Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1914-06-05
U. 5. OIL AND
 GAS EXPLORATIONS
Government Aids in Search for Oil-Locates New
 Region in Oklahoma.

That the geologist can save to the
 practical oil man large sums yearly
 in useless drilling is fact which is
 becoming more and more clearly rec
 ognized It is possible for him to
 determine from rock exposures the
 location and extent of rock folds which seem to constitute the princi--
 pal factor in the accumulation or con- centration of oil and gas in regions
 where they are preseny. If in most fields oil and gas are found in anti clines or upfolds of the rocks, it is obviously useless in testing new field to begin by drifting in the down. folds or cynclines, yet this is often done. In order to point out the most favorable localities for tests by the drill. and to save to the oil men and to the country at large, part at least, of the enormous sums uselessly ex- pended in drilling in unfaVorable To- cations, the United States geological survey is making investigations of un- tried territory. In such investigations the survey outlines the structural fea7 lures most favorable in the area to oil accumulation, If oil is present in the area, it is most likely to be found in these features. If, however, they are barren, there is little prospect that oil will be found anywhere in the vicinity.
 Federal and State Surveys Cooperate.
 During the last field season an area of about 25O square miles in southern Oklahoma was examined by United States geological survey party in charge of Carroll H. Wegemann. The work was conducted in cooperation with the Oklahoma geological survey, which contributed portion of the funds for the investigation. The area is north of the PetrOlia field of Texas, northeast of Burkburnett, and 25 miles West of the new Healdton field in Oklahoma, which is at present at tracting so much attention. It lies north of Red River and east O. inc region described as the Grandfiald district in Bulletin 547 of the United States geological survey. and it ex- tends to the Rock Island railway on the east and north. The greater part of the region consists of rolling prairie with comparatively fe'y rock exposures, and there are no persistent strata which can be recognized throughout the area. However, cer- tain beds of sandstone arc present which can be traced ovci small areas, and from accurate observations of the attitudes of these beds at various rcints the structure of the rocks has been calculated. Part of the deduc- ti,ns made are Eoi based oa sufficient evidence to be conclusive. Therefore. ir the present brief statement, as wc!! as in the forthcoming report the eli deavor is made to distinguish clearly between that which is known and that which is inferred, leaving the reader to judge for himself as to the sound ness of the reasoning.
 Locations Favorable for r~Wildcatting.
 The most important rock fold dis covered by the survey in the region examined is an anticline that is most conspicuous in section 13, township } south, range west, where it is cross ed by Red river. The axis of this fold trends approximately east and west, the beds on the south limb diD- ping away from the axis 50 feet in the first half mile, and the dip on the north limb being somewhat less. The crest of this fold, as exposed ip the river bluff, crosses the east line of section 13, township south, range g west, near the quarter corner. It extends eastward across section IS, township south. range, west, to point about third of mile south of the northeast corner of the section. In the middle of section IT the crest appears to expand, and there is some indication that it extends south into section 2O, township , south, range west. A projection of the anti-cline extends northward near the quarter corner on the south side of section s of the same township. In other words the anti-cline extending northeast ward from the river bluff appears to be brought to an end. about two miles from the river in a short north south fold from which the beds dip north. east and south, though from the na-' ture of the exposures the contour Of the east and south parts of this struc- ture is more or less conjectural.
 Natural Gas Seeps and Rock Folds.
 Little is known of the extension of the anticline from the river bluff in section B westward because of the