The Cordova daily times., 1921-06-11

l dple loCdlltleS Tor drilling have not yet been found
 l The Katalla district as outlined by Professor Martin includes the hilly area south of Boring lake between Boring and Katalla rivers and the low hills between the base of the steep eastern slope of Ragged noun tain and Katalla river. Also the same rocks are found in Gandil mountain, Nichawak mountain, Mount Campbell, and the neighboring small hills of the Nichawak region east of Boring river on Kayak island and on the southeastern point of Wing ham island, in the low hills west of Berlng lake, possibly in parts of the region north and northeast of Boring lake, and in thee low hills between Ragged mountain and the mouth of the Copper river.
 Quoting report from Dr. A. M. Bateman, professor of geology in Yale university, the character of the oil is given as follows: "The gravity of the oil is from 41A degrees to 45 degrees Baume. The oil is high in gasoline and naphtha and has paraffin base. Sulphur is absent. The recoverable content of gasoline and distillate is about 63 per cent" Many other analyses are given in the report with reference to the we'll the specimen was taken from, and need not be enumerated here.
 The geology of the Katalla dis trict is complex and difficult to in. terpret and does not show definitely the relation of the occurrence of the petroleum to the stratigraphy and structure While local geology is not favorable because it indicates irregularity in distribution, Profes- sor Martin has a theory that an overthrust along the coast separates the completely folded rocks at the | ""l leoo HUH lochS Ol Sllnpler Struc- ture below. If this theory is cor rect, the conditions may be much more regular and more favorable to the development of a good oil field than the surface indications would tend to show.
 No wells have been driven at the Yakataga field, which is eastward from the Katalla district. Here, the best known seepages are near the base of the seaward slopes of the coastal ridge of Robinson mountains They extend along a line IS miles in length frgom point near Yakataga reef to Johnston creek. They are from half mile to two miles from the beach. At Johnston creek occurs the largest of these seepages, fresh petroleum being freely dis charged into the creek in consider able quantities. One seepage has been reported east of Icy bay.
 The essential structural feature in the Yaktaga seepage belt do not seem to be any more complex than those in some of the productive fields of California. If anything, the struc- ture governing the occurrence of petroleum here is probably. more sim pie than that of some of the we'll known California fields If this is true, prabably only a small amount of intelligent drilling will be neces- sary to test the commercial value of the Yakataga bet. ~'
 There are no complete tests of the Yaktaga oil, and in the absence of drilling, such tests as have been made are but tests of samples taken from seepages in which there has been a loss of the volatile com pounds. There is every reason to be- lieve that Yakataga petroleum is of the same high grade as that of the katalla field. The KataIla field is a refining oil of the same general na- ture as the Pennsylvania petroleum.