The San Francisco call., 1897-04-11

with the subject in general way. Mr.. Watts
is spending this season at further work in the
southern field and Harold w. Fairbanks is
studying the economic geology of territory
in San Luls Obispo and Santa Barbara coun-
ties. All this work stimulates the interest in
the possibilities of oil outcroppings and af-
fords information OF value in prospecting and
developing.
In Los Angeles County petroleum is the
chief mineral product, amounting to nearly
million barrels in 1895, and coming from three
fields, those oil Los Angeles City, the Puente
hills and the mountains near Newhall. The
wells in the city OF Los Angeles have excited
the most interest since their discovery For
many years a small deposit of crude oil on
West State street was used for fuel, but it was
not until 1892, wnen Doheny & Connor
sunk shalt l5o feet deep Tor luck, that the
rich deposit was made known. The develop
ment was soon in full blast with much excite
ment, and in 1895 the highest production was
reached. The product OF 800 wells fell 10 so
cents barrel through lack of cooperation
and storing facilities. The production is now
greatly reduced through the partial exhaus-
tion of the supply, but the advance in price to
81 so per barrel has been an Offset.
In the Los Angeles field the oil deposit is a
stratum of sand from 100 TO 80 feet thick,
containing about forty feet of "pay dirt
t4iISu dI varying angles, averaging ABOUT 4O
degrees In depth the wells range from 600
10 100 feet. according 10 location. So far as
developments have shown, the field of this OIL
bearing stratum has an area of about 4. .00O 900
square ieet, containing at the start, by esti-
mate, ., $4,000 barrels of oil. About a third
of this total has been pumped out, and profit
able operations have largely ceased. Many
wells will continue to pay moderately for a
good while, with only occasional pumping.
is Mr. WatfS' opiDioo fa11 h.
recovered outside OF its present boundaries
In the Puente hills are twenty-five produc-
ing wells which yielded 100. 900 barrels of oil
in 1895 from depths of 700 to 1900 feet The
Puente Oil Company operates a pipe line fif-
teen miles long to its refinery at Chino There
are number OF oil fields in Ventura, mainly
controlled by the Union Oil Company of Santa
Paula, and producing 245,000 barrels in
$50. The Summerland and other oil fields
and bituminous deposits of Santa Barbara
County are minutely described.
The geology of all these deposits is made the
important feature. though with the compii-
Gated problems presented it will require years
OF expert study to collect the dat for an ade-
quate and reliable description of these oil
yielding formations.
Since the price OF oil at Los Angeles has gone
up so high the Santa Fe road has discontinued
the use OF oil as fuel and has gone back with in
few weeks to COAL chapter devoted to the
fuel tests of oil shows that, with coal al Sc 65
per .on and oil at 81 33 per barrel, the saving
by using oil was 27.1 per cent. Other expert
ments make still better showings
The tunnel In the Boulder mine El Dorado
County, has reached $50 feet and is expected
TO reach the ledge in going 80 feet more-A
custom mill has been erected at PacerviIle
and is about ready for operation.-The Carl
isle mine. Butte County, has started up with
ten men employed.-A San Jose company has
bought the CASTOR Hill drift mine Calav
County, for $l2,000-Prospecting for oil has
reached depth of 500 feet at Richland, San
Diego County.-New York capitalists ontem-
plate the erection OF large smelter at Phoenix
Ariz
Roller-mills are to be adopted at the Robin.
son mine, Amador County, to the contem-
plated capacity OF 100 stamps At the Oneida
Amador County, the new shaft which is to go
1900 feet has reached depth oi
$40 feet, and new hoist is in operation.
The shaft IN the Mcmahon mine, Amador
County, is to be SUNK 140 feet deeper, and il
is the intention if the results are satisfa Glory
TO sink new and deeper shaft to the east
ward. The Giant Queen mine, Nevada County,
an extension of the Giant King. has been
bonded TO capitalists, who propose TO de-