The White Pine news. [volume] (Ely, Nev.) 1906-1910, 1908-01-21
BY Erasmus rfaworth.


section with regard to oil and gas,
the following article from an expert
with regard to prospecting for these
commodities is of exceptional inter-
est:
The first great general conclusion
based upon experience and observa-
ton is that oil and gas almost always
are found in a porous rock rather
than in genuine fissure veins. Sand
stone Is the most uniformly porous
rock known and almost all the oil
and gas known to man have been
found In sandstone. Throughout the
great oil fields and gas fields of west
ern Ohio and Indiana oil and gas ex-
list in limestone which, by one of
natures mysterious processes, has
been made broadly porous, initiating
in this respect an ordinary sandstone.
III portions of California oil occurs in
la metamorphosed shale. 1t would
seem. therefore, that the important
fact here is that sandstone is porous
and forms natural receptacle or
storeroom for the oil and gas, rather
than laboratory in which they are
compounded.
AHOlueT great ldCt Vi ODS6TNdllOu
is that in every oil field thus far de-
vcloped, bed of fine grained, COM
pact shale or clay overlies the porous
stone or receptacle, which serves as
a blanket or covering to hold the ma
terials in and keep TENN from escap-
ing. This covering or blanket varies
greatly in thickness in different
places, but apparently is everywhere
present. 1t would seem that it is an
essential association.
The two observations just named
are fundamental in Importance. They
prevent our hope of finding oil or gas
in a sandstone Immediately at the
Sui face and equally prevent our pros
pecting in regions where we know no
porous rock exists. 1t becomes de-
sirable, therefore, to learn all we can
regarding the way nature prepared
these underground receptacles-the
sardstones and the porous lime
stones.
| know an instance where line OF
good oil wells had been drilled nearly
mile in length. Later, well was
iput down between two of the old
wells, which were 900 feet apart, and
this last well found no oil, much to
the surprise of every one who knew
about it. But upon investigation il
was learned that the last we'll found
no sandstone where the sandstone
was expected. The explanation near
II is that, along the old sea beach
in which the oil bearing sandstone
was located, elsewhere mud bank,
due to peculiar combination of beach
line and over mouth, had been
formed and the stray well penetrated
d place where eddies deposited mud,
while sand beds were forming on
either side.
Oil fields in general have been dis
covered by prospectors attracted by
surface indications. Usually leads or
springs bring oil to the surface and
prospectors have placed their drills
NEARBY. We owe a great debt OF
gratitude to such prospectors, and in
! fairness it should be stated that to
them belongs nearly all the credit OF
having discovered every important oil
| field thus far developed in America.
1t was the accidental discovery of oil
in boring for salt brine in many
places throughout the Appalachian
region which prompted the support
Iers of Col. Drake to drill his famous
iwell in Pennsylvania. 1t was the &C
! cidental discovery of escaping gas and
III in many places which led the pros
ipector to make discoveries resulting
In the development of many other
fields. According to a personal letter
received from DR.. G. w. Brownan of
| Illinois, it was the discovery by him
OF asphalt in Miami county, Kas.,
which led to the drilling of the first
well near Paoli, which must be reck-
oned as the starting point of develop
ment in the great Continental
! field.
And yet, in the aggregate, | ven
ture to state that seeps and springs
and escaping gas have led to larger
number of failures than successes.
Such springs clearly show that oil
and gas exist in a given territory, but
they fail to show details of where to
drill in order to get the good well.
Nearly 40 years ago springs were
4 found on mountain side in Califor-
nia. but the wells drilled as a result
OF tie discovery in general were total
failures. The reason was that the
prospector neglected to study his ter
rftory carefully and to learn from
what particular formations the seeps
we're derived. Unfortunately, the
drill was placed SO that it went di-
rectly away from the source of oil
rather than towards it.
In early days, quantities of as
phaltum were found in Cherokee
county, Kansas, east of the Neosho
river, and eversince the discovery,
first one party and then
another have taken leases in that vii
entity with the hope that by drilling
deeper large quantities of oil would
be obtained. Here again disappoint-
ment has always accompanied honest
,fforts simply because the leaks come
o the surface at place far removed
rom the bodies of oil and the drill
progresses in wrong direction.
The Mid-Continental oil field,
Which lies astride the state boundar-
rs between Oklahoma and Kansas, is
ow reckoned as one of the greatest
yer discovered. Throughout this en-
Ire field oil is found In sandstone
ot one individual sandstone bed, but
may. In order to protray 3 proper
ret xz1c Hlkcn the OfntiU-f
ions to series of shelves in kitch-
Il cupboard, the, shelves proper toI
e compoScd of 1imestones and thel
Intervening spaces to be dlled with
hale beds here and there carrying
entfcular masses Of sandstone. TheI
IN oforfln0 ~ fha f0n will naooi