The daily star-mirror. (Moscow, Idaho) 1911-1939, 1921-01-11
MINING PROFESSOR
DOUBTS OIL IS HERE
HEAD OF SCHOOL OF MINES AT
UNIVERSITY THINKS DRILL
ING FOR OIL USELESS.

| So much has been said and written
about the prospects for finding oil
near Moscow that this paper asked
Professor F. A. Thomson, dean of
the school of mines at the University
of Idaho, to give an opinion on the
feasibility or probability of finding
oil in tbs icountry, Dean Thomson
consented to give his honest opinion.
based on his knowledge of actual ge-
illogical conditions, and the opinion,
which is herewith published, is not
at all flattering to those who think an
oil we'll can be found in this vicinity.
Dean Thomson's very interesting and
istructive statement, prepared with
care for the this paper, follows:
Doubts That Oil Is Near
my attention has been attracted
by several articles in the columns of
the newspapers recently regarding
the possibility of finding oil in the
vicinity of Moscow, and, without de-
string to question the good faith or
to impugn the motives of those per-
sons who have been quoted, feel
that the School of Mines and the
Bureau of Mines and Geology would
be derelict in their public duty if they
failed to speak word of warning on
this subject.
''All of the known oil fields of the
world occur in fossil-bearing sedi-
mentary rocks, usually of consider
ablee thickness and under conditions
which have produced gentle folding
of the strata, furthermore, so far as
is kown, oil occurs only in or adjacent
to sedimentary rocks which have
been laid down in salt water, that is
marine strata. In fact it is generally
conceded that petroleum is derived
from the decomposition of marine or
ganisms. 1t would of course be folly
to expect oil in, igneous (volcanic)
lava rock or other formation.
The above facts are known to every
one who has made any attempt to in
form himself on the subject.
"Now, let us see to what extent the
country around Moscow fulfills the
for an oil field. The
general country rock is basalt-pour-
ed out as red hot lava in a series or
of flows from numerous
vents, and varying in total thickness
up to several thousand feet in GER
tain places. As evidenced by the Mos
cow mountains, by Genesee Ridge, by
Steptoe, Kamia and other buttes
which project as islands from the ba-
salt sea and as shown in the Snake
river and other nearby canyons, these
oasalt flows were poured out upon a
floor of granite or possibly, in places,
If quartzite. No evidence is to be
found of sediments of any kind, fos-
silferous or non-fossiliferous, fresh
water or marine, and we are there
,ore forced to the conclusion that the
,icinity of Moscow is one Of the most
Unlikely places in the world in which
% find oil.
"Oily films on ponds prove nothing,
ron rust, or decaying vegetable mat
er or leaky crank case will easily
Explain such occurrences.
Personally, I believe that the less
money the good people of Moscow
,ut into drilling for oil in this vicin-
ty, the more they will have left for
ther more meriGorious enterprises.
"In this opinion have the full con-
urrence Of my colleagues of the ge-
logical faculty Of the School of
Zines
an conclusion l might add that
here is just one useful result which
night follow further drilling how
yer, and that is the discovery of
dditional flows of artesian water"