The Ogden standard. [volume] (Ogden City, Utah) 1902-1910, 1910-06-22
REPORT ON The
SAN JUAN FIELDS

ii. H. Peterson. an expert. who has
made study OF the Utah oil field says
Of tbem
The San Juan oil field is reached
by rail via Dolores. Colorado. thence
by stage to Bluff. in southeastern
Uiah, distance OF ninety miles
This region apart from Its wonder
fully prolific oil measures, contains
rich auriferous gravel deposits and
rare stones.
This land, hitherto scarcely known
TO the outside world. viii from now
on become the Mecca for oil men.
prospectors. scientists and railroad
men and ere long. the overland tour
list Will be able to gaze upon its won
ders as the trains speed through the
San Juan country.
The field begins at a point about
six miles west of Bluff, according 70
survey. thence extends westerly fifty
miles along the San Juan river, thence
G6 miles north and Is miles south of
said river, through the Navajo Indian
reservation. thus exceeding In super
fic!al area, any other oil field In Am
erica
The contour Of the district shows
a series OF hills and erodcd basins
with number Of precipitouS bluffs
and pinnacles- The San Juan river,
with Its great volume OF water and
swift. current. has worn a deep chan
mel, exposing TO view several distinct
and intact antlcl;nical folds and eX-
traordipary as lt NAV seem, no true
oyrcllnical depressions or subsidon-
ccs appear between the anti-clines.
the formation being intact along its
original plane of bedding, the dip be-
ing only 90 feet to the mile. The In
tactness and position Of strata insure
less failures than elsewhere.
The formation consists OF alter
mating layer of sandstone OF great
pOrosIty, foseiliferous limestone cap
ping. clayshaies, and arcaceous shales
and Is free from faults, fractures and
fissures, with two exceptions One ex-
ception being q faulting along the
core OF axis of the anticline in the eX
treme western limits of the field. the
second is an Intrusion of q Schistose
mass, south OF the river. penetrat-
ing minute area without having
caused any general or Wis
ible disturbance. The anticlines
traverse the country from north to
south and even beyond the territory
herein described. indications OF oil
are found.
Eight distinct oil sands are exposed
along the San Juan river, showing
thorough saturation, and several seep-
ages occur. The Honaker trail seep-
age exudes from three to Iour barrels
per day These sands aggregate over
300 feet in thickness, the porous char
acter OF the oil-beoring sand rock,
capped by limestone and shalc. forms
the most ideal storage rocks known
for so volatile substance as petro-
leum
Present development centers in and
around the Goodrich basin, where a
number of wells have been drilled to
the second, or Goodrich. sand, to a
depth OF from 220 TO 500 feet One
well according to Mr.. Goodrich and
others. baIled at the rate OF 30y bar
rels per diem. The Galloway we'll
has been drilled to a depth of 1870
feet, penetrating flye prolific sands.
The first well sunk as described by
Gr Landon r Ellis of San Francisco.
found oil In the Grst sand at a depth
of 40 feet, showing 20 barrels per
day Sinking was continued and at a
depth of 220 feet a tremendous flow
of oil. accompanied by a great gas
pressure, was found in the second
sand The oil was forced up above
the top of the pipe distance OF more
than thirty feet, and continued 10
spout for more than one half hour.
when it gradually settled down and
flowed gently for several weeks, when
1t settled down and was held below
the surface. After letting it rest for
more than a month. thorough test
found that the well was yielding
about 500 barrels of the very finest
quality of parafflnc oil per day
The crude oil Is a limpid fluid 3S
degrees Baume, parafIlne base and
burns readily without refining. the ig-
milton being instantaneous on tho ap-
pllcation Of lighted match. The
color of the oil by reflected light is
dark green 1t contains a high per
centage Of the volatile oils and Is the
best refining oil to be found in the
western part of the continent ii
should be worth from 81 90 to $500
per barrel at the we'll II can be used
as distillate without treatment
II is a pure parafIine oil, The per
centage Of parafIlne contained. as
shown by analysis. scale and vaSeline.
IS IL IL per cent of the crude weight
of the oil the sulphur Is mere
trace and the asphaltum nominel:
gravity Of the crude OIL SO degrees
Baume specific gravity. 0S37 The
percentage of naptha, l25 by volume,
10 by weight: gravity. 6S degrees
Baune OBI specific gravity; light
burning oil by volume, 21.2; by
weight. 1919; gravity. 81 degrees
Baumc; 077S specific gravity. Heavy
burning oil BY volume, 1872; by
weight, 1910, gravity. 81 degrees
Bapme; 0S23 specific gravity. Heavy
oils. by volume, $50. by weight. 44.6.
gravity, 80 degrees Baume. specific
gravity. 0.S62 Coiings and loss by
volume. Al per cent
Two pipe lines and one railway
have been surveyed into the field. The
operators to date seem to have con-
fined their attention to striking oil In
the upper sands, so as TO prove up
their holdings at the minimum Of cost
and In the shortest space OF time.
Most OF the companies are employing
portable rigs, but few are now ready
to install heavy standard rigs for the
purpose of drilling to greater depth.
in order to penetrate all OF the known
oil snnds in the field.
The geological conditions arc ideal,
L. ~