Great Falls tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1921-current, 1922-12-07
SURVEY BRINGS
FORTH POSSIBLE
OIL STRUCTURES
Government Biologists Say
There Are More Likely Wyo-
ming Domes to Be Worked.
(Tribune's WASHINGTON Bureau

tiribnneS washington BuTeau)
Washington, D. c., Dec. 6.-Govern-
ment biologists employed by the de-
partment of the interior have discov-
cred new possible oil fields south of
Casper, Wyo., in what is known as
the Bates Hole anticline, according to
the United States geological survey.
Most biologists are inclined to be-
lieve that Wyoming has been thor
oughly searched for domes and anti
clines likely to yield commercial guam
titles of oil and gas, but in spite Of the
extensive exploration and development
in the state since 1900, new areas of
possible oil fields are still discovered
from time to time.
Discovered in 1922
Such a discovery was made by A. j.
Collier and w. w. Boyer of the United
States geological survey, during the
summer of 1922, in the course of field
work in the Bates Hole district, about
20 miles south of Casper. The exam
ination made disclosed four small
domes along the crest Of an anticline
about midway between the Bates Hole
anticIine and the south flank of the
Casper mountain uplift. The Bodie
dome. which forms a fifth in this
group of domes, was discovered by t.
B. Stark in 1919 and was drilled in
1921. These domes named in order
from east to west, are the Freeland,
Bodie, Schnoor, Two Bar and Clark
d0mes,
This group of domes is in the broad
undulating lowland known as the
Bates Hole, which lies along the North
Platte and is bounded on the north by
the steep south slope Of the Casper
mountains and on the east, south and
west by rugged escarpments capped by
White River and Wind River sand
stones. Bates, Sinking and Bolton
creeks flow across this area, and the
outcropping hard rocks of the Free
land. Bodie and Schnoor domes rise as
low buttes above the general lowland.
Easily Accessible
The Bolton Creek oil field. about 10
miles to the south; the Iron Creek gas
field. II miles to the northwest. and
the Big Muddy oil field. % miles to
the northeast. are the nearest areas
that produce oil or gas, though a show
ing of oil has been obtained in the
Bates Hole anticline. five miles to the
southwest. In the Bolton Greek field
dark oil is produced from the Sun
dance and Fmbar formations; and in
the Big Muddy field light oil is OBJ
tanned from one of the sands in the
Frontier formation.
Casper, on the Chicago. Burlington
& Quincv railroad and the Chicago &
Northwestern railway, is the nearest
railroad point to the Bates Hole dis
trict. from which it is % miles dis
tant by road suitable for automobiles.
The state highway from Casper to
Rawlins passes through Bates Hole,
whence the domes are four to ten
miles distant by n~eighboring roads.
The new pipe line from Bolton
Greek to Casper. now under construc-
| ton. passes a few miles west of this
group of domes, and n oil that may
be produced from them can thus be
| carried to the refineries. Oil for use
| as fuel in drilling can be obtained from
Bolton Greek but must be hauled
about Is miles. Water for drilling
can be obtained from reservoirs onC
irrigating bitches along Bates anc
Sinking creeks within about tive
miles Of any Of the domes.