Search Documents

By D. R. Irving

Prior to this time, ample supplies of high grade mineral fillers, such as clay, have been available close to consuming centers. Now depletion of these accessible deposits, coupled with other factors such as increasing demand due to population expansion and standard of living rise, has made development of upgrading techniques attractive to producers. Various investigations being carried out by the U.S. Bureau of Mines are described. Factors making the development of improved methods for upgrading clays attractive to producers include: depletion of accessible deposits of high-grade clays, rising transportation and labor costs, more exacting specifications, and increased demand resulting from an expanding population and a constantly rising standard of living. Industry recognizes the need for upgrading presently unusable materials and has cooperated with the U.S. Bureau of Mines by providing samples from submarginal deposits and by evaluating the products that USBM upgrades. Following are some examples of recent clay beneficiation work by the Bureau. FIRE CLAY BENEFICIATION At the Rolla Metallurgical Center, Rolla, Mo., the Bureau is conducting research to develop technically and economically feasible mineral-dressing methods to remove quartz, pyrite, and other impurities from submarginal fire clays. The research has been spurred by the growing shortage of high-grade bur-ley, flint, and plastic clays in the Missouri fire-clay district resulting from increased consumption and the low rate of discovery of new deposits of adequate quality. There apparently is ample tonnage of submarginal flint and plastic clays to maintain the industry for many years if such material can be upgraded to commercial quality. Samples have been submitted to USBM by several major producers of refractories, including A. P. Green Fire Brick Co.; Harbison-Walker Refractories Co.; Mexico Refractories Div., Kaiser Aluminum and Chemical Corp.; and Wellsville Fire Brick Co. Research on some samples has been completed and still is in progress on others. The Bureau has found that specimens containing quartz or pyrite in grains coarser than the accompanying clay generally can be upgraded either with a gravity table or hydraulic cyclone. The improvement in quality is notable not only in chemical analysis but in an increase in pyrometric cone equivalent (PCE) of one or more cones. As an example, consider the results attained on a sandy flint—a fine-grained mixture of kaolin and halloysite with quartz and minor quantities of iron and manganese oxides. Chemical analysis was: 35.4 pct alumina (A12O3) and 47.8 pct silica (SiO2). The sample contained 9.2 pct free silica as quartz. The PCE was 33. The sample was crushed to -10-mesh, blunged with water, and then stage-ground to -48-mesh. The ground sample was tabled to yield a clay fraction containing 37.6 pct A12O3, and 45.3 pct SiO2 of which 2.4 pct was free silica. The PCE was 34. Recovery of alumina by this process was 73.6 pct. Concentration of the same clay in the hydraulic cyclone was even more effective in respect to quartz removal. The clay fraction analyzed 38.6 pct A12O3, 45.0 pct SiO2 of which 0.5 pct was free silica as quartz, and had a PCE of 34. Recovery of alumina was 71.9 pct. The hydraulic cyclone was also effective in reducing the pyrite content of a plastic clay which likewise was a mixture of kaolin and halloysite, plus some pyrite, quartz, and carbonaceous material. It analyzed 30.6 pct Al2O3, 52.3 pct SiO2, 2.3 pct Fe2O3, and 0.76 pct S. The sample was blunged and screened through 10-mesh to remove some coarse pyrite, then ground to -65-mesh and cycloned to remove most of the remainder. The final product recovered 81.8 pct of the alumina at a grade of 32.3 pct A12O3, 50.9 pct SiO2, 1.4 pct Fe2O3, and 0.1 pct S. The PCE was 32-1/2, compared with a PCE of 31-1/2 for the crude clay. The fine beneficiated clays, of course, must be pelletized and dried or fired to meet commercial acceptance. This operation has already been solved by industry. Little progress has been made on two remaining problems. One is that of fine-grained impurities, not separable by table or cyclone. Flotation is being investigated to solve this. Although fine pyrite is readily rejected, a satisfactory quartz-clay separation has not been attained. The second problem, a stubborn one, is that of alkali. Samples containing as much as 5 pct potas-

Jan 1, 1961

By Hugo L. Johnson, Robert Wallace

THE Midvale plant of the United States Smelting Refining and Mining Company consists of a flotation mill for concentrating sulphide ores of lead and zinc by differential flotation to produce three separate concentrates, one of lead, one of zinc, and one of iron pyrite; and a lead smelter for smelting ores and concentrates to produce base lead bullion, The plant, including its shops, laboratories, office, railroad yards which serve both mill and smelter, and areas reserved for tailing ponds and slag dumps, covers 646 acres on the right bank of the Jordan River at Midvale, Utah. It is twelve miles south of Salt Lake City and sixteen miles east of the West Mountain mining district at Bingham Canyon from which is drawn a large part of its ore supply. Custom ores are treated as well as the product of Company mines.

Jan 1, 1948

THE first session of the Institute was held on Tuesday evening, September 16th, in the William Molson Hall, of McGill University, Dr. T. Sterry Hunt, Chairman of the Local Committee of Arrangements, in the chair. Dr. Hunt introduced Monsieur S. Rivard, Mayor of Montreal, who spoke as follows : GENTLEMEN: We welcome you with pleasure to our city, and we are proud to find that you have deemed it worthy of your visit. I understand that your association was founded in 1871 with some thirty courageous members, and that so valuable has it been esteemed, and so attractive was it found, that nearly one thousand have now enrolled their names as members and associates. But we must regard your profession as dating back to the stone age and mingling therewith ; how remote that is none of us can tell. Much of civilization is due to the discovery of metals, and the magnitude of our works to their widespread abundance. If you have not accomplished what the alchemists aimed at, which was to turn the ruder materials into gold, you manage, by your subtle skill, to turn stones into gold value. Europe has long since been-dug into and perforated with shafts and galleries in search of metals, and great wealth, and power, and comfort have arisen there-from ; but by an increase of knowledge, and more than European enterprise and energy, America is following rapidly in the race, and by means of natural advantages of a geological character has out-stripped the Old World. We are pleased to see you, gentlemen, as an evidence of the unity of this continent. Maps may have various delineations, but the veins and arteries of commerce and the nerves of science knit all together into one social organism with the same vital functions. We live here on the margin of the world, and can claim but a modest share in. the great works of modern times, but such as we have that can interest you we gladly offer for your observation.' Our Victoria Bridge may he considered appropriate, for without mining engineers to precede the civil and mechanical, no bridge would be there to-day. In truth, the same may be said of all works of metal, and of all that are executed by tools and machinery made of metal. The Mont

Jan 1, 1880

By A. W. Fahrenwald

FLOTATION practice in Idaho is now about 13 years old. The advance has been steady during these 13 years. The operators have been alert to take advantage of the newest developments and they have themselves made a constant effort to improve their work. The metallurgical improvements are clue to the development of (1) better equipment, (2) better reagents, and (3) better understanding and control of the process. During the 8 years which the writer has been in this district, there has been continuous experimentation by several companies to improve the ore dressing by flotation methods. Gravity concentration has fought hard to hold its place, and although it is true that gravity processes have been improved during this period, nevertheless, in several of the important mills of the district the few tables that managed to hang on have finally given way. On the straight-lead ores, tables and jigs are still used; and, due to better classification, their hold on this job has been strengthened.

Jan 1, 1927

By R. E. HORE, J. B. Tyrrell

IN the vicinity of Kirkland Lake, northern Ontario, several gold mines are producing, and three are at present being operated very profitably. At these three mines and on the adjoining properties east and west of them there have been important developments during the past year, and additional equipment has been installed to permit a large increase in output. At the end of 1924 the total production amounted to $13,688,600. For the year 1926 the production is estimated at about $19,000,000, and during 1926 the output should be much greater than that of 1925. The mines which are being operated most profitably and are producing a large part of the ore now being milled are the Wright-Hargreaves, Lake Shore and Teck-Hughes. Others which have contributed smaller amounts are the Tough-Oakes-Burnside and the Kirk- land Lake Gold mines.

Jan 1, 1926

By Robert Linton

M ETHODS by which Americanization is developed among the foreign workers at the mines in the United States, with particular reference to mines of the Pennsylvania coal region, were discussed in a most constructive way at the Wilkes-Barre Meeting of the Institute. Arthur Notman, of the Phelps Dodge Corpn., as chairman, guided the discussion. Americanization was defined by E. E. Bach, !chairman of the Institute's Sub-committee on Americanization, who said: "Americanization applies either to the native-born or foreign-born and is that process of assimilation which guarantees the full functioning of American citizenship. Naturalization papers merely entitle one to the privileges of citizenship."

Jan 1, 1921

By J. J. Beeson

For the past fifty years or more, the structural features of the Cordil-leran mountain system of western United States have presented some most interesting problems. Any geologist or engineer living in this region, or even making occasional examinations of the mines, will lose much of interest and importance if he is not familiar with the literature. Some of the greatest works on geology have been the result of studies carried on in sections of this region. Among the more important of the earlier works are those of Dutton,l King,2 Gilbert3 and Powell;4 of the more recent Lindgren,5 Ransome,6 Spurr,7 Butler8 and others have contributed much. Many of the papers are largely of scientific interest but even these lay the foundation for the commercial application of the broader features of the geology. I have read many of these works with the keenest interest and pleasure; in fact, some have been read until some of the more important findings seem to be my own. In this paper, however, it is my aim to accept credit for little more than the labor of assembling some of the ideas of others. This is done with the hope that an interesting and valuable discussion will be the result. If some of the ideas presented should

Jan 1, 1927

By E. I. Larsen, E. F. Swazy, F. R. Hensel

High strength, high-conductivity copper-base alloys have found considerable use in the resistance welding and electrical industry in the form of castings, forgings, or wrought products. There are a number of parts utilized by these industries which would lend themselves to manufacture by powder metallurgical methods provided the required physical and electrical properties are obtainable with such methods. The present paper describes the results of a study of certain copper-base powder metallurgical products susceptible to precipitation hardening. Copper Powders The general types of commercially available copper powders are flake, spherical and electrolytic. Micrographs of these three types are shown in Figs. I, 2 and 3. The difference in particle shape is pronounced and obvious. The type of powder used is determined, or at least indicated, by the final properties desired in the finished article. The type of powder employed during the present investigation was electrolytic powder shown in Fig. 3, and was chosen because of its particular adaptability to the work described in this Paper. The screen and chemical analyses of this powder are shown in Table I. In the preparation of compacts of high electrical conductivity, the purity of the copper powder is of importance in addition to other factors, such as density and the state of internal stresses. These variables were studied briefly by pressing a number of compacts to various pressed densities, sintering them for one hour in hydrogen at 975OC and repressing. The size of the finished compacts was 1/4, by % by 8 in. The time interval from the application to the termination of pressure was approximately 20 sec. Some of the compacts were annealed before testing. The results are listed in Figs. 4 to 8, inclusive. In Fig. 4 the curves of pressed density vs. compacting pressure, and sintered density versus compacting pressure show the typical direct relationship of pressure and density. Compacting pressures exceeding about 30 tons per sq. in. result fiequently in expansion during sintering for the type of powder used. Fig. 5 indicates that variations in the initial pressed density within the range of about 5 to 6 grams per c, c., affect only slightly the pressure required to obtain a

Jan 1, 1946

By E. I. Larsen, E. F. Swazy, F. R. Hensel

High strength, high-conductivity copper-base alloys have found considerable use in the resistance welding and electrical industry in the form of castings, forgings, or wrought products. There are a number of parts utilized by these industries which would lend themselves to manufacture by powder metallurgical methods provided the required physical and electrical properties are obtainable with such methods. The present paper describes the results of a study of certain copper-base powder metallurgical products susceptible to precipitation hardening. Copper Powders The general types of commercially available copper powders are flake, spherical and electrolytic. Micrographs of these three types are shown in Figs. I, 2 and 3. The difference in particle shape is pronounced and obvious. The type of powder used is determined, or at least indicated, by the final properties desired in the finished article. The type of powder employed during the present investigation was electrolytic powder shown in Fig. 3, and was chosen because of its particular adaptability to the work described in this Paper. The screen and chemical analyses of this powder are shown in Table I. In the preparation of compacts of high electrical conductivity, the purity of the copper powder is of importance in addition to other factors, such as density and the state of internal stresses. These variables were studied briefly by pressing a number of compacts to various pressed densities, sintering them for one hour in hydrogen at 975OC and repressing. The size of the finished compacts was 1/4, by % by 8 in. The time interval from the application to the termination of pressure was approximately 20 sec. Some of the compacts were annealed before testing. The results are listed in Figs. 4 to 8, inclusive. In Fig. 4 the curves of pressed density vs. compacting pressure, and sintered density versus compacting pressure show the typical direct relationship of pressure and density. Compacting pressures exceeding about 30 tons per sq. in. result fiequently in expansion during sintering for the type of powder used. Fig. 5 indicates that variations in the initial pressed density within the range of about 5 to 6 grams per c, c., affect only slightly the pressure required to obtain a

Jan 1, 1946

By Leon Orlowski

THE oil-bearing districts of Poland are found on the slopes of the Carpathian Mountains. The oil belt extends from Gorlice southeast to Stanislawow. It is approximately 250 miles long and 30 miles wide, and comprises four geological districts: the western, or Gorlice district; next, to the east, the Krosno district; the Boryslaw district; and, in the extreme southeast, the Stanislawow district. The amount of petroleum produced in Poland from the beginning of the oil industry scarcely totals 26,000,000 metric tons, or 15 per cent. of the estimated supply. Of this amount, 18,000,000 tons have been taken from the fields of Boryslaw within 25 years; and only about 8,000,000 tons from all other fields within a period twice as long, although some of these other fields represent just as good possibilities as did Boryslaw at the beginning of its development. The Polish oil industry was severely stricken by the war. The retreating Russian armies, in 1915, destroyed a large number, of the existing oil wells, nor was the post-war period favorable for the development of this industry;; the money and credit stringency interfered with the expansion of drilling. But since 1921 there has. been a slow steady increase in production and there is now every reason to believe that conditions in the industry will improve. In fact, an increase in new drillings has been reported for the current year. The production of crude oil in Poland, in 1913, amounted to 1,113,668 metric tons. In 1914, the production declined- to 655,600 metric tons. In 1921, the production was 705,596 tons; in 1922, 712,428 tons, and in 1923, 737,182 tons; or more than 5,000,000 bbl. But the fields have a much greater potential output, which could be realized were the capital available for prospecting and new drilling. The principal producing, and at present most exploited, fields are around Boryslaw and Schodnica. These fields were developed rapidly for in the first year of their modern exploitation the wells were gushers of moderate depth. However, as a result of heavy drilling, the shallow folds have been exhausted and oil can be reached now only by deep drilling. Wells of almost 5600 ft. have been drilled in Boryslaw. Because of these drilling conditions, a large number of engineers and workmen specially skilled in deep drilling are to be found in this field.

Jan 3, 1925

By Merlin H. Aylesworth

THE subject assigned to me is peculiarly appropriate to the anniversary of the birth of Abraham Lincoln. If we applied to our present problems the ideals and methods of the Great Emancipator, the future of American institutions would be so definitely assured that there would be little need to discuss the matter. The only inquiries would relate to the pace of progress, not to the possibility of progress. As a nation we have grown more and more to revere the memory of Lincoln, to honor his character, to extol his teachings and to eulogize his concepts of democracy. We rec-

Jan 1, 1940

By H. H. Pentz

This paper gives the derivation of a practical formula for the calculation of slopes in seismic reflection prospecting. The derived formula is an approximation and can be used where the slope of the reflecting horizon is less than 250 ft. per 1000 and the depth to the reflecting horizon is greater than 2500 ft. The slope of sediments in oil regions is generally considerably less than 250 ft. per 1000. This is particularly true of the Gulf Coast, with the exception of the salt domes, which usually have the sediments at a greater slope than 260 ft. per 1000. Derivation In Fig. 1, o represents the image of the shot point a. Then the length of the path acb is equal to ob and ae'd is equal to od. In the triangle aob, p is equal to ob, x is equal to , and c is equal to ao. The angle u is the apparent dip of the reflecting horizon. Angle oab is equal to (90" - u). The quantity m is the slope of a line tangent to the curve, defined by equation 1, at the point (p, x). The quantity m' is the slope of the line tangent to the curve at the point (p', 2').

Jan 1, 1940

By H. H. Pentz

This paper gives the derivation of a practical formula for the calculation of slopes in seismic reflection prospecting. The derived formula is an approximation and can be used where the slope of the reflecting horizon is less than 250 ft. per 1000 and the depth to the reflecting horizon is greater than 2500 ft. The slope of sediments in oil regions is generally considerably less than 250 ft. per 1000. This is particularly true of the Gulf Coast, with the exception of the salt domes, which usually have the sediments at a greater slope than 260 ft. per 1000. Derivation In Fig. 1, o represents the image of the shot point a. Then the length of the path acb is equal to ob and ae'd is equal to od. In the triangle aob, p is equal to ob, x is equal to , and c is equal to ao. The angle u is the apparent dip of the reflecting horizon. Angle oab is equal to (90" - u). The quantity m is the slope of a line tangent to the curve, defined by equation 1, at the point (p, x). The quantity m' is the slope of the line tangent to the curve at the point (p', 2').

Jan 1, 1940

By W. H. Hough, P. B. Leavenworth

Development in the Upper Texas Gulf Coast during 1943 resulted in the discovery of 11 new fields as compared with 12 discovered in the same area during I942. Of the 11 new fields, eight are classed as oil and/or condensate and three as gas fields. In addition to the new discoveries, several more or less important new horizons and extensions were encountered in some of the older fields, as noted in the text under the heading "New Pays and Extensions.'' Drilling During the year, 418 wells were drilled, as compared with 356 drilled during 1942. Of these, 323 were field wells, of which 188 produced oil, 21 were gas wells and 114 were dry holes. The remaining 95 viere wildcats, 12 of which produced oil, 4 produced gas and 79 dry holes. Distribution of themwildcats with respect to the various trends may be summarized as follows: over the 91,340,492 bbl. produced in the same area during 1942. The production statistics in the text and the accompanying tables include condensate or distillate as oil production, because many Gulf Coast fields produce oils with a wide variation of specific gravities, all of which are commingled in pipe lines. Table 3 shows by counties all of the drilling and production" data applicable to this particular area. Outstanding Fields of 1943 The Upper Texas Gulf Coast covered in this report has 178 more or less active oil and gas fields, including the 1943 discoveries. Of these Table 4 lists those that were most important from the standpoint of production. Each of these fields pro duced in excess of one million barrels of oil during 1943. Some of the interesting facts to be noted from this list of some 26 oil fields are: (I) four of the fields— namely, Conroe, Hastings, Friendswood and Thompson—each produced more than 10 million barrels during 1943, whcrcas Conroe and Hastings were the only fields that produced 10 million barrels during 1942; (2) some of the older fields (discovered prior to 1920), such as Barbers Hill, West Columbia, and Hull, are still producing in excess of one million barrels annually; (3) some of the fields more than doubled their 1942 production—e.g., Anahuac and Friendswood. The large increase in production in practically all instances is the result of increased allowables from wells drilled prior to 1943 and

Jan 1, 1944

By W. H. Hough, P. B. Leavenworth

Development in the Upper Texas Gulf Coast during 1943 resulted in the discovery of 11 new fields as compared with 12 discovered in the same area during I942. Of the 11 new fields, eight are classed as oil and/or condensate and three as gas fields. In addition to the new discoveries, several more or less important new horizons and extensions were encountered in some of the older fields, as noted in the text under the heading "New Pays and Extensions.'' Drilling During the year, 418 wells were drilled, as compared with 356 drilled during 1942. Of these, 323 were field wells, of which 188 produced oil, 21 were gas wells and 114 were dry holes. The remaining 95 viere wildcats, 12 of which produced oil, 4 produced gas and 79 dry holes. Distribution of themwildcats with respect to the various trends may be summarized as follows: over the 91,340,492 bbl. produced in the same area during 1942. The production statistics in the text and the accompanying tables include condensate or distillate as oil production, because many Gulf Coast fields produce oils with a wide variation of specific gravities, all of which are commingled in pipe lines. Table 3 shows by counties all of the drilling and production" data applicable to this particular area. Outstanding Fields of 1943 The Upper Texas Gulf Coast covered in this report has 178 more or less active oil and gas fields, including the 1943 discoveries. Of these Table 4 lists those that were most important from the standpoint of production. Each of these fields pro duced in excess of one million barrels of oil during 1943. Some of the interesting facts to be noted from this list of some 26 oil fields are: (I) four of the fields— namely, Conroe, Hastings, Friendswood and Thompson—each produced more than 10 million barrels during 1943, whcrcas Conroe and Hastings were the only fields that produced 10 million barrels during 1942; (2) some of the older fields (discovered prior to 1920), such as Barbers Hill, West Columbia, and Hull, are still producing in excess of one million barrels annually; (3) some of the fields more than doubled their 1942 production—e.g., Anahuac and Friendswood. The large increase in production in practically all instances is the result of increased allowables from wells drilled prior to 1943 and

Jan 1, 1944

By R. E. Wade

The Butte, Anaconda & Pacific electrification is of peculiar interest, in an incidental way, to the entire mining fraternity, and especially the engineering branch, not only in this great Northwest country but throughout the entire Western mining country, which is rich in minerals and water power. It is probably fair to say that the prime object of mining and smelting engineering is to reduce the cost of production, and in the case in hand the relative location of mines and smelter brings the cost of transportation of ore to the front. While some might assign this item to the railway people, it is inseparably a part and parcel of the general scheme of the production of metal from the ore. In considering the electrification of the B., A. & P. railway the mining and smelting engineer, above all, wants to know what saving will be effected by the change in motive power. Unfortunately the new power has been in use during a very limited period and on the Smelter Hill section of the road only, and no reliable data, from actual service conditions, can be obtained until the entire electrified section has been in service for a reasonable length of time. Any remarks on this subject at the present time, therefore, must of necessity be general in nature and more or less descriptive. The railway, electrical and mining worlds and the country in general are indebted to the B., A. & P. railway for the pioneer work it is now doing, as it undoubtedly marks the beginning of the electrification, within the comparatively near future, of all transcontinental roads between the Missouri river and the Pacific coast. Together with this goes the development of an untold wealth in water power and all natural resources within the same territory. For the first time in the history of electric railway work, in this country, direct current at a potential of 2,400 volts is being used. With this potential there is a great saving in transmission of energy to the locomotives and there are only two substations, one at either end and 26 miles apart, for supplying the power for the movement of trains of heavy tonnage over the main line and for switching movements at terminal and intermediate yards, and comparatively little feeder copper is required.

Jan 1, 1914

By James P. Kimball

Jan 1, 1885

By E. O. Lilge, H. Siebert

A design of a multiple-bomb leaching unit particularly suited for the study of heterogeneous reactions, i.e. sol id-liquid-gas interfaces at high temperatures and pressures is presented. The component parts and overall design are described and illustrated in detail. The system has been tested by a limited number of experiments and found to work satisfactorily. Heterogeneous reactions at solid-liquid-gas interfaces, at high temperatures and pressures, are studied in either autoclaves1'4 or bombs5'9. Autoclaves are usually fairly large vessels which have a stirring arrangement incorporated in the design. Mechanical design limits the use of these vessels to relatively low temperatures and pressures. They are particularly well suited to rate or kinetic studies. Bombs can be designed to be operated at high temperatures and pressures, and are smaller vessels; because of this, stirring arrangements are not easily incorporated. In this paper a multiple-bomb system is described, that has been designed to incorporate the desirable features of both the autoclave and the bomb. The described unit has flexibility for an over all study of leaching. Most of the component units in this assemblage are standard equipment, designed and produced by well known manufacturers. No claim is made to the design of this equipment, and although described in some detail, this is done merely for clarity in the elucidation of the system presented. The general layout of the multiple-bomb assemblage is shown in Fig. 1A and 1B. The basic units in this system are: 1) 6 stainless steel 100 ml bombs (Fig. 4)

Jan 1, 1964

By Fred H. Kan

The production of petroleum in Venezuela during 1931 was approximately 118,767,000 bbl., a decrease of 18,904,000 bbl., or 13.7 per cent, compared with the previous year. This is the first break in production, which has risen steadily since 1920, and is attributable to restriction of output and drilling operations, in harmony with lessened demand, rather than to any real decline in potential production. Venezuela ranked third among the world's producers, having lost second place to Russia. The Bolivar coastal fields, which were extended approximately 14 miles southward during the year, continued to supply most of the oil. La Concepcion, Los Manueles and Quiriquire all showed marked increases. A new field of light oil was discovered on the north coast near Puerto Cumarebo, State of Falcon. Exports declined 15.7 per cent, from 137,377,000 bbl. in 1930 to about 115,800,000 bbl. in 1931. Crude oil in storage at the end of the year amounted to 7,450,000 bbl., a decrease of 2,150,000 as compared with 1930. Tankage utilized is about 40 per cent of the available space. A drastic decline in drilling activity reduced the number of wells completed in producing areas from 401 in 1930 to 116 in 1931. Only three wells were drilled in the Lagunillas field proper, but, the amount of closed-in production and proven acreage gave assurance of a satisfactory potential output. Of the 1580 wells drilled to the close of 1931 in the producing areas of the Bolivar Coast, 631 were active and 853 were closed in; 96 had been abandoned. The status of the active wells at the end of 1931 was as follows: flowing, 331; pumping, 99; gas-air lift, 201. Producing wells closed in numbered 452; workovers, 8; totally inactive, 393. Lago Petroleum Corp. and Venezuela Gulf Oil Co. placed in operation the first units of their electric power plants, the former at Punta Gorda and the latter at Las Morochas, and are replacing steam power in their operations as rapidly as possible. Compressor stations were also installed for use in connection with air-gas lift operations. A considerable volume of gas was treated in gasoline extraction plants, the tail gas being recom-pressed and utilized together with natural high-pressure gas, for stimulation of production.

Jan 1, 1932

By Frederick A. Mumpton

For more than 200 years zeolites have been familiar minerals to geologists and mining engineers as minor, but ubiquitous constituents in vugs and fractures of most basalt and traprock formations. More than 35 different species have been recognized including several, such as chabazite, erionite, mordenite, and faujasite, whose adsorption properties rival those of many synthetic molecular sieves. Igneous occurrences of this type have never been mined on a commercial scale; they are generally small and low grade, and they commonly contain as many as four zeolite minerals, along with small quantities of calcite, quartz, and other silicate minerals. Their economic beneficiation to monomineralic zeolite products has also not been achieved and, for the most part, industrial applications of zeolites have relied primarily on synthetic molecular sieves that were crystallized from hydrous aluminosilicate gels. During the middle 1950s, when Union Carbide Corp. and other groups were developing processes and markets for their fledgling synthetic zeolite businesses, natural zeolites

Jan 1, 1975