The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1915-03-26
OIL PROSPECTS IN Y.
NORTHERN OREGON
Report of Geological Survey Indicates
Slight Chance for Commercial De-
velopment.

The general similarity in the form and
position along the Pacific ocean OF the
coast ranges of Oregon to the bearing
regions of California has led many PEG
pie to believe that oil may occur in CONF
mercial quantity in western Oregon.
However, according to the report OF a
reconnaissance of that region by G. W.
Washburne, geologist of the United
States Geological Survey, the chance OF
getting oil in commercial quantity there
is very slight indeed.
In some places in, western Oregon the
rocks contain tiny globules of OIL and IN
Others they are cut by veins of solid
brittle oil residue, but nowhere is liquid
oil known to seep out at the surface.
The solid residues indicate only that
oil was at one time present in the rocks,
but il does not necessarily mean that oil
occurs in quantity in the rocks at the
present time. The absence OF oil seeps
Is the most discouraging feature in this
field. for the rocks are so broken that It
seems highly improbable that much oil
could occur in them and still not leak
out at the surface and form seeps. The
possibility Of obtaining oil by drilling
is regarded as slightly favorable in a
few places in Coos, Douglas, Lincoln,
and Lane counties, but even there the
chances are not good.
Seeps OF oil have been reported in prac-
tically every county in western Oregon,
hut most of the material described as oil
proved on investigation 10 be only iron
oxide, a substance which when present
in water in minute amounts forms an iri-
descent scum that looks very much like
an oil film. One of the so-called indics.
tions of petroleum in which certain oil
men have placed much faith is the Ne
halem beeswax. which is found in the
beach sands just north of the entrance
10 Nehalem bay. This material was re-
ported TO be oil residue, paratliRe or ozo-
kerite. by several OF the chemists who
first examined ID. This wax IT, however,
clearly not in any way related TO pctro.
leum. for il contains substances that
only bees are known TO produce, and one
writer who has studied the wax says
that these substances are found only In
way from southeastern Asia. II IL gen
orally believed that the wax came from
some ship loaded mainly with beeswaS
which was wrecked on the beach long
previous 20 the first settlement Of the
region.
Inaammable gas escapes from estuaries
and swamps along the coast and has
been reported in one or two deep wells
The gas found in the swamps has no re-
lation to petroleum but Is formed BY
tho decay Of vegetable matter buried IN
the mud. The amount found az any one
place is never very great, and only
enough for very local use can BE- expect
cd. The gas is used AZ present IN ons
or two places 20 light farmhouses, al
one place enough being collected during
tho dav 70 run = burner for four hours
The gas found IN The deep wells d
more significant. for il comes ont Of thf
salid rocks just a. the gas N the produc.
ine fields Is other states does. However,
careful study Of al TIE known occur.
reuoes If gas in western Oregon Shows
Chat the chances 81 getting commercial
quantities - i arr no more favorah.'
than they are for OIL