The Petroleum Centre daily record. [volume] (Petroleum Center, Pa.) 1868-1873, 1870-08-29
The Geology OF PetrOlcun M.

Now Chicago might become the great
center OF the petroleum trade. for there,
grease enough there, If it was come liable.
DR.. Hunt, tho distinguished Canadian
eeoIogist, read paper at the American
Scientific Association in Troy, wherein be
proves petroleum to be indigenous to certain
Iimes,ones, not however, en- tering into
them, as is sometimes stated, by distillation
from neisbborius schists; these schis,s have
not been subjected to great heat, and the
petroleum limestone often lies far below
such formations. The oil is usually found
in patches and bands, with strata above
and below containing no oil. The oil is
nerme:ically sealed 10 the pores OF the lime
stone and escapes only on lines of disturb
ance, again accumnlating in fissures or on
everything strata. Near Chicago there is
trap limestone of the Niagara formation, IS
to 40 feet thick, filed with oil and really
containing nearly half its weight in oil
every square mile has tx mil lion barrels
Of real petroleum. As Penpsyl ylvania in ten
years yielded 2S,OOO,OOO barrels of oil, it
follows that within four square miles of the
Chicago limestone there is more oil than
has been obtained altogether in ten years In
Pennsylvania. However, this oil is not
obtainable, as 1t does not appear with pools
that tcrce 1t out 10 spouts in other places
where its collection has been success
The whole secret is that heat is vitality
necessary to the separation OF oil Iaud lis
absorbent rocks. In relation to this sub
ject, Prof Newberry bore testimony to the
general accuracy Of the conclusion OF Dr.
Hunt, but bis experience wa:ned him to
regard limestone as by no means the only
source of oil-.in fact stratifed bitunlinoas
sbales, that so largely abound with pole-
zoc rock holds oil and yield It liberal.y.-
some Of this 10 Pennsylvania, too, is of un.
questionable animal origin. 1t that State
bituminous shales underIie all the produc-
tive oil wells, separated hundreds of feet
from the limestone, which is besides upper.
vious. These sbales yield oil spontaneous
easy escape. The practical work
Of oil-get,ing is largely indebted to these
for success in boring, ond the
present discoveries are no less important
ban proceeding ones. Continuing this in
teresting discussion, DR.. Hall, the eminent
,eologst OF our State, averred that two bun
lred miles of Limestone Of the Niavara
group in this State, upon being tested,
Tielded drops q! petroleum, and when expos.
I'd 10 heat the oil would run out in streams
\ specimen from Block Creek. now 10 the
tate Museum at Albany, has been drip
ing with petroleum for thirty years.-,
rom the Narcellus shale, and that Of Gen.
ssee. Portage and Chemung, there are
pnsiant emissions OF intamable gas 10 pro
igions quantities and an escape vi pelro-
'um in small quantities. In none OF these
however, are there any produc.
We oil wells The Outcrop is nearly on
lane, or witbOu, undulaions or apex, and
u this account the Doctor had always dis
outraged boring wells along !hese oil bills,
,ough it is certain that, bad the country
risinally been disturbed, so as to produce
'me interclivial 1exures, where the slowly
Dzing oil could have accumulated, there
onld now be numberless productive wells
! that part of the State.