The herald., 1895-02-20
THE CALIFORNIA OIL FIELDS
Professor W. L. Watts Delivers a Lecture
on the Subject
Los Angeles and Puente Oil Deposits Are OF
Secondary Formation---The Origin
of Petroleum.

Professor W. L. Watts of the State Min
ing Bureau, who has been making an ex-
animation of the local oil fields at the re-
quest of the Chamber of Commerce, de-
livered lecture last night before the
Science Association in the assembly room
of the chamber, The hall was well filled,
good many people interested in the oil
industry being present.
The Professors lecture was illustrated
with charts and stereopticon views show
ing the geological structure OF the several
oil fields,
After a general history of the oil indus
try in California, the speaker said at least
ten times as many oil borings had been
made in Los Angeles and Ventura coun-
ties as in the rest of the state. AS far as
he had seen, the most recent formations
in this neighborhood were inclined at a
considerable angle on the older forma-
tions. The Second street Park wells are
in the pliocene formation although some
may have gone below that. They vary in
depth from 100 to 1000 feet The old Dryden
well is in sandstone. Diatomaceous rocks
crop out at First and Olive, near Elysian
Park. In oil-soaked sand below this form
alton the nine Mailman wells, yielding
about two barrels day each, are located.
They are very shallow. The rocks con-
stitute slope at the base of which the
wells have been bored
The local wells are all in range of
hills extending from Santa Monica to
Puente, with IA break at the Los Angeles
River. An interesting well is being sunk
lust west of Westlake Park, which will
determine the value of the shales at this
point as oil producers.
North of the Mailman wells in the west
part of town the rocks are almost horlZ-
ontal. The wells in this section have been
troubled with water. At lvanhoe sand
stone of buff color, impregnated with
bitumen is found. East of the river the
formation is much more disturbed than
on the west side. On the Hunter tract an
interesting well is about to be sunk. Here
the sandstone and the limerick are
mixed in a manner similar to that in the
Puente region.
The Second street region is probably a
more recent formation than the main oil
| bearing formation of California; but it
| must be remembered that the attendant
| physical conditions have much to do with
| oil production.
! The lecturer then gave a short descrip-
| ton of the Puente region. The hills con
! sist of short folds of rocky formation. He
observed deposits of petroleum at two
and in Brea canyon, about two
| miles distant. The Puente Oi
| conn pany has twenty y-seven wells twenty
three being in operation at present anC
| producing about three hundred and twenty
| barrels of oil a day. The oil is of 4 very
excellent quality. The Puente and Los
| Angeles oil deposits are closely related ano
both are secondary formation, judging by
| observations taken by the speaker.
| Mr.. Watts next spoke of the value OF OF
| as fuel. He said of three success sful oil
| burners in use two are Los Angeles in
| ventions Careful tests showed that there
was very little difference between heavy
| oil and light oil as to their relative value
as fuel. Three and one-half barrels of oil
were equivalent to about 2000 pounds ol
| bituminous coal for steam generating pur-
| poses.
The remaining part of the lecture con
! sisted principally of descriptions of the
| oil and gas deposits of the San Joaquin
Valley.
At the close of the address various ques
| tions were asked the Professor by persons
| in the audience, which he answered. Ir
reply to a question as to the origin
! of petroleum, he said there were
three hypothesis. One wat that. il
was a purely chemical formation, due
to the action of aqueous vapor on cor
boids deep down in the earth, at higl
temperature The second theory wa'
that it was composed of animal remains
| the third theory was that it was OF vege
table origin. 1t was not improbable tina
both animal and vegetable remains en-
tered into its composition.