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

1t was not long ago that we heard the
crying conservationists shouting that the
possibilities of new oil fields in the Mid
continent were past, since all known
geological structures, determined by the
science of geology, had been explored.
California was pointed out as the
most noteworthy example. Every known
structure had been tested. California
operators became alarmed and several
companies rushed into the Rocky Noun
tains to build up reserves for the ap-
preaching day when California would
have no more oil.
Then came the science of geophysics
whereby it is possible to locate oil and
gas folds which are covered over by
thick mantle of young formations. This
is done in much the same manner as the
depth of the ocean is determined through
measurement of the time it takes for
sound wave or vibration to be echoed
back Geophysists now set up miniature
earthquakes to measure the time it takes
for vibrations to be reflected back from
hard formations such as the "big lime,
know locally as Madison lime.
This new science was applied in the
Gulf Coast, where buried salt domes'
were found to contain vast amounts of
II.
prairie country with the result that a
score OF new fields were brought in
where no structure had been indicated
by surface exposures. The science
reached California and five great oil
fields have been brought in at places
where. few years ago, only an insane
man would have drilled.
The coming of the geophysics brought
- oTrorr - tIa
doodle bug which causes drillers to go
on and on. because the man with the
water witch or the coil witch merely
forked willow-always insists that the
operator must drill deeper" because lit
is there" So it as that the operator
who drills a geophysical high" is con-
tent that he has a substantial trap for oil
and he is inclined to keep on drilling, no
matter how far he has to go to reach it.
So the science of geophysics coupled
with deep drilling has resulted in estab-
fishing the greatest known reserves in
the history of the oil industry. This
has come to practically every oil pro-
ducing state in the union EXCEPT
MONTANA. In this state we have had
no urgent need for more OIL So there
has been no crying need for locating new
structures. Geophysics were introduced
into the state merely to determine
whether the science applies here. 1t has
been definitely established that the
seismograph method definitely measures
the earths folds down to the granite
the basement of the world.
Deep drilling has not come, for
the same reason-there has been no
need for it, up to the present time.
But right now it is apparent that II
the Montana oil industry is going to
expand to absorb its natural markets,
il will be necessary to DEVELOP
MORE PRODUCTION. There is talk
of a pipeline from Montana to SpO-
kane and the one factor that holds
it up is the lack of enough crude
TO justify such line. There is the
possibility of market expansion and
refinery expansion to Justify the line
but there isn't enough crude avail
able. That Is our own conclusion
as to the facts and not the expressed
view of proponents of the line which
would have a capacity of 5000
barrels per day.
1t takes no imagination to visualize
the coming of deep drilling in Montana,
together with the application of the