The Wallace miner. [volume] (Wallace, Idaho) 1907-current, 1917-11-08

and the loss Of a considerable amount
of sole leather.
Still Much to Learn.
The geologist still has much to learn.
He has made many mistakes, and will
probably make Others. but he is con-
stantly profiting, not only by his own
mistakes, but by the mistakes of the
oil men. Every year he is learning
more and more about his subject, max
ing fewer mistakes and is thus able to
be OF ever increasing service to the
man who invests his money in drilling.
The statement is sometimes made
that one man can see into the ground
: as far as another. This statement is
correct No living man can tell abso-
lutely in advance of drilling what may,
or may not, be found at any particular
place. Dry holes are encountered in
! the midst of practically all productive
! fields. The fact remains, however,
that by following the advice Of the
geologist the oil men save vast sums
/ Of money by not drilling in the wrong
place. The geologist is often better
able to tell where not to drill than
where to drill.
How Oil Occurs.
The science OF oil geology is based
on the fact that Oil and gas, being
lighter than water, always tend to as
cend to the highest possible place in
the rocks in which they are contain
ed. If gas, oil and water occur in the
same stratum, these three substances
will arrange themselves in the order of
their specific gravity, that is to say,
the gas being lightest, will go to the
top the water being heaviest will sink
to the lowest point, while the oil will
be found between the gas and the
water If, at any particular place, the
rocks have been elevated, so that they
stand higher than the surrounding
rocks, there any oil and gas which may
be contained in these rocks will ac-
cumulate.
AnticIine and Syncline Defined.
Biologists, then, in prospecting for
new oil and gas fields look for high
places in the rocks. The name given
to an arch, or UPHOLD, in the rocks, is
the term "anticline." An anticline is
a place where the rocks have been
folded up into an arch, something like
ding down-fold. or trough, Is called
synclne. Some anticines are only
few feet across, while others may be
several miles wide, and many miles in
length. short, ovalshaped anticline
is usually known as a dome"
An anticline is not necessary, how
ever for the accumulation of oil or
gas, for any form of geological struct-
ure which will form high place in
the rocks, may form suitable reser-
yoir to retain these substances. In
the California fields, as well as certain
fields in Oklahoma, oil. and gas are
found along fault lines, at places
where the rocks have slipped up on
one side, and down on the other In
Mexico the oil accumulates at places
where the rocks have been elevated by
intrusions of basalt. On the gulf coast
OF Texas and Louisiana oil occurs I'M
der salt domes,' places where the
rocks have been raised something like
a great blister on the surface of the
earth
What | am trying to say Is that the
form of structure is not essential, but
that the thing necessary is that at
some place the rocks must have been
elevated higher than at surrounding
points, The oil and gas contained in
the rocks will then be carried by gray.
ity to the highest point of the uplift
where they may be reached with the
drill
Biologists Win Recognition.
For many years geology was not in
good repute among the oil men, Twen-
ty-tive years ago oil men had never
heard of geology Ten years ago there
were not score of active professional
oil biologists in the United States.
Event today many of the d-time oil
men, those who have learned the bust
ness before oil geology had been in
vested, have no use whatever for a ge-
ologist and many of them are wont to
declare with exceeding emphasis that
there is nothing to geology" Within
the past three years, however, there
has been marked reversion of public
opinion on the subject among the prac-
tical oil men. The words anticline
syncline, arch, dome, dip, strike, fault
and axis. all good geologist terms,
have become part of the vocabulary of
the oil men.
All the larger oil companies now
employ biologists. A well equipped
oil company has its geologist depart
ment just as it has its leasing and OBJ
Grating departments. The men who
are most experienced in the business
would no more think of locating well
and spending good money in drilling