Search Documents

By James B. Graham, Earle E. Smith

The value of all minerals produced in the United States for the years 1930 to 1932 averaged $3,460,000,000 annually, according to Bureau of Mines reports. Of this amount, approximately $1,280,000,000 represents nonmetallic substances, such as petroleum, gas, sulfur and salt produced as fluids. Thus, about.37 per cent of the country's mineral wealth is procured through wells drilled in the earth, which require casing to keep them open throughout their life. Deep well drilling has increased greatly in the last few years. Several strings of casing have been set deeper than 9000 ft.—one, a string of 7?-in. O.D. casing, 10,301 ft. long, run in a well drilled by the Gulf Production Co. in West Texas, holds the record up to this time. These are longer strings than were contemplated when the American Petroleum Institute Specifications were adopted 10 years ago, therefore it is necessary to consider whether the present joint standards are adequate for such strings, or for even longer strings that may be called for in the future. Petroleum engineers are asking: Is there a possibility that stronger joints can be designed without going to stronger and more costly steels than offered in present specifications? Without sacrificing too greatly the tensile properties of the joint, can its design be changed to allow more clearance in the open hole below the next larger string of casing, and thus avoid costly underreaming? What can manufacturers offer for drilling through heaving shale? Fundamentals of the Problem During the last few years considerable study has been given to casing joints and their limitations, and since attention must be given to this subject by those who will be required to drill deeper holes, it is timely to review the fundamentals of the problem. These will be recognized generally as the following: 1. No threaded joint can be stronger than the area of metal under the root of the first perfect thread, and this area must be large enough

Jan 1, 1935

By John M. McAnerney

In 1955, the U.S. Army started to experiment in Greenland with tunneling in glacial ice and later in frozen glacial moraine. By 1960, long adits and experimental rooms had been successfully excavated. Full mechanization with coal-cutting machinery was most efficient in ice but drilling and blasting were necessary in bouldery moraine. In 1963, the U.S. Army Cold Regions Research and Engineering Laboratory, (USA CRREL; redesignated U.S. Army Terrestrial Sciences Center July 1, 1968) started a tunnel in the frozen silt of central Alaska near Fairbanks. The original adit of 360 ft (109 m) was successfully driven in the permafrost by a twin-rotor tunnel-boring machine, the Alkirk Cycle Miner. The workings were enlarged in 1966 and 1967 by standard mining techniques in which jackhammers, steam points, and augers were compared. A mechanical coal cutter was tried to supplement drilling and blasting. In 1968, airblasting techniques were used successfully for breaking out the frozen silt. All mine products were loaded mechanically and hauled by self-dumping shuttle car. Pneumatic methods of transport were tried for both dust removal and for conveying blast products up to 3-in. maximum size. Studies of the effects of natural winter ventilation through a shaft showed that tunnel closure could be reduced by lowering the adjacent ground temperature. It is concluded that underground openings in frozen ground should be cut and maintained at well below freezing temperatures to hold deformation to a minimum. HISTORICAL BACKGROUND This chapter deals with aspects of tunneling not previously discussed in the conference papers in this book. The chief differences are that the three tunnels lie entirely within frozen material and are relatively small, since they were constructed mainly for research. The primary objectives of the research were to develop underground shelters for military per-

Jan 1, 1970

By G. R. Mansfield

THE third year of Government exploration for potash by the U. S. Geological Survey and the U. S. Bureau of Mines under the authorization of the act approved June 25, 1926 (Public 424-69th Cong.) is drawing to a close. The results thus far obtained are thought to be sufficiently interesting and satisfactory to justify the presentation of a brief pre¬liminary account of the work. REVIEW OF EARLIER EXPLORATION The general geologic similarity of the Permian basin of Texas and New Mexico to the potash field of Germany had long ago suggested the possibility of the presence of potash salts somewhere in that basin, but petroleum exploration was then making little headway there and the necessary data could not be obtained. The discovery by Udden in 1912 of potash in brine from the Spur well in Dickens County, Texas, was the first direct evidence of its presence. In 1915-17 the U. S. Geological Survey drilled a test well with standard tools at Cliffside near Amarillo, but failed to find potash. Nevertheless, an observer has been kept in the field, at first in cooperation with the Texas Bureau of Economic Geology but since 1922 by the Survey alone, to secure data and samples from oil and gas tests. Since the discovery of oil in Reagan County in 1923 exploration by drilling has been rapidly extended to many parts of western Texas and southeastern New Mexico. The identification of the potash-bearing mineral polyhalite was first announced by the Geological Survey in June, 1921, the material having come from cuttings from the Bryant well in Midland County and the Burns well in Dawson County, Texas. Successive discoveries and announcements of similar purport aroused widespread interest in potash exploration, which culminated in the action by Congress already noted.

Jan 1, 1929

The following paper, submitted by the Russian petroleum authorities, was secured through the courtesy of G. V. Ackerman, Vice President of Amtorg Trading Corporation, and N. V. Vannikoff, Representative in the U.S.A. of the United Oil and Gas Industries of the U.S.S.R. It gives an excellent view of the Russian petroleum industry as seen through Russian eyes. Noteworthy is the tremendous area over which the Russians are searching for petroleum, for this paper refers to such far-flung areas as the Arctic Tamir Peninsula, Kamchatka and Sakhalin on the Pacific, Lake Baikal in Central Siberia, the great new discovery at Neftadag in the plains of West Turkestan, and the oil of the Ferghana oasis, where the derricks look out over to the mosques of Kokand. Of interest also is the new pipe line to supply the industrial centers of Ukraine grouped around the great hydroelectric plant built at Dneprotroy on the falls of the Dnieper. The technical achievements have been noteworthy and we must pause to consider the scope of the undertakings being carried forward. Russia is at the worst a good second to the United States in petroleum reserves and for a long time to come will be a most important factor in the petroleum markets of the world. Her story should be of interest to everyone in the industry. The First Five Year Plan The first Five Year Plan, covering the period 1928-29 to 1932, accomplished the task of transforming the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics from an agricultural, backward land into a powerful independent industrial country, with an advanced technological foundation of its own for finally achieving the social reconstruction of the entire national economy. Along with the gigantic forward 'strides in industry and transportation, radical changes took place in agriculture. The creation of more than 5000 great state farms and of more than 200,000 collective farms serviced by a widespread network of machine-tractor stations has brought the U.S.S.R. to the fore as the largest agricultural country in the world. Imports of tractors and other agricultural machinery in the initial years of the Five Year Plan and the intensive output of this equipment by the great plants of the U.S.S.R. in the latter years of the plan have brought about the mechanization of agriculture in the Soviet Union. This year 250,000 tractors and 30,000 combines will operate in the fields

Jan 1, 1934

By M. J. Hordon, M. A. Wright

The well-defined increase in fatigue life observed o many metals cyclicly strained at vacuum levels below 10-1 to 10-3 torr has been attributed to the critical retardation of oxygen or water vapor chemisorption at the crack tip during crack propagation.1-3 In the absence of strongly adsorbed surface films, crack re-welding during cyclic compression or dislocation escape from the plastic zone around the crack tip has been proposed to account for the observed decrease in the rate of crack growth. The increase in the critical pressure required for the transition in crack growth rate with temperature experimentally determined for aluminum was found to be generally in accord with the adsorption rate model.4 However, although the adsorption mechanism would also predict an increase in transition pressure and fatigue life with increase in cyclic loading rate, and such effects were noted by Snowden5 for lead and Hordon3 for aluminum, the opposite results were reported by Kramer et al.B in studies on aluminum. The present note describes some recent measurements of the fatigue properties of 1100-H14 aluminum at low pressures to determine the specific effect of cyclic strain frequency in the transition pressure range. Flat cantilever-type specimens of 1100-H14 aluminum shaped to produce a uniform strain gradient along the gage length were tested in reverse plane bending at constant deflection amplitudes in two independent multi-specimen vacuum fatigue systems. One series of tests using 2-in. gage length specimens was conducted in an ion pumped apparatus with 107 torr and 50 cps capacity, denoted as Unit I, utilizing fixed mechanical cams to impose the strain amplitude. An independent test series using shorter 1-in. gage length specimens was conducted in a cryopumped apparatus designed for extremely low pressures below 10-10 torr, denoted as Unit II, using an electromechanical vibrator at non-resonant frequencies up to 150 cps to provide the deflection. Both vacuum fatigue units and associated test procedures have been described previously.3'7

Jan 1, 1969

Executive FREDERICK M. BECKET, Chairman HOWARD N. EAVENSON J. V. W. REYNDERS H. A. GUESS WILLIAM WRAITH Finance HENRY KRUMB, Chairman PAUL H. MERCER H. G. MOULTON Admissions JOHN M. LOVEJOY, Chairman GEORGE D. BARRON DONALD M. LIDDELI. E. V. DAVELER W. D. B. MOTTER, JR. Alternates AMOR F. KEENE L. F. STROBEL SAM TOUR Membership LEWIS B. LINDEMUTH, Chairman EDWARD H. ROBIE, Secretary Executive Committee NELSON DICKERMAN FREDERICK LAIST FRED H. KAY THOMAS T. READ H. A. KURSELL A. T. SHURICK SAM TOUR

Jan 1, 1932

By Robert L. Slobod

In much of the work reported in the literature on long cores. true connate water value, probably have not been obtained because of insufficient flow of 011 to attain equilibrium. A -.satisfactory method for establishing connate water in long cores has been developed in which oil flow is maintained until no additiona1 water is displaced. INTRODUCTION Long cores have been used by sev-erals investigators in an effort to evaluate the efficiency of oil recovery for various producing schemes. The effects of many variables such as rate of displacement. pressure drop, volume of displacing medium, gas-oil ratio, inter-facial tension, and others have been investigated, and the merits of gas drive have been compared with water drive. In the older experiments no connate water was used. but in the more recent stndies the philosophy of the experiment calls for a core containing oil and connate water (irreducible water) as the starting point of the experiment. The method generally used to establish this condition in long cores involves dynamic' displacement wherein one or more phases are forced through the core. flow being maintained at a constant rate or at a constant pressure until a steady state is reached wherein there is no change of saturation with time. It is one purpose of this paper to point out that in much of the work reported in the literature true connate water values probably have not been obtained. The reason for this failure is pointed out. and a method for obtaining more reliable connate water values on long cores is presented. It is impossible at this time to completely evaluate the effect on the conclusions in the earlier papers resulting from the failure to obtain true connate water in the long cores, but some data are presented which indicate that serious errors may he present in many cases. MATERIALS AND APPARATUS Cores cut front outcrop sandstones (Strawn. Torpedo, and Elgin sandstones) with permeabilities of the order of 300 md were used. The major experiments were made with a core 18-in. long and 2-in. in diameter. Cores of the same diameter but only 12-in. long were used in a few tests? and in some work a core I-in. in diameter and 11-in. long was used. These materials were all somewhat bentonitic. 'To reduce the effect of such constituents, one of the cores (Torpedo No. 10) on which the most work was performed was acid extracted at the start of the experiment. Brine containing 50,000 ppm chloride and naphtha (Stoddard's Solvent) were used as the water and oil phases, respectively. The core was mounted in a rubber sleeve which forms the inner lining of a brass cylinder. In this arrangement2 the rubber sleeve is forced against the core by applying pressure to water in the annular space between the rubber sleeve and the brass cylinder wall. The core is therefore sealed in rubber so that all fluids introduced at the input end of the core flow through the core. With this equipment the core may be easily removed for inspection and analysis. Also, other cores may be introduced for study with no extra time for preparation such as is required when plastic mounting is used. When pressure or conductivity measurements are desired at intermediate points along tile length of the core, the brass cylinder comprising the outer jacket of the core holder is cut into section, of the desired length. Each section is then made up as an individual unit with its own rubber sleeve (see Fig. 1). The individual units are then butted up against a ring of plastic or other insulating material which carries an electrical contact for resistivity measurements and an opening which can be used for the measurements of fluid pressures. The individual units are forced tightly against the plastic ring separators and held in place with several tie rods. Inlet and outlet end butts of the same diameter as the core and several inches in length are provided to control the introduction and withdrawal of fluids and to complete the arrangement for sealing the core within the rubber sleeve. Fluid flow is maintained either by applying pressure to the liquid confined in a reservoir or by the use of a gear pump. The latter is preferable where continuous flow at a moderate rate over a long time interval is desired since a small volume of liquid can be readily recirculated using filters to prevent plugging of the core. EXPERIMENTAL The oven-dried core is weighed and is then completely saturated with brine

Jan 1, 1950

By Charles T. Holland, David A. Olsen

Considerable work has resulted in the development of a formula by which the strength of coal pillars for an L to T ratio of up to 12 may be estimated. One of the factors involved in this formula is the coefficient of friction between the coal pillar and the adjacent rock with which it is in contact. This paper presents the results of studies on sandstone, limestone, shale and coal and the coefficient of friction between coal and the other three under wet and dry conditions. With the coefficients of friction thus determined and the use of results obtained earlier by Meikle and Holland, it seems probable that coal pillar strength may be more closely estimated. Several investigators1-3 have found that the com-pressive strength of cubical coal specimens can be correlated by an equation such as

Jan 1, 1969

By E. A. Gulbransen, K. F. Andrew

In a recent communication14 we have reported on the kinetics of the reactions of zirconium with O2, N2 and H2 as a function of the time, temperature and pressure variables. A systematic study was made and the results correlated with fundamental theories of gas-metal reactions. This paper will present a similar study for titanium. Titanium and zirconium are members of the IV group of the periodic table and possess many similar physical and chemical properties as a result of their similar electronic configuration for the outer electrons. The two metals are relatively inert to both gas and liquid phase corrosion at room temperature. However, at moderate temperatures the metals become active and react readily with the common gases including O2, N2 and H2 which are of interest in this study. A study of the kinetics of these gas-metal reactions is of interest for three reasons: (1) to understand the rate of reaction of titanium and its role in the behavior of high temperature alloys; (2) to understand the practical difficulties of the reduction, refining and working of titanium; and (3) to correlate the data with fundamental theories of gas-metal reactions and crystal structure predictions. Literature Survey Several review papers8 and books4243 exist on the preparation and properties of titanium and its alloys. THE METAL Titanium has, at room temperature, a hexagonal lattice of the zinc type. Hagg19 gives a value of 2.953A for the (a) axis, a value of 4.729 for the (c) axis and a density of 4.427 at 20°C. Burgers and Jacobs6 have observed the transformation of the hexagonal to the body-centered cubic structure at 880°C and have established a value of 3.31 for the cube edge and a density of 4.31. TITANIUM-OXYGEN Carpenter and Reavell6 using a pressure change method have studied the reaction at temperatures of 742° and 1000°C and for a pressure of one-fifth of an atmosphere. The probabilities for reaction are calculated from kinetic theory and they report a value of 10-5 for O2 at 1000°C and 10-6 at 740°C. The titanium-oxygen system has been investigated by Ehrlich.10,11 Five phases are observed. Between (TiO2 and TiO1.90) an alpha-phase, consisting ofarutile lattice, is found. A beta-phase is observed between (TiO1.80 and TiO1.70). A gamma-phase is homogeneous between (TiO1.56 and TiO1.46) and has a structure of the corundum type. The delta-phase exists between TiO1.25 and TiO0.6 and has a sodium chloride structure. From TiO0.42 to Ti the metal structure is observed. The surface oxide films have been studied by Hickman and Gulbransen.20 The rutile structure is observed in the temperature range studied, 300 to 700°C. Three crystalline modifications of TiO2 exist: rutile and anatase which are tetragonal and brookite which has an orthorhombic structure. Anatase is reported36 to exist in two forms: I and II. Anatase II changes to anatase I at 642°C. Anatase I is stable up to 915°C where rutile becomes the stable modification. At 1300°C rutile transforms to brookite which melts at 1900°C. The monoxide, TiO, may be prepared from the dioxide by high temperature reduction with carbon or magnesium. Its melting point is 1750°C. TITANIUM-NITROGEN Carpenter and Reavell6 report that at 1000°C a linear rate law is observed. The probability of reaction is given as 10-8 at 1000°C. Fast12 has studied the solubility of nitrogen and its effect on the mechanical properties of the metal. The crystal structure of TiN has been shown by several workers2'21'44 to follow the sodium chloride structure. However, the calculated density is found to differ from the pycnometric value. This is studied by Brager3,4 in detail. He has suggested that the titanium sites in the lattice are only partially filled at low temperatures. As the temperature of preparation is raised the vacant sites become occupied which expands the lattice and increases the hardness and density. An (a) value of 4.22Å is given for room temperature. TITANIUM-HYDROGEN The solubility and the crystal structures observed in this system have been reviewed in a recent book by Smith.40

Jan 1, 1950

ANNUAL MEETING OF THE NEW YORK SECTION - The annual meeting of the New York Section was held at the Machinery Club, May 7. While the dinner, at which fifty attended, was in progress, the names of the nominees for next year's officers were posted. The result of the election was as follows: Chairman, E. P. Mathewson; vice-chairmen, William Y. Westervelt, R. M. Atwater, Jr.; treasurer, Wilber Judson; executive committeemen, Lucius W. Mayer, Edwin S. Berry. The subject for the evening was "Organization and Campaign in France of the 27th Engineers." Colonel O. B. Perry described the many difficulties surmounted, for it was necessary to work with untrained men ALLEN H. ROGERS WALTER S. DICKSON CHAIRMAN OF NEW YORK SECTION SECRETARY OF NEW YORK SECTION and shortage in supplies. He described the unusually fine character and physique of his officers, which made it possible to make the untrained men most efficient. He described in some detail the work of building bridges over the Meuse River and the bringing up of supplies to the first army base, in particular at the Argonne-Meuse sector; General Pershing gave a personal commendation of the work undertaken by this regiment. The Colonel described the methods of operating the transportation of ammunition and supplies to the "army dumps," by which at the time of signing the armistice there had been brought up 600,000 tons of equipment for use in the projected campaigns. An interesting item was that 3,600,000 sand bags had been provided, in case the Germans should be able to turn the line of the American troops. Captain Edwin S. Berry described the methods of sending materials to the front lines and gave figures to indicate the huge quantities required, adding that the order of preference was troops, ammunition, food, and engineers' supplies. The speakers then answered several questions given by the members present. WALTER S. DICKSON, Secretary.

Jan 6, 1919

By J. P. Myers, A. H. Flagg, E. S. Mardock, J. L. P. Campbell, J. M. Terry

The development process for the use of radioactive tracers as a means of locating zones of permeability is discussed. The general techniques for the safe handling of radioactive materials is given as developed by the Lane-Wells Co. and Well Surveys, Inc. The prob1em and. successes with tracers in waterflood systetns, oil and gas injection profiles, fracture sand tracing, squeeze (ement tracing. lost circulution, and cement top localion are discussed and illustrated. INTRODUCTION The exact location of the permeable zones lying within the productive horizon has been a major problem faced by the petroleum engineer for decades, and it has been a problem which has seldom been solved with certainty. Reservoir engineers usually have to incorporate a question mark in their estimates of future reservoir performance because of blanks in the core data. Although the use of radioactivity or electrical logs for the estimation of porosity has been of great assistance in furnishing a record for the reservoir engineer, this application of logging data has not completely solved the problem. In short, the industry needs an in-situ well surveying method which can locate and estimate the permeability of the zones existing within a given pay section. The initial development work with radioactive tracers has been towards filling the need for permeability information. Progress to date permits the location of permeable zones with a qualitative estimate of their relative importance with respect to permeability. The calibration of the method is still incomplete. but present development work on tracer preparations, borehole effect correction factors, and instrument limitations give a promise of quantitative "permeability profiles" in the near future. The development work on the radioactive tracer method discussed here began several years ago in the laboratories of Well Surveys, Inc., in Tulsa. At the outset of this work, three approaches to the problem were visualized as follows: 1. A fluid carrying a soluble, chemically inert, gamma ray emitting isotope is pumped down the borehole and out into the permeable zones of the formation. The greater gamma activity of the permeable zones thus permits them to be differentiated from the impermeable zones which contain no active tracer. It was found difficult to obtain a tracer material which was chemically inert. Absorption to some degree was noted in all experiments. Also, it proved impossible to hold the tracer near the horehole where it could be logged. 2. A fluid carrying a soluble, gamma ray emitting isotope is pumped down the borehole into the permeable formations. In contrast with proposal 1, above. the tracer is chemically active with the fluids and materials in the pore spaces of the permeable zones. The permeable zones are thus indicated by their higher radioactivity level. The main difficulty in this proposal was finding a tracer material which would not be absorbed by shale as well as in the permeable porosity. Very little field work was done with this system. 3. Radioactive particles suspended within the injection fluid are pumped down the well. As the fluid enters the permeable formations, the radioactive particles are filtered out on borehole wall. The permeable zones are differentiated from the impermeable by the gamma ray activity deposited on the formation wall.

Jan 1, 1956

By W. R. Ingalls

ThE following chronology presents the history of lead-mining in the United States in a brief form and is a useful reference in connection with the statistics of production: 1621.. Lead was mined and smelted near Falling Creek, Va., to supply the local demand for bullets and shot. This was the first mining and .smelting of lead in what is now the United States. 1632. In a report made on the minerals of New England, lead-ore is mentioned. (Bishop, I., 470.) 1650. Supposed beginning of mining by Jesuits in Pima county, Ariz. 1651. Grant of lead-mine at Middletown, Conn., to Gov. John Winthrop. 1682. Lead-ore supposed to have been discovered in Wisconsin by Nicholas Perrot. (K. D. Irving, Mineral Resources of Wisconsin, Trans., viii., 498.) 1700 Discovery of lead in Missouri by Penicaut, one of Le Sueur's party. Tile same expedition discovered lead near the southern boundary of Wisconsin in August of the same year. 1712. Grant by Louis XIV. of the Crozat patents, with special privileges respecting the discovery and operation of mines in the then territory of Louisiana. Little or no mining was done under this patent until about 1720. 1717. Transfer of Crozat patents to the Mississippi Co., promoted by John Law, which prepared for active mining. 1719. First attempt to mine and smelt lead in Missouri, made by Sieur de Lochon, in behalf of the Mississippi Co., near Meramec river. Results unsuccessful.

Jan 1, 1908

By M. C. Lavine, H. C. Gatos, R. S. Mroczkowski

The structure of GaAs-Ge heterojunctions prepared by a back-melting process was studied by X-rav diffraction, melallographic, and electron-micro-analyzer techniques. The boundary region between the GaAs and the germanium was found to consist of a four-layered band. A discontinuity between the two inner bands was brought about by solidification occurring simultaneously from the GaAs and the germanium side. The junction material OH either side of the central discotinuity was found to have grown as a single Crystal with the orientation of the parent substrate. It was found essential to determine the GaAs-Ge phase diagram. This was accomplished by a series of alloys containing 0 to 40 wt pet GaAs. Over this range the diagram is a simple eutectic with the eutectic point at 74 wt pet Ge and 845 C. The limiting- solubility of Coils in germanium was found to bc less than 5 wt pet. The Kossel divergent-beam X-ray technique was used to study orientation relationships across the boundary lager. A great deal of effort has been recently expended on the electrical properties of heterojunctions. Little attention, however, has been given to the metallurgical variables which may be of importance in the formation of the junctions. The present work was undertaken to investigate some of the more pertinent metallurgical aspects of interface-alloyed GaAs-Ge heterojunctions. Such parameters as solidification processes, composition gradients, orientation effects, and the accommodation of crystal structures have been the objects of study in this program. EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDURES Phase Diagram. The phase diagram of the GaAs-Ge pseudobinary system was determined by means of cooling curves. A Bridgeman furnace was employed with the center section maintained at 1200°C and the upper section at 800°C. Melts varying from 0 to 40 at. pct in GaAs content were used. Each charge was incapsulated under a two-thirds atmosphere of argon in a carbon-coated quartz tube. Five min in the furnace hot zone provided rapid melting and homogenization. The capsule was then removed to the cooler portion of the furnace. Cooling times were of the order of 3 min. The resulting homogeneous microstructure indicated that equilibrium conditions were obtained by this procedure. Formation of Heterojunctions. Rectangular parallelepiped single-crystal samples were cut with the large faces of either the (l00), (110), or (111) orientation. The remaining four surfaces were also cut to specific orientations to permit accurate relative orientation of the GaAs-Ge pairs. The

Jan 1, 1965

By Walter L. Crow

MUCH has been published on highly technical phases of grinding. Very little has been written on how a mill man can improve his operations by determining the optimum size assortment of grinding balls that should be added as a makeup charge. This ball rationing is not to be confused with the ball ration used as an initial charge when the mill is started up. Ball rationing is considered for one or more of the following purposes: 1) to increase throughput of the mill, 2) to reduce the power required per ton of ore ground to the desired size, 3) to reduce steel consumption per ton of ore ground, 4) to improve product size, and 5) to lower retention time of ore in the mill.

Jan 7, 1957

AUGUST began with a reminder that warfare was still in progress in the world, in that the Greeks, still at war with Turkey, threatened Constantinople in spite of the small British and French forces of occupation and opened a vista of international dangers. There was in this, moreover, a recollection that religious questions in India had prevented the British from permitting a real settlement of the Turkish question, wherein the absence of Russia as a great power is missed. Civil warfare also continued in Ireland and China. Even in the military way the world is far from being at peace. Bloody fighting between the Fascisti (anti-communists) and the com-munists in Italy led to several provinces being put under martial law, but after a while these disturbances were quelled. In the latter part of the month the assassination of Michael Collins in Ireland produced a great shock. From China, however, there came rather favorable news, indicating the early reintegration of that country, which sooner or later ought to play an important part in world affairs. Economically, instead of there being any improve-ment, there grew a clearer perception of how bad things really are. Italian politics were in chaos through inability to find anyone to accept the premiership and assume the all but hopeless task of averting national bankruptcy. The French, too, began to see their own position in true colors, and especially to see how in reconstruction they had incurred debts on the strength of what they hoped to collect from Germany, with at last the understanding that the Germans could not pay and that France herself was thereby put in a desper-ate economic position. As for the Germans, them-selves their Reichsbank defaulted on ordinary bills early in August. As the month wore on the value of marks fell more and more and at the end it appeared that Germany was on the verge of economic collapse. On Aug. 7, another international conference (with America again absent) was assembled in London, this being the thirteenth since the war, and there was a general feeling that it would be the last. The prime question was what is to be done about the German reparations, but underlying was the whole subject of the entente. The conference opened like a meeting of importunate creditors, doubtful whether the debtor had any tangible assets. On Aug. 14 this conference broke up without coming to any useful conclusion. Indeed, the acrimony among the premiers was so sharp that even the entente between Great Britain and France was endangered. The international situation was saved only by the Reparations Commission excusing the Germans from the payment of 50,000,000 gold marks that come due on Aug. 15 But although the entente was nominally preserved there is no longer any illusion about the interests of Great Britain and France being different and that henceforth they will play their own hands. The London conference was really an effort to maintain the partnership, and it failed.

Jan 9, 1922

Jan 1, 1932

By John A. Shelton

One of the heaviest burdens uselessly cast by our mineral land laws upon the holder of the title conveyed by a patent from the United States is due to the provision excepting known veins from land patented as placer. In many instances the expense of defending such titles from the assaults of the owners of lode locations made upon the theory that the veins so located were known to exist at the date of the placer application for patent has exceeded many times the value of the land in question. Neither the lapse of time, however long after the issuance of the patent. nor repeated adjudications by the courts serve to quiet such titles Or to prevent them from being questioned. In the passage of laws providing for the acquisition of title to the mineral lands of the United States, Congress provided that the title to known veins should not pass from the United States by a patent based upon a placer location. As construed by the courts, the law (Sec. 2333 R.S.U.S.) provides that the applicant for a patent upon a placer claim may, if any vein of sufficient value to justify the expenditure of money in its development is known by him to exist within the boundaries thereof, include in his patent application an application for patent upon the vein as a lode claim; and failure to do so is to be deemed a conclusive declaration that the applicant makes no claim to the vein nor to an area of surface ground extending for 25 ft. (7.6 m.) on each side of its middle or center. As to such vein and such area of enclosing surface ground under the circumstances stated, the title remains in the United States notwithstanding the issuance of a patent that purports to convey the entire surface of a described area and everything beneath it, excepting only the segments of veins the apices of which lie outside of such area. Such known veins with such area of enclosing surface ground are, of course, at any time, so long as they remain unlocated, subject to location and appropriation in the same manner as other. veins upon the public domain. The history of the operation of this law in one district will serve to illustrate its effect generally throughout the mining regions of the United States. In the Butte district, the mineral that first attracted the atten-

Jan 1, 1920

By S. S. Nosseir

INTRODUCTION General Quebec Cartier Mining Co. (QCM) , Canadian subsidiary of U . S. Steel Corporation, operates two iron ore concentrators at the North Shore of Quebec, Canada. In its own operation at Mount-Wright, over 45 million tons per year of crude ore are ground, fully autogenous in six 32' x 11-1/2 Dominion Engineering mills. At Fire Lake/Lac Jeannine operation, property of Sidbec Normines Incorporated (SNI), over 11 million tons per year of crude ore are now ground, fully autogenous, in twelve 18' x 5' Hardinge mills. The Lac Jeannine concentrator was originally constructed by Q.C.M. in 1960 and. was since operated, in beneficiating the Lac Jeannine ore deposit until fully depleted in 1977, at an annual capacity of 18 million tons of crude per year. In 1976, the new company, Sidbec Normines, was incorporated by Sidbec Corporation, British Steel Corporation and Quebec Cartier Mining Co., in proportional holding of approximately 51 to 41 to 8 percent respectively. Since the acquisition of the Fire Lake ore deposit and Jeannine concentrator by the new company, QCM has continued managing the mine and concentrator operaions for S idbec Normines Inc . Flow-Sheet Design Jeannine concentrator comprises twelve identical mill lines grinding the ROM from 8" top size to 14 mesh nominal size range. Driven by 600 H.P. motor at 13.4 RPM corresponding to 73% critical speed, each mill is operated in a closed circuit with two 5' x 12' vibrating screens dressed with 2.5 x 25 mm slot opening cloth. The ground product or screen undersize at an average grade of 33.4% Fe is beneficiated by gravity separation to produce 66.5% Fe concentrate grade at 42.7% weight recovery. At the rougher stage, each mill line con-tains 128 Humphrey 13- 1/2" pitch spirals which produce a final tailing, middling and concentrate products. The rougher concentrate - so produced - is classified by 64 Humphrey pocket sizers into an underflow, which is a final concentrate product and an overflow which is further upgraded by 64 cleaner spirals. The cleaner concentrate together with the pocket sizer 's underflow are dewatered on a 13'[6] horizontal filter. The rougher middling together with the cleaner tailing are recycled in a closed circuit with the spirals. The rougher tailing after dewatering by hydrocyclones is disposed of by a

Jan 1, 1982

In the examination of an undeveloped prospect a decision must be arrived at from an inspection of the outcrops and the exposures in a few shallow pits. Prospects that are offered for sale rarely expose any important quantity of good ore, work having usually been stopped when the immediate exploration no longer yielded favorable results. It should be borne in mind, furthermore, that a great majority of prospects have been examined many times, and if of conspicuous promise, would have been acquired-for development. In most cases the problem for the engineer, therefore, is to discover the traces of a valuable mineralization that has disappeared through solution, or the conditions that indicate the possibility, or probability, of underlying secondary enrichments. The available data being meager, every feature should be the subject of careful study-the condition of the outcrop, the structural relationships, the associations of minerals, the alterations of wall rocks, the chances for underlying enrichments, and so forth, as well as the actual assay value of the material exposed. It is frequently advisable to spend the time and money necessary to have trenches dug at various significant points along a promising outcrop; such exposures, even if the depth attained is slight, often disclose conditions that are not apparent at the actual surface, as for example, the existence of soft minerals and the distribution of the various minerals through the mass of the deposit. Trenches also permit samples to be taken from points that were not accessible during former examinations. Strong, persistent outcrops of uniform width may be taken to indicate the probable size and character of the underlying vein,

Jan 1, 1932

By John Shelton

ONE of the heaviest burdens uselessly cast by our mineral land laws upon the holder of the title conveyed by a patent from the United States is due to the provision excepting known veins from land patented as placer. In many instances the expense of defending such titles from the assaults of the owners of lode locations made upon the theory that the veins so located were known to exist at the date of the placer application for patent has exceeded many times the value of the land in question. Neither the lapse of time, however long after the issuance of the patent nor repeated adjudications by the courts serve to quiet such titles or to prevent them from being questioned. In the passage of laws providing for the acquisition of title to the mineral lands of the United States, Congress provided that the title to known veins should not pass from the United States by a patent based upon a placer location. As construed by the courts, the law (Sec. 2333 R.S.U.S.) provides that the applicant for a patent upon a placer claim may, if any vein of sufficient value to justify the expenditure of money in its development is known by him to exist within the boundaries thereof, include in his patent application an application for patent upon the vein as a lode claim; and failure to do so is to be deemed a conclusive declaration that the applicant makes no claim to the vein nor to an area of surface ground extending for 25 ft. (7.6 m.) on each side of its middle or center. As to such vein and, such area of enclosing surface ground under the circumstances stated, the title remains in, the United States notwithstanding the issuance of a patent that purports to convey the entire surface of a described area and everything beneath it, excepting only the segments of veins the apices of which lie outside of such area. Such known veins with such area of enclosing surface ground are, of course, at any time, so long as they remain unlocated, subject to location and appropriation in the same manner as other veins upon the public domain. The history of the operation of this law in one district will serve to illustrate its effect generally throughout the mining regions of the United States. In the Butte district, the mineral that first attracted the atten-

Jan 8, 1919