The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1910-09-26
Well-Known Expert Gives His
Impressions of Spring Val
ley Field.
is BELIEVER in
FUTURE OF REGION
An Extended Geological Study
Made and Field Measures
Up Very Well.

r. E. Russell. q widely.known oil
expert. has completed an inspection of
the Spring Valley, Wyoming. oil field,
which is being developed largely
through Salt Lake capital Mr.. Rus
SELLS report on the field was first pub
lished by the Wyoming Press. The re-
port follows:
Sixty-threc years ago a band OF Nor
mon cmlerants under the leadership OK
Brigham Young. ';reked" across the
vast wilderness OF plains seeking their
promised land in the beautiful Salt Lake
valley. Their trail led them past a maj =
ur5l oil spring. where they found an oil
su!ta Die far ercasnG wagons, polishing
gunstoclSs. and an al-sround good mcdi-
cine for sores upon their horses and cat
tie. Brigham Young commissioned soGre
OF his followers to open the spring ard
put IL n condition 10 supply oil and
grease 10 the needy ittlo colony in Salt
Lake valley. For years ai,erward this
oil well supplied their wants In this line
the refined article from the east was in
trodueed and operations at the oil we'll
ceased.
Today that same We'll with its tim
6ers preserved by oil saturation. stands
as it was originally dug by the Mormons
throwing OF oil and gas, "A monument
TO that intrepid band and the pioneer
discovery OF what promises 10 be one OF
the most attractive and profitable high
grade oil fields in the west, Known as
tie Brigham Young oil well. it has
nent eeologists, such as Stansbury. En-
slemann. Meek. Ricketts,. Lander and
Neatch all Of whom have referred 10 the
we'll in their reports sent to Washington.
Brigham Young Well.
The Brigham Young oil well is situated
IN the northwest quarter of section 4.
township IL north. range ll9 west. on
billiard Flat. Its geographical location
places il in the southwestern section of
the Cinta oil field. along the western
to the Ahsoroka uplift. Eastward from
the oil we'll the oil sands rise for a dis
tance OF TWO and one-haf miles at an
angle OF about $50 degrees to the
which is Just cast Of the oyster Ridge
This fold has northeast and southwest
trend and has been traced for more
than forty miles north of the Oregon
Short Line. distance all told OF nearly
eighty miles. Throughout It's entire
length oil springs or scepases occur at
bly, in section 49, township il north.
range 1l9 west where Judge c. NJ. White
began operations In 1866. He dug n large
hole In the sand, exposed. collected the
II was sold To tanners.
Farther north i'm section 81 township
Il north. range lis west. is The Cater
Evanston) in 1865 found oil In driving
a tunnel for coal The oil was sold 10
the Union Pacific railroad and 10 neigh
poses. over $4,000 worth was SOLD at
prices ranging from 10 cents to 81 per
gallon. South Of the Carter oil spring.
In section I. township II north, range
TT,as- Do
countercd quite strong seepage in the
Aspen tunnel After much Inconvenience
TO the workmen IL was finally closed off
by concrete and timber dam.
OIL secpages also occur in sections 70
west; sections and O. township II
township % north range lis west
The Uinta oil field. like many others
has been subjected To the usual vicis-
s., silnde n e, encountered upon the discovery
definite knowledge at first os the struc-
turaI conditions and lay OF the oil hori-
2, Zon considerable time and money have
ms tic conditions OF the zone containing
oil became unfolded the work resolved
mc,dd ,Issli into mater Of putting down
little doubt as 10 the success Of the
dri..
Geology Of Field.
ticologicaliy tho oi! occurs in the Fort
the fornntioa consisting Of gray shales
and I!mcstones. aboundng In fossils and
marine Organisms. interlain with sand
stones from ten 10 forty feet thick Of
greni roTosity and storage properties,
The Fort Benton division in this field
shows thickness Of from 400 to 1000 feet
II d: amy point where oil development
has jal ken place. the coal horizon appar-
entity being confined to the upper Gre
tIcious. The oil Is found in bands OF
three or. more quite coarse grit sand
stones. the first sand being about thirty
five feet In thickness. the second about
$50 feet lower and ten to fifteen feet
thick. and the third about 500 feet lower
md from twenty Ia twenty-five feet
thick. II has been observed however
that those conditions do not apply to ALI
of the sections drilled upon. for il has
been found where the strata Is more
reuuinr in its continuity the sands In
crease in number and thickness. and il
- the opinion Of the writer that the
strata generally comprising the Oyster
ridge show much greater thickness