Arizona republican., 1913-12-07
Oil At Roosevelt

company has been formed to bore for oil at this point Machinery for the purpose is already on the ground and being erected. The churn drilling outfit is the heaviest Penn sylvania standard oil rigging. All is heavy machinery; the derrick is 72 feet in length and the tools in themselves weight I 12 tons. Drilling is expected to be started by January 1st It is claimed that paraffin DOT ous sandstone and also that sand rock has been taken from the surface that has yielded 10 per cent by weight of petroleum. This however may have been hydro carbon, the result of the decomposition of Vege- table natter on the surface. However york may prove there is really an oil hearing stratum. The main de duction appears to be that the porous sandstone resembles in appearance Cn bearing strata found in other proven oil fields. But of course if raraffin wax and oil have really been found permeating the surface rock it is undoubtedly the best indication. 4 generalized column section of the geo. logical formation where the boring will be commenced and commencing from the surface reads as follOWs:-in thick ness. 12O feet of limestone, 180 feet arenaceous limestone. 135 feet lime stone, B feet underlying being altered. Following these is 85 feet of what is claimed the oil bearing rock, coarse, white sandstone, underlying this is 55 feet of fine grained red sandstone. and another 65 feet of similar material con
 taining under this is 200 feet of cherty limestone. followed by 395 feet of quartzite and 345 of sandstone varying to quartzite. It is in this formation ! that hot springs exist: then in order | comes 20 feet of conglOmerate, 100 feet
 quartzite 26O feet diabase thin strip of quartzite 10 feet wide. 420 feet of diabase. 75 feet of quartzite and 45 1 feet of conglomerate.
 The property comprises 33 claims,
 containing 2OSO acres. The engineers
 report says that the geologic structure 1 of the country for several miles to the
 northeast of the lower Tonto Basin is broadly monoclinaL pitching gently to
 the southwest with the formations as 1 previously described Most of the streams flow in a southerly direction and have cut deeply into the sedimen- l tary formation, revealing a structure of great regularity undisturbed by any |
 west of Tonto Basin. this structure is l interrupted by the Mazatzal mourtain
 range. This range extending from ! northwest to southeast is composed of
 granite and schfstose rocks. flanked on
 the northeast by the sedimentary for
 nations before mentioned. These
 mountains were formed by a great granite intrusion. that uplifted the then i flat lying sedimentary rocks and bulgcd 1 them into a roughly dome shaped | structure. The top of this dome has since been removed by erosion and to- l day the sedimentarY series can be seen
 only on the flatlying foothills of these | mountains The tiIting of the strata | ! V this intrusion has resulted in the l formation of a broad syncinal fold
 Local flattening of the dip, domes or
 anticlines. in an oil formation offered
 ideal conditions for the retention of pools of petroleum.
 It is claimed that the oil rock when l freshly broken or rubbed briskIy with
 a hard substance gives off a strong
 odor of petroleum, and also has been
 found to contain globules of paraffin. A summary of the probabilities of
 finding oil is given in the report as follows: The property is underlad by
 a thlck promising bed of oil bearing sandstone.
 Samples of the rock yield by distil- latiOn a high grade paraffin oil.
 The geological structure is unbrOken
 and favorable for the formation of oil pools The direction of the oil bearing l strata is claimed to be northeast south west. And at least from my personal
 knowledge I have traced and know that the same porous sandstone exists 37 miles southwest from where boring will be commenced. So there may be pos abilities much nearer Phoenix than at
 the point of the present operations It is expected that the drill will strike gas at about 1000 feet. But the oil stratum is not anticipated to be reached before depth of 1900 feet has been attained. The public will look for ward with great interest to the opera = tions of this company and wish it all success in it's undertaking. It would
 mean a great deal to Arizona if oil was developed.