The Big Sandy news. [volume] (Louisa, Ky.) 1885-1929, 1913-12-19

ana MetaIlurgy of State University
was that of DR.. S. r. Collier, OF
West Liberty, on the oil fields OF
Kentucky and their production and
prospects.
DR.. Collier is one of the pioneers
and most active operators in the oil
territory OF the State.
HIS paper was the prominent fea-
ture of the meeting, and was in par
as follows:
Kentucky Gil Fields.
The surface rocks of these fields
are composed OF sandstone, shales,
coal ana clay, on top OF congIom-
crate sandstone IRON twenty-five to
fiTty feet in thickness, are OF Penn
syiyania age ana belong TO the low
er Pottsyliie group, according 10
Prof, NJ. j Mum. This congoimer-
ate sandstone is exposed at the
following points in Kentucky: AT
Torrent i'll Wolfe county; at the
mouth OF Blackwater Creek in Nor
gan county; near the Menifee line;
along the Yocum Valley, Morgan
county, and on Paint Creek in John
son county. These formations dap
in southeasterly direction possibly
more south than east) about thirty
feet to the nine. BY drawing a line
on your map from the exposed con-
gIomerate sands shown at Torrent,
Blackwater, locum Valley and Paint
Creek you will have almost a semi
circle--a west and north rim OF what
is shown to be basin.
Through this basin, running, gen
orally speaking, in northeast and
southwesterly directions, is large
fold of anti-cline, in width from
two and one-half TO four miles
Parallel TO this main antI-cline, or
fold, are numerous local anti-clines
running in belt in different di-
rections, giving a width TO the oll-
bearing stratas of fifty miles or more
comprising the territory between
the Ragland oil field in Bath and
Rowan counties and the Beaver
field in Floyd county. On this main
anticline are located the Campton
county, the Camel City oil field in
Morgan county and the Busseyyiiie
field in Lawrence county. Wine
there is but little doebt that the
Busseyville oil field is. on the main
anticline, it seems to the writer that
il is a little north and outside OF
the basin of the other oil fields men
toned herein. However, this opin-
ion may be shown to be incorrect
by future developments.
Oil Strata Not "Freaky."
There exists in the minds OF
many operators in other States the
idea that Kentucky is "freaky" ana
has no permanent oil-bearing chan
nels, and the greater part OF the de-
yelopment that has been done IN
this State has been done by local
and for this reason many wells
nave been drilled without any real
reasons why they should have been
drilled at the places located.
There also existed in the past a
prejudice against the geologists who
persisted in being SO technical that
they allowed themselves TO be mis-
understood in many ways by the OPP
orators and producers when really
there is practical part to geology
that no operator can afford to over
look in this field, and that is what
the most favorable locations should
be selected. Had this been done
many dollars would have been saved
and Kentucky to-day would have
been one among the greatest Oil
producing States.
"Why is Kentucky condemned as
an oil-producing States, more espec-
tally the northeastern part? The
Ragland oil field is about fourteen
years old and owned as l under
stand, by the New Dominion Oil &
Gas Company, and has been pump
ing oil all these years and is max
ing nice production to-day. The
Campton oil field is IL or IL years
old and is operated by the Noun
tain Oil company, which is now drill
ing new wells in this pool, and the
oil runs show that the production
from both old and new wells is up
to the average and highly satIsfac-
tory. The saltwater field, save five
or six miles northeast of the Camp
ton field, and also owned by the
Mountain Oil Company, was opened
up some four years ago. They have
a number of producing wells and are
still pushing development in this
field.
Stone Where Oil Is Found,
The Ragland field produces its
oil from the conilerous llmetsone,
the Campton and Saltwater from
the Clinton lime, as some believe,
but others think 1t the corniIerous
lime. This, however is only ques-
ton of name and age. There is in
Kentucky the Berea
grit sand, the coniferous or Gin
ton, the upper and lower Hudson
River and the Trenton limestone,
all OF which have produced oil with
the possible exception of the Tren-
ton, though o we'll was drilled some
years ago in Morgan-co. in which
oil was reported found In the Tren-
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