Douglas Island news., 1921-06-24
ALASKA OIL FIELDS VERY PROMISING Expert Geologists Tell of Potential Wealth in Many Parts of
 North

|Aasba oil fields. written by Prof |G c Martin and published iu th, .currout year. Copies Of th.s bulletin may bo obtained by addressing th, Superintendent of documents. Coy . oumont printing o0lcc. Washington |D c. The bulletin contains mop.
 and plates showing the importou. ! fields In Alaska. and is sold at @ cost of ffty cents
 Professor Martin refers to Ave principal oIl fields. four Of thcm be- |ne on Che Pacific seaboord and tho arch. not essential to be considered herein. on Che Arctic ocean The
 four of immediate interest are Che ! KauIo or Controller bay fold. Ono ! Yokaaeo district Che Cold bay dis- r.ct. and thc mnIsdn bay district. ! The last is iu Cook inlet and Cold ! bay is on Che Alaska peninsula.
 AM of Che Alaska petroleum exc coDt chat found on the Arctic is Of la parafue base and is a high grade ! refining ou Attention was first ot- ! tacted to it in 1896 when claims were stakcd under thc placer min- | ur law. Tho Grst wcll at KataIa was drilled m 1901. and a we'll was |druoi on Cook inlet about Che same ume. There was much activity m ! Che fields between 1902 and 1904. but Che boom collapsed in Che latter yoar interest In tho o.l business be- ! ing coutorcd on now fields In Cal.- lorua and Che mid-contnent The development of Che fields in Che north was also bIudered by Che dim- outy Of obtaining uuo under Che public land laws Of Che United states
 In 1910. says thc Cordoya Times ! au Che oil lands wore withdrawn from outry and remained chat way unu last year whom Che present oil leasing law was paaad by congress !. In Che meantime but ono claim had gone to palont and during Che period Of withdrawal practically an development work was limited to that claim situated In Che Kataila Geld.
 In an Alaska drilling has only bcen done In Che Kataiia mn.shn and Cold bay GeIds About 40 wells aerrceauue in depth 35.0oo fcot ! have been driven, of which 3l arc iu hc Kauua district on has been produced commercially only in Che Kauua field. which has yielded Iuee 1904 about 60.000 barrels or ude oI for uso aa local fuel and Tor dsuuauou in a refinery that has ! boon operated since 1912.
 m Che Katalla fc'd. a large pro- portion of Che better located wells ! haye boon productive. Tho results ! 5f drilling have on Che whole been rather consistent and have proved .hc existence of moderate amounts ! of oil In at least a part of Che d.s- riat especially within Che area of .hc patented claim rho wells out- side Of tmis claim are not numerous enough to determine Che outlines of che productive areas or even show whether oI exists in sufficient Quau- ! city to pay for exploitation Tho widespread and copious soepoges fine ! Hcato Chat large areas may be re-
 ,arded as possible oil land.
 Professor Martin says that Ono ! Yakaaca district is certainly worth ! testing wilh driu. Tho geologic ] structure here has been described a. ! more regular Tho sccpagos hor, flre numerous and yield large Quan. IHy Of ou
 The possible ol folds on Cook in let have not boon adequately teste. II vh Che driu but the straugraphy
 structure and seopoecs indicate Chat
 .ome oil win probably be obtained
 most likely along Che oostornmos
 ! anuciiuo and bolt Of seopagcs in thO l peninsula between nnisNn an, | Chiuua bays. Favorable localiuc l . may be sought elsewhere within ih' ! areas is less promising because O !. tecp dips or of profound depths O l. tac probable oil sands or Of di1.culc II of acecss.
 ! The Alaska peninsula hos poai I'blfa. ae am oil fold. n parts O | Che Cold bay district the strat. | r.phv. Che structure and tho ecep H. rivo promise of future produc | Hon. Tho few wells drilled nea | Cold bay eIyc mo adequate tcst O Il Che field. Most oi Che Alaska ponin sula is uncxplorcl. and possibly th l most favorable localities for drIil.n l.hayc not yet been found.
 | Tho Katoua district os outlined b ! Professor Martin includes Che mu
 area south Of Boring lake botwco ! Boring and Kotolla rivers and th