Polk County observer. (Monmouth, Polk County, Or.) 1888-1927, 1910-03-25
COAL and PETROLEUM
ENTERTAINING AND INSTRUCT
I'VE ARTICLE BY OIL EXPERT.
Says Western Oregon Has General
Appearance of Oil Country;
Similar to Pennsylvania.

| since LneTe is an activity toward Cnt
development of coal and petroleum
| (crude oil) in this, and a few othel
portions of western Oregon, it is wei
to say that so far as coal has beer
prospected, it has been found in re.
munerative quantities. Over in Coo'
county, near the coast, coal has beer
mined as a commercial proposition fol
many years.
Petroleum in paying quantity is yet
to be discovered. Yet it is my opinion
that if the drill is started in the right
typographical location, and the drill
ing is deep enough, that a new field OF
petroleum will be opened up. Speaking
from twenty-five years off and on OF
experience in operations in petroleum
in all its phases in the oil fields of
Pennsylvania, except refining, I can
see a natural topography and rocks,
etc., that are similar to those found
in the hilly portions of western Penn
sylvania, where with the exception of
southeastern Texas) the largest wells
in the world were struck, and the low
er or southern portion of the coast
range of mountains and their foot
hills of southern California, where
wells of remunerative petroleum are
found. And as in Pennsylvania and
some parts of California, If there is
much gas accompanying the oil, some
wells will be gushers.
Whether wells are large or small
depends upon the thickness of the oil
rock or sand, and the porosity. Hence
coarse, pebbly rock, or coarse sand
rock, or creviced shale, or coarse shale,
invariably produce large gushers,
while medium grained or fine grained
rock, ETC., produce in accordance small
wells and bumpers. But the bumpers
are longer lived. A gusher starting off
at 500 barrels in "a hours may fall off
to 800 barrels at the end of 80 days,
and at the end of year may be but
a 10 barrel pumper. 1 know one well
in Pennsylvania that pumped at the
start 20 barrels, lived 20 years, and at
the end of that time was pumped "by
heads" (three times a day. and pro-
duced 1 barrel each "a hours. From
three to ten years is the life of gush-
er.
The different oil stratas of the
crust of the earth so far as known
belong to the tertiary or third form
alton, and to the quarternary. The pc
troleum deposits in California range
from the lower cretaceous to the quar-
ternary. These are found in the Puente
Hills of Orange and Los Angeles coun-
ties, and in the foot hills of the coast
range of Ventura and Santa Barbara
counties.
Where OIL Is Found.
Petroleum is found from the sur
face where the rock crops out to the
depth of 5000 feet. Further than this
the oil cannot be reached proftably
in which petroleum is
found are sand rock, or sand strata,
shale, conglomerate rock,
pebbled clay, and crystalized rocks,
These rocks, shales, ETC., are of all
colors Some rocks and shales are
white naturally, and some are bleach
ed white by the escapement of sulphur
rious fumes. To give a description of
the geological formation of some wells
that l have helped to drill in Venango,
Butler and Beaver couuties in Penn
sylvania, is as follows: Clay sand and
gravel to 80 feet; green clay and thin
stratum of brown shale to 100 feet;
coarse gravel and sand with a little
gas to 1876 feet; streak of clay mixed
With sand rock, 164 feet; shale to GOO
feet; dark brown sand rock tc zoo
feet, mari filled with sea shells, $40
feet; white shale to 352 feet; lhud
streak to 395 feet; soft brown shale to
i20 feet; sand rock and salt water to
1870 feet; gray sand and a little gas to
$40 feet; dark slate rock filled with
,ea shells to 542 feet; hard white shale |
% 567 feet; mud streak to SIS feet |
brown shale full of oil to $50 feet. Oil
'ocks, sands and shale range from 10 |
'eet to 200 feet and more in thickness. |
often good wells start from the |
Iurface I'm alluvium, clay, sand rock, |
hardly ever in GRANTEES or quartz, |
hough oil has been found in quartzlte |
ock in some parts of California.
have drilled wells in Pennsylvania |
where the composition of earth was
rom brown sand rock at the start.
hen shale. then slate, then clay, then
lulck sand, then shale, then lime
tone, then shell, then at 1900 feet the |
Ill rock was struck, which was a
oarse sand, The shell mentioned Of
en- occurs as we drill down and at
lifferent depths. and is from one to
hree feet in thickness. and is a hard
Ock to penetrate. But the hardest
ubstance TO penetrate is asphaltum
ar and sometimes the tools get fas-
ened in IL to stay forever. Quick sand
an be cased of.
Salt water and sulphur water and
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