Saturday news. (Watertown, S.D.) 19??-19??, 1918-11-14
OIL IN SOUTH DAKOTA
STATE aEoLoelsT REPORTS
FINDINGS or OIL AND
GAS SURVEY.

-
Harding county, and in the adjoining
region. This is the conclusion OF DR..
Freeman Ward. professor OF geology
at the University Of South Dakota
and state geologist, who spent last
summer Investigating the Harding
county region. In his recent report
DR.. Ward said:
state runs high, despite the lack OF
any finds to date. Considerable in.
curry has been made concerning the
northwest part of the state. To meet
this demand the past field season was
devoted to a study Of the region. Fur
Their field work is necessary before
anything more positive can be said.
The problem will probably never be
entirely settled until, in addition to
the field work, a few deep holes are
put down.
THE rocks Of this region are all
of s~edimentary origin. Probably four
ffths Of the county is covered by the
Lance. This consists essentially OF
clays and shale with local beds OF
sandstone. None of the strata are
widely persistent; rather, variation is
the rule both vertically and horizon
tally.
In the northeast part Of Harding
county and further west in the Cave
Hills and Table Mountain the surface
material is Fort Union. IN the Slim
Buttes and Short Pine Hills-south-
east and southwest part of the coun-
ty respectiyely-the Arikaree and
White River occur. The first two
formations are made up predominatly
eff Sandstone. The latter is chiefly
clays.
mo oil seepages or scums, no gas
springs, no %asphaltic substances, etc,
have been found by this survey. A
number Of Gums have been reported,
These have been examined insofar
as that was possible and none of them
have been indicative Of oil or gas. AS
far as is known there IS no authentic
case of surface evidence OF oil or gas
in the county.
THE belief that oil or gas may ex
ist below the surface in this county
has arisen because in the ~neighboring
states of Wyoming and Montana both
oil and gas have been found. The
value of this relation depends on the
distance from the nearest producing
fields, the correct correlation and
possible variation of the same strata
in the given distance, and other fac.
tors.
The nearest productive field in
Wyoming is the Moorcroft field in
the northeast part of the state. 1t is
70 miles from the nearest part OF
Harding county. Ii has never reach
ed quantity production and at the
present time it is rated as non-produc
tive. The chief oil horizon is the
Graneros. There are other anti
cIines in Wyoming nearer to South
Dakota. These are now being e1
plored.
Until oil or gas is struck in com
mercial quantity in the northeastern
corner Of Wyoming, the relation be
tween Harding county and the WON
ing oil field can only be considered
suggestive; it should cause no excite
ment nor create any strong hopes o
success.
The nearest productive field in Mon
tapa is the Baker field, which is 81
miles from the nearest part (north
west corner) Of Harding county
This field is already productive 0
gas (no oil yeti on a commercial
scale and bids fair to increase in i'm
portance very decidedly. 1t is Ia
Gated on the Glendive anticline al
ready mentioned. The gas horizon
. sandstone bed in the Pierre
..The absence Of surface evidence !
i negative argument; 1t neither sur
ports nor refutes the belief that O
or gas is present. The expectation
of oil or gas in this area lis based o.
its proximity to the productiy
Wyoming and Montana fields. Th
relation to the Wyoming field is onl
suggestive, but the Glendive anticlin
OF Montana is known 70 enter Hare
ing county and SO does give a reason
able hope for gas (and possibly Oil
m South Dakota. 1t is not know
whether the Gretaceous strata be1o'
the area have bed porous enough
act as reservoirs eyen if oil or gas ]
present in the formations. Furtfe
west this favorable condition exists
further east 1t is known to be absen'
Field examination OF the area show
structure paralleling the Glendiv
anticiine, but with lower dips.