, 1937

Discussion of the paper of CHARLES T. MALCOLMSON, presented at the New York meeting, February, 1915, and printed in Bulletin No. 98, February, 1915, pp. 271 to 289. E. W. PARKER, Washington, D. C.-The briquet or boulet, or coalette (whatever name is used) has come to stay as a part of the fuel supply, particularly for domestic purposes. During the past winter I have had some personal experience with the use of boulets made from anthracite coal. All of this winter I have used boulets in my furnacee and in my grate at my home in Washington. One reason for doing so is that we get the boulets at a price considerably cheaper than the prepared sizes of anthracite coal. The fuel has proved entirely satisfactory. One advantage possessed by the boulet is its absolutely uniform size, which makes the ventilation of the firebed practically perfect. The boulets burn until entirely consumed. There is not, even in an open grate fire, if the fire is kept constantly going, any unconsumed fuel passing through the grate bars. The boulets hold their form until entirely consumed and then break away into a clean white ash, with absolutely no clinker. That in itself is a particularly favorable recommendation to the housekeeper. Mr. Malcolmson has mentioned the fact that notwithstanding the smokeless character of anthracite, the boulets made from it emit smoke. The emission of smoke is due to the coal-tar pitch used as a binder. This is particularly noticeable if the fireman is somewhat careless, or wants to save labor, and feeds too much of the fuel on the fire at one time, cooling it down and thus causing an unnecessary amount of smoke. The smoke lasts but a short time, however, and if the fire is fed a little more frequently, with a small quantity of fuel at one time, the smoke is reduced to a minimum. I believe it will not be long before some of our engineers will have overcome the objectionable smoke; and will produce either from anthracite or from the so-called smokeless New River and Pocahontas semi-bituminous coals, a briquet which will be as smokeless as anthracite for all. practical purposes.

Jan 5, 1915

By O. C. Wheeler

The total oil production from Colombia during 1939 amounted to 23,774,151 bbl., constituting a new high record. Of this amount the Tropical Oil Co. produced 22,374,151 bbl. from its De Mares concession and the Colombian Petroleum Co. produced 1,400,000 bbl. from its Barco concession beyond the eastern Andes. The Socony Vacuum Oil Co. produced a small amount of crude from its Las Monas wells north of the Sogamoso River in the Magdalena Valley for consumption on its own property, but this is not included in the figures given above. The South American Gulf Oil Co. provided the outstanding development in the country by the completion, late in the year, of its 12-in. pipe line from the Colombian Petroleum Company's Barco concession to the coast at Covenas. This was a notable accomplishment, achieved in the face of tremendous natural obstacles. With the completion of this line there are now two crude-oil outlets from the interior of Colombia to the coast, the other being the Andian National Corporation's line down the Magdalena Valley from Barranca Bermeja. The Barco property becomes the second major producing area in Colombia. The acquisition of prospectivc oil lands continued at about the same level as during the prcvious year. Most of the lands taken up or applied for had their subsurface rights vested in the National Government. Relatively little interest was taken in the leasing of privately owned lands. Tropical surrendered its Putana concession on the Sogamoso River after finding it to he nonproductive. The status of applications for National lands that had been accepbed or on which concession contracts had been awarded at the end of the year is shown in Table 3. In the Magdalena Valley wildcat drilling in the search of new fields was conducted to the east of Puerto Berrio by the Compania de Petroleo Shell de Colombia, Compania Coloinbiaila de Petroleos El Condor and by the Sociedad Nacional del Carare; further down the valley to the cast of Puerto Wilches, the Socony T'acuum was drilling two wildcats. No discoveries resulted from this exploratory work. On the Barco conces-

Jan 1, 1940

By Dean Edwin Dallin

A computer system was developed by Texasgulf's Corporate Data Center (at Raleigh, North Carolina) to evaluate the economics of proposed new projects and to determine the incremental expansion effects of existing projects. The Corporate Treasurer, Controller, and Senior Staff Members of the corporate office guided the project with advice from the Chairman's office. After consideration of commercially available programs, the decision was made to develop an in-house investment system. The main specification was that the program must do the accounting calculations on the computer exactly as done by hand in the corporate office. No average "approximations" or values were allowed. Also, the capability to change the calculation procedures quickly was a must. The experience gained in developing a program to evaluate Gulf Coast off-shore oil lease-bids was used to develop an investment system. Several ideas were taken from A Programming Language (APL) concepts. An investment functional language was developed, and computer programs were written to process the functional language. One feature is a print-out of the model in English. The English print- out assists the debugging and documentation of a model. The major expansion at the Kidd Creek mine was the test case for the new system. After the results were approved and accepted for the base case, many sensitivity runs were made. Numerous additional models were developed to reflect the investment opportunities at other sites. An existing edit program was used to build the models and to systematically organize all the data for different projects. Remote input-output capabilities were added to the system, allowing data to be prepared and submitted at one Texasgulf site with the results printed at another location within minutes. The project has been well accepted by Texasgulf's senior management. Growth of the system is now in the areas of (1) merging individual projects into the corporate financial statements, (2) use of classical forecasting to project future costs, and (3) coupling the investment program to mine planning and general ledger systems. Also, the system is now being installed on an interactive computer system to provide faster turn-around time and more flexibility.

Jan 1, 1977

By S. Grinsfelder

Although wildcatting was hampered by the general overproduction and low price of crude, several developments, worthy of note in the history of the petroleum industry in the Rocky Mountain region, were made in 1927. This district records production from six new fields, two of these having been heretofore productive of gas. Deeper pay horizons were found in two other oil fields. In order to facilitate transportation from fields, six new oil pipe lines were completed or in the course of construction at the end of the year, and one line is proposed for 1928. Four gas lines were completed, one was under construction, and one was proposed for 1928. The total production in 1927 in the Rocky Mountain district was 29,591,379 bbl.,' a decrease of 7,771,991 bbl., or 21 per cent., fro111 the previous year. This was occasioned by natural decline and the general curtailment of production and drilling. A review of the development by states follows. Colorado Production from horizons in the Morrison and Sundance at Craig and at Ilrs Dome, and the bringing in of the deepest producing well in the Rocky Mountain district on North McCalluin anticline (Waltlrn) in Jackson County are the outstanding developments for the year in Colorado. In March the Midwest Refining Co.'s Parkinson 21 SD, SW SE, Sec. 22 T p. 4 N R 92 W, Iles Domr, Moffat County Colorado, found gas in sands in the Morrison estimated at 15,000,000 cu. ft., and at 3242 ft. an oil sand was encountered in the Sundance. Initial production from this horizon was 2575 bbl. in this well. This structure previously was only productive of water in the sands of the Dakota group but has been producing shale oil from horizons in the Benton. The second well completed by the Midwest Refining Co., No. 18 SD in Sec. 23 was also productive of gas in the Morrison and made an initial of 300 bbl. from sands in the Sundance. By the end of the year three other wells wrrc nearing the completion stage but none of them indicate that they will be as big producers as the discovery. To date the productive area has

Jan 1, 1928

By O. C. Wheeler

The total oil production from Colombia during 1939 amounted to 23,774,151 bbl., constituting a new high record. Of this amount the Tropical Oil Co. produced 22,374,151 bbl. from its De Mares concession and the Colombian Petroleum Co. produced 1,400,000 bbl. from its Barco concession beyond the eastern Andes. The Socony Vacuum Oil Co. produced a small amount of crude from its Las Monas wells north of the Sogamoso River in the Magdalena Valley for consumption on its own property, but this is not included in the figures given above. The South American Gulf Oil Co. provided the outstanding development in the country by the completion, late in the year, of its 12-in. pipe line from the Colombian Petroleum Company's Barco concession to the coast at Covenas. This was a notable accomplishment, achieved in the face of tremendous natural obstacles. With the completion of this line there are now two crude-oil outlets from the interior of Colombia to the coast, the other being the Andian National Corporation's line down the Magdalena Valley from Barranca Bermeja. The Barco property becomes the second major producing area in Colombia. The acquisition of prospectivc oil lands continued at about the same level as during the prcvious year. Most of the lands taken up or applied for had their subsurface rights vested in the National Government. Relatively little interest was taken in the leasing of privately owned lands. Tropical surrendered its Putana concession on the Sogamoso River after finding it to he nonproductive. The status of applications for National lands that had been accepbed or on which concession contracts had been awarded at the end of the year is shown in Table 3. In the Magdalena Valley wildcat drilling in the search of new fields was conducted to the east of Puerto Berrio by the Compania de Petroleo Shell de Colombia, Compania Coloinbiaila de Petroleos El Condor and by the Sociedad Nacional del Carare; further down the valley to the cast of Puerto Wilches, the Socony T'acuum was drilling two wildcats. No discoveries resulted from this exploratory work. On the Barco conces-

Jan 1, 1940

By McDowell Graves, Joseph Jensen, W. D. Goold, M. L. Gwin

During the present year the Santa Fe Springs field has proved to be the most important oil field under development in the United States. Its production will exceed that of any other field. Without it, production within the United States would have been almost in even balance with consumption. The field has forced to the fore and compelled, more than any other single factor, serious consideration of the need of conserving the gas resources of the State of California. It has also contributed much to the development of new drilling equipment and important features in petroleum engineering, and has required the development of a new cement for use in deep wells because of high temperatures. It is the only oil field in the country where wells 8000 ft. deep have become so common that they are no longer given special attention. The field covers a little less than 1400 acres of land. In it 196 producing deep-zone wells have already been drilled since August, 1928, and 224 wells are still drilling. More wells may be drilled. This indicates that probably more than 450 wells will be drilled in the present campaign. In hardly a year's time it has caused the outlay of nearly $50,000,000 for drilling, and within the year 1929 it will have returned practically an equal amount of revenue. In contrast to conditions during 1923, when this field was once before an important and disturbing factor, the California oil industry has not been forced to refinance to meet the situation presented by such a large production of oil. There has been practically no unit selling and no stock selling, nor any unnecessary development far beyond the limits of the field. Production is now about 275,000 bbl. per day and gives every promisc of remaining at this figure or increasing to nearly 300,000 bbl. Six months from now the field should still be capable of producing more than 200,000 bbl. per day. Obviously, the need for conserving gas that would be blown to the air, incident to the production of so large a volume of oil, represents a problem in conservation deserving of the most serious attention of the oil industry and of the State of California.

Jan 1, 1930

By John W. Buch

NeaRly 25 years ago operating officials in the northern anthracite field were confronted with the problem of profitably mining virgin beds of thin coal (those 48 in. and under) or destroying them by mining underlying thick beds. To solve this problem costly hand-mining methods were replaced by cheaper mechanical methods, which eliminated the need for the lifting of bottom or the brushing of top in excessive quantities, which was essential if proper height for hand loading1 was to be provided. During this period long-face mining was an outstanding development. In its favor in comparison with any other method were the ease with which undercutting machines could be used, a differential in powder cost of about fifteen cents per ton in favor of this method over mining from a solid chamber or pillar face, and a greater production per day from a single working place, resulting in lower capital expenditures for a given total production, closer supervision and lower transportation cost. The long faces were drilled by jackhammer and undercut by machines. The coal from the cut was loaded into mine cars placed on the gangway road by means of a double-drum mechanical scraper engine and a mechanical V-type scoop. A tugger hoist was used to spot empty cars at the loading point from a supply placed at the operation by an electric mine locomotive. During loading the roof was supported by vertical wooden props paralleling the face. After the loading was completed the scraper engine and the ropes that had been used to propel the scoop in the loading of coal transferred the props to and along the face. A row of unfilled cogs was then built parallel to the new face and about 6 ft. from it. These cogs were usually made 6 by 3 ft., the longer dimension paralleling the face; they were placed on an average at 12-ft. centers. These wooden cogs were left in place and were buried later by falling roof. Attempts to remove them were never successful. When a new long face was started, the cog spacing would be increased to about 20-ft. centers. As successive cuts were made, weight would begin on the cogs, and they

Jan 1, 1940

By John W. Buch

NeaRly 25 years ago operating officials in the northern anthracite field were confronted with the problem of profitably mining virgin beds of thin coal (those 48 in. and under) or destroying them by mining underlying thick beds. To solve this problem costly hand-mining methods were replaced by cheaper mechanical methods, which eliminated the need for the lifting of bottom or the brushing of top in excessive quantities, which was essential if proper height for hand loading1 was to be provided. During this period long-face mining was an outstanding development. In its favor in comparison with any other method were the ease with which undercutting machines could be used, a differential in powder cost of about fifteen cents per ton in favor of this method over mining from a solid chamber or pillar face, and a greater production per day from a single working place, resulting in lower capital expenditures for a given total production, closer supervision and lower transportation cost. The long faces were drilled by jackhammer and undercut by machines. The coal from the cut was loaded into mine cars placed on the gangway road by means of a double-drum mechanical scraper engine and a mechanical V-type scoop. A tugger hoist was used to spot empty cars at the loading point from a supply placed at the operation by an electric mine locomotive. During loading the roof was supported by vertical wooden props paralleling the face. After the loading was completed the scraper engine and the ropes that had been used to propel the scoop in the loading of coal transferred the props to and along the face. A row of unfilled cogs was then built parallel to the new face and about 6 ft. from it. These cogs were usually made 6 by 3 ft., the longer dimension paralleling the face; they were placed on an average at 12-ft. centers. These wooden cogs were left in place and were buried later by falling roof. Attempts to remove them were never successful. When a new long face was started, the cog spacing would be increased to about 20-ft. centers. As successive cuts were made, weight would begin on the cogs, and they

Jan 1, 1940