The Fallon standard. (Fallon, Nev.) 1920-1958, 1921-07-20
The Genesis
OF Petroleum
One of the Best Set of Reasons For
Existence of Oil is Reproduced
From Western Mining Press

In previous article under th,
caption of Petroleum Pointers o.
Moment" only a generalization o
the subject was intended. settin,
forth In brief, It's history. uses an,
some of the conditions controllinl
petroleum's occurrence in nature. 1
was postulated that oll-bearing form
ations were local concentrations o.
organic matter in shallow seas; anc
that they were always the result Of
a. fixed and favorable set of eondi
tions in operation at the time anc
place of their deposition; that these
conditions had always remained 10
cally operative and relatively con.
stant through several eras OF geolo
gie time, which accounted for thail
deposition and occurrence from the
0rdovician period down 10 recent
times
The purpose OF this article is tc
consider in more detail the genetlC
factors involved in the origin OF
petroleum deposits; to point out IL,
reasons and sources of the over
depth of about 600 feet of the
oceans the separation of the earth
into its several spheres the eentro.
sphere, the asthnosphere and It's role
on ocean water, the atmosphere. the
hydrosphere. the atmosphere and the
biosphere. or range of organic life On
the earth; the probable source OF
organic life and the effect OF temper
ature. sunlight and color on its exis-
tenee and concentration.
There has been but one Coal Oil
Johnny as a sample of a Bocotian
bloekhead making a fortune in oil,
and there may never be another; but
many people have been fortunate or
lucky and have acquired wealth
through various oil enterprises IN
speculative and legitimate ways But
most of the lucky ones have been
farmers or land owners who titled
their field for long years. and all un-
concious OF the Liquid gold" be-
meath their acres until some enter
prising and knowing oil man re-
yealed the truth to them by drilling
So It is matter of intelligent eiti-
zenship as well as good business that
each individual should acquire a;
least a good working knowledge OF
the oil business. as far as his time
and chances will permit. before em-
barking largely in this hazardous Sc.
useful and thrilling occupation. And
to get this information he should
study the subject from a scientific
rs we'll as business viewpoint
Earth Structure
This discussion may seem to lead
wide of the subject for time since
physical. Astronomical and geologi-
cal data must be stated to bring out
the concurrent action Of these forces,
as all of them have a bearing on the
formation of petroleum What
should be known is how, when and
where oil is formed before search for
new flelas Is undertaken.
Our Marine charts of ocean sound
ings made for naylgators and scien-
tlfie research work show nearly ten
million square miles of the oceaHe
bordering the continents. to have a
depth of about coo feet only. while
the true ocean basins have an aver
age depth OF nearly $4,000 feet The
causes. the sources and occasion OF
the 500 feet Of new flood-water
which has drowned the borders OF all
continents is important to know
since Il is In these shallow limits
that all petroleum formations are
laid down.
The earth Is lot homogeneous
solid from surface % centre as
might be assumed. but Is made np 3l
a number Of co8eentrie shells OF
spheres, like the peel OF m orange
These spheres from tae centre cut
ward are designated as the &C ta9-
sphere. asthenospncr7, litbospfese
hydrosphere, AMI tmosphere. 1h-
biosphere, or ,he zone of all oreamc
life. is situated on tie iitnos 3hese
or rocky crust at the baas of tae at
mosphere. AMI for distance down
into the hydrosphere, OF OCEANS
Little Is known about the deep cen
frnsphore, or oceaHs. Little lf
known about The deep centrosphele
except that g. is lhout 300 miles
In diameter. very ri i'd and dense
and heavier and stronger than solid
iron. The centrosphere IS surround
ed by the asthcaosphel or AZ M
stable, plastic gel, which has she
thickness of about 100 miles. aac
from which the ignenus or volcanic
rocks are derived from beneath the
lithosphere. o. roxy crust of the
earth as we NaOw Il. Tie rocky
crust. or atmosphere, rides aud rests
oh the asthenosphere and the water
or hydrosphere, floats or the liiho-
sphere, with the air or atmosphere
enveloping all.
All of the spheres, or earth shells
grow progressively heavier as they
approach the centrosphere. Al the
base of the atmosphere, the hlo-
sphere Ia the thin film of plant and
animal life, on the lithospnere ana
down into the hydrosphere for sever
al thousand feet, which is the source
of all organic materials, and irod
which petroleum is derived
Source of Water