El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1910-09-24

A comparison of the stratagraphicaI
and geological conditions in the proven
oil fields Of California and in the La
Luz anticlines north a few miles of
Alamogordo Will prove of special inter
est right now while prospecting is go
ing on at Camp City.
The accompanying plat No. 1 shows
the folding and bending Of the strata
to the west of Kern lake, California,
in what is known as the Sunset oil
field. and its effect on the deposits of
oil, gas and artesian water. study
of the chart, and the accompanying
logs of wells Nos 1 to Z enables one
to learn why there may be a gas well
on one side of oil wells and artesian
water on theT other, also why there
may be very narrow belts of produc-
tive oil territory and also why artesian
water may be struck by sinking on a
hill, while the well sunk in the hol
low proves, dry, although sunk much
deeper.
Kern River Field.
Stratigraphical conditions are the
same in the Kern River field, and also
the geology is the same, but in the
Kern River the strata are lifted into a
wide, low table anticline, and at all
points between the two outside wells
which give only water, oil wells may
be sunk with certainty Of the depth
necessary to get oil, the thickness of
the oil bearing sand, and the amount Of
oil that may be drained before the
well is started, consequently this is the
investors field because there is the
minimum of risk.
The Sunset and Kern River fields are
some fifteen miles apart; I have fore
shortened the plain and lake lying
between them in order TO show the two
fields in the one chart
CThe gas oil and water levels noted
in the lower left hand corner, are for
the particular strata Of sandstone
shown to carry these three elements,
Of sandstone lower down which also
might contain gas, oil and water)
Torrey Canyon Field.
Plat No. is Of the Torrey Canyon
oil field, about 100 miles south of the
two fields shown in plat l; this is In
Ventura county, California, and is
fine Illustration of the upheaval of an
anticline breaking the surface strata,
later meteoric waters flowing along
the break and washing out canyon.
In this case, when the canyon was
washed down into the oil sands, the oil
flowed out the volatile oil and gases
passed off into the air, leaving the
heavy oil and asphaltum in the bot
tom as a floor: which tended to stop
further cutting.
Getting Away From the Seep-
BY digging a shallow trench in the
bottom of the canyon, two or three
barrels of oil could be dipped up daily;
this led prominent California oil COM
pany to spend many thousands Of dol
lars in sinking dry wells in the bottom
of the canyon where oil indications
were exceptionally good The chart
shows plainly why their money was
wasted in sinking in the canyon, and
why by climbing the hill five hundred
feet. and getting back from the &C
ton of air, they now produce 10000
barrels of oil monthly
La Luz Anticlines and Fault.
Barely one-half mile east of the lit
tie village of La Luz, in Otero county,
New Mexico. the strata at the lower
left hand corner of chart are exposed
as shown The La Luz canyon, cutting
through the foothill, gives a splendid
exposure Of the entire bending OF the
upper rocks, which are lines, shales,
conglomerates and SandStones, IN
which fossils of marine animal life are
abundant. and appear to be of the up