Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1910-11-15

W. 2RFFfo - fNf ~ $50 AAAiD 81 y
OF yellow and hituminous shale is one
of grcat extent. measuring bon 5000
feet in thickness, u is also of great
Importance to the oil prospector. for
il is the most promising oil zone in the
territory ana is equivalent to the oil
shales in Colorado. IT is capped by
1900 10 1900 feet of alternating sand
stones and shales in which the inn
portant coal beds Of the region occur.
Ii is probable that this is the equiva-
lent Of the Laramie. for it is succeed
ed by a series Of loose earthly and
marty shales and sands Of the Tar
tiary age. In the last mentioned beds
are the petrified forests of consider
able extent.
The economic interest, so far as
oil is concerned, is confined 10 the
shalcs of the upper or marine Crcta-
ceous reposing on the 'Punta de la
Mesa sandstone. This series is at
various places charged with organic
matter and it is rot rare for it to
produce well defined beds of Ignite
coal, and If in anticipation of the
later Laramie measures. In other
cases the organic matter has under
gone another species of disintegration,
producing oil and gas instead Of coal,
and this is the field in question. The
thickness is here rs great as in the
Florence field in question. The
thickness is here as great as in the
Florence district of Colorado, and the
geological formation may therefore be
said to be distinctly favorable for oil
production.
Local Stratisraphy.
In searching for oil lands the fol-
lowing conditions are to he met: C11
There must be . geological formation
suitable to the oil production, usually
a mass Of shale with organic matter;
ca This oil producer must be COW
cred with, or associated with Il porous
stratum to collect the oil as produced;
go The porous stratus, or collecting
rock must be covered ny an imperv-
ious rock to prevent the escape of oi!
as collected. This condition is usually
afforded in nature by a dome of arch
like configuration of The rocks in
which the oil is confined, such an arch
being geologically an anticline; ca
1t is of advantage hat there should
be hydrostatie pressure sufficient to
bring the oil to the surface when the
containing rock is punctured by the
drill.
Taking the above conditions in or
der, il will be seen that on the lands
the proper oil formation occurs or sur
ficient thickness to warrant the hope
that it might produce oil in Quantities;
2nd, interspersed in the shales are nu-
merous bands Of porous sand rock,
admirably suited to Absorb and cons
tain oil ii it were produced in the
shales below. one such band OF
about fifty feet in thickness. in par
~ticular. lies Immediately above the
shale in which the oil of tho oil spring
IS situated. and this rock in several
.I.... rT,Asr~ Efntaa Of lA tinNn- tanfDil-
ed oil; 3rd, above the sandstone men
toned, as also in other places. is a
layer Of clay resembling fire-clay
which would make the best possible
cap or cover.
In addition, careful study Of the
area surrounding the oil spring, shows
that it occupies the axis of an anti
cline extending in an east and west d.
iection, or, moro accurately. about
north 40 TO so degrees east magnetic.
This anticlinc is shoWn to exist by
readings of the dip to he strongly
nui thcast by north Of the al or moie
nearly EAST by south range and soutn
or the axis. The effect Of this axis
is to make OF the strata m inverted
trough inclined toward ths cast o.
northeast n closes at tie lower end
Is the dyke Of the s~o~f2lled hog
back The only escape Nou't be at
the west end of the trough. where the
| oil-bearing stratas reach the surface,
and in fact the oil spring is So located.
The fourth condition is met, in a small
way. at least, at the spring, for the
water from q pipe driven into the
shale for q distance Of about 60 feet
rises to the top of the pipe about 20
/ feet higher than the surface level,
showing at least a small artesian ten
I dencv. This nay be duc 10 surfacs
water, but tn geological conditions
suggest that there viii be r artes-
ian water at "A depth. and if this IS
the case the oil that may be founc
will rise with the water and VIII re-
quire no pumping. From tbs above
it viii he seen that the necessary STRAIT
biographical conditions appear TO be
met in this field.
Actual Existance OF Oil.
Amid all the theoretical conditions
concerned in the occurrences OF oil,
no one is so important as the actual
discovery Of oil signs, In the present
case tradition runs to the effect that
oil has exuded in small quantities
from tho spring indicated on the
map from a time whereof the mem
CRY of man is not to the contrary
The existance of such a spring Is a
matter Of general knowledge on
siderable work has been done III eXci-
waiting and clearing out the sprinS
which has been explored by means Of
a drill and piped to "a depth or 50
feet. This pipe, two inches In diane
ter. rests, apparently upon a thin
stratum Of sandstone and passes
Through shale. At the time of my
visit Il small mou Of water was IS
suing from the spring. and a slight
agitation of the pipe was sufficient 70
bring to the surface OF h water
gIobules Of oil. which spread upon
the water in q perfectly c~haracteris-
tic way. Bubbles of "A also appeared
from time TO time. The gas seemed 70
he q carbon-di-oxido and in part sui
~phuretted hydrogen. / was informed
that al the time the pipe was driven
a considerable quantity of oil was col
lected and that it proved satisfactory
in all respects. The appearance %
the oil l saw is that OF q parafiin base
oil. rather than asphalt oils the
presence OF sulphur and bituminous
materials In the Sandstone above me
oil shafe is also g. good indication. All
lof which is respectfully submitted
&c. L. HERRlCK. =
Economic G%cologist