The Morning Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Okla.) 1919-1927, 1922-03-13


strutu containing petroleum.
"S!ncc it II generally accepted as
q fact that petroleum will acCumu-
late In the high up-foldcd areas
when water is also present, which
is generally the case, the work OF
the ReOlogist in new field consists
in locating and mapping those
structural features
I'm wildcat or uuproven territory
a surface structure is about all that
the gcologiat can offer as n recon-
mcndatlou for drilling. always pro-
yldcd, OF course. that the formations
are OF such an age AS to be poten-
TALLY petroleum bearing. The pres
cnCc of an autiClinc. dome or ter
race docs not signify however that
the area will be productive. The
drill may show a complete absence
Of many sands Rt the prospective
horizons, or 1t may show that the
sands are 50 compact, shaly. or ce-
mcnted that tho entrance or accu-
mutation of petroleum In them has
been an impossibility,
while many structures will not
he productive for the above reasons,
conversely. many areas are pro-
ductive where no structure is found
I'm the surface rock. Such pro-
duCing areas may be due to tho
trapping Of tho petroleum by sands
lcusing up the dip Of the forma-
tions, by compactlng or cementa-
tlon Of sands up the dip, by sub
surface folding not noticeable at the
surface, or by any one OF several
other causes.
"Faulung may also frequently
cause "a broaNing and subsequent
sealing Of the sands with the conse-
qucnt formation ~ n suitable trap
for the accumulation Of petroleum.
For the above reasons II Is eyi-
dcnt that the prudent geologlst will
not condemn an otherwise favorably
located area because OF the alb
senCe OF surface structure, or be-
cause OF his inability TO find such
n structure due to lack OF sufficient
outcrOps. nor will no positively
prophesy that production will be
obtained because Of the presence of
structure alone.
In connection with what has gone
before, the following facts are OF in.
terest:
From a tabulatlon OF all the
principal pools OF Oklahoma and
Kansas, in 1915, Hager finds that
or the rs pools listed which com,
prise the principal pools OF OKLA
homa and Kansas, all but four are OF
| well-defined structure
Work by h. c. Heald OF th'
| United states geological survel
shows that SS per cent of the anti
clines and domes OF the Usage natior
| are oil-bearing as compared will
about IS per cent OF the syncllnes
Although where there Is ar
absence OF water or where sub
surface structures are not represent.
| ed on the surface the locations OF
petroleum aCCumulatiOns may not
seem to be in accord with the anti.
clinal theory. nevertheless, the 'aC,
cumulatious in the known pools have
been so cOnclusively demonstrated tC
be related to and dependent on
structure, that one inevitably con-
cludes that the factor Of surface ano
subsurface structure stlll remains
the most important IN the forecast.
ing OF pctroieum-producing areas.
| (SemmcsD
"The value OF good reliable geo,
| logic information Is being measured
/ by the percentage Of risk eliminated
| In drilling oil wells. Since the drill
| ing OF an oil well canot be a 100 "a
efficient operation, Il will always b,
considered as speculative under
| taking. While a number OF geologist'
/ claim as high as so per cent effici
enCy I'm their work. ! am of tn,
/ opinion that II gcolOgist car
| reduce the speculative risk o
| drilling a wildcat well % per cen
| he has accomplished much to hi
| credit. n closer cooperation OF tn,
petroleum Rcologists will naturally
bring about much Improvement Il
/ the profession as a whole and vii
| Increase their efficiency as pertains
[ 10 the oil Industry.
TN many of the older fields which
| have been drilled up rather thor
| oughly as regards the shallowcl
sands deeper drilling is now disclos
ing other producing sands. In thes'
areas subsurface geology is becom
| ing an increasingly important factor
/ BY obtaining elevations OF wells anC
| corrclatinR the various formation
encountered in them accurate struc
! tural maps may be made OF the lowe
/ sands and fairly accurate deduction
| as 90 the possibilities In lower hOri
! IONS ana on adjoining acreage.
"Inasmuch az great deal OF pros
/ poctivc territory has no formation
! ON the surface on which n gcoloCis
| can work, the subsuTfaCc work Is al
that can guide the operator, il
many cases this rs where tho logs 70
dry holes drilled by early darinl
/ spirits maybe finally used 20 ad
/ vantage
- notable case Of the value o
/ euhauriace geology Is tho Lyon
. pool IN Greek county, Oklahoma
where practically an development
work IL guided by tho data worked
out by gcOlogista for tho various OPP
/ orators Most OF the large Opornt
I Ing companies maintain n staff %
/ subsurfacc Feo'lgists, whose ontlu
work consists I'm developing the iu
formation obtainohle from well logs
| In this way much new territory #
/ constantly being shown M even il
[ fields formerly considered 90 hay
been thoroughly drilled mp Not
day goes by that expensive dry hole
are not drilled In locations whicl
gub-surfaCe work hy Compc,cn
geologist would have shown 10 b
Iunfavorahlc.
"Gcolugy Is an inexact science ant
win always remain such however
n should be borne In mind that thi
one factor alone Is sufficient reasoI
for the continuous eNpOUndiug o
new theories II Is self-evden
fact that we are making wonderful