East Saginaw courier. (East Saginaw, Mich.) 1859-18??, 1865-11-22
WHOLE NO. 800.

districts 5f Canada, viz, ut petrolia,
Oil Springs, and at Boutwell,, are so
similar that description Of one will
answer for all. The difference in tho
descriptions given us by those who
have sunk wells arises, wo believe,
from the neglect in taking accurato
data. The most reliable record We
found was at Petrolil, and the strata
of rock there was said to DO substan-.
TALLY as follows:
"fTSt.--Ten feet of blue limestone
very hard indeed.
Secoad.-From fifty to sixty feet of
loose schist or schale. s,'
"IHnd. = About one hundred and
fifty feet of soapstone or deconposed
rock, very soft, almost white " hon il
comes out but hardehs and becomes
blush. t.r.r
"FOmth.-A very hard rock, about
twenty feet in thickness, which was
called limestone.
"FyM. From FIVE to fifteen feet of
sand rock containing pockets of oil,
which will sometimes yield several
hundred barrels and last several
months, but cannot be relied upon as
permanent wells.
"Strth.-About one hundred and
fifty feet of blue and grey limestone.
very hard and difficult to drill.
"Sermth.-A porous or honeycomb
sand rock varying in thickness from
three to ten feet. This is full of oil,
and thus far those sinking wells have
generally been content to suspend
on reaching oil in their sand
rock although in some instances they
have gone far below" ,,.,
a comparison of the two regions
thus given proves that tho oil region
Of Canada is not exceptional. The
surface or physical appearance of the
two regions are very different, but the
strata of rocks from the surface to the
)il are so nearly alike that they may
be said TO be almost identically the
same. In Pennsylvania tho country
s very hilly, and might almost be
'alled mountainous, while in Canada
t is level plain, stretching all the
way from the foot of Lake Huron to
lake Erie. There is scarcely all un-
lulation in the surface except where
he streams have washed out bed
rom tho soil, from ten to forty feet
lcep. There are flowing wells in both
eglons. ,a4
ri. GENERAL SUMMARY.
No marvellous wells are now flow
ng in this oil district, and from ten to
hirty barrels day may be considered
he average, and, taken altogether,
the former is nearer the
ruth than the latter. Thus far, whilo
here have been less failures to find
il than in Pennsylvania, there have
een fewer wells like those we read of
hero.
ettled are: First, the limit of the oil
istrict. Very little, if anything, is
eally known upon this point. That
Iere is limit is certain, and it is
qually certain that thousands upon
of dollars will be expended,
nd failure written in large letters
pom their dcrricks, before tire exact
mit Of the oil territory will be found.
Is yet we are in primeval darkness
pom that subject From the best
map have found the, ''cor5
formation in which the oil
found in Canada is nearly one thou
and feet below the salt rock of Sagi-
aw. If this is correct, it probably
ettles the question as to the existence
f oil in paying quantities in your
tate.
The second importantquestion, which
an only be settled by experiments, is
4 te .tthsa aGydBGSGe: efd feHGsylvahhaa
! is estimated that nine out of ten.
ever produce oil, on1 that many Of
hose which are at first successful
nally fail, and the average yield IS
bout 27 barrels day to well. Im
)anada, from all tho data We could
btain, the number of failures are far
ess than in Pennsylvania, but | ap-
,rehend these will largely increase as
perations are extended. The average
ield is also less than in Pennsylvania
,ut this is compensated in part by th8
asy transportation, the cheapness Of
abor and every article necessary tc
AIRY ON the works, and the absence
f taxes. s
Petrolia can be reached from your
ity by taking the Grand Trunk to
;arnia, and then 10y the Great Wes-
ern to Wyoming in about four hours,
nd Boutwell, can be reached over the
treat Western direct in about three
hours. It's close proximity TO Detroit
will undoubtedly cause large numbers
o visit the oil regions of Canada who
ould not be induced to go to Iepn-
ylvania. W.