Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1927-12-11
TEXAS Shows
Much POTASH
IN DEPOSITS
Midland County Can
Supply u. S. For ESQ
Years, Chemists De-
clare

AUSTIN. Tex, Dec. i0.-Minesble
potash sufficient TO meet the de-
mands Of the United States at its
present consumption for the next ESQ
years is found in Midland County,
Iexas. according 10 DR.. z. p. Schoch,
director Of the industrial chemistry
experiment station Of the University
OF Texas. and DR.. z. II. Sellards, di-
rector Of the Bureau OF Economic
Geology of the University. DR..
Schoch makes the above statement in
q paper compiled by him and DR.. Sell
lards and read before a recent meet
ing Of the American Chemical Society
in Detroit.
The first mineable layer of potash
minerals found in West Texas and
D New Mexico areas, according 70
Drs. Schoch and Seliards. was found
in April 1925 when drill cores pro-
duced by the Standard Potash COM
pany of Dallas revealed a fivc-foot
bed Of practically pure polyhsiite at
a depth Of 2.075 70 1850 feet in the
western part Of Midland county.
Later a second well was drilled
about three miles farther west and
cores showed an e~leven-foot layer OF
the mineral composed Of sixty per
cent soluble salts containing ten per
cent potassium oxide at a depth Of
1880 10 1891 feet and a three-foot
layer corresponds to the five layer Of
polyhalite in the first well. Further
drillings in the second well revealed
another three-foot layer OF the min
eral and a thirteen-fOot layer com
posed on an average Of one-third Of
polyhalite and two-thirds sale.
---l D. - ~ TIL
"The search for potash in this
field" according TO DR.. Schoch in his
paper, twas begun DIR. j. a. Udden
Of the University Of Texas. His rea-
o for suspecting the presence Of
potash was that here just as in Ger
many there was a Permisn Sea which
had been cut off from the rest Of
the sea and had evaporated 70 dry
ness. Udden searched for and found
potash minerals in "well cuttings" in
this area. A systematic search vas
then begun in which most Of the work
was zone by the United States Geo.
logical survey. II was soon realized
that only core tests could settle the
question as TO whether or not there
were potash layers Of mineable thick
ness. and hence a bill recently passed
aA ARMAAtE1 M1a AHAtA0A4&14 W ~
such exploratory coring.
II was thought that the search was
too hazardous for private capital 20
engage in il. and since the subject
is Of national Importance. il was
deemed advisable for the government
to undertake the risk. However, as
early as 1922, VI. Agrees. nov presi-
dent of the Standard Potash Com
pany. after personally ~canvRssing the
territory and examining oil well rec
ords, selected the site on which these
wells were drilled. organized the
company and finished the first we'll
before the above law was passed.
Need No Aid
The second well has proven out the
field so extensively that the prime
purpose for congressional aid in the
search for potash has now disap-
peared. In fact, should drilling with
government aid later on be success
full, its effect might actually be in
the future TO discourage private en-
terprise and IL might delay the de-
velopment OF an American potash in
dustry because in the beginning this
industry has 10 overcome many diff
c~ulties. chief among which may be
the competition with European pot
ash.
"Since this site IL still the only one
on which potash Is m~ineable. guam
titles have been found in West Texas
and New Mexico. II may not be amiss
to present Mr.. Agrees ideas which
guided him in the selection. They
are as follows:
"The thickest deposits 81 salt we're
evidently formed where the bottom
Of the sea was the deepest because
as the solution became concentrated
the water Jeceded from the shallow
portions and covered only the deeper
portions. II is on top of the thiekest
salt deposits that the potash salts
were then finally deposited. OF
course, all this sSumes that there
were no great geological changes
during the time Of the deposit Of
these salts and that A most the whole
reg:on was raised or lowered with
out changing the relative levels Of
any of the parts. That this state of
conditions existed during those geo.
logical times In this area is indicated
by the fact that the layers are now
practically horizontal and flat
throughout large areasc. and oil we'll
Qrlslhgks IN anu hEoIuu MlG4hU0
county had indicated that this is
particularly true in this area.
Indications Small Before 1927
while prior % 1922 the indications
for the selection Of this territory
we're very neager. yet they gave basis
for suspecting what has since been
confirmed Us follows: That a trough
on top Of the thiesest sslt beds in
West Texas passes through the west
part Of Midland county. And that
10 the east and south the salt beds
rise and thin out very rapidly. Again.
20 the west is the recently discover
cd upiift or the edge a. which the
OdesSs Oil Field has Just been de-
veloped; and finally, 70 the north,
on the southern border 81 Gaines.
Dawson and Borden counties. there
ppear 20 be another rising and
thinning out Of the salt beds. These
limits 10 the Midland potash field de-
cided me 70 select this site
cit does not follow that all of tho
basin With these confines should
show these potash layers. nor does
n follow that these confines delimit-
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