El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1920-03-22

nole 70 Pecos. The well IS
60 rfvfeland than to either Ioyai
,Tba Tovah basin is a broad nearl.
level plain. rising gradlulally 20 ~, ~.
eastward from an elevation OF aDo =,
5000 fea+ along the T & P railroad
10 about 1000 feet at the eastern - -
- fi,a P1ssler hills TO the WESTWARD
while this plain is in general -
81 is characterized by broau- snali . \,
nlateau divides. which gradually IN
rreases in prominence TO the west " ar u
-T1,a General structure OF the Io4aA
Fasfn is rnonocIinal The rocks dip q
+be eastward from the Delaware noun
tains TO the Pecos valley AT an an
OF from 8 TO Z degrees
The general mOnOclinai dip TO
The eastward f. modified to some
extent by local folding These
foIds tend roughly to parallel the
delaware mountains uDlift- There
are some folds ut right angles 10
zhis uplift. ,-+,-
and south across the area are ois-
4inctIv folded along their eastern
margin. as shown by exposures IN SAL
Draw about one mile east OF HusslSl
SPRINGS also at Albert Ilnnln 5 IAil--l
on Cottonwood draw. toldinss o.
some kind OF structural disturbance,
is also suggested in the gypsum plains
northeast Of Earp's ranch, and else
divided Into Four Provinces.
The Tovah-Pecos region consists OF
four rather distinct lopez -
provinces which are as follows the
Tovah basin. the Russler hills, the
Gvpsum plains and the Delaware
.nountains. The Toyah basins top
ography has been defined Inc RUS
sler hills consist Of q narrow belt o.
H#saHH 81
north and south IN the southern par
Of the field trending to the. south
west of Cottonwood draw. The gyp-
sum plains occupy belt varying IN
width from TO 3 miles between me
Rues1er hills and the low, gradual
slopes Of the Delaware mountains and
present an undulating surface Win
q poorly defined drainage system
The Delaware mountains are mostly
limestone and reach an altitude OF
5000 feet in the north
The formations constituting the
Toyah field in ascending order are
the Delaware mountain formation
CASTLE Gypsum, Russler hills, the
Washfta and the unconsOlidated de
Dosits Of the IOyah basins according
10 c. A. Fisher The first three for-
nations named are OF the Permian
age. The Washita formation is Gre
taceous and the unconsolidated Deos
are Of the Pleistocene age The Della
ware mountains formation consist OF
limestone, sandstone and shale. oc-
curing in alternate succession The
1fmestoues are drab to black IN color
and are more or less bituminous In
places. The most distinctive element
Of the formation is a compact, nearly
black. hard. bituminOus limestone
nearly 300 feet thick. found in the
northern part OF the field Above this
limestone. buff-colored. medium
grained sandstone beds, 800 to 400 feet
thick occur which are followed IN
ascending order by fossiliferous lime
stones and sandstones-
Some OF the IfmeEtOnes are
saturated with OIL The thick
ness of the Delaware formation iH
about 1900 feet
Above the Delaware. and probably
resting more OF less conIOrmaDlT upon
Il. IS the CASTLE Gypsum formation.
This formation consists almost en-
tirely Of a finely banded gypsum,
which. in many places appears 10
consist Of limestone OF very like ap-
pearance. occurring in the form Of
lenses Gray 10 dark colored bands OF
great thickness are found which emit
a stronger odor OF petroleum, and
bands Of seIeuite. more OF less closely
associated with deposits OF pure sui
phur are common. The similarity be-
tween the CASTLE Gypsum and the
limestones associated with Il has
given rise 70 me general DEAltA mat
the gypsum IS an alienation prOducr
of the limestone and that tho So
called limestone lenses now SEEN in
the formation are unaltered remnants
OF its former condition In this con-
uection Mr. Fisher saws he Is Of the
opinion that the CASTLE gypsum for
nation is mainly the result OF original
deposition. although in places II may
be an alienation product The gyp-
sum formation is supposed TO be
about 500 feet thick
The Russler formation overlies the
gypsum and is composed principally
of limestone, light in color and mag
nesian in variety It contains also
some sandstone and E pebbly con-
Elomerate. II Outcrops in the Russ
Ter hills and is seen folded along the
east side OF the outcrop. The thick
ness Of the formation is about 200 to
$50 feet. The outcrop Of the fOrma-
ton extends in a nearly north-south
direction from Delaware creek south
ward TO Cottonwood draw where IL
bends TO the westward and reoccurs
in a number OF isolated areas
OverlyinE the Russler formation
the Washita formation occurs, which.
as has been said. Is Of Cretaceous age
This formation is exposed in a few
Isolated areas only on both sides Of
the Cottonwood draw The forma-
ton consists Of buff-colOred. calcar-
eous shales and thin bedded lime
stones with an occasionally thin bed
OF limestone The thickness was
never measured but is estimated at
$50 TO 200 feet
The unconsolidated deposits O. the
Toyah basin, which cover the sur
face over the eastern part Of this
area are Of quaternary age. III de-
posits are composed Of blue clay,
sand and gravel with more Or less
secondary. gypsum and a calcareous
deposit known as caliche. The de-
posts have been brought down from
the mountains to the north and west
and laid down in more or less order
deposits varies in thickness from a
few TO soc feet
Indications Are Good.
Biologists from man. parts Of this
and other countries have visited the
Toy2h-Pecos region and found what
they considered excellent indications
OF the presence Of oil. These indica-
tons include both the od0r and pres
ence Of oil in the structural outcrop-
pings and in the peculiar formations
where oil has been found in large
quantities in other fields.
Local disturbances. which including
the folding and faulting referred o
above are 10 be found at various To-
cations IN the area under discussion.
One is TO be seen in Chico draw. abou.
four miles west Of Whites ranch. IN
the vicinity of San MARITIME there is a
well defined anticline. trending
northeast and southwest, with dips
Of ten to u degrees on either limb. A
broad, gentle fold. extending in an