Douglas Island news., 1921-07-01
ALASKA OIL FIELDS
 VERY PROMISING
Expert Biologists Tell of Potential Wealth in Many Parts of
 North

current year. Copies of this bulletin may bc obtained by addressing Che superintendent of documents gov- ernmcnt printing oGice. Washington. |D. c. The bulletin contains maps and plates showing Che important fields In Alaska. and Is sold at %
 cost Of dfy cents.
 Professor Martin refers Co five principal ol fields. four Of them be- ling on Che Pacific seaboard and tho |dfh. not essential to be considered herein. on Che Arctic ocean. Tho four of immediate interest are Che Katalla or Controller bay noid Che ! |Yokataga district Che Cold bay dis- |trIct and Che mnisdn bay district |Thc last is In Cook inlet and Cold | bay is on thc Alaska peuiucula.
 An of Che Alaska petroleum ox- ccpt chat found on Che Arctic Ia Of ! a paraf.uo basc and is Q high grade refining oiL Attention was first at- racted to it in 1896 when claims were stokod under Che placer mIn- ! ing law. The Grst well at Katalla was drilled n 1901, and % we'll was drilled on Cook inlet about the same umc. There was much activity In
 Che fields between 1902 and 1904. but.ho boom collapsed in Che latter year. interest iu Che oil business be-
 ne centcrod on now Golds in Caii- fona and Che mid-cont.uent. The development Of Che fields in Che north was also hindorod by Che difii- culty of obtaining utle under Che public land laws Of Che United sutcs
 In 1910. aays thc Cordoya Times, au Che oil lands were withdrawn from entry and remained chat way until last year when Che present oil leasing law was paaed by congress.
 In tho meantime but one claim had gone to patent. and during che period of withdrawal practically an development work was limited Go that claim. situated in tho Katalla field
 In an Alaska drilling hos only boon done in Che Ko,ollo Inniskin and Cold bay fields. About 20 wells arrrcmuue in depth 35.000 foet havo been driven. of which 31 are in Che Kanua district on has been produced commercially only In Che Kamua field. which has yielded since 1904 about 60.00O barrels of crude on for use as local fuel and for daWlauou in a refinery Chat has been operated since 1912.
 In Che Nauua foli large proc portion oi Ono better located wolIs have been productive The results Of drilling have on Che whole been rather consistent and have proved
 Che existence of moderate amounts of oil iu at loast a part of Che dis- r.ct especially within Che area Of Che patented claim. The wells out- side of this claim are not numerous enough to determine the outlines cf
 Che productive areas or even show whether ol exists iu sufficient quau- . uy Go pay for exploitation. Tho
 widespread and copious secpagos inc
 dicate hat large areas may be roe rardod os possible oil land.
 Professor Martin says that Che Yatatara district is certainly worth
 testing with a drnl The geologic
 structure hcrc has been described as
 moro regular The seepages here faro numerous and yield a large quan- lHty of on.
 Tho possible oil fields on Cook ina ] ict have not been adequately tested ! with Che dr.u but Che straugraphy | structure and soopagos indicate tha. | some oil win probably be obtained | most likely along thc oastornmosi uuciinc and belt Of scopagca In th' peninsula between lnniskin and | IChina bays. Favorable localito. may be Sought elsewhere within th'
 arcas is less promising because o
 steep dips or Of profound depths o II Che probable oil sands or of difficulty of occca
 Tho Alaska peninsula has po5si l |IbmIos as an ol fcld In parts O Il Che Cold bay district the strait l rraphy tho structure and tho soop | ages give prom.ac of future produc l. Hon. Tho few wells drilled nca !. Cold bay give no adequate test O !. Che field. Most Of tho Alaska benin l ulo is uueyplored. and possibly th ! mos, favorable localities for drilhnI I|havo not get been found.
 Tho Katalla district as outlined b. | Professor Martin includes Che hil | area south or Boring lake between ] Boring and Kaaua rivers and th fConunued on Page 3)