Montana oil and mining journal. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1931-1953, 1941-03-01

Grass Hills and the Kevin-Sunburst
oil field.
1t seems to be the concensus OF
opinion among biologists and oper-
ators in this area that the oil being
produced has migrated from
deeper source than the beds IN
which il is found. This is also the
writer's belief.
The Sweet Grass Hills were form
ed by volcanic action that brought
20 the surface igneous formations
in form OF cones or plugs connected
by dykes or igneOus rock that were
forced into the faults or fractures
bstween these upheavals and ex-
tending out from them.
Points To Deep Source
This upheaval broke through all
the sedimentary beds and caused
deep fractures that no doubt extend
for many miles out from the hills.
This furnished an ideal condition
for oil to reach the beds in which
II is found. or. into the breaks or
crevices IN the Madison Lime where
some OF the best wells in the Kelvin
Sunburst field have been found.
This all points to a deeper source.
In which case. if the Devonian for
nation has beds OF sufficient por-
osity to contain oil il should be
the objective point for the driller.
Frasie Deep Test
Very few wells have been drilled
deep enough in this area to properly
test the Devonian and several OF
those that were drilled into that
formation were poorly located. The
Frasier well in Sec. 17-35N-R1W
that was drilled to a depth OF 800
feet in about 1925, in the writer's
judgment, was the best located of
any of them to test the deeper
beds. They had oil In the Frasier
we'll from the Devonian formation.
The driller told me that he was
confident that had he been permit
ted to drill a few feet deeper he
would have brought in a big well.
The writer met one Of the high
officials of the Texas Pacific Coal
& Oil Company six or seven years
ago and asked him why they did
not finish the well that they drilled
In Section 36-T35N-R2W. He told
me that they had several strings of
tools in the hole and that every
time they agitated it the gas would
blow the tools up the hole. asked
him II he did not think there was
oil in the DevOnian. He said,
Yes, there probably is. But.
do not think that we should drill
for it at this time. This field is
getting a market for what they are
producing and good price for it.
If we should drill deeper and bring !
in big production 1t would result
in a rush for big wells, which II
they were found would flood the i
market and so reduce the price of /
oil that it would not return the |
profit to the operators that they |
now enjoy" He also said, "A time |
will come when there will be a |
market for larger production from |
Montana. Then il will be soon |
enough to look for it,
1t is now beginning to look as
though we will soon have much |
wider market for oil and this no |
doubt will prompt operators to test
the deeper horizons And IL prop |
er care is taken In the location OF |
test wells, it is the writer's belief |
that they will be amply rewarded |
for their efforts.
Oil In Kendall Mine
There are several places in Mon
tana known to the writer where oil /
was discovered in the Quadrant and
the Madison and Devondan forma-
tons. OIL in the ore OF the mines
In the Moccasin Mountains in Fer
gus County interfered with the re-
,overy of the gold. The writer has
seen bottles of oil gathered from
Expressions in the floor OF a tun-
lel at Kendell and has talked with
Frank Bryant, the mining engineer
who was in charge, and he believes
hat oil is to be found in the Madi-
ION Lime and Devonian in the
northern part of Fergus County.
Respectfully submitted.
c. L. EMMONS.
KaHspell, Montana