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By M. R. J. Wyllie

Eight laboratory-prepared aqueous base drilling muds representing common mud types, and 15 aqueous base drilling muds sampled in the field, have been used in an experimental investigation of the relationship between the streaming potential developed across a mud filter cake and the differential pressure causing filtrate flow. It has been established that the relationship is of the form, ES = kPy, where Es is the streaming potential, P the differential pressure and k and y are constants for any particular mud system at constant temperature. Beyond a certain minimum thickness this relationship is independent of filter cake thickness. Experiment has shown that both k and y are temperature dependent parameters and that in certain mud systems there is a critical value of P above which the simple relationship Es = kPY ceases to hold. The constant k tends to be a function of the mud resistivity at 77ºF, but the exponent y has not been found to be related to any commonly measured mud property. Certain field experiments are described which serve to demonstrate that the total SP (self potential) developed opposite a formation may be quantitatively accounted for as the algebraic sum of an electrochemical potential and an electrokinetic potential. A chart to permit the simple use of mean solution activities in the interpretation of electrochemical SP data is given and its use described. Various field methods for computing the electrokinetic SP component of the total SP are considered and rejected as being unduly complicated and inaccurate. It is shown that the employment of low resistivity drilling muds is essential if optimum accuracy is desired in the use of the S.P. curve for the purpose of computing connate water salinities by the electrochemical SP method. The use of such low resistivity drilling muds is accordingly recommended. INTRODUCTION In a previous paper' a quantitative analysis of the electrochemical compovent of the SP (self potential) curve was made and it was shown that the electrochemical* emf, E, could be expressed as E = ZtRT/F In a,/a,, where t is the transference number of the chloride ion, R is the gas constant, T the absolute temperature of the formation water and mud, a, the mean activity of the connate water (assumed to be sodium chloride) and a, the mean activity of the mud (as sodium chloride). The essential accuracy of this expression was confirmed by an investigation 2 of the SP kicks opposite sands of known water salinity. The logs examined had been routine runs in oil wells in a number of Mid-Continent states. Further confirmation of the original analysis of the electrochemical SP is implicit in the paper by Tixier3 wherein a relationship between the SP and the ratio of connate water and mud resistivities, based only on field data, is given. Allowing for the fact that mud and connate water resistivities were used instead of activities, and that electrokinetic effects were ignored, the constant reported by Tixier is essentially 2tRT/F. The error involved in the universal substitution of resistivities for activities will receive further reference below. Possible reasons for the fact that the electrochemical properties of shales do not appear to be significantly dependent upon either the nature or the quantity of cation exchange materials, such as clays, they contain has been considered at some length by Wyllie and Patnode.4 In the same paper, the probable effects of shale thickness and compaction on electrochemical efficiency, and hence the inherent difficulty of obtaining reliable laboratory-scale data, were also pointed out. However, it is

Jan 1, 1951

By M. R. J. Wyllie

Eight laboratory-prepared aqueous base drilling muds representing common mud types, and 15 aqueous base drilling muds sampled in the field, have been used in an experimental investigation of the relationship between the streaming potential developed across a mud filter cake and the differential pressure causing filtrate flow. It has been established that the relationship is of the form, ES = kPy, where Es is the streaming potential, P the differential pressure and k and y are constants for any particular mud system at constant temperature. Beyond a certain minimum thickness this relationship is independent of filter cake thickness. Experiment has shown that both k and y are temperature dependent parameters and that in certain mud systems there is a critical value of P above which the simple relationship Es = kPY ceases to hold. The constant k tends to be a function of the mud resistivity at 77ºF, but the exponent y has not been found to be related to any commonly measured mud property. Certain field experiments are described which serve to demonstrate that the total SP (self potential) developed opposite a formation may be quantitatively accounted for as the algebraic sum of an electrochemical potential and an electrokinetic potential. A chart to permit the simple use of mean solution activities in the interpretation of electrochemical SP data is given and its use described. Various field methods for computing the electrokinetic SP component of the total SP are considered and rejected as being unduly complicated and inaccurate. It is shown that the employment of low resistivity drilling muds is essential if optimum accuracy is desired in the use of the S.P. curve for the purpose of computing connate water salinities by the electrochemical SP method. The use of such low resistivity drilling muds is accordingly recommended. INTRODUCTION In a previous paper' a quantitative analysis of the electrochemical compovent of the SP (self potential) curve was made and it was shown that the electrochemical* emf, E, could be expressed as E = ZtRT/F In a,/a,, where t is the transference number of the chloride ion, R is the gas constant, T the absolute temperature of the formation water and mud, a, the mean activity of the connate water (assumed to be sodium chloride) and a, the mean activity of the mud (as sodium chloride). The essential accuracy of this expression was confirmed by an investigation 2 of the SP kicks opposite sands of known water salinity. The logs examined had been routine runs in oil wells in a number of Mid-Continent states. Further confirmation of the original analysis of the electrochemical SP is implicit in the paper by Tixier3 wherein a relationship between the SP and the ratio of connate water and mud resistivities, based only on field data, is given. Allowing for the fact that mud and connate water resistivities were used instead of activities, and that electrokinetic effects were ignored, the constant reported by Tixier is essentially 2tRT/F. The error involved in the universal substitution of resistivities for activities will receive further reference below. Possible reasons for the fact that the electrochemical properties of shales do not appear to be significantly dependent upon either the nature or the quantity of cation exchange materials, such as clays, they contain has been considered at some length by Wyllie and Patnode.4 In the same paper, the probable effects of shale thickness and compaction on electrochemical efficiency, and hence the inherent difficulty of obtaining reliable laboratory-scale data, were also pointed out. However, it is

Jan 1, 1951

By A. C. Halferdahl

DURING a study of reactions involving iron sulfides, it became desirable to know approxi-mately the heat of decomposition of pyrite. The values given for the heats of formation of pyrite and ferrous sulfide are 35,500 calories and 23,070 calories respectively. For the reaction 2FeS2= 2FeS+S:, the heat effect would be-24,860 calories. But pyrite gives sulfur and pyrrhotite upon heating and the latter is a solid solution of sulfur in ferrous sulfide. The only meas-urements of this decomposition are those of Allen and Lombard1 of the Geophysical Laboratory who have measured dissociation pressures of both covellite and pyrite and have carefully reviewed the literature. They give a table of values for covellite as determined by Preuner and Brockmoller2 and by Wasjuchnowa3 and compare these values with their own measurements. The conclusion is that the measurements of Preuner and Brockmoller are seriously in error, while Was-juchnowa's values fit in well with those of Allen and Lombard. Wasjuchnowa's measurements were made by a dynamic method, while Allen and Lombard em-plowed a static method on both covellite and pyrite. Tables I and II reproduce the measurements of Wasjuchnowa and of Lombard and Allen on covellite and pyrite.

Jan 11, 1927

By Yap Chu-Phay

ALTHOUGH chronologically, the Sb-Bi system was the first one studied by the writer, the theoretical basis of the equations used in this paper is fully discussed in the writer's paper on the iron-carbon system,1 because he believed that many would be more interested in the iron-carbon alloys. He suggests, therefore, that the reader consult that paper to familiarize himself with the theoretical aspect of the thermodynamic treatment outlined herein. This paper is divided into two parts: Part I deals with the Sb-Bi system and Part II deals with the lead-rich side of the Sb-Pb system. Although the former system has not much practical interest now, it has great theoretical interest in that it, is the one system that for a long time was thought to have (and under specific conditions still has) an anomalous solidus, which no amount of physical investigation could adequately account -for. The latter system of course, is particularly interesting in the lead-rich end. It will be shown that the thermodynamic method is capable of predicting reliably the equilibrium position of the solidus, and thus acts as a check on the experimentally derived solidus.

Jan 1, 1931

By A. Faison Dixon

In India the production of mica, which in other countries is of very minor importance, is one of the staple, long established industries, and ranks high in the statistics of mineral products. Nearly two-thirds of the mica of commerce comes from India. The Indians have used mica for glazing and decorative purposes through many centuries. About 14,000 men are employed in and about the mines, and the indigenous and primitive mode of mining is still followed; but, by reason of the exhaustion of the surface supply hitherto won without intelligence or capital, it will not be many years before the present interesting and casual methods will be replaced by a less archaic and more profitable system. India on the whole has little mineral wealth, but the unique resources of its mica-fields, cheap labor, and favorable natural conditions render it unlikely that any other country can ever more than temporarily contest her leadership in the production of this one minor but essential mineral. Mica plays a small but indispensable rôle in a variety of fields of dissimilar application. Its use and value depend upon characteristics which different kinds of mica have in varying degrees, each kind being adapted to its own special purpose. Its well-known characteristics of transparency, flexibility, elasticity, toughness, high dialectric strength, perfect flatness, ease of splitting into thin films, ability to stand high heat and sudden changes in temperature, give it value in many industries. No other substance, natural or artificial, has the same combination of qualities. The oldest use of mica is in glazing. By reason of the improvements in annealing glass, this is not now of great importance, but mica is still employed for the covers of ikon images in Russian churches, the windows of anthracite stoves, compass

Jan 1, 1914

By John M. Crowl, L. E. Sawyer

5.3-1. General Public Resistance to Strip Mining. Surface (strip) mining is the oldest recorded method of extracting coal and other minerals from the earth. This method of mining completely alters the topography of the earth's surface, leaving an area of more or less parallel ridges or of peaked mounds of the materials which overlay the mineral seam. It destroys all original vegetation and provides materials for new type soil. During the early years the acreage mined by this method was small, land was plentiful, and with a growing young nation no thought was given to the restoration of the disturbed areas to some form of productive use. Early in the present century the development of steam shovels and drag-lines made it possible to remove thicker overburden to recover the products. With the deeper digging, the size of the disturbed areas increased. With this increase in the size of equipment and the improvement of blasting techniques, mining was expanded into more prominent locations and to areas of more valuable land. The more progressive operators became aware of the need to reclaim those areas for some productive use. Electric shovels with capacities of up to 200 cu yd and draglines with capacities of 145 cu yd, capable of uncovering products over 100 ft below the surface, are now in use. Combined with the increase in the size of equipment, the expansion of contour mining or rim stripping in the mountainous areas has focused public attention on the need for a sound reclamation program for all disturbed areas. APPEARANCE. After mining, the areas consist of varying percentages of rock, shale, slate, and soil material devoid of all plant and animal life. Unless a definite reclamation plan is carried out, many of the mined areas will remain bare for a period of years. The topography of the area is completely altered. What may have been level to rolling land in cultivation, in grass, or in timber is thrown up into a series of ridges or mounds.

Jan 1, 1968

By Herbert H. Kellogg, Hugo Vasquez- Rosas

Recently the long-chain primary amines have been used extensively for the flotation of silicate minerals. The use of amines to float sulphide minerals has been investigated by several authorsl-5-l8 but most of this work has been done with the short-chain (less than six carbon atoms) primary amine compounds or the more expensive secondary, tertiary and quaternary amines. Perhaps the fact that the long-chain amines are good collectors for the common gangue minerals has led investigators to omit them from consideration as collectors for the selective flotation of metallic sulphides. The work reported in this paper was designed to investigate the use of a typical long-chain amine salt, laurylamine hydro-chloride, as a collector for the flotation of galena-sphalerite ores. The results show that laurylamine hydrochloride (LAmHCl), when used in small amounts, is a good collector for the selective flotation of sphalerite and galena from the common gangue minerals. The differential flotation of sphalerite from galena was not accomplished but the amine flotation of sphalerite after the standard xanthate flotation of galena is possible. The experimental work reported herein is not complete enough to be able to say whether amine flotation of lead-zinc ores would prove superior to xanthate flotation, or whether the method is even applicable to a more complex ore than the one used for this work. However, the apparent reagent costs for the flotation operations described in this paper seem to be less than for xanthate flotation. This fact alone should be sufficient to encourage the millman to investigate the use of these amine reagents, especially as these reagents are available on a commercial scale at a reasonable price. This paper has as its secondary purposes to illustrate how contact-angle measurements have aided in this investigation, and to bring forward some evidence concerning the mechanism of the collecting action of primary amines. Contact-angle Tests The contact-angle measurements were made by the method described by del Giudice6 and used in recent work by Taggart and his collaborators.7-9 The mineral specimens for the contact-angle tests were carefully chosen, to avoid cracks and inclusions of other minerals. All specimens were mounted in "transoptic" plastic mounts and the surfaces were cleaned by polishing with levigated alumina on a cloth-coverkd glass polishing wheel. Distilled water was used on the lap during the polishing and at all subsequent steps in the contact-angle tests. The mounted mineral specimens were handled with glass forceps and special care was exercised to prevent exposure of the clean surface to air or any other source of contamination.

Jan 1, 1947

By Herbert H. Kellogg, Hugo Vasquez- Rosas

Recently the long-chain primary amines have been used extensively for the flotation of silicate minerals. The use of amines to float sulphide minerals has been investigated by several authorsl-5-l8 but most of this work has been done with the short-chain (less than six carbon atoms) primary amine compounds or the more expensive secondary, tertiary and quaternary amines. Perhaps the fact that the long-chain amines are good collectors for the common gangue minerals has led investigators to omit them from consideration as collectors for the selective flotation of metallic sulphides. The work reported in this paper was designed to investigate the use of a typical long-chain amine salt, laurylamine hydro-chloride, as a collector for the flotation of galena-sphalerite ores. The results show that laurylamine hydrochloride (LAmHCl), when used in small amounts, is a good collector for the selective flotation of sphalerite and galena from the common gangue minerals. The differential flotation of sphalerite from galena was not accomplished but the amine flotation of sphalerite after the standard xanthate flotation of galena is possible. The experimental work reported herein is not complete enough to be able to say whether amine flotation of lead-zinc ores would prove superior to xanthate flotation, or whether the method is even applicable to a more complex ore than the one used for this work. However, the apparent reagent costs for the flotation operations described in this paper seem to be less than for xanthate flotation. This fact alone should be sufficient to encourage the millman to investigate the use of these amine reagents, especially as these reagents are available on a commercial scale at a reasonable price. This paper has as its secondary purposes to illustrate how contact-angle measurements have aided in this investigation, and to bring forward some evidence concerning the mechanism of the collecting action of primary amines. Contact-angle Tests The contact-angle measurements were made by the method described by del Giudice6 and used in recent work by Taggart and his collaborators.7-9 The mineral specimens for the contact-angle tests were carefully chosen, to avoid cracks and inclusions of other minerals. All specimens were mounted in "transoptic" plastic mounts and the surfaces were cleaned by polishing with levigated alumina on a cloth-coverkd glass polishing wheel. Distilled water was used on the lap during the polishing and at all subsequent steps in the contact-angle tests. The mounted mineral specimens were handled with glass forceps and special care was exercised to prevent exposure of the clean surface to air or any other source of contamination.

Jan 1, 1947

By C. Schlumberger

THE object of this paper is to describe the adaptation of electrical resistivity measurements to the particular case of exploration in which the surface is an expanse of water (river, lake, sea). Water in itself does not constitute an obstacle to electrical exploration. It is merely an overburden, which is fluid instead of being solid, and as a consequence the routine of the measurements has to be modified. Also, in many instances, the liquid under consideration is highly conductive (salt water). This introduces an additional difficulty into exploration work, and has to be overcome by the geophysicist. We do not propose to discuss here the basic principles of electrical resistivity measurements, which have been dealt with in various previous papers,1 but will simply recall the two fundamental techniques which govern its field application: 1. Horizontal exploration, or method of the resistivity map, in which a series of electrical measurements are carried out at various stations, keeping the same electrode spacing. Thus, a horizontal layer of the subsoil, of a practically constant thickness, is explored. 2. Vertical exploration, or "vertical sounding?2 method, in which a series of measurements are made with increasing electrode spacings at one or several stations. In this way, the apparent resistivity is deter-

Jan 1, 1934

Jan 1, 1887

By Howard 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 K20; 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, 1935

By D. Harrington

FROM 1870 to date, the coal production of Utah has been somewhat less than 85,000,000 tons. There have been at least three major disasters with total fatalities about 380; or approximately. 4.4 persons killed by mine explosions per million tons produced, a record that is decidedly bad. Even during the periods when there have been no disasters, such as the years 1914 to 1920, inclusive, the fatalities .in ordinary working ran about 5.4 per million tons produced, against 3.7 per, million tons. for the whole United States for the same years. The five-year period following the war, 1918 to 1922 inclusive, showed 4.7 fatalities per million tons, hence the fatality record in the coal mines of Utah has uniformly been in excess of the average of the coal mines of the entire country. Notwithstanding this poor record, Utah has given to the coal-mining world many excellent safety methods and practices and the Utah. coal mines in general take greater measures toward safe mining than do the coal mines of any other State; if practices and methods allowed and pursued in coal mines of other States were tried in Utah coal mines, there would be a succession of disasters. Utah's principal producing coal mines, operated by about eighteen companies and numbering less than forty, have comparatively thick seams. Very little coal under 5 ft. thick is being worked and practically none under 4 ft.; much, if not most, of the coal comes from seams in excess of 8 ft., some running as high as 30 ft. In thick seams in which coal is left on floor and roof, any dust found or made is entirely combustible. In addition, the thick seams induce the use of large capacity cars, handling which in rooms and other workings on fairly heavy grades (up to 10 or .12 per cent.) tends to cause haulage accidents. The thick seams give high ribs and roof, in which it is difficult to prevent slabs of coal or rock from dropping on workers and also difficult to keep free of gas and of coal dust. The coal is high volatile, running usually over 40 per cent and in some instances nearly to 50 per cent; hence is highly flammable. Most of the coals have very high resin content, the resin usually being in dust form, hence almost as highly flammable as black powder. At .least one-third of the mines give off methane and several give off other

Jan 8, 1925

By N. Tiner

THE mechanical properties of magnesium-alloy castings are greatly improved by grain refinement, and at present considerable attention is being paid to methods of obtaining fine-grained castings. One method of achieving this end is the use of proper melting and superheating techniques. These have been employed commercially to a great extent, but no comprehensive study of the subject appears to have been published at present. Numerous investigations found in the literature include some reference to superheating techniques, 1-4 and Achenbach, Nipper and Piwowarsky,5 based principally on thermal analysis, ascribe the grain-refining action of superheating to the influence of solid foreign particles or dissolved gases present in the melt upon the course of crystallization. The primary purpose of this paper is to present the principal facts concerning the effect of superheating on grain size of magnesium alloys. Attempts are also made to explain the experimental results in terms of a general hypothesis. The investigations are limited chiefly to common commercial casting alloys. In order to carry on this work, it was necessary to determine the factors influencing grain size and to develop a proper technique for the preparation of samples. The preliminary tests made by the author indicated that the grain size of magnesium alloys resulting from the solidification of a melt is determined by alloy composition, presence of impurities, rate of cooling during solidification, thermal history of the melt and to some extent the structure of the charge used. The rate of cooling is in turn dependent upon the mass of the melt, pouring temperature, and dimensions, properties and temperature of the mold into which the melt is poured. The final grain size of the alloys is still further modified by heat-treatment subsequent to casting. It is not within the scope of the present paper to discuss all of these factors, and it would suffice to note here that when equal amounts of magnesium alloys are prepared from the same alloying materials, melted in graphite crucibles under the same thermal conditions, then cast into graphite molds at a constant temperature, the .resultant solids have the same grain size. By maintaining all other factors constant, it is thus possible to vary thermal conditions of a melt and to examine the grain size of resultant castings. PREPARATION OF SAMPLES AND GRAIN-SIZE TESTING The alloys investigated in this paper were taken from ingots made by Permanente Metals Corporation or prepared by the author with pure carbothermic magnesium and necessary alloying elements. Melting was carried out under a flux in a graphite crucible heated uniformly by an

Jan 1, 1945

By B. M. Larsen

ATTEMPTING to review the fundamental aspects of segregation in steel ingots of all types in a paper of reasonable length, we encounter two difficulties: (I) the fact that a large number of different physical and chemical effects are involved, and (2) rather incomplete and confusing evidence on certain aspects of detail and mechanism in the freezing process in which the segregation effect is involved. The best solution seemed to be to link together most of the underlying factors into a simplified theoretical picture that appears to the writer to explain most of the observed data, in the hope that this will serve as a reasonably good target for discussion and criticism. Segregation effects, especially in steel ingots or castings, are often divided into " microscopic " and " macroscopic," depending on whether the variations in concentration of solutes? or dissolved elements in the iron occur as: (I) a periodic variation over the small distances between the nuclei and the surfaces of the primary grains, or (2) as a larger scale effect involving concentration gradients over distances of the order of several inches, more or less. The reason for this somewhat artificial division is, of course, that it is only the macroscopic scale effect that has much practical importance. About the only effect of practical importance that results from microscopic segregation is the banded structure often left in rolled sections, and even this is relatively harmless in most cases. However, the causes of microscopic segregation also underly the larger scale effect, so we must first consider matters such as the formation and growth of crystal nuclei, selective freezing and diffusion, and others that are fundamental to all segregation effects. UNDERCOOLING AND NUCLEI FORMATION It is probable that although the degree of undercooling is small in iron, as in metals in general, a certain amount of it takes place, and also that the number of crystal nuclei increases very rapidly with increased undercooling below the liquidus tempera¬ture. In practical terms this means that the nuclei number increases very rapidly with increased cooling or freezing rate, thus being dependent on the rate of heat flow out from the zone of crystallization. TEMPERATURE GRADIENTS AND HEAT DISSIPATION DURING FREEZING Each pound of steel evolves about 100 B.t.u. when freezing. In addition to this, the temperature gradient in the solidified portion (required to dissipate the heat as freezing progresses into the axis) necessitates a loss of heat required to cool the solid metal below its freezing range, which is equivalent to an amount of not so much less in magnitude. In a 5-ton ingot, the total would include about one million B.t.u. for freezing alone and about 0.4 to 0.5 million B.t.u. for the gradient, up to the end of the freezing period: Thus the rate of freezing depends primarily on the rate of heat dissipation. In the ordinary ingot shapes, the axial rate of growth of the solid

Jan 1, 1944

By E. Hoek

INTRODUCTION Rock slope stability research has been in progress for the past four years at the Royal School of Mines in London under the sponsorship of a consortium of 23 companies* with interests in open pit mining. This paper reviews the principal aims and achievements of this research project. In order to assist the reader in following these details, the basic philosophy underlying the formulation and direction of this research project is discussed. DISTRIBUTION OF RESPONSIBILITY In open pit mining, the economic necessity of keeping waste rock removal to a minimum generally means that the mine slopes have to be excavated to the steepest possible slope angle. On the other hand, excessive steepening of these slopes can induce failures, which may negate the economic benefits that have been aimed at and which may also result in loss of life and damage to equipment. Consequently, where slope failures are likely to prove to be a problem, an evaluation of the stability of the slopes to be created should be included as part of the overall pit design. How is the stability of a rock slope evaluated? When this question was examined, during discussions on the research policy to be followed at the Royal School of Mines, it was clear that relatively few satisfactory techniques were available in a form that would be comprehensible and therefore useful to the practical mining engineer. It was recognised that the research project must be directed towards two distinct aims: a) The evaluation of existing techniques for rock slope stability analysis and the provision of new techniques where these existing methods were found to be inadequate and b) The presentation of the results of this evaluation and research in a form that would be useful to engineers without specialist training in rock mechanics. It was soon realized that a university based research team, however large and efficient, could not achieve these aims without the co-operation and assistance of mining engineers,

Jan 1, 1972

By P. F. Gnirk, J. B. Cheatham

An experimental investigation has been made to study the effects of tooth angle and confining pressure on the force required for indentation of dry rock samples under confining pressure. In these experiments static single-tooth indentations were made on two standstones, a limestone, a schist and a slate under confining pressures of 5,000 to 15,000 psi. Sharp wedge-shaped teeth with included angles ranging from 30°to 105°were used. In all cases the force-displarenzent curves are approxinlately linear for rocks tested under confining pressure, as contrmted with the discontinuous curves obtained for silnilar rocks at atmospheric conditions. Photonzicrographs of thin sections through the craters indicate very little evidence of chip formation during indentation. In general the experimental data lie between calculated values for perfectly rough and perfectly smooth tooth-rock interfaces. INTRODUCTION The variables associated with ctrilling at depth are numerous and, in many instances, are not easity isolated and controlled. Also, many of these variables are interdependent; however, if the variables which are sufficiently independent of each other are held constant and are appropriately introduced, the dependent variables can be more easily studied and evaluated. It is the purpose of the present investigation to study experimentally the simplest case of bit tooth-rock interaction. In essence, the experiments have involved the static loading of sharp wedge-shaped tools on the surfaces of effectively semi-infinite dry rock samples subjected to confining pressures. During this investigation the following quantities have been maintained constant: 1. Pore pressure: atmospheric (i.e., the rock is dry). 2. permeability: although the rocks may be permeable, they are "jacketed" in such a manner that the fluid is not permitted to flow through them. 3. Temperature: 75F. 4. Rate of loading: essentially static (approximately 0.002 in./second). 5. Bit tooth: a sharp wedge-shaped tooth loaded normal to the rock surface. 6. Rock surface: smooth and flat. 7. Drilling fluid: hydraulic oil. In addition to the above conditions, the rock surface was free of a layer of cuttings. There was no indexing to previously indented surfaces, and the influence of corners of the borehole was neglected because the rock samples were effectively semi-infinite. The following quantities have been varied, and the resulting effects have been studied: 1. Rock a) Type (e.g., limestone, sandstone, etc.). b) Mechanical properties ) Necessarily dependent c) Porosity on type of rock. 2. Bit tooth (included angle of wedge-shaped tooth). 3. Depth of penetration. 4. cobfining pressure. On the basis of laboratory experiments which have shown that many rocks exhibit ductile behavior at confining pressures corresponding to depths usually reached during drilling,'.' a theory has previously been advanced which predicts the force required for penetration by a single sharp wedge tooth into a ductile* material.' The material is assumed to be isotropic, homogeneous and rigidly plastic (no elastic deformation) and to obey the Coubomb yield criterion (Figs. 1 and 2). Equations governing the force required for penelration are given for two extreme cases:** 1. A smooth, perfectly lubricated tooth-rock interface (fridionless boundary), in which the solution gives a minimum value for the penetrating force: in which F = force of the tooth, b = length of tooth edge,

By Dean W. Lynch

Arizona: The San Xavier Indian Reservation mine is located approximately 2 ½ miles northwest of Asarco's Mission Mine southwest of Tucson. The company plans to produce oxide and copper-bearing siliceous ore at this operation, construction of which is scheduled for completion in 12 months. Asarco also plans a copper leaching and iron precipitation plant at its mine. The plant will leach 4000 tpd of oxide ore using sulfuric acid produced at the company's acid plant now under construction at Hayden. Copper precipitates will go to the smelter at Hayden. A drilling program at the Sacaton copper prospect in Pinal County, has disclosed two porphyry copper deposits. One deposit, mineable by surface mining, has approximately 17 million tons of material averaging 0.80% Cu. A deeper deposit suitable for under- ground mining has approximately 12 million tons averaging 1.5% Cu. Although Asarco intends to place this property in production, no startup date has been determined.

Jan 1, 1970

J. Chipman (Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Mass.)—The fact that the experimental work has been applied to copper rather than iron and that the paper is presented to the Iron and Steel Division, I regard as rather significant. It shows the unity of metallurgy and the fallacy of trying to cut it up by metals. This result for the solubility of sulphur in molten copper correlates with Professor Schuhmann's finding that the published data on the other side of the copper-sulphur miscibility gap are also in error. I should like to ask the author to say a little bit more about the sulphur capacity of the slag. T. Rosenqvist (author's reply)-—I hope that Dr. Chipman will find the derivation of the expression for sulphur capacity more clearly explained in the printed version of the paper than in the oral discussion at the meeting. I feel that this quantity, which actually is the ratio of two activities, can be measured more easily than the individual activities. Even if the ratio CaO/CaS is chosen as the standard state, the expression can be used for any slag, even for slags completely free of lime, and it represents a way to put the desulphurizing power of all slag constituents into one bag. Some doubt has been expressed as to whether oxygen ions really exist in calcium oxide and in molten slags. From a thermodynamic view point that question is of minor importance. The term oxygen ion activity, or any activity for that matter, is defined rigorously by the equation: activity = exp u/RT, where u is the change in free energy connected with the transfer of one mol of ions from the standard state into the slag. Whatever happens to the ion in the slag is of no concern to the thermodynamicist. Regardless of whether the ion is "free" in the slag or not, or whether it is present in a very small amount, its activity can always be expressed, and for a thermo- dynamic calculation that is all we need. However, ionic activities will only be of some real value if they are simple functions of the slag composition, or can be measured easily. Concerning the real nature of the oxygen in the slag, my feeling is that the oxygen atom has a rather multiplex nature depending on how strongly it is tied by covalent forces or polarized by the other atoms or ions present. The oxides of iron, cobalt, and nickel differ from calcium oxide and blast furnace slags as to the amount of free electrons that can give rise to electronic conductivity. In slags we know that the conductivity is mostly ionic. The fact that reversible emf's can be obtained with oxygen electrodes in certain salt melts, indicates a significant amount of oxygen ions in these melts. But extended work, e.g. polaragraphic studies and measurements of transference number; are needed to obtain quantitative information about the real structure of the slags. D. E. Babcock (Republic Steel Corp., Youngstown, Ohio)—-With reference to the ion, it might be well to remember Dr. Moses Gomberg. All of his life he had no use for the ionization theory and he contributed greatly to the field of chemistry on the assumption there was no such thing as ions. I do not think we have to worry about whether the oxygen is ionic or not. I think one thing specifically should be brought to your attention and this I think is one of the important contributions of Dr. Rosenqvist. He pointed out what we know as oxygen potentials or what is described as oxygen potentials. I have used this concept for a long period of time and I want to state that if this concept is properly applied, it vitiates much of what we have in the literature, or makes our usual ideas regarding oxidation seem primitive. That one thing is more valuable than almost all the rest of the discussion as a fundamental basis on which to build a reasonable in-

Jan 1, 1952

By M. King Hubbert

In 1856 Henry Darcy described in an appendix to his book, Les Fontaines Publiques de la Ville de Dijon, a series of experiments on the downward flow of water through filter sands, whereby it was established that the rate of flow is given by the equation: q= - K(h2- h2)/I1 in which q is the volume of water crossing unit area in unit time, I is the thickness of the sand, h1 and h2 the heights above a reference level of the water in manometers terminated above and below the sand, respectively, and K a factor of proportionality. This relationship, appropriately, soon became known as Darcy's law. Subsequently many separate attempts have been made to give Darcy's empirical expression a more general physical fornzulation, with the result that .so many mutually inconsistent expressions of what is purported to he Darcy's law have appeared in published literature that sight has often been lost of Darcy's own work and of its significance. In the present paper, therefore, it shall be our purpose to reinform ourselves upon what Darcy himself did, and then to determine the meaning of his results when expressed explicitly in terms of the pertinent physical variables involved. This will be done first by the empirical method used by Darcy himself, and then by direct derivation from the Navier-Stokes equation of motion of viscous fluids. We find in this manner that: q = (N4(p/p)[g - (l/p) gradPI = WE, is a physical expression for Darcy's law, which is valid for liquids generally, and for gases at pressures higher than about 20 atmospheres. Here N is a shape factor and d a characteristic length of the pore structure of the solid, p and IL are the density and viscosity of the fluid, a = (Nd2)(pip) is the volume conductivity of the system, and E = [g - (l/p) grad p] is the impelling force per unit mass acting upon the fluid. It is found also that Darcy's law is valid only for flow velocities such that the inertial forces are negligible as compared with those arising from viscosity. In general, three-dimensional space there exist two superposed physical fields: a field of force of charucteristic vector E, and a field of flow of vector q. The force field is more general than the flow field since it has values in all space capable of being occupied by the fluid. So long as the fluid density is constant or is a function of the pressure only, curl E = 0, E = - grad F where F = gz + dp/p The field of flow, independently of the force field, must satisfy the conservation of mom, leading to the equation of continuity div pq = — f ap/at , where f is the porosity, und t is the time. For steady rnotion ap/at = 0. and div pq = 0 .

Jan 1, 1957

By A. H. Shoemaker

THE shutdown of Homestake by Government order L-208, with its consequent disruption of a very stable and trained working force, coupled with postwar inflation and the coincidence that a mining depth had been reached that posed problems of ventilation, access to exploration areas, and choice of mining methods that would be applicable to zones of greater rock pressures made a very searching analysis of every phase of Homestake's operations a necessity. Any changes to be made had not only to meet the problems of deeper mining but also had to provide greater efficiency so that the mine might operate at a substantial profit until such time as a gold price adjustment might be forthcoming that would offset post-1945 inflation. Geology and Mining Situation The Homestake mine lies in the northern Black Hills in an area of Pre-Cambrian rocks exposed by the erosion of the paleozoic formations which covered the Black Hills. The Pre-Cambrian rocks in the vicinity of Lead comprise metamorphosed sediments with a total thickness of about 20,000 ft. The oldest formation, the Poorman, is ankeritic carbonate schist. The next oldest, the Homestake formation, host rock for all Homestake orebodies, is a siliceous iron-magnesium carbonate schist. The younger formations are dom-inantly argillaceous with some quartzites. Tertiary intrusive rocks cut all formations. The Pre-Cambrian rocks have undergone extreme isoclinal folding. Superimposed on this intricate folding are zones of shear folding which cross the isoclinal folds at small angles. The Homestake orebodies are pipelike replacements of the Pre-Cambrian Homestake formation where certain cross folds intersect some earlier isoclinal folds. These orebodies plunge flatly to the southeast at variable angles locally as steep as 45". The orebodies are replacement areas where numerous vein quartz of irregular shape have formed with surrounding zones of chlorite alterations containing disseminated sulfides and metallic gold. Where the numerous individual quartz veins with the sulfide and gold-bearing alteration zones are close together, large irregular orebodies with a roughly elliptical plan outline result. These ore zones may be more than 200 ft wide and 700 ft long in plan area. They have followed down the plunge of certain severely folded structures with great persistence. Two vertical operating shafts, the Ross and Yates, serve the mine, one with rope capacity to reach the 4850 level, the other to the 5000 level.

Jan 1, 1959