The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1910-04-21
EXPERT Tells
Of EXTENT Of
OIL DEPOSITS
Paul Prutzman Completes Sur
vey CT the San Joaquin
Valley
New Operations Promise to
Open Up Wide Area of
Territory
Detailed Report Made of the
Work Now Being Carried
Forward

Under the direction of State Mineralogist
Lewis Z. Aubury, e general reconnaissance of the
oil districts Of the San Joaquin valley has just
been completed by Paul W. Prutzmsn, assistant
in the seld, and his report has Just been fled
with the state minerslogist.
The state mining bureau is now engaged in
preparing maps Of all the different oil districts
IN the state and is also at work e large re-
port in which detailed information viii be given
Of the different districts. As the work pro-
presses general reports viii be issued by the
bureau to the press. The first Of these reports
herewith given.
To understand conditions at Coaiinga
81 is necessary TO bear in mind the
topography Of the country. From
6-2l-l5. which is at the southern eX-
tremity of the developed field, the
foothills run due north for about seven
miles. following closely the east line
Of township 20-l4. At the southwest
corner OF 1915 they turn sharply to
the east and run almost due east for
about three miles or 10 the center of
The south line Of this township, where
they again bend to the north. From
the apex of the curve thus formed
spur Of the hills extends in a south
casterly direction for several miles.
This typographical arrangement
leaves, between the foothills and the
spur a plain some six miles square.
surrounded on three sides by the hills
and bounded on the south by the rail-
road. The town of Coalinga is on the
railroad and close to the foothills and
therefore near the southwest corner of
This plain, which is smooth and slopes
very gently northwest to southeast.
OH has been found on the lowest por-
ZION Of the foothills and extending out
Tor varying distance from them. on
The north and west sides Of this plain
as wei as on the outer or valley face
OF the foothills where they turn TO
The north, on 1915, and on the same
side OF the spur range. The east
held' is that portion lying on the VAL
ley slope Of the north limb the south
east extension" on the east or valley
slope Of the spur. The west field" lies
on the inner portion OF the hills west
and south Of the plain. The south
Held is the prospective territory south
of the railroad. following the hills for
an indefinite distance.
THIRTEEN MILES LONG
The length Of the developed field. ex-
tending from the railroad north, then
east, then north again, is some Is
miles The extension to the southeast
is proved up for a length Of approx
mately a mile and a half The width
Of the actually proven belt varies from
three-fourths OF a mile al the lower
extremity TO about two and a half
miles AT the widest part with an aver
age OF perhaps two miles
Extension Of the Coalinga field to
the north seems TO be pretty definitely
barred by the operations Of the Impe-
rial Of 4-l9-l5. which are said to have
resulted in dry holes and in finding an
order Of formation quite different from
a e =.
tain. however, that the sands at this
point lie farther back in the hills, and
at least one company is drilling on
section in this township on such a
theory
To the northeast the operations on
1z-lS-l5 have resulted mostly in water
wells, but whether this is due TO food
ing Of the sands from above Chat is
from higher up on the formation). to
the difficulty Of handling surface water
or whether the actual water line has here
been reached II is yet too soon TO tell
10 the east Of the old wells on 28-1s-15
operations are slowly being pushed
FARTHER out, and it does not appear that
any limit has yet been set to drilling
IN this direction. The same NAV he
said Of the work along the outer face
OF the spur Work is gradually being
carried south and east, and while drill
Ing here is very deep and correspond
.ingly expensive, the new well of the
COalinga Mohawk offers encourage
mSnt in this direction to operators with
means enough TO garry on this heavy
work.
EMPIRES BIG PRODUCER
West Of 2S-19-I5 the new well of the
Empire on 30 has bridged, in part at
least, the gap supposed to exist be-
tween the east and west fields and
proves up the territory lying immedi-
Rtely west Figuring from the deptbs
Of the Limited wells on % and of the
Empire (some 200 feet, IL is evil
dent that the sands here have a sharp
pitch to the southeast and as the form
stion on % also pitches in the same
direction, but on a much higher level
more work viii be required TO finally
prove whether the Empire sands mass
under those on 2S or rise again to meet
these and form an anticline, and in the
latter case whether ii viii be produc-
tive on the west slope.
There is still a gap of almost = mile
between the Empire well and the near
est producer on the east When visited
this well was producing about 500 bar
.sls OF is degree oil, but there was
great deal of sand in the casing and as
this has since been cleaned out il seems
likely that reports of considerably
larger production as present are cor
rect.
The northern line of the old west
side" field along the north line of
3l-ls-l5. is definitely marked with old
work, some Of the original Coalinea
wells having been here. but to the
south the limit has not been set The
Aztec, in the southeast corner of 81.
has lately gone into the first sand
and both the California Coalinga and
NJ i. & T. have lately brought in good
producers on S-20-15. The latter wells
are $500 and 2,940 feet respectively.
which indicates a normal degree of
dip TO the sand, both from the north
and the west.
This work is the farthest out on the
fat, and the old argument as to whether
the producing sands extend across the
Fat and to the wells on the outer side
Of the spur is yet unsettled The $500
foot well Of the Peerless Consolidated
on 10 and the deep test OF the Clare
mont on 4, said TO be 400 feet or bet
ter. without oil, would seem to indi-
cate that the western limb of this
anticline will not be productive, which
corresponds well with the theories in
the case.
BIG EXTENT OF SANDS
On the upper or west side of the
west field production has been carried
har1r hex001 the Cenfer line of