The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1902-10-26


held, which is OF particular interest az
this time.
From the Mississippi river westward
through Louisiana and Texas to the Rio
Gi1ndc, along the border Of the Gulf Of
Mexico and extending inland for from nfty
20 100 miles Is the gulf coast plain. The
existence OF petroleum IN this part OF the
couniry hos been known as far back as
1850. Since the beginning Of the present
oil development the coastal plain has been
examined and its general underground
condition to q depth OF about 1000 feet has
been brought to view, although many queS'
tions as to underground STRUCTURE remain
unanswerable until further drilling
genernlized geologic description OF the
formations OF the gulf coastal plain is
given and Is followed By detailed descrip
tions Of sections OF the coastal plain
formations, including the logs Of u number
OF the wells drilled In the region,
The geology OF the oil pools, when, so
far as they are now KNOWN occupy an e s
ecfihed, Is discussed. The districts dis
cnssed are: In Texas, Beaumont district,
Saratoga district, Dayton district. High
1slnnd district. Columbia district, minor
Texas districts; In Louisiana Jennings dis
trict Ansa la Butte district, Sulphur dis
tfict. Vinton district blackberry island
district, minor Louisiana districts.
IHb hHINDllD 1OI NlL hOIhs
With regard to the Spindle Top oil rock
the report states that its exceptional char
acter explains In a measure the remarkable
features OF the Spindle Top pool. Its ex-
IRENE porosity fayors the storage OF a
very large volume Of oil, and also favors
the yielding Of this oil with very great
rapidly when the reservoir Is tapped. II
also fayors the early exhaustion OF the oil
e F.as
the underlying salt water. Beds OF sui
phurbe sand arc reported from some
Of the wells on Spindle Top and beds OF
gypsum and Of salt from others
A list Is given Of 80 wells In the spin.
ole Top pool which have shown yleld of
oil sufficient to be considered OF CONNER
cial Importance. The HIST was completed,
The structure Of the Spindle Top pool APP
penrs to be that Of dome with steep
sides and rather fiat summit. Judging
from the normal thickness Of the gulf
coastal formations and from the structure
OF the Spindle Top pool, 1t seems evident
that a well In this region less than 300
feet in depth does not reach the oil bearing
horizon anywhere except upon the spindle
Top dome. The shallow dry wells already
drilled outside of Spindle Top prove hut
little, One cooperative test well Put
down at some carefully selected locality
10 depth OF 1000 or $500 feet would prob
ably he OF much greater value than IA large
number Of shallow wells put down in va
1loNl lOcAiltleA,
AS shown upon the map accompany nI
the report the indications point TO the
possible Development Of
OH ALONG THE FOLLOWING LINES
oil running northeast and southwest; A
lne from Damon. IN Brazorla county
Texas through Dayton to Saratoga In
Hardin county, llns from High Island
in Galveston county. through Big Hill L
Beaumont, In Jefferson county; line from
sabine Pass, In Jefferson county, Texas
percy. In Cameron PARISH to Spring ilil II
Calcasieu pnrish Louisiana. The well known
OH ponds upon tine surface of the waite
point strongly TO source of oil near chs
south end OF tho west jetty in the gu
az sahina Pass.
Win regard GO the origin OF oil In th'
gulf coastal plain, the report dscusscs
briefly the obscure geological problem o
the origin Of petroleum In general q
According TO one theory which explain
lne origin of oil by Inorganic agencies
water percolnting downward through us
surea iR The earths crust comes in con
tact under conditions or high temporarily
and great pressure with metallic carbideE
und the resulting chemical reaction pro
duees metallic oxides and saturated ny
ORIGINATING porous beds OF sedimentur.
rocks in which they are now found. N
geological evidence is at hand that thes
reactions actually Take place IN the earth
crust. The inorganic theory Is attractiy
but not proven. ~ According to the thee
res Of organic origin, argt petroleum
indigenous to the rocks in which II 4
found and resulta from the primary dc
cuinposltlon OF organic matter and wa
formed when the rocks themselves wer
Formed; and second, petroleum 80 derive
from the organic matter disseminate
Through great masses of c0rhOnlceOu
shnits by the process OF slow natural d;
has subsequently migrated through IN
strata TO the reservoirs IN which Il is noN
hound Tue majority of biologists hav
Dility OF
NATURAL OSCILLATION
at a temperature sufficiently low to leay
the enclosing rocks entirely unchanged
has not been proven nor have the residue
Of carbon which would result from suel
distillation been found In the rocks e
According to theories involving both lnol
genlc aud organic agencies petroleum /
produced by the action Of volcanic case
containlng sulphurous acid and hydroge
sulphide upon limestone containing yegt
table or animal mntterl, on tho one hand
OF up9u gypsum, on the other. This srea
DIVERSITY or Views regarding the orlgil
OF petroleum Is equalled by the diversit
In the character OF the petroleum itself
and In the geological condition nude
able that the hna theory OF its origln WI
fecognize the fact that petroleum may b
lHc pkOQutt OF WlutlN inherent nfOCeSec
acting upon great diversity OF materials
Tho petroleum OF the gulf coastal plain
probaly derlredS In part ut least from tn
action upon gypsum OF decomposlng or
game matter, both animal aud vegetable
but chiefly tho later.
The essential conditions for the accuml
latlon OF oil are; "a A sufficient suppl
OF oil derived from any OF the source
uboyc described, " a porous reserved
rock ~ which Il may be stored, nnd CD a
impcrvioua cap rock which Will proven
Its escape. Conditions which favor Al
accumulation, but which are not Alwny
essential are: (i) Gentle nndulations
tEe strata. forming nnticllnal arches o
comes: and 15l the complete saturation I
the rocks with water. and its slow eli
cuia,ion under hyGrostatlc head, or cou
yectiOn. due to differences Of teluperatur,
An abundance OF organic material aud COZ
diti0ns favorable FOR It's conversion int
petroleum have been notably present /
lnapy Thousand feet OF strata constltutip
tho cfOtaccous aud tertiary formations q
The gulf coastal plnin. There are prescnl
nlso IN the coastal plain an abundanc
Of reservoir rock to fold the oil Of In
Dcrrious cover to prevent It's escape. an
q rock structure favorable 10 the accuinil
llntion Of oil Ia pools. II is Thought fhal
although most Of the oil has rcmaines
dlH4etnlnntcd through the beds Of tho cons
plain. much Of the petroleum has beer
erebled 70 ovcrcome the obstacles occa