The Wallace miner. [volume] (Wallace, Idaho) 1907-current, 1922-01-12


forming the oils.
1.-THE third factor may be briefly
stated as follows: The Gaping rock
is an impervious rock layer that seals
over the reservoir rock and prevents
the upward escape of oil and gas. This
rock layer is usually shale, clay or
other impervious sedimentary or ig
neous layers. Fractures or faults in
this layer often effect a complete
drainage of the reservoir rock.
Structural Conditions.
In. regard to the fourth factor of
structural condition: The great ma
jority of structures that trap oil con-
sist of folds in the rock layers that
assist in the accumulation Of oil and
gas in certain places, due to the differ
ences in specific gravity of oil, gas and
water. The oil and gas migrate from
more extensive areas of adjoining beds
that are less favorably situated for
their retention. Faults, terraces. len
ses. point cracks, volcanic necks, all
serve to form traps for oil accumula-
ton.
"The last condition of high water
saturation may be explained as fol-
lows: 1t is necessary for the reservoir
rocks TO be highly saturated by ground
water if a good concentration of oil is
to be expected. The oil and gas, be-
cause of their lower specific gravity.
are forced up into higher parts of the
folds by the descending ground water
Given all of the above conditions.
one can find petroleum in any marine
formation regardless of the geologic !
age of the beds. unless they are older
than the Cambrain period, when no
life is believed to have existed. 1t is
to keep each of these factors
or conditions in mind when investigat-
ing a region believed to be oil-bearing. |
If the area lacks one or more of these
it has small chance of producing oil in
commercial quantities.
LAS result of it's official investi-
cations, the Idaho bureau has con-
Guided that none of the localities OF |
northern Idaho have all of these es-
sential requirements of an oil produce
ing area.
Elements Lacking at Lewiston.
AT Lewiston, Idaho, the elements
necessary for the formation of oil beds |
are lacking. The well is not drilling in
flows of basalt There is absence of
a good reservoir rock in basaltic for
nations. These folds are without
and are not likely to trap oil
were it present These conditions
eliminate the production of CONNER
cial petroleum in the Lewiston area.
Farther south along the Suake river
in the neighborhood of Pittsburg
Landing. the situation is essentially
the same. The older Permian volcan-
les appear below the tremendous ba-
salt flows in that area, but do not lend
themselves any more favorably to- the
origin of oil than the latter Favorable
structure is not present at this locality.
This area may also be said to be bar
ZEN of oil possibilities.
Bonner County Gas.
Bonner county gas escapements as
)il indications: Tremendous escape
nents of gas along the shores of Lake
oend dOrielle and from the flood plain
md delta of the Clarks Fork river
where it enters the lake have caused
IN oil excitement in the Hope Clarks
forks neighborhood An examination of
he geology has proven the rocks to be
infayorable strGctgraiiy Oh as resef-
'oir rocks for containing oil. The ex-
RENE age of the sedimentary beds as
evidenced by their reformation and
coupled with lack of
ossils has caused eminent biologists
o believe them to have been formed
Turing the pre- Cambrain or Cambrain
ime. Analyses of a large number of
,as samples by the u. S. bureau of
mines and a consideration of the man
Ter of occurrence of the gas has led ]
he state bureau to conclude that the g
,as is not from a petroliferous source.
nut on the contrary a marsh gas de- +
lived from decaying organic matter I
'uried in the fluviatile deposits. 9
in summary / am authorized by
DEAN Francis A. Thompson. the direc-
or of the bureau. to say that the bu- 5
eau of mines and geology believes
he geology of northern Idaho to be
for the accumulation of
'etroleum and natural gas in CONNER
ial quantities. {
In response TO urgent and repeated
equests for a personal expression Of
pinion on the oil situation in Spokane. 7
fr Kirkham briefly outlined what he I
elieved to be the general geology of =
he region, pointed out wherein it n
lcxed some of the five factors he had O
dvanced. and concluded by saying; I
do not believe that petroleum exists
n commercial quantities in the rocks o
Spokane"