The copper era and Morenci leader., 1918-02-01
STATE O|L FIELDS VISITED BY
 EXPERT

of the Arizona State Bureau of Mines has just returned from an inspection of the prospective oil bearing ground of the Chino valley, about which the public of Arizona has read so much during the past few months.
 The tremendous publicity which cer- tain fields of Arizona have receiver with regard to the possible occurrence of oil in commercial quantities, and the interest which the public has taken in Arizona oil possibilities, prompted the State Bureau of Mines to make a rough reconnaissance of the possible fields. It was not in the | nature of a geological investigation, as neither the time nor the funds were available, but rather an investi- gation as to the possible expectations or chances of finding oil in the field in which actual drilling was already In process
 The work being done in the Chino
 valley, which is situated in the north
 ern part of Yavapai county, has been the mostp rominent for some years. Oil indications have been known Tn this valley since 1905 when MT
 Jones, after careful survey or the
 field, reported that favorapde lhuica-
 tions of oil existed. Some years ago J. c. Heslt Iormeo
 company known as the Cnlno Valles Oil and Mining company, wnlcn rais-
 cd sufficient money to put down
 test well. and although there is no ac- !. curate dog of this well existing, all affidavit was made by M. J. l. Wley i, that oil sands containing high para fna base oil were found. Due to tne fact that no casing was used Deiow , +ha 400 foot level, the well was lost. e hor of Recently a considerable number oi comnanies have been formed anu
 taken loc arion in the Chino vahey l f.,Id hes;iies numerous priVate Ht"- , v;duals The Arizona Oil & Refining
 comnanv has a derrick erected at d
 nlace. one-half mile southeast or tns discoverv well of the Chino Valley Oll F and Mining company. The compete ? dri1,;ne rig is on the field, the neces- I sarv bunk houses erected and driIlhs III o operations about to commehce' Arizona del Rio has bunk houses erSc. ~ a e0 and both this company ;,i anu .he 7, Tinted Chino Oil company VIII plub .oh e ably be sinking thelr test "''i" l. in n very short tin e. .,
 to tho existence of oil bearing a rock there is absolutely no qu.stioh d ,ud as to the presence of an a:tlclin',, :,
 structure which is necessary TOT oil
 saore, otion. there seems to be no cues T t.nn although this coull not be ae'er It r,,in5 .re urately withCnt d very det'ii e ed usrvey. ,,our:
 ;, tho some geological series ;ts una N oe inc Chino valley is the San JuaI n 6,ld of Utah, which is just north o Il inc Arizona-Utah state line
 d The object of the reconnalssahc'
 ,ade hv the Arizona State Bureau O
 ss..-p. yua to ascerta. n we':t:'ri o
 mt there were oh ,nces of hntinS "t
 in c, ,lra.: cial qua1 ,','-s Tn tne nus In t1a .v as many peo,e nave ne""ve'
 that many of these oil stocK seiiln'
 agencies recently organized Wer'
 fakes. While the Bureau or Mine
 does not take it upon itself to recon IS mend the purchase of stock in an n. of the companies operating in tna
 field it desired to be able to assur
 the nublic. if the conditions warran, al cd that the operations were leglt Id mate and that there were chances TO It. oil. '' vev. it. would be impossible to tel ce whether or not the structure is sue lg that it would allow oil to pool Q
 would so scatter it as to make 1t ava
 able. Of course the question as
 whether oil would be found 1n con
 mercial quantities can only be answe m ed by drilling. ,- [, MT. Allen was very favoraply III l." pressed with the opportunities or tn le field and with the sincerity Of the ol Id orators with whom he came in touc IS during his investigation.
 ,. This must not be taken by the pc A' ple of the state to mean recommeI a dation of the purchase of any stoc IS in the oil companies, for there ar of many factors upon which the success of an oil operation hinges entirely ou 'A side of the presence of oil bearln
 ground. Many companies fail througl ic lack of sufficient capital to complet re their plans others fail through drill ing in the wrong place; some fal through carelessness or dishonesty o 'n the management, and many fail be Is cause of the fact that the none
 which is received from the sale O r.. stock is not applied to the develop LII ment of the property. These are fa(
 tors which prospective lnvesto
 should ascertain for himself.
 MT. Allen stated in the conclusion
 of his report that the existence of oi 'N in commercial quantities in the Chin ps and Verde valleys could only be. de termined by sinking test wells. Ther DC is no doubt that the indications e1 .h ist, which warrant an investigation i' In order that these test wells sha oi prove the facts beyond a doubt, an
 that a possible productive field shoul
 not be condemned, sufficient geolog II, cal and stratigraphical investigatio - should be done to prove that an ant