F e b r u a r y
1946 29
aA BSTR A C TS.
Oi l f i e l d Ex p l o r a t i o n a n d E x
p l o i t a t i o n.
Geology ... ... ... ... 3 0 a
Geophysics an d Goochemical Prospecting ... ... 3 1 a
D rilling ...• ... ... ... 3 1 a
P ro d u ctio n ... ... ... 3 3 a
Oilfield D evelopm ent ... ... 3 7 a Tr a n s p o r t a n d St o r a g e. 3 9 a
Re f i n e r y Op e r a t i o n s.
# Refineries an d A uxiliary R e finery P la n t ... ... 4 0 a
D istillation ... ... ... 4 2 a
C ra c k in g ... ... ... ... 4 3 a
P olym erization ... ... ... 4 3 a
p a g e
Chemical an d Physical Refining 44 a
M etering a n d C ontrol ... ... 44 a Pr o d u c t s.
C hem istry an d Physics ... 44 a
A nalysis an d T esting ... ... 5 1 a
E ngine F uels ... ... ... 52 a
L u b rican ts ... ... ... 54 a
A sphalt, B itum en a n d T a r ... 55 a Special H ydrocarbon P ro d u cts 56 a
D erived Chemical P ro d u cts ... 57 a
. Coal, Shale a n d P e a t ... ... 59 a
Miscellaneous P ro d u cts ... 59 a Mi s c e l l a n e o u s . . . . . . . . . 6 0 a Bo o k s Re c e i v e d . . . . . . . . . 6 2a
A U T H O R INDEX*.
T he num bers refer to th e A b stract N um ber.
Abadie, H . G., 126 Adams, E., 125 Alderman, D. M., 153 Allen, H ., 126 Almond, J . M., 152 Andresen, K. H ., 122 Barnes, C. E ., 166 Barnes, H . G., 201 Batchcldcr, D. E., 126 Beeson, O. M., 121 B ennett, F. C., 139 Bondi, A., 158 Botset, II. G., 120 Bouslog, J . G., 126 Bowles, V. O., 115 Boyer, R. F., 176, 177 Bridgwater, R. M., 206 Bronston, A., 101 B ryant, C. M., 126 Buchanan, M. A., 172 Burford, W. 11., 118 Burwell, R . L., 181 Buthod, P., 133 Calingaert, G., 186 Cameron, A., 168 Campbell, G. A., 214 Campbell, K. N., 165 Case, L . C., 113 Charnui, I. A., 135 Connor, L. P., 117 Corson, B. B., 188 Cortelyou, J . T., 150 Crake, W. S., 126 Crews, L. T., 174 Crickmer, C. S., 126 Curtiss, L. F., 126 Damcrell, V. R ., 159 Davis, W. J ., 118 Davison, J . A., 163 Dickey, P . A., 122 Dille, G. S., 100 Donohue, J ., 180 Dunbar, W. S., 157
D
D ukstra, F . J ., 186 Engelmöhr, C. H., 106 Eris, W. G., 126.
Fagiu, K. M., 116 Faull, H . A., 151 Fcaron, R. E ., 216 Fitzsimmons, K. R., 187 Fluno, H. J ., 203 Foster, A. L., 146 Frazer, J . C. W., 148 Frey, D. R., 185 Frey, F . E., 126 Fronmuller, D., 172 Fuidge, G. H ., 201 G arrett, E. D., 126 Gayer, K., 159 Gersdorff, W. A., 201 Goodman, C., 217 Gordon, R. R., 167 Greenfelder, B. S., 173 Griswold, J ., 143 Grosse, A. V., 169 Gunther, F. A., 184 Guthrie, Y. B., 195 Guttm an, L., 179 Hare, D. G. C., 126 Harris, F. W ., 126 Hartseil, L., 126 Hasscbrock, W. E., 111 Hasche, R. L., 213 Kassier, G. L., 126 lleidcarich, R. D., 177 Herzog, A., 126 Hess, H . A., 107, 110 Hickel, A. E., 198 Hils, L. V., 111 Hinckley, J . A., 188 Hoerr, C. W., 174 Humphrey, G. L., 180 H unt, C. K., 164 H yraas, F. C., 214 Isaacs, J . B., 108
Jackson, J . S., 202 Jenny, F. J ., 175 Johnson, J . W., 126 Johnston, D., 126 Johnston, N., 121 Jones, H . A., 203 Jordan, J . F., 193 Jorgensen, S. M., 136 Kennedy, W . J ., 149 Khudyakov, G. N., 170 Kinlcy, D. D., 119 Kiecka, M. E., 138, 143 Koppl, E., 126 Kozłowski, A., 178 Krasnow, S., 126 K urth, E. F., 172 L a Que, F. A., 110 Lacey, W. N., 114 Lagemann, R. T ., 157 Laudenslager, H ., 159 Lee, A. R., 200 Lewis, H. F., 172 Linn, C. B., 169 Lowry, C. D., 147 Luecous, J . C., 126 Lykken, L., 187 McCollough, G. T., 203 McDermott, J . P., 165 McGouran, E. R., 20-1 McIntosh, A. J., 218 McKnight, II., 188 Mann, C. W„ 182
¿larks, E. M., 152 Martin, W. F ., 115 Miles, G. D., 156,161,162 Mills, K .N ., 123 Morgan, G. L., 132 Moriarty, F. C., 147 Mowrey, L. D., 126 Muskat, ¿1., 126 Nadig, F. W ., 153 Nailson, A. 1L, 126
Nell, H . D., 145 Nelson, W . L., 144 Newman, M. S., 183 Olds, R. H ., 114 Otis, O. C., 126 Pease, D. C., 160 Penick, A. J ., 126 Pennekainp, E. F. H.,
154, 155 Perry, 0 . W ., 137 Phipps, J . T., 126 Piety, R. G., 126 Pinkevich, Y. A., 189 Pitzer, K. S., 179 Powell, H ., 167*
Pretzker, G. G., 194 Prout, Ä. L., 126 Prutton, C. F ., 185 Pushkin, V. S., 170 Quintrell, II. J ., 126 Ragland, D., 105 Ralston, A. W., 174 Redd, J . B., 190 Reid, E. E., 152 Rigden, P. J ., 200 Roland, C. H., 171 Ross, J ., 156 Rubin, M., 178 Sage, B. II., 111 Salmon, M. R., 178 Sawyer, P. W., 164 Scheibel, E. G., 175 Schomaker, Y., 180 Schlumberger, M., 126 Schönes, J . R ., 109 Seyer, W. F., 182 Shapiro, H ., 186 Shedlovsky, L., 156, 162 Smith, H . A., 153, 154,
155
Spencer, R. S., 176
3 0 a A BSTR A C TS.
Stillson, G. H ., 164 Stokes, J . C., 22G Stosscl, E ., 205
Turcchik, G. F., 12G
Turnbull, D., 1S5 Walker, J . P ., 12G Walton, It. O., 12G W ashburn, E. N., 126 West, T . F., 214
142
Wilson, M. C., 188 Wolf, A., 126 W yld, G., 1S7 Willson, C. O., 127, 128,
Taylor, J ., 131 Tcplitz, A. J ., I l l Tibbetts, S. A., 187
Vance, H ., 131 Verborg, G., 191 Vogc, H . H ., 173
Whitcley, B. W., 133 Williams, A. E ., 208
Williams, E. B., 12G Zublin, J . A., 126
O
i l f i e l dE
x p l o r a t io n a n dE
x p l o i t a t i o n, Geology,
99. Geological Surveys are P lanned for Continental Shelf. Anon. World Petrol., Nov.
1945, 16 (12), 05.—A fter th e in tro d u ctio n o f new legislation in U .S.A. th e Geological S urvey has been asked to m ake recom m endations for a survey o f the.subm erged area o f tho co n tin en tal shelf, an a re a oxceoding 750,000 sq m l. Seismic surveys can bo m ade, a n d m agnetic surveys are possible b y m eans o f aeroplanes. Subm arines could carry o u t gravim etric surveys.
T he th ree m o st prom ising areas are tho Coast of th e G ulf o f Mexico, th e Pacific Coast, an d tho A laskan region.
Tho shelf is ta k e n as tho area w ith n o t m ore th a n 600 f t of w ater. I t s w idth varies widely. Off th e U .S. coast in tho G ulf o f Mexico th e area involved is 149,000 sq ml.
100. P re-Pennsylvanian Stratigraphy of W estern N ebraska. G. S. Dillo. Oil W khj, 22.10.45, 119 (S), 45.— T here is, in w estern N ebraska, a b ro ad an ticlin al axis ru n n in g N .W .-S .E . (B arton A rch or Cam bridge A nticline, expressed in Cretaceous an d younger rocks). A long th is tre n d a few deep holes h av e encountered g ran ite, a n d th is granito show s tw o highs, one in S heridan C ounty a n d th e o th er in Lincoln a n d D aw son Counties. O ther highs m a y bo p resent. T he granito outcrop in pro-P ennsylvanian tim es w as 75 m l wide in th e H y an n is area o f G ran t C ounty, narrow ing possibly to 20 m l a t th e K an sas border. T he outcrop m ay have been very b ro ad in C herry an d Sheridan Counties, possibly linking w ith tho schists of B a sse tt County. Tho Salina B asin o f K an sas m a y ru n into N ebraska, b u t i t is n o t know n how fa r n o rth th is will ex te n d as a syncline w ith p re-P en n sy lv an ian beds. M ississippian beds occur in tho area o f F ran k lin , W ebster, an d K earn ey Counties, b u t are ab sen t in a well in V alley County. T he g re a te st thickness o f M ississippian (310 ft) w as recorded in W ebster County. Below th e P ennsylvanian, Ivinderhook beds h ave n o t y e t been found, b u t V iola-G alena beds occur. A fow wells have logged Sim pson, an d tho A rbuckle an d D eadw ood h ave been encountered in th e so u th ern p a r t o f th e Stato.
T he pre-P en n sy lv an ian S alina B asin extension is n o t believed to be o f g re a t d ep th , an d rises north w ard s.
O n th e w est an d southw estern flank o f tho g ran ite axis it is believed t h a t all tho K an sas form ations o f pre-P en n sy lv an ian age w ill u ltim a te ly bo found, ex cep t th e H u n to n a n d K inderhook.
Over th e g ran ite axis only th e K an sas C ity-L ansing an d tho conglom erate a t tho base o f tho P ennsylvanian are th o u g h t to have a chance o f producing oil. Tho C am brian, A rbuckle, Viola-Galena, an d th e Mississippi lim e are all p o te n tia l oil reservoirs, provided local trap p in g stru ctu res exist.
A te n ta tiv e m ap sh o w s'th o inferred stru c tu re o f tho to p o f tho g ran ite, an d tho pre-P en n sy lv an ian outcrops o f w est-central N ebraska. G. D . H . 101. Shell Oil Activity Spreads in Colombia. A non. Oil G a sJ ., 6.10.45, 44 (22), 82.—
T he Casabo field produces 9000 b rl/d a y from 29 wells. T he 21-5°-gravity oil is found a t 3700-3900 f t in a relativ ely low -pressure reservoir. P resen t developm ent is on 40-acre spacing. A well drilled to 60S9 f t show ed deeper possibilities o f producing 24°-gravity oil in a zone w hich m ay be com parable w ith one o f th e prolific zones of th e Do M ares area.
I n th e Lower M agdalena Valley, a b o u t 100 ml from B arranquilla, p o te n tia l pro d u ctio n o f 2750 b rl/d a y o f 42-46°-gravity oil h as been established b y five wells on th e E l Dificil concession. T he first well on te s t gave 54 b rl o f oil a n d 700,000 cu f t o f gas /d ay . All th e wells produce from a lim estone in th e U p p er Oligocene, a t an average d e p th o f 5800 ft.
G . D . H.
A B STRA CTS. 3 1 A
I n th e Llanos region 1 San M artin w as abandoned a t 3120 f t because o f m echanical trouble. A second well has reached 5800 ft. T here are unconfirm ed rum ours o f an im p o rta n t oil discovery. 1 C hafurray, also in tho L lanos region, w as abandoned a t
1750 ft. G. D. H .
102. Nova Scotia W ildcat Drilling below 6000 ft. A non. Oil Gas J ., 6.10.45, 44 (22), 82.—A w ildcat south of A m herst, C um berland C ounty, N ova Scotia, has reached a d ep th o f 6000 ft. I t is 50 m l southw est across N o rth u m b erla n d S tra it from th e
H illsborough B a y te s t. G. D . H .
103. Devonian Deposits found n ear K rasnokam sk, R ussia. - A non. Oil W kbj, 22.10.45, 119 (8), 6 6.—A n 1100-brl well is rep o rted to h ave opened up a rich D evonian oil accum ulation (Soverokamsk) a t a d e p th o f 5840 ft n ear K rasnokam sk. Two wells have been com pleted in D aghestan a t 5000 ft. G. D. H .
G eophysics and Geochemical Prospecting.
104. Newer Phases in Geochemical Technique. A. B ronston. Oil 1 Vkly, 29.10.45, 119 (9), 56.— Soil sam ples wore ta k e n a t depths ranging 5-150 ft, m aking sure th a t th e y were quite free from vegetablo m a tte r. A t least th ro e sets o f sam ples were tak en from each hole a t different depths. W ax d eterm inations show ed fair consistency of values from 10 to 50 ft, b u t thero w as a m arked decrease in deeper sam ples. The am ounts ranged 30-7000 p a rts p er million. Tho typo o f w ax w as determ ined. Tho observations on sam ples from d ep th s less th a n 1 0 f t below tho surface could n o t be used to give usahlo p ictures for solid hydrocarbons. H aloes were o b tain ed in m ost instances b y using a t least tw o sam ples from each hole.
T he m ost accurate m ethod o f determ ining gaseous hydrocarbons in th e soil consists o f collecting tho gas directly from tho hole. G aseous hydrocarbons in th e soil range
10-1000 p a rts per 1000 m illion b y w eight. T he h ydrocarbon co n ten t o f th e gas is determ ined b y com bustion a fte r rem oval o f C 0 2. Gaseous soil hydrocarbons m ay also bo determ ined colorim otrically-
L iquid hydrocarbons are moro consistent in soil sam ples th a n are th e w axes and gases. T hey range 1000-10,000 p a rts p er m illion b y w eight, an d w hen ta k e n a t d ep th s free from vegetable m a tte r increase in q u a n tity w ith d ep th . T he q u a n tity was determ ined in a special distillation a p p a ra tu s. T he hydrocarbon ty p e is o f value in determ ining tho source. Shallow fields should give g reater concentrations th a n deeper fields. Some holes g iv e. low -gravity oils from th e first 25 ft, a n d liigh-gravity oils deeper. Shallow oil seems to givo a com paratively largo accum ulation of hydrocarbons d irectly over th e reservoir ra th e r th a n around th e edges, alth o u g h a sim ilar condition has been observed w ith deep oil w here th ere is no definite geological stru ctu re— e.g., W est E dm ond. On faulted stru ctu res w ith a concentration o f hydrocarbons round th e edges th ere is a m arked concentration o f b o th liquid an d gaseous hydrocarbons along th e dow nthrow n side o f tho fa u lt an d a negligible q u a n tity on th e u p throw n sido (H eidelberg).
W here a n oil reservoir exists th e percentage o f hydrogen in tho soil a t d ep th s of 50-100 f t is practically identical w ith th a t of m ethane. F rom drilling wells th ere is a m ark ed decrease in percentage of hydrogen w ith depth. G. D. H .
D r illin g .
105. D rilling E quipm ent Needs. D. R agland. Oil W kly, 12.11.45, 119 (11), 70.—A b rief s tu d y is presented o f th e cost o f drilling an d o f tim e analysis o f drilling operations, including coring, cem enting, testing, etc. On th e basis o f this stu d y , several necessary
im provem ents are p ointed out. A. H . N.
106. New Ideco M echanical Rig. C. H . Engelm ohr. Petrol. World, N ov. 1945, 42 (11), 71.—Tho m echanical rig described is designed for 10,000-ft drilling. The Ideco Pow erhoist M -10,000 is pow ered b y th ree G eneral M otors Twins, w hich are
3 2 a A BSTR A C TS.
unique in th a t th e y com bine th e pow er o u tp u t o f tw o six-cylinder diesels th ro u g h a singlo o u tp u t shaft. Tho pow er u n its tu r n a t 1600 rp m ; th e o u tp u t sh a ft a t 900 rpm . T he engines are ra te d a t ju s t sh o rt o f 300 h p a t th e above speed for in te rm itte n t service.
E a c h engine is equipped w ith K itte ll air-cooled silencers. Some loss o f horsepow er is exporionced in tho red u ctio n an d in tho com pounding transm ission drives. An Ideco 7500-Q chain-driven transm ission is b u ilt in teg rally w ith tho h o ist u n it, w hich onables th e o p erato r to change locations w ith one less package th a n m ost com petitive rigs. This featuro n o tw ith stan d in g , all packages are w ith in road w id th lim itations im posed b y m an y S tates. D etails o f th e transm ission gear a n d o th er accessories
are given. A. H . N.
107. Rig M ounted on W heels. H . A. H ess. Oil W kly, 15.10.45, 119 (7), 36-41.—
V arious u n its of th e rig, w hich is capable o f drilling to 7500 ft, are m o u n ted on four sem i-trailers. One of tho trailers carries tho diesel-electric pow er u n it, a n o th er tho m ud-pum p assem bly, a n o th er th e derrick a n d draw -w orks, an d th e o th er th e fuel ta n k . The derrick floor, su b stru ctu re, ro ta ry tab le, a n d blow out p rev en ter com prise a n o th er u n it. H ow ever, th is u n it is n o t m o u n ted on wheels, b u t is erected on skids for easy p o rtab ility . T he drill-pipe, o f course, is m oved on a regular pip e-tru ck , th e rem ainder o f th e equ ip m en t, tools an d miscellaneous item s, are carried b y tru c k s or trailers. This arran g em en t p erm its quick dism antling, m oving, a n d erection. D isconnection o f a few connecting pipes, electric wires, or o th er item s, a n d th e various u n its aro re a d y to be tow ed to th e n e x t location. F u rth erm o re, th e tr a c to r u sed in tow ing th e u n its to th e ir n e x t site is n o t tie d up durin g drilling operations. A nother featu re o f th e lay o u t is th e use o f jack s to ta k e th o load off th e tra ile r ty res du rin g drilling operations.
Several photographs illu strate details o f th e rig. A. H . N.
108. Rock Bits. J . B. Isaacs. Petrol. World, O ct. 1945, 42 (10), 53.— R ock b its are found to be th e b e st ty p es to use in California drilling. D ifferent types are discussed,
w ith th e ir special characteristics. A. H . N.
109. Lubrication on th e D rilling Rig. J . R . Schönes. Petrol. World, O ct. 1945, 42 (10), 62.—L u b rica tio n o f rubbing surfaces on th e drilling rig is discussed.
A. II. N.
110. Field Installation of Slush-Pum p Piston-R od L ubricators. H . A. H ess. Oil W kly, 12.11.45,119 (11), 68-69.— P h o to g rap h s illu stra te several m ethods o f lu b ricatin g tho slush-pum p piston-rod. L u b rica tio n w ith oil is advised as th e crew ap p ear to p ay more a tte n tio n to such lu b ricato rs th a n to w ater system s. A. H . N.
111. Cam otite in Squeeze Cementing. A. J . T eplitz an d W . E . H assebroek. Oil W kly, 29.10.45, 119 (9), 41-45.— T he resu lts o f several experim ents a n d te s ts using o arnotite as a tra c e r are described. I n spite o f th e lim itatio n s o f th e m ethod, tho use o f c a m o tite as a rad io activ e tra c e r is extending th e know ledge o f physical processes tak in g place un d erg ro u n d during squeeze cem enting an d o th e r cem enting operations.
W hile such inform ation is o f in te re st in itself, its principal value lies in th e application to th e technique of p etro leu m p ro d u ctio n . I n conjunction w ith caliper, electrical, an d te m p e ra tu re surveys, rad io activ e tracin g w ill often indicate th e course ta k e n b y th e cem ent outside th e casing. A lthough each well p resen ts a n individual problem , it is possible th a t w hen sufficient d a ta o f th is ty p e h av e been o b tain ed , generalizations m ay be draw n w hich will enable o p erato rs to select m ost favourable pressure for a p a rtic u la r squeeze job. T he possibility is also envisioned th a t w ith th e know ledge gained, th e placem ent o f th e original casing cem ent m ay be so m odified t h a t th e necessity for
squeezing w ill be considerably reduced. A. H . N .
112. Valuable New Tables on Cement Slurry F orm ulas. A non. Oil W kly, 15.10.45, 119 (7), 46-4S.— C apacity o f hole, cap a c ity o f pipe, h y d ro sta tic pressures o f fluids a t various d ep th s, a n n u lar space betw een casing a n d hole, a n n u lar space betw een tu b in g an d casing, a n n u lar space betw een casings, displacem ent o f pipe an d form ulas for cem ent slu rry are presented. These tab les are ta k e n from a h andbook sh o rtly to be published b y “ U niversal A tlas Cem ent C om pany.” A. H . N.
A BSTR A C TS.
P roduction.
113. Application of Oil-Field W ater to Geology and Production. L. C. Cose. Oil W kly, 29.10.45, 119 (9), 48.— Tho principles o f oil-field analyses a n d in te rp re ta tio n aro discussed. T he applications o f w ater analyses to th e s tu d y o f p roduction in connection w ith bottom -hole w ater, to problem s o f sp e n t acid, to drilling m u d or cem ent w aters, a n d to identification o f extraneous w aters entering wells are discussed in some detail.
Significance of w ater analysis in calculations connected w ith w ater-flooding a n d s a lt
w ater disposal is also discussed in some detail. T he in te rp re ta tio n o f w ater analysis in connection w ith geology form s tho la tte r p a r t o f th e paper. A. H . N.
114. V olum etric and Phase B ehaviour of Oil and Gas from P alom a Field. R . H . Olds, B. H . Sage, a n d W . N . Lacey. Petrol. Tech., M ay 1945, 8 (3), A .I .M .M .E . Tech. Pub.
No. 1861, 1-21.— Sam ples o f liquid an d gas wero ta k e n from th e p rim a ry sep arato r of a well in th e P alo m a field. T he volum etric properties o f tho sam ples a n d o f six system atically chosen m ix tu res of tho sam ples were experim entally determ ined a t 100°, 190°, an d 250° F ., a t pressures up to 5000 lb /sq in. F ro m these d a ta th e influence of pressure a n d tem p e ra tu re on th e com position an d specific volum e o f th e bubble- p o in t liquid a n d of th e retro g rad e dew -point gas was established. Tho form ation volum es an d gas/oil ratios of th e m ixtures investigated wore calculated on tho basis of tho p lan t-p ro d u c t oil, w hich is defined as th e fsobutano a n d less volatile p o rtio n o f each m ix tu re. The results are p resented in graphical a n d ta b u la r form.
The volum etric behaviour of tho m ix tu re corresponding to t h a t produced by tho well a t th e tim e o f sam pling w as determ ined for 235° F ., tho rep o rted reservoir te m p e ra tu re , b y graphical interpolation o f th e experim ental d a ta w ith respect to com position an d tem p eratu re. T he results indicate t h a t th e w ell-production m ix tu re probably existed as a gas a t its retro g rad e dew -point u n d er th e conditions o f tem p eratu re and pressure believed to prevail in th e producing zone a t tho tim e o f sam pling.
T he effect on th e phase behaviour occasioned b y th e omission from th e w ell-produc
tio n m ix tu re of certain com ponents o f in term ed iate m olecular w eight w as investigated.
I n th e first case, all o f tho jsobutano an d n -b u tan e, an d su b stan tially all of th e iso- pontano, were rem oved from tho m ix tu re o f tra p sam ples corresponding to th o well production. I n th e second case, all o f th e p ropane, tsobutane, an d n -b u tan e, an d su b stan tially all o f th e isopentane wero rem oved. B o th m odifications led to consider
able increases in th e retro g rad e dew -point pressure a t 235° F ., an increase of 558 lb /sq in above th a t o f th e unm odified w ell-production m ix tu re in th e first case, an d an increase o f 1208 lb /sq in in th e second. A ccordingly, it w as concluded th a t th e m aterials rem aining a fte r tho rem oval o f certain com ponents of in term ed iate m olecular w eight could n o t bo re-injected into th e reservoir in th e sam e p ro p o rtio n in w hich th e y wero produced w ith o u t entailing appreciable loss o f liquid m aterial th ro u g h condensation
w ith in th e form ation. G. D. H .
115. B ack-Pressure Open-Flow Computations Simplified. W . F . M artin. Petrol.
Engr, N ov. 1945, 17 (2), 152.— C harts are reproduced from Petroleum Engineer's Continuous Tables, w hich were designed to facilitate com puting changes in open-fiow occurring because o f changes in rock prossure. T he ch a rts are explained.
A. II. N.
116. Average Gas-Oil R atio of N ation’s Oilfields. K . M. F agin. Petrol. Engr, Nov.
1945, 17 (2), 61.— A b rief discussion o f tho elem ents of tho different ty p es of drives an d its influence on gas/oil ratio s is given. T he average gas/oil ra tio s o f different S tates is given graphically, an d each S ta te is discussed separately. The estim ated average gas/oil ra tio o f all th e oil-wells in th e U .S.A. w as 1278 cu ft/b rl dtiling 1944, com pared w ith 1109 cu ft/b rl during 1937. A lthough th is is a ratio increase of only 169 cu ft/b rl du rin g th e eight-year period, th o to ta l gas produced from oil-wells increased from 1,419,830 million cu ft to 2,144,720 million cu ft, representing a to ta l gain of 724,890 m illion cu ft. Tho large gain in th e to ta l volum e, therefore, is m ainly due to increased oil p roduction ra th e r th a n to increased gas/oil ratio . This m ay be in te rp re te d b y some as indicating a n im provem ent in th e conservation o f gas, inasm uch as m an y o f th e newer, deeper oilfields h ave higher gas/oil ratio s th a n tho older, shallow er oilfields, b u t th e ratios o f th e oil-wells in some o f th e individual S ta te s increase from y ear to year.
A B STR A C TS.
The ratio s in o th e r S ta te s decrease, an d m o st S ta te ra tio curves flu ctu ate considerably.
The reasons for th ese v ariatio n s m a y be m an y . Some o f th e reductions in th e gas/oil ratio s o f som e o f tho S ta te s are p ro b ab ly duo to a c tu a l reductions re su ltin g from a reduction in th e gas/oil ra tio lim its, or th e in tro d u ctio n o f m ore pressure m aintenance, or b e tte r com pliance w ith th e rules, b u t a large p a r t o f th e a p p a re n t red u ctio n in tho gas/oil ra tio in some of tho S tates is p ro b ab ly due to a reclassification of oil-wells to gas-wells or gas-condensate wells, o r m ore oil pro d u ctio n from low -ratio w ater-drive
fields. A. H . N.
117. E lem ents oi G as-Lift Fractices. L . P . Connor. Petrol. E ngr, N ov. 1945, 17 (2), 127.— T he general principles o f continuous a n d in te rm itte n t gas-lift operations are discussed. T ypical te s t d a ta a n d w orked exam ples are given. A. H . N.
118. Mobile U nit to Service Paraffined W ells. W . J . D avis. Petrol. Engr, N ov. 1945, 17 (2), 220.— A tru c k is fitted w ith equipm ent necessary for cleaning wells. A 4-hp gasoline engine drives th e No. 10 w inch b y V -belt drive. A n o u tb o a rd b earing carries an extension o f tho w inch sh aft, w hich h as a 9-in cran k welded to it. This gives a n 18-in th ro w to tho spudding a tta c h m e n t used in connection w ith th o w inch-drum . A n 1-in soft-laid steel line is used to low er th e tools into tho hole. T he re a r of the pick-up h as a fram e co n stru cte d of old sucker ro d on w hich scaffold boards can be placed in order to a id th e o p erato r in m aking connections on wells w ith ta ll Christmas trees. P h o to g rap h s illu stra te th e use o f tho u n it. A. H . N.
119. Opening Clogged Screens w ith Explosives. D. D . K inley. Oil W kly, 5.11.45, 119 (10), 42.— T he sh o t consists o f a series o f b ak elite cups, 4 -6 in long an d slightly over 1 in in diam eter, m o u n ted on 4-in alum inium pipe an d spaced e q u id istan t on th is pipe. These cups aro filled w ith 100% stre n g th gelatin. T he a m o u n t o f explosive is v aried som ew hat, depending on tho well conditions, such as h eig h t o f fluid colum n, n a tu re o f fluid, an d purpose o f shot. This variance is reg u lated b y th e len g th an d num ber o f th e cups used. Tho alum inium pipe is filled w ith blastin g caps opposite th e charges o f g elatin connected b y prim acord fuse, w hich is a d eto n atin g ag en t in itself. A spring guide is placed on th e alum inium p ip e every 6 ft, to centre th e charge in tho screen. T he to p o f tho alum inium p ip e is connected to a firing gun w hich contains a blasting-cap w ith a prim er inserted, devised so t h a t a rod th ro u g h tho centre of th e gun will strik e th e prim er, settin g off th e in itial blasting-cap, w hich in tu r n deto n ates th e sh o t below it. Two types o f firing guns are used, depending on w h eth er th e charge is to be se t off by a d rop w eight or b y ja r action. I n th e first case th e steel line on w hich th e sh o t is low ered is passed th ro u g h a disc a t th e to p o f th e gun, w hich is connected to th e firing-rod. A w eight drop p ed over th e line strik es th e disc a n d m oves th e rod, settin g off th e prim er cap. I n th e second case tho gun is equipped w ith a device w hich enables i t to lan d in a casing collar or in th e to p o f a liner, an d tho firing-rod is a c tu a te d b y a se t o f ja rs above th e gun, op erated b y m an ip u latin g th e steel m easuring lino a t th e surface a fte r th e g un is set in th e collar.
Tho use o f th e sh o t for cleaning is described. A. H . N.
120. Use of E lectrolytic Models. H . G. B o tset. Oil W kly, 26.11.45, 119 (13), 33.—
T he o peration o f th e electrolytic m odel is based on th e fa c t t h a t if tw o electrical term inals, one positive a n d one negative, are placed in a conducting liq u id (ionized s a lt solution), th e c u rre n t flowing betw een th e electrodes w ill be carried b y th e ions o f th e salt. These ions represent th e fluid p article in th e oil or gas reservoir, an d tho w ater in w hich th e y are dissolved represents th e porous sodium o r reservoir rock. B y m aking th e dissolving m edium gelatinous b y th e ad d itio n o f agar-agar, th e m echanical diffflsion o f th e conducting ions is reduced to a v e ry sm all m agnitude, a n d essentially th e only m otion o f th e ions in th e m edium is th a t resulting from th e electrical gradient'. B y th e use o f th e p ro p er salts, coloured ions are produced so th a t th eir m otion in th e electrical field m ay bo visually observed an d photographed.
I n th e electrolytic m odel tw o sa lt solutions are used, one for th e o u tp u t wells an d tho porous m edium , an d tho o th er for th e in p u t wells. I t is desirable to be able to see th e ions representing th e in p u t f lu id ; therefore, th ese are coloured, while th e others are colourless. T he tw o salts generally used in th e electrolytic m odel are zine-am m onium chloride an d co pper-am m onium chloride. T he copper-am m onium
A B STRA C TS. 3 5 a
ions aro deop bluo in colour, while tho chlorido an d tho zm c-am m onium ions aro colourless. Tho d etailed construction o f a ty p ical m odel is discussed a n d ty p ical
results aro reproduced. A. H . N.
121. W ate r Perm eability of Reservoir Sands. N. Jo h n sto n an d C. M. Beeson. Petrol.
.Tech., M ay 1945, 8 (3), A .I .M .M .E . Tech. Pub. No. 1871, 1-12.— F o r m an y years tho perm eability o f reservoir sands has been m easured b y passing air th ro u g h a cleaned an d dried core sam ple. Such a m easurem ent differs from th e tru e reservoir perm eability in one im p o rta n t respect : in th e reservoir tho rock particles aro s u r
rounded b y in te rstitia l w ater, n o t air, an d th e ir physical shapo an d s ta te o f h y d ra tio n are g reatly dependent thereon. P erm eab ility as defined m u s t bo m easured w ith a single phase fluid. N o m eans exist for rem oving th e oil and gas from a coro sam plo b y sim ply flowing w ater through i t ; tho sam plo m u st bo cleaned an d th en re-satu rated w ith w ater before testing. A fter such a cleaning process a considerably different p erm eability valuo is o btained w ith sa lt o r fresh w ater from t h a t for air. On re w ettin g a fte r drying, particles m ay swell an d break down, an d even m igrate. T he ra tio o f air perm eability to salt-w ater p erm eability ranged from 3300 or m ore dow n to one, while th e ra tio of th e frosh-w ator perm eability to th e salt-w ater perm eability ranged from zero to one.
W hen tho salinity o f tho w ater flowing w as varied, somo cores show ed a rap id perm eability decline even a t high sa lin itie s; o th er sam ples m ain tain ed a high w ater perm eability dow n to low salinities. Tho d a ta indicate th a t th e am o u n t, distrib u tio n , an d properties o f th e clay or o th er affected solids in th e sand m u st v a ry over a considerable range in m an y reservoirs.
I t is suggested th a t th e salt-w ater perm eability is p robably closer to th e tru e reservoir p erm eability th a n is th e m easurem ent w ith air. Possibly tho application o f such m easurem ents will im provo tho em pirical relationship betw een specific p ro d u c tiv ity index a n d perm eability, b u t so far th e average air /salt-w ater perm eability ratio for over 1 2 0 0 cores does n o t show a largo enough value to account for tho entire deviation from tho theoretical relationship. G. D. H . 122. Behaviour o£ W ater-In p u t W ells. P a r t 2. P . A. D ickey an d K . H . A ndresen.
Oil W kly, 26.11.45, 119 (13), 46.— I t is im p o rta n t to be ablo to tell, as tho in tak e rate declines in th e early stages o f injection, w hether tho decline is duo to plugging o f tho sand, an d therefore rem edial, or to th e fill-up o f th e reservoir, an d therefore irrem edial.
W h a t is required, therefo re, is a m ethod o f determ ining th e in tak e capacity o f th e well itself w ith o u t regard to th e co n d u ctiv ity o f tho wholo system surrounding it.
Such tests could be m ade periodically on certain selected wells scattered over a flood, an d a close check on th e efficiency of tho in p u t wells could be m aintained. I t is believed t h a t a n entirely p ractical m ethod of determ ining th e efficiency o f an in p u t well is determ in atio n of its localized in jectiv ity index. In je c tiv ity index is tho reverse o f p ro d u ctiv ity index, a concept th a t has proved of value in tho stu d y o f tho efficiency o f producing wells. In je c tiv ity index is defined as “ tho num ber o f b rl/d a y o f gross liquid injected into a w ell/lb/sq in pressuro differential betw een m oan injection pressuro and m ean form ation d e p th .” I n order to be m ost useful, in stu d y in g th e behaviour of individual in p u t wells th is concept should bo restricted to define th e co n d u ctiv ity of th e individual well, an d n o t tho general cond u ctiv ity of th e whole system — i.e., it should n o t bo affected b y th e wholo area o f sand surrounding tho well an d tho p ro d u ctiv ity indices o f tho ad jac en t producing wells. I t should bo tho determ ination of tho con d u ctiv ity o f a cylinder of sand surrounding tho well, in w hich cylinder m ost o f tho pressuro drop tak es place, and wholo insido w all is tho sand faco— w hich is a p t to become clogged b y im purities in th e injected w ater. This restricted index will be called tho “ localized in jectiv ity index.”
These concepts aro discussed to g eth er w ith m ath em atical d erivation of th o in
je c tiv ity index A. H . N.
123. Factors Affecting L ateral Vibration of W alking Beams w ith B eam Counterbalance.
K . N. Mills. Oil W kly, 22.10.45,119 (8), 36-39.— One of th e m ost discussed theoretical disadvantages of beam counterbalance on a pum ping u n it is tho possibility o f a w alking beam or sam son p o st failure due to lateral v ib ratio n o f th e w alking beam . T he results of th is investigation indicate th a t dangerous lateral vibrations can n o t bo
3 0 a A BSTRA C TS.
induced in tho beam o f a properly designed beam counterbalance pum ping u n it.
T hey also indicate t h a t th e sam son p o st is tho least rigid m em ber in tho system , and, therefore, th e rig id ity o f th e sam son p o st should be high. W hen num erical values are su b stitu te d in th e equation for th e m o m en t o f in e rtia o f th e beam w eights, it will be found t h a t th e largest co n trib u tin g fuctor to th e ir in ertia is distance from th e ir centre o f g ra v ity to tho centro line o f tho sam son post. As increasing tho value of th e m o m en t o f in e rtia o f th e systom lowers its n a tu r a l frequency, i t is desirable to locate these w eights as n ear tho sam son p o st as is econom ically practical.
A. H . N.
124. M iniature Oilfield Foretells Production. Anon. Petrol. Engr, N ov. 1945, 17 (2), 216.— Tho m odel recen tly discussed b y H . G. B o tset is described. See A b stra c t
N o. 120. A. H . N.
125. Two V eteran Oil-Wells. E . A dam s. Petrol. Engr, N ov. 1945, 17 (2), 100.—A search for tho oldest producing oil-well has uncovered some in terestin g side-lights of tho beginnings o f th e oil in d u stry a n d found, still in com parative obscurity, tw o oil- wells whoso h isto ry alm ost spans t h a t o f th e U .S.A. oil in d u stry . R ig h t to th e title of “ O ldest P ro d u cer in th e W orld ” is claim ed for each o f th e tw o v e te ra n wells.
This record is n o t easily cheeked in th e U .S.A ., a n d is even m ore difficult to verify for th e w orld.. Several m o n th s o f in q u iry have uncovered no o th er well w ith as stro n g basis for its claim . Tho closing o f th e old wells, how ever, m u s t come before tho record for “ longest period o f p roduction ” can bo determ ined for eith er well.
One o f tho producers w as drilled n o t far from tho D rake W ell on Oil Creek, P a, Aug.
1861. I t w as th e n know n as th e Colby well, a n d h as since been renam ed th e McClin- to ck No. 1. T he o th er o ctagenarian is less th a n 200 m iles aw ay in so u th eastern Ohio. I t is th e Old B uell No. 1, a t th e edge o f M acksburg n ear D uck Creek. The well tak es its nam e from tho first owner, B arn u m Buell, w ho w ith George D unlevy com pleted it in 1862 or 1863. T he obscurity of th e d a te is n o t surprising considering th e len g th o f tim e required for drilling in those days. T he D rake w as s ta rte d in
1858 an d com pleted in Aug. 1859. T he h isto ry o f th e tw o wells is given.
A. H . N . . 126. P aten ts on D rilling and Production.— H . Allen, assr to C am eron Iro n W orks.
U .S .P . 2,380,388, 31.7.45. A ppl. 21.10.40. W ell-head an d casing suspension stru ctu re.
G. L . H assler, ossr to Shell D evelopm ent Co. U .S .P . 2,380,520, 31.7.45. A ppl.
24.4.42. B orehole indicating a p p a ra tu s.
H . J . Q uintrell, assr to Lane-W ells Co. U .S .P . 2,380,612. A ppl. 25.2.42. T ubing anchor an d pack er assem bly.
W . G. E ris, assr to Tho T exas Co. U .S .P . 2,380,639, 31.7.45. Appl. 16.9.43.
P ro d u ctio n o f oil.
L. D. Mowrey. U .S .P . 2,380,669, 31.7.45. A ppl. 11.3.43. W ell anchor.
E . B. W illiam s. U .S.P. 2,381,415, 7.8.45. A ppl. 19.11.43. D rill bit.
J . C. Stokes, assr to R eed R oller B it Co. U .S .P . 2,3S1,844, 7.8.45. A ppl. 11.5.42.
C ore-taking ap p aratu s.
J . C. Stokes, assr to R eed R oller B it Co. U .S .P . 2,381,845, 7.8.45. A ppl. 11.5.42.
P ressure core-drilling a p p a ra tu s.
C. M. B ry a n t, assr to Dow Chemical Co. U .S .P . 2,381,875, 14.8.45. A ppl. 19.9.41.
A p p a ra tu s for tre a tin g wells.
D . G. C. H are, assr, b y mosne assignm ents to T he T exas Co. U .S .P . 2,381,904, 14.8.45. A ppl. 16.10.41. M ethod an d a p p a ra tu s for logging wells.
M. Schlum berger. U .S .P . 2,381,929, 14.S.45. A ppl. 1.8.41. W ell-conditioning a p p a ra tu s.
J . T. P h ip p s, assr to M. O. Jo h n s to n Oil F ield Service Corpn. U .S .P . 2,382,094, 14.8.45. A ppl. 7.1.42. H ook-w all w ell-packer.
A. W olf an d G. H erzog, assr to Tho T exas Co. U .S .P . 2,382,279, 14.8.45. Appl.
27.11.43. D evice for recovering a ra d ia tio n source.
J . W . Jo h n so n . U .S .P . 2,382,422, 14.8.45. A ppl. 3.2.43. Suoker-rod connection.
G. F . Turechik, assr to Lnno-W ells Co. U .S .P . 2,382,455, 14.8.45. Appl. 20.1.42.
B ridging plug.
F . E . F rey , assr to Phillips P etroleum Co. U .S .P . 2,382,471, 14.8.45. Appl. 3.3.41.
M ethod of recovering hydrocarbons.
A. J . Penick. U .S .P . 2,382,578, 14.8.45. A ppl. 8.6.43. Producing equipm ent for wells.
E . N . W ashburn, assr to Phillips P etroleum Co. U .S.P. 2,382,685, 14.8.45. Appl.
14.7.41. R o ta ry je t gun.
E . K oppl an d F . W . H arris, assr to P atco In c. U .S .P . 2,382,725, 14.8.45. Appl.
9.12.42. R o ta ry underfeam er.
D. E . B atehelder, assr to Lane-W ells Co. U .S .P . 2,382,770, 14.8.45. Appl. 3.3.42.
S etting tool for bridging plugs.
J . A. Zublin. U .S.P. 2,382,933, 14.8.45. Appl. 16.12.41. M ethod of drilling holes.
A. L. P ro u t, assr o f one h a lf to B. Pugsley, a n d one h a lf to M. A. Campbell. U .S.P.
2,383,214, 21.8.45. Appl. 18.5.43. W ell casing expander.
E . D . G arrett, assr to T he B rew ster Co. In c. U .S .P . 2,383,248, 21.8.45. Appl.
25.10.41. Com bination tu b in g h ead an d tu b in g support.
C. S. Crickm er. U .S .P . 2,383,453, 28.8.45. Appl. 29.6.42. A nchoring device.
H . G. A badio, assr o f one h a lf to F . G. B rad b u ry . U .S.P. 2,383,455, 28.8.45.
Appl. 28.11.42. M ethod and a p p a ra tu s for locating leaks in wells.
J . G. Bouslog. U .S.P. 2,383,844, 28.8.45. Appl. 2.11.42. Oilwell bailer line m easuring device. •
W . S. Crake, assr to Shell D evelopm ent Co. U .S .P . 2,383,934, 4.9.45. A ppl.
1.8.44. Oil-well pum p.
L. H artsell. U .S .P . 2,384,090, 4.9.45. Appl. 20.10.44. W ell tool.
D. Jo h n sto n . U .S.P. 2,384,173, 4.9.45. A ppl. 27.10.43. Deep well pum p.
H . C. O tis a n d J . C. Luccous, said Luccous assr to said O tis. U .S .P . 2,384,192, 4.9.45. A ppl. 26.S.40. W ell packer an d a p p a ra tu s for producing wells.
J . P . W alker, assr of 40% to G. O. M erchant a n d 6% to C. G. W ells. U .S.P.
2,384,222, 4.9.45. A ppl. 28.4.41. M ethod o f an d m eans for desalting petroleum well fluids.
A. H . N ailson. U .S.P. 2,384,331, 4.9.45. Appl. 8.2.45. In s e rt for sucker-rod elevators.
S. K rasnow an d L . F . Curtiss, assr to G eophysical D evelopm ent Corpn. U .S.P.
2,384,840, 18.9.45. A ppl. 16.4.37. R adioactive well logging m ethod and ap p aratu s.
M. M uskat, assr to G ulf R esearch & D evelopm ent Co. U .S.P. 2,385,298, 18.9.45.
A ppl. 16.10.41. R ecovery o f oil from oilfields.
R . O. W alton, assr to Merla Tool Corpn. U .S.P. 2,385,316, 18.9.45. Appl. 9.6.44.
Well-flow dovico.
R . G. P iety , assr to Phillips P etroleum Co. U .S.P. 2,385,378, 25.9.45. A ppl.
11.6.42. W ell surveying. G. F . W .
Oilfield D evelopm ent.
127. Construction Program m e U nder W ay in Iraq will Triple P resent Crude O utput.
C. O. W illson. Oil Oas J ., 10.11.45, 44 (27), 60.—A 16-in 620-ml pipeline from K irk u k to H aifa is planned. This will ru n parallel w ith th e existing 12-in pipeline. A sim ilar
A B STRA C TS. 3 7 A
3 8 a A B STR A C TS.
line m ay bo b u ilt to T ripoli, an d b o th should h ave a cap acity in itially o f 100,000 b rl/d a y . K irk u k has produced 280,000,000 b rl since 1934, an d can m a in ta in a n o u tp u t o f 300,000 b rl/d a y for m an y years. I t has been classed as th e w orld’s larg est single reservoir.
In te re s t in Ir a q existed boforo 1914, an d tho Ir a q Potroloum Co. com m enced exp lo ra
tion in 1925. I n 1927 tho 1 B ab a G urgur gusher w as com pleted a t 1521 ft, n ear tho crest o f tho K irk u k stru c tu re , an d n e a r oil an d gas seeps. T he tw o 12-in pipelines began to carry crude in 1934. Iir 1936 a th ree-u n it crude stab ilizatio n p la n t w as b u ilt in th e field to com bine gasoline recovery w ith rem oval o f H 2S an d fixed gases. Tho H aifa refinery h a d a n original cap acity o f 30,000 b rl/d a y , b u t w as enlarged to 90,000 brl /day.
Before tho w ar 55 wells h ad been drilled in th e field, w hich is 65 m l long an d averages 2 m l wide. These included observation wells. All b u t 6 were plugged a n d p e r
m an en tly abandoned os a w ar m easure. W hen norm al p ro d u ctio n becam e possible again 5 wells m e t tho pipeline capacity.
T he u p p erm o st beds a t K irk u k are sands, gravels, an d conglom erates. Below th e U pper P ars consists of sand, siltstone, an d shale, a n d tho Low er F ars o f siltstone, an h y d rite beds w ith m inor lim estones, a n d a n anhydrite-lim estone series. These rest on th e m ain producing lim estone. T he producing porous lim estone is extensively fissured, giving long-distance com m unication betw een wells. I t is o f Oligoceno an d U pper E ocene age. Tho surfaco stru c tu re does n o t conform w ith th a t o f th e reservoir.
W ells are drilled on a contour p a tte rn . I t has been found t h a t a well can produce as m uch as 20,000 b rl/d a y w ith o u t d istu rb in g reservoir conditions. T he bottom -hole pressure is alw ays k e p t above th e bubble-point, m ain tain in g liquid-phase conditions in th e reservoir, an d giving su b stan tially th e sam e gas/oil ra tio in all wells.
Because o f plugging, redrilling has been necessary. Ton wells are now capable of producing, an d th e presen t program m e calls for a to ta l of 2 0, w hich will give a n o u tp u t o f 400,000 b rl/d a y .
T he wells are fitte d w ith controls a n d h ave calibration ch a rts w hich facilitate a d ju s t
m ents o f o u tp u t. T hey aro drilled by tho ro ta ry m ethod. N o lining or tu b in g is used.
A large reserve o f low -gravity high-sulphur c o n te n t oil h as been established a t Q aiyarah, b u t th e oil is n o t a t p resen t refinable, a n d no p lan s h av e beon m ade for its developm ent. A sm all Cretaceous stru c tu re h as been discovered a t A in Zalah. T he field is n o t fully defined. I t s crude is sim ilar to t h a t o f K irk u k . A m a jo r reserve h as been discovered on th e Q a ta r P eninsula, less th a n 100 m l from B ahrein a n d D am m am . Two producing wells h ave been drilled to d ep th s o f 5000-6000 ft. G. D. H . 128. Five Fields w ith 51 W ells in Ira n Produce T otal of 365,000 Brl of Crude Daily.
C. O. W illson. Oil Gas J ., 6.10.45, 44 (22), 74.— T he discovery well a t Masjid-i- S ulaim an w as com pleted in 1908. In itia l developm ent w as on close spacing. A well, F-7, w as com pleted in 1911 for 1000 b rl/d a y , b u t in 1914 its p ro d u ctio n rose to 7000 b rl/d a y . W hen m u d d ed off in 1926 i t h a d given over 50,000,000 b rl, m aking it th e w orld’s largest well u n til tw o wells a t H a ft K ol exceeded th is figuro.
P ro d u ctio n is from th e A sm ari lim estono in southw est Ira n . Tho u p p e r 500 f t of th is form ation a t M asjid-i-Sulaim an consists of thick-bedded foram iniferal lim estones ; th e lower p a r t includes m arls an d an h y d rite. T he lim estone is m o stly o f low porosity, b u t folding h as created fissures, a n d only w here fissures occur is th ere com m ercial p ro d u ctio n u n d er p resen t p ractices. Some early fissures are filled w ith calcite an d an h y d rite. T he overlying Low er F a rs differs considerably in s tru c tu re from tho A sm ari, w hich outcrops an d gives seeps n o t far from M asjid-i-Sulaim an.
P ro d u ctio n o f oil causes th e g as-o il level to fall a n d th e o il-w ater level to rise less quickly. D evelopm ent p ractice gives w ater-free crude w ith a m inim um gas/oil ratio , th e gas being w holly solution gas. E fforts are m ade to m a in ta in h o rizo n tal gas-oil a n d w ator-oil surfaces as far as p erm eab ility a n d o th er conditions allow. R eservoir fluid levels an d pressures are carefully observed b y periodical m easurem ents in in d icato r wells.
E x c e p t a t M asjid-i-Sulaim an all th e aetivo fields em ploy m ulti-stage stabilization o f th e crude. A t Gach S aran th e equipm ent is controlled from a c en tral p o in t, a n d th e crude th e n flows 166 m l to th e refinery th ro u g h a 12-in pipe. W herever possible th e stabilizing p la n t is situ a te d so as to allow g ra v ity flow. T he Stabilizing equipm ent is briefly described. A t p resen t G ach S aran is p roducing 40,000 b rl/d a y from th ree
A B STRA C TS.
active wells. This s tru c tu re is only p a rtly defined, And m ay bo th e larg est y e t discovered in Ira n .
I n 1939 th e re-injection o f p a r t o f th e crudc-oil fractio n w as begun a t M asjid-i- Sulaim an to securo an operating balance betw een su pply an d dem and. T he fraction is o b tain ed from a local to p p in g p lan t, a n d provision has been m ade for th e re tu rn of surplus p ro d u cts from th e A b ad an refineries. A fter injection th e heavier oils se ttle to ju s t above th e w ater level. This process saves overground storage.
A t A gha J a r i special precautions are needed in drilling to co m b at heaving form ations an d high pressures. On drilling into th e reservoir m u d losses indicate th e presence o f producing fissures. T hen drilling is stopped an d sw abbing or bailing u n d e rta k e n to in itiato oil flow.
T he e x te n t o f th e p resen t producing form ations h as been determ ined in only th ree of th e existing fields. M asjid-i-Sulaim an i3 said to h av e reserves exceeding 70,000,000 b rl in a n area 18 b y 31 m l. A sim ilar a re a is involved a t A gha J a r i, w hile H a ft K el
is 20 by 3 m l. ' G. D. H .
129. Pemex has Active Drilling P rogram m e. A non. Oil W kly, 12.11.45,119 (11), 62.—
T he Tam pico em b ay m en t is th e m o st im p o rta n t of Mexico’s p roven oil provinces, having produced 85% o f th e to ta l oil, a n d possessing a sim ilar percentage of th e know n reserves. T he Isth m u s-T ab asco area is n e x t in im portance. N o oil p roduction has been found in n o rth e rn Mexico, b u t th e sim ilarity of conditions to thoso o f South Mexico m ake such discovory likely. N o rth ern Mexico has th ree gas fields.
Seventeen geological p a rtie s are w orking in N o rth east Mexico, th e Tam pico-T uxpan em baym ent, th e Isthm us-T abasco area, an d Lower California. G eophysical w ork is u nder w ay in a n um ber of areas, a n d includes seismic an d g ra v ity investigations.
G. D. H . 130. Completion R ate Rises. A non. Oil W ldy, 22.10.45, 119 (S), 51.— D uring Sept.
U.S. well com pletions averaged 543/week, com pared w ith 502/weok in Aug. and 558/week in Ju ly . T he figure for Sept. 1941, w as 716/weok.
19,079 wells have been com pleted in th e first nine m o n th s of 1945, 9% m ore th a n in th e corresponding period o f 1944. Thero are indications th a t tho 1945 to ta l will bo ab o u t 25,500 wells.
A tab le sum m arizes tho com pletion results for Sept., b y S tates an d d istricts, an d gives to ta ls for Aug. 1945, an d Sept. 1944. T he cum ulative com pletions for th e first nine m onths of 1945 aro analysed, and rig an d footage figures are given. G. D. H . 131. A n Engineering Study of the Lafltte Oil-Field. H . Vance. Petrol. Tech., May 1945, 8 (3), A .I .M .M .E . Tech. Pub. No. 1869, 1-15.— Tho L afitto field, South L ouisiana’s largest oil reserve, is in Jefferson P arish , som e 25 m l duo south of New Orleans. Tho discovery well w as com pleted in M ay 1935, for 960 b rl/d a y of 34-9°
A .P .I. oil from 9558 to 9572 ft. 3-8 wells h ave been drilled per year, giving 60 p ro ducers an d 3 d ry holes a t tho beginning o f 1944. Wells are drilled b y steam -driven ro tarie s m ou n ted on subm ergiblo barges, floated in to position along a can al dug to th e location. A fter com pletion th e barge is refloated an d ta k e n to a new location.
Tho stru c tu re is a n elongated dom e broken into th ree segm ents b y tw o n o rth -so u th faults. T he w est segm ent is highest and contains m ost oil an d gas. T here aro five m ain producing sands, tw o having no gas cap. These sands lie 8045-10,070 f t deep, an d average 28-52 f t in thickness. U p to th e beginning of 1944 35,662,264 b rl of oil an d 39,285,054 m illion cu f t o f gas h ad been produced. Porosities an d perm eabilities are p robably high. Tho pressure in each sand is m ain tain ed b y n a tu ra l w ater encroach
m en t, alth o u g h in th e early h isto ry of th e deepest sand th e operation w as u n d er gas drive.
A sa lt in trusion is p ro b ab ly responsible for th e u plift, b u t no sa lt has been found y et.
C ontour m aps aro given for each sand, an d also reservoir perform ance diagram s.
G. D . H .
T
r a n s p o r t a n dS
t o r a g e.
132. Zinc Anodes for Freventing Corrosion of D istribution Mains. C. L. M organ.
Petrol. Engr, Sept. 1945, 16 (13), 196.—Experiences w ith th e use o f zinc anodes to p rev en t corrosion to ce rta in steel gas d istrib u tio n m ains in H ouston, U .S.A ., are given.
4 0 a A BSTR A C TS.
F re q u e n t leaks duo to soil Corrosion on steel welded G- and 1 0-in poorly coated gas m ains cost S2500 to find an d rep air in 1941.
The m ains w ere divided into 100-ft electrically insulated sections for th e provision o f cathodic p ro tectio n to each. A fter ex p lo rato ry experim ents, a 99-9% puro zinc p la te J b y 3 b y 36 in a n d weighing 14 lb w as selected as th e anode, costing, a fte r p re p a ra tio n for in stallatio n , $2.15 each. The section o f m ain w as com pletely insulated from all m etallic stru ctu res, such as tho house piping, a n d steel pipe from cast-iron pipe.
T ests using a 6-volt storage b a tte ry as a source of cu rre n t were m ade to determ ine th e cu rre n t required to p ro te c t th e section for a 15-year period. A pproxim ately 15 p lates op eratin g a t 15 m illiam peres per p la te wore required to m a in ta in 1000 f t of well- in su lated 6| in O.D. steel, tre a te d pipe a t 0-85 v o lt w ith reference to C u S 04 electrode a fte r th e p ip e h a d polarized ; an d generally m ore zinc th a n w as required w as installed.
F iv e zinc p la te s were installed in a v ertical sta c k in fairly low resistance soil, w ith th e to p p la te deep enough so as n o t to be affected b y seasonal dry in g o u t o f th e s o il;
a t d ep th s n o t exceeding 2 0 ft, a n d th e backfill m ix tu res carefully selected.
Com plete records o f d a ta on all conditions an d factors influencing th e perform ance o f zinc w ere obtained, a n d freq u en t observations m ade. I t is estim ated t h a t th e average cost o f p ro tectin g a m ile of 6-in pipe w as $2000. P ro te c tio n to all m ains in th e business section o f H o u sto n w as com pleted early in 1944, a n d only only leak has been found up to J u ly 1945. T here was a n average o f 19 corrosion leaks in 1941, 1942, an d 1943.
Perform ance o f tho zinc h as been satisfacto ry , th e zinc p o ten tial has n o t low ered m aterially , a n d efficiency h as been found to be 90% . A ta b le shows w eight loss an d c u rre n t efficiency d a ta o f te s t p lates rem oved. F u rth e r w ork h as show n t h a t bare lines are m o st difficult to p r o t e c t; w ell-coated ones require v ery little cu rren t. O ther m etals an d alloys are being tested as cu rre n t sources. G. A. C.
133. G raphic Solutions of Design Problem s. 5. R esistance of Fittings. P . B u th o d an d B. W . W hiteley. Oil Q a s J ., 17.10.45, 44 (28), 286.— This article deals w ith th e cal- c u latio n o f pressure differences in pipes. T he various factors w hich affect th e difference in pressure betw een in let an d o u tle t sections o f th e pipe are listed as : (i) difference in elevation ; (ii) g ain or loss o f k in etic energy of th e fluid ; (iii) m echanical w ork added or ta k e n from th e f lu id ; (iv) frictional losses in th e fluid system , consisting o f friction loss in th e s tra ig h t pipe, enlargem ent an d c o n tractio n losses, a n d resistance of fittings, m eters, orifice p lates, etc.
O f these, (iv) is usually o f th e m a jo r im p o rtan ce, a n d a m eth o d is given o f calculating th e resistance to flow afforded b y various fittin g s in te rm s o f a n eq u iv alen t o f stra ig h t pipe. W ith in th e viscous flow region, th e resistance is p rim arily a function of tho R eynolds n um ber, b u t in th e tu rb u le n t region o f flow th e resistance of fittings is in d ep en d en t o f th e R eynolds n um ber, a n d th e ex p erim en tal values for equivalent len g th s m ay be used w ith reasonable accuracy for such viscous fluids as oils.
The equ iv alen t lengths o f various ty p es o f fittings are show n p lo tte d ag ain st pipe d iam eter, an d in order to calculate pressure loss in a lino, th e equ iv alen t length o f all fittings in th e system is added to th e length o f s tra ig h t pipe.
M ethods o f calculation an d exam ples are given. T. M. B. M.
R
e f i n e r yO
p e r a t i o n s. Refineries and A uxiliary Refinery P lan t.
134. D istinguishing F eatures of Refinery Centrifugal Pum ps. J . T aylor. Petrol.
Tim es, 24.11.45, 49 (1261), 989.— T he differences betw een centrifugal refinery pu m p s a n d th o se used for o th e r purposes are discussed in th e lig h t o f th e m ore severe d u ties th e y are called u p o n to perform . T he auxiliaries installed w ith refinery p u m p s are described an d th e reasons for th e ir provision a n d fu tu re tre n d s o f design are discussed.
The d uties for centrifugal refining p u m p s as com pared w ith m o st o th er pum p applications involve v ariab le com binations o f high pressures an d tem p eratu res, lig h ter specific gravities, a n d low values o f n e t positive suction head over v ap o u r pressures o f liquid handled. “ Suction ” pressures o f 450 psi or higher, w ith discharge as high as 2100 psi, a n d tem p eratu res up to 800° F . are com m on. M ost refinery pu m p s h ave vertically sp lit casings w ith circular jo in ts to allow for high te m p eratu res an d pressures,
A B STRA C TS. 4 1 A
an d light liq u id s ; an d are centre line-m ounted to elim inate m isalignm ent betw een pum p a n d driver resulting from expansion w hen handling h o t liquids. P ressure influences choice betw een cast a n d forged steel for construction m aterials, a n d te m p e ra tu re betw een cast iron an d c a st steel. F orged steel is used for com bination o f pressures above 1200 psi a n d tem p eratu res above 600° F . Cast iron is used for o th er oxtrem es belotv 200 psi an d 200° F . P ractical lim its for cast-iron casings w ould bo 300 psi an d 300° F . T he inside of forged-steel cylindrical case-barrels is lined w ith a w elded layer of stainless steel to p re v e n t co rro sio n ; an d ru b b in g p a rts are su itab ly hardened.
Thero are several m inor differences, such as w earing rings on b o th sides of im pellor in a single-stage “ process-type ” pum p. A uxiliary piping is liberally used for d is tri
b u tin g cooling w ater, supplying gland oil a n d lu b rican t, an d for bleeding off liquid to reduce tho pressure. P acking boxes require a piping to arrange for difficult conditions.
As flow in m odern refineries m u st be continuous, stan d -b y pu m p s m u st bo installed.
F ire is a g reat hazard , hence m otors an d electrical equipm ent are m ade explosion-proof, an d insulating jack e ts an d lagging provided on h o t pum ps an d lines to p ro te c t personnel as well as conserve heat.
V ertical pum ps offer a saving, a n d speeds higher th a n 4000 rp m are likely in tho
fu tu re. G. A. C.
135.* D eterm ination of Pressure Fluctuations on th e Sim ultaneous Operation o£ Centri
fugal and R am Pum ps Connected in Series. I. A. C harnui. B ull. Acad. S ci. U .R .S .S ., Cl. Sci. Tech., 1945, 491-496.— I n order to incrcaso th e speed o f operation o f a ram pum p, a schem e has been w orked o u t w hereby a centrifugal p u m p feeds in to th e suction line of tho form er. A m ath em atical analysis is p resented o f th e pressure fluctuations in tho suction sido o f tho ram p u m p for tw o cases : (a) direct connection o f th e pum ps b y m eans of a line ; a n d (5) connection b y m eans o f a n interm ediate a ir cham ber.
V. B.
136. Pressure Vessel Design Calculations. S. M. Jorgenson. Refiner, Oct. 1945, 24 (10), 381— 385.— Form ula; an d graphs are p resented for stress and strain calculations in high-pressure p lan ts. V acuum vessels designs are also studied q u an titativ ely .
A. H . N.
137. Analysis Determ ines Control Variables for D istillation Systems. C. W . P erry.
CKem. M et. E ng., 1945, 52, 108.—T he purpose o f th e p ap er is to clarify G illiland an d R eed ’s rigorous analysis o f tho degrees of freedom for m ulticom ponent, m ultistage, intorphase co n tact system s. The tre a tm e n t is based on G ibbs’ P hase R ule, as well as on th e fun d am en tal laws of m a tte r an d energy, an d special a tte n tio n is p aid to the application o f tho m ethod to p ractical problem s encountered in au to m atic control.
System s considered a r e : (1) singlo-stago non-condensing s till; (2) single-stage con
densing s t i l l ; (3) rectifying colum ns w ith boiler an d to ta l condenser. T he practical exam ples o f stabilizer control and alcohol-still operation are discussed in some detail.
L. B.
138. Slide Rule Conversion for M anom eter Readings. M. E . K lecka. Chcm. M el.
Eng., 1945, 52, 127.—I n tho m easurem ent o f flow o f w ater, a m ercury differential m anom oter set across an orifice p late in tho line is frequently used, an d tho differential pressure read in inches m ercury. This m a y be rapidly expressed in term s o f feet w ater, b y settin g 21 on tho C scale of a slide rulo opposite 22 on tho D scale. Then inches m ercury set on th e C scale will give th e corrected pressure drop in feet w ater
on th e D scale. L. B.
139. Determ ining Pum p Discharge by H eight of Stream from Vertical O pen-End Pipe.
F . C. B ennett. Chcm. M et. E ng., 1945, 52, 126.—T he characteristic discharge curve o f a pum p m ay be determ ined by allowing it to discharge th ro u g h a pipe w hich is s tra ig h t for 40 diam eters an d th e n rises vertically. The end o f th e pipe m u st n o t be subm erged. A fo u n tain is produced, an d 0, th o q u a n tity o f wTa te r discharged, in gals per m inute, is related to D , tho pipo d iam eter in inches an d S , th o height of fo u n tain in feet, b y th e equation 0 = 19-6 CD 2 \ / S . I f th e pum p discharges through a section o f pipe, C = 0-98. I f a sharp-edged orifice is used a t th e ex it, C — 0-63.
L. B.
