West Virginia daily oil review. [volume] (Sistersville, W. Va.) 1894-1902, 1902-02-27
The Geology of Petroleum.
By Prof. Hans Hofer.


the Pennsylvania oil fields. I found
Angels "belt theory" In vogue, the
same being, however, not so much
of theory as fact-viz., that the
productive wells are arranged alony
certain line of direction. This
fact had to be accounted for. and
an attempt to solve the problem
was made by J. Caril, of the Penn.
sylvania geological survey, who
stated In the journals published In
the oil region thst he recognized
In the oil lines the lines of ancient
coasts, originally of sand and gravel
now hardened to sandstone and
conglomerate. This explanation
at first seemed to me plausible
one, but on tracing the oil lines ON
the geological chart of Pennsyl-
vania, their parallelism with the
anticlinals of the Chestnut and
Laurel ridges was Immediately ap-
parent. and I, therefore, asked my
self the question whether any rela-
ton could exist between the oil
lines and the tectonic of the &C
know1edged oil bearing Devonian
strata. My travels taught rue that
as matter of fact, the oil lines cor
respond to fiat anticlinals, and 1t
was from this that my anticlinal
theory developed. If this theory
Is correct, then then the oil lines
must trend on the borders of Penn
sylvania, toward New York-from
northeast to east northeast-the
folds of the Allegheny mountains
having been subjected to this devia-
ton, and experience has confirmed
the accuracy of this assumption.
All that was then known is de-
tailed In my work. "Das Erdol
und Seine Verwandten," as may be
remembered. In the book (p 78)
I explained Caril's theory of the or
igin of the oil lines, since 1t ap-
peared to be feasible one. though
not applicable to Pennsylvania.
About year later, |. e.. 1889, 1t
was of great interest to me when l
visited Peceelbronn, In Alsace, and
found there the petroliterous de
posts occurring as beds of sand
about one kilometer In length, so
meters wide and FIVE meters thick,
generally stopping from southwest
to northeast, In some cases forking,
and embedded partly In the same
level, partly on higher or lower
levels.
No connection with any system
of folds could be detected, and for
this reason I look upon those oil
deposits as being on an ancient
: coast line. Pechelbronn, as Is well
known, was originally a so.calied
asphalt" mine, the term being
used advisedly, since only mineral
, pitch and mineral tar were ever
found there. Daubree, whose name
l utter with the deepest respect,
described this mine In 1852, aud as
sumed that the oil had risen from
the depths to, as 1t were, a second.
airy deposit. La Bell. the former
proprietor of the Pechelbronn
works and distinguished chemist,
agreed with this emanation theory
In the sense expressed by Mende-
leief and regarded the iron-con-
tent, though small, of the oil as a
confirmation of this hypothesis. In
company with Mr.. La Bell, / had
an extremely valuable opportunity
OF conversing with the works stew.
ard, who knew the mine thorough.
ly, having been engaged there for
10 years. He assured me In most
convincing manner that he had
never seen any appreciable assures
either In the worked oil or paraffin
bearing sandstone beds or the ad.
ljacent rock, during the advance;
and that 1t was not until later that
assures were produced, as result
of rock pressure.
This shut out the emanation
theory, SO far as Pechelbronn Is
concerned; and the presence of iron
in the oil Is easily explicable by the
salvent action of the petroleum acids
on the iron in the sand, casing, etc.
Consequently, at Pechelbronn we
have to do wit primary deposits of
petroleum, few of which were
completely opened up by mining; a
circumstance of great.rarity, In con.
sequence of which we have gained
a thoroughly reliable insight into
the occurrence of the oil, such as
cannot be acquired by the aid of
boring alone.