The Columbus courier. [volume] (Columbus, Luna County, N.M.) 1911-1920, 1919-03-21
CEOLOGIsT TELLS WHERE TO
EXPECT on. DEPOSITS
h q. George Says seslimentary
Rocks and shaIes. sandsiones
aud Llmrsloncs Indicate



OIL is found IN commercial quan-
Titles only IN sedimcnlary rocks.
such a. shalcs, sandsioncs and lime
stones. according to u. q. George.
formerly state geoloFisi of Colorado.
These rocks are formed from the
clay. sand and lime that were ages
ago carried by rivers from and
areas to the sea and spread over
the SEA ilour by waves aud other
agencies The seas are aud were
full of plant and animal life and
a. the sands and clays are bcing
spread over the sea floor. dead
plants and animals are burr 4
with them. Under certain condi-
tions. ~ these deposits of sand.
clay and limestone grow. minute
globulrs Of oil are distilled from the
plant and animal matter and are
caught, held and hurried In the
mass of sand clay and water which
makes up the unsolidincd rock.
Foldinn of Rocks Makes oil Collect
AZ the oil h lighter than the
water. II tends to rise aud collect
IN the more porous layers of the
rocks chiefly IN the sandstoncs. ~
long A. the rock remains in the
horizontal position there viii not
be complete separation of the
.oil from the water. But n the
layers of the rock are foldeG intn
a dome ar anliclinc the oil from a
large aera naturally migrates tn
The top or crest Of the anticlinr.
u gas T. present II will rise
through the oil and sand Ia the top
The three substances In the anti
cline m the order uf their weight
gas at the top. oil next. and water
below.
CondiiiorS Necessary for Formation
of oil Fields
From the facts Just stated II j.
clear That certain definite condi-
tions WIRE neressary for the for
NhhNNN W wv N'NANs
Firsi-rhrrc must have been seas
In which plants and animals lived
In abundance.
second - Rivers from adjacent
lands must have carried In clay.
sand and other sediments which
buried the plant and animal rr-
mains and brought about condi-
tions for oil disiillation from them.
THIRD In the rock 80 formed
there must be- porous layers such
~ sandstones, la form reservoirs.
into which the oil may collect.
Fourth Over the reservoir there
must b. an imperVious cap rocf
through whirh oil will not escape
when II j. forced upward by water
pressure and the difference between
~ 0wn weight and that of water
Fifth These rock layers must be-
folded into anticlinrs or domcs nm
der which the gas. oil aud water
Will arrange themselves in the
order of their weight
SiNth-1hcse domcs and aniiclinos
must remain unhrokcn In order Ia
prevent the escape Of the gas aud
oil.
These ideal conditions are found
m the proven oil fields Of north
central Texas, In the Burkhurr n
and Ranger fields, the former In
tho pcrmian series and the latter
IN the Pennsylvania series. both
N these areas were formed in ages
In which vegetable or plant and
animal life were extremely prolific.
The same structural conditions are
found IN the great Wyoming oil
Fields.
In Tularosa hasin. about ioO
miles North Of " Paso. are found
such folds exposed by erosion "
the debris. indicating the existence
~ reservoirs of oil and gas. To
the west of NJ paso. In the Colum-
bus field are found similar condi-
tons The latter field is compared
by experts To that Of the rampico
fields Of Mexico. where the oil has
accumulated In porous rock near
volcanic inlrusives.