The Wallace miner. [volume] (Wallace, Idaho) 1907-current, 1920-08-19
MAKING SURVEY FOR OIL
ALONG THE SNAKE RIVER
NOTED eEoLoelsT, ASSISTED BY
BELL AND KlRKMAN OF THE
STATE MINES DEPARTMENT.

r. n. Bell. state mine inspector. has
just returned from a weeks recon
noissance of the chief points of gas
and oil prospects along the southern
border of the Snake river valley. On
this trip Mr.. Bell was accompanied by
DR.. J. p Buwalda, a member of the
United States geological survey and
one of the leading professors Of geol-
ogy at Yale university, and also Mr.
Kirkham, representing the Idaho state
bureau of mines and geology. These
institutions are working in cOOpera-
ton in a geological survey of the
Snake river basin. The work is be-
ing done under Doctor Buwalda's per
sonal direction, says the Boise States
man.
Visits We're made to Castle creek
canyon and the Toy hot springs
where a new well drilling rig is be-
ing installed by Everett Rowland of
Nampa. for a 1000 foot test of some
interesting formations. From there
the Grandview artesian water and gas
well was visited and subsequently the
big well in progress at Goose creek
south of Oakley and another install
lation at the property of the Oasis
Oil company in the Raft river basin.
In Progress Two Weeks.
This survey, says Mr.. Bell has been /
in progress for the past two weeks |
starting at the west end of the valley
in the vicinity of Weiser and the |
ground will be thoroughly gone over
BY this corps Of scientists in careful /
field studies, covering the Snake river
valley in Idaho. as far east as Boise
and probably extending to Mountain
Home. during this season.
The purpose of this work is to Il
classify and map the geological for
nations of the region involved with
special eye to their value as a prob
able source of commercial deposits of
petroleum or natural gas.
This work will also likely outline
the location of the more important
artesian basins and other things of
possible economic value of a mineral
nature that may be encountered in
the detailed study of the field.
Idaho is singularly fortunate, says
Mr. Bell, in having assigned to this
work by the director of the United
States geological survey, a man of
Doctor Buwalda's scientific attain t
ment. He expects to have a progress i
report finished and ready for distribu-
ton on this subject within a few :
mouths. c
Where First Work Is Done. l
The portion of the Snake river val {
ley selected to be first covered by
this survey is selected by reason of L
its numerous natural gas prospects q
and broad exposure of sedimentary i
consisting largely of fresh a
water lake bed deposits including vol il
eanic dust or ash beds, shale beds and q
that are. as far as observ- $
able, entirely of fresh water origin o
md known as the Payette series.
Fresh Water Origin. q
These Payette lake bed sediments
ire relatively poor in plant remains ;
rs far as studied but sediments of .
similar recent age have produced G
important supplies of commercial
bodies of natural gas They are not
promising for the occur
'ence of crude oil by reason of their ,
resh water origin. and apparent de- ii
iciency in carbonaceous matter q
which is now the most popular theo- a
etic source of crude oil but other n
of genesis of this desirable W
lydro- carbon substance prevail in p
his territory, which are worthy of .,
erious consideration from a devel- d,
pment standpoint in view of the pres p
mt scarcity and high cost of hydro el
arbon PRODUCTS Doctor Buwaldas III
epol when finished. will be a guide ol
0 the intelligent solution of these al
ntc esting problems. a.