North Park union., 1901-04-05
The Origin Of Mineral
Oils, Asphaltum, ETC., and
Where to Search
For Them.

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most generally accepted is that the
bitumens are derived from vcgeta-
ton, deposited ages ago, in sedimen.
tary strata, slowly changing to car
bonaceous matter, to be afterwartl
distilled by the intense heat of meta
morphism. When vegetable tissue
is buried deep in the ground, the
elements arrange themselves into new
products. The oxygen slowly unites
with the carbon to form oarbonic
acid, leaving substances rich III car
bon and hydrogen. 1t is in this WAY
that coal, peat and Ignite have been
formed. Graphite and anthracite
coal were produced by great heat, the
volatile matter being yaporized, and
probably afterwards condensed, in
porous and tissured over-lying strata,
as bitumen, petroleum, and the like.
Petroleum is not found in altered
rocks. 1t is found in the unaltcred
rocks, shales and sandstones, into
which it has migrated. The accumu-
latlon of oils and gas in the domes
and SUBMITS of the anticlnes prove
that the bitunens are migratory, and
that their General course is upward.
This accounts also for tar springs and
gas escapes.
Petroleums vary widely in smell,
color and gravity. In the same fields,
in the same stratum even, there are
differences in the oils. These differ
enccs are due TO several causes--to
the different kinds Of vegetation from
which the petroleum. was distilled; To
different temperatures in the process
of distillaticn; to different degrees of
pressure; to the varying rapidity 0.
distillation; to the presence of differ
ent substances during distiliation,
and other causes.
Oil must be looked ior in shales
aud sandstone. Wien strata arc
bent into curves the upward curve is
an anticiine, the downward syn.
cline. In other words, an anticline
is an elongated dome; syncl:ne, n
trough. 1t is in tha anticlines that
one must expect to sad oil ans, gas.
| 4 uuaquavcrsal is q dome-iiie oleva,
ton along the axis line of the anti.
cline. When q formation contains
/ permanent water, Gil and gas will be
-cund in the summit of these domes.
The water being heavier, is at the
bottom, the oil next on top, and the
gas, being lightest, on top Of the oil.
Where there have been great up.
lifts, the top Of the anticllnes are Of
ten found to be worn away, and the
oil will be found to have drained in
to the dips. Anticlines are often
faultcd by north and south fault,
the ascent of oil will lc stopped. In
that case there will be plenty of oil
on the west side of the fault, and
there the well should be bored. On
the east side of the fault there will be
only water.
The petroleum is held in the por-
ous rocks by q cover which usually
consists of some other fine-gralned
rock, in which is water. When water
has taken possession of shale and
similar rock, it is almost impossible
Gor oil to eject water and form Il pas
sage. Vice versa, it is very difficult
for water to eject oil from shale oil
which it has taken possession. The
bitumens, also, by hardening on the
surface, form an imperyious covering
10 retain the OIL.
Water plays Il great part in the
formation of oil deposits. 1t is water
that first, by removing silicious ma,
terial. fits the sandstone to be the
porous receptacle of the oil, and it Is
the buoyance of water which impels
the oil upward into the receptacle.
Hot silioious water, upon cooling,
also deposits silica in the shales,
forming the socallcd "shells, which
are capable of holding the oils and
gases imprisoned. If water did not
float oil upward, little oil would ever
be seen. In the anticlines the pres
sure of the water is rom below; and
the pressure Of the gas is downward.
With all these forces confined under
immense rock pressure, Il is little
wonder that OF! often leaps out in q
columD 100 feet ard l.gaer, when