The Columbus courier. [volume] (Columbus, Luna County, N.M.) 1911-1920, 1919-10-10

NiNu n. Lewis az IIurFH IIIIINN.l
The Oh fields Of Tu|afosa nssln.
IN south central Now MEXICO. have
during NE last few months be-
|romc the center Of rapidly growing
Interest among oil men and IN
vealors In the United States. Can
ada and England. larEcly duo 70 The
favorable reports made BY eeolo-
|gisls and The wide publicity given
this comparatively new and prom
ising oil region.
Tularosa Basin has q maximum
length Of about 100 miles, a maxi
mum width Of about 90 miles and
On area OF approximately 6.o0o
square miles. II Is crossed by The
i06th meridian and by the 3ard
and "a parallels aud includes parts
Iof Oiero. Lincoln. Dona Ana and
socorro counties. and probably q
small part OF Torrance county. n
extends from the Jarilla mountains
northward 10 the Mesa JcmeE.
The continuation Of the same
great valley southwark from the
Jarllla mountains into Texas Il
known as Hueco Bolson or basin.
Tularosa Basin is an intermoun-
tain valley shut IN on the east by
mountains and on the west by sar
Andreas. II Is a wide valley will
q gradual slope from north 3,
south. The III Paso 4 South.
western Railroad runs south-nortl
through the eastern side OF IN,
basin. The chief towns are Alamo.
gordo. Tularosa and Ia Luz. on tn
railroad. The general surface haI
the appearance Of a plain relieve,
by small buties and domellke hin
and also by a slight elevation run
ming north and south through IN
center Of the basin. believed 10 b
due TO n folding Of the Formation
beneath. One Of the largest "
posts Of gypsum in the world lie
on the western side Of this eleva
ton, and dry salt and soda lake
are CONSPICUOUS landmarks Of IN
basin.
In 1870 a preliminary survey wi
made by the Santa BE Railroa
b Company through the Tularo.
Basin. for n feasible route fro
Kansas City 10 NJ Paso. In a
a surveying party was the company
5 geologisL who Is said 10 have r,
0 ported 30 f~avorably on one locali
for oil that the company secure
patent 10 a tract Of land 4,
which Is a mound and a salil
spring. north Of Twin Buttes. m
Is about eighteen miles southwe
of Alamogordo. The railroad. no,
ever. changed It's route and "
built down the valley OF the y
Grande.
For years indications for
had been noted, by the Mexic.
and American settlers. In the bla
shales and sandstones In the ca
yons and gulches IN the adjace
Sacramento and San Andre
mountains, notably In the La II
Tularosa and Dog canyons, one
two strata being thoroughly sat
rated, These rocks classified
belonging 10 the Pennsylvania ser.
lof the carboniferous age. have I
GENTLY attracted the attention
visiting biologists. vino have c.
related them with the formal'c
underlying the Tularosa Basin. ~
crops Of which are 10 be ssen
Twin Buttes and ulso in the don
west Of Sianlie's artesian well nj
miles west OF ValmonL and Il
mediately east Of the white ~
sum dunes. Besides these tn
are noted other favorable sis
for deposits OF petroleum under
basin. such as salt water, s
marshes, soda, gypsum, sulpl
water. and gas escaping in We
and oil showing in water wells.
In 1912 two deep test ",
were drilled for artesian water ]
east Of what was successiv.
called Dog Canyon. Camp g
Shamrock and nnall, Valmont
the NJ Paso a Southwestern IA
mogordO.
Alnmogordo.