Montana oil and mining journal. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1931-1953, 1939-12-02

where the presence of oil is established.
Oil in lower formations is as much an
established fact as is the production
above the lime, although there is no
present production from any we'll that is
drilled below the top 'fbreaks" of the
Madison lime. However, all wells drilled
through the Madison lime have found
showings of oil which we know might
be converted into commercial production
by ACIDIZATION, one of the new sciences
that has been adapted to Montana pro-
duction methods.
We know that there is oil deeper IN
the Madison lime, from the evidence of
Turner Valley. 1t is difficult to con-
vince the average person that this is
ample proof by reason of the fact that
Turner Valley is located in another geo.
graphical unit than Montana.
If the boundaries of Montana extended
to the Arctic circle, biologists and pet
roleum engineers of the world would point
to Montana as visible proof that the
DEVONIAN is the source of oil, by virtue
of the visible cross section of all forma-
tions from the late Cretaceous down to
the Devonan. to be seen between Great
Falls and Athabaska landing.
At the Athabaska landing the upper
the Devonian is on the surface, just as
the lower Kootenai (producing horizon at
Cut Bank is exposed on the surface at
the city of Great Falls. But the De-
vonian at Athabaska landing is an oil
field without a covering. 1t is possible
to dig into it with pick and shovel and
see the oil where nature stored it. This
remarkable deposit is called the ATHA-
BASKA TAR SANDS.
So if Montanas geographical boundar-
les extended northward, persons COM
menting on the theories of the accummu-
lation of oil would say:
montana holds proof of the
theorum prOpounded by Gordon
Cambell, discOverer, who said that
oil has its origin in the Devonian.
The oil is believed to migrate upward
through faults and fractures in the
lines above the Devonian-limes in
capable of creating oil and incapable
of containing oil except for vugs,
cracks and porous streaks in the lime
enlarged by the chemical action of
subterranean waters.
"In Turner Valley, midway be-
tween the tar beds and Great Falls,
we find that oil has migrated upward
only a short distance into the mas
sive lime of Mississippian age. 1t
is found chiefly at point from 800
to 400 feet below the base of this
lime, in highly broken formation
doubtless related to the Lewis over
thrust.
FARTHER south, i'm the vicinity of
Shelby, I'm a large structural fIectuFe
known as Kevin-Sunburst and the
Sweetgrass Arch, the upward migra-
ton of oil has in many places reach
ed the top of the Madison lime and
is found in the vicinity of cracks and
vugs in varying quantities, depend
ing upon the proximity to the feeder
cracks or channels from below.
For this reason, mary wells are
known to have produced more oil
than could be possibly contained in
the indicated cOntainer formation
below. In fact, had there been a
gigantic cavern (Which there is nOt)
below the OhiO-BaI1er No. 3 well,
extending out TO the drainage area
of surrounding wells, it could not
have contained as much oil has
already been produced by this one
we'll"
We KNOW that formations below the
ton of the Madison lime contain oil in
Montana Does it not follow that the
person who buys oil land in this state