Montana oil and mining journal. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1931-1953, 1941-02-22
CRUDE-OlL SEEPS
CONTINUES from Pass oaal


eeologist for Imperial OIL. Ltd, who
presented before the American
Association of Petroleum BIOLOGISTS
IN 1881 a paper on ION Seepages
in Belt Series of Rocky Mountains
near international Boundary. In
this he discussed the problems OF
source beds and reservoir rock DR..
Link suggested upper Paleozole
dolomites and Lmestones as source
beds and as suitable reservoir rock.
The Jurassic and Colorado shales
were also suggested as sources OF
hydrocarbons. He also discussed
the overthrusting and underthrust-
ing which brings the older beds to
the surface.
An abstract from the paper fol-
lows:
Introduction
This discussion deals with GER
tain oil seepages occurring in pre-
Cambrian and Cambrian rocks OF
the Clarke and Lewis ranges OF
southwestern Alberta, southeastern
British Columbia and northwestern
Montana near the international
BOUNDARY. The Clarke and Lewis
ranges. the most easterly segment
of the Rocky Mountains, are bound
ed on the east by the Foothills
Belt and on the west by the Flat
head valley or trench. OIL see
pages issuing from pre-Cambrian
and adjacent rocks are found at
Cameron Brook in Waterton Lakes
National Park and on the western
edge of the Clarke Range along
Range Creek, British Columbia, and
Kintla Lake. Glacier National Park.
Much has been written regarding
these seepages in the publications
of the Geological Survey OF Canada.
Shallow holes have been sunk at
or near these seepages, and have
had encouraging showings of oil,
but no commercial production.
Description OF Seepages And
Brief Drilling History
CAMERON BROOK SEEPAGES--
The seepages at Cameron Brook
are in the Clarke Range of the
Rocky Mountains at an altitude
of 5000 feet. They reach the sur
face through drift and gravel which
nantes the Allyn formation of the
Upper Belt series. The presence
of these seepages has been known
for many years, and their origin
has led to considerable speculation.
Previous to any drilling at this
locality one of the prospectors used
to extract oil from the seepages by
means of "gunny-sacks" (burlap
bags) which were placed in the pits
dug into the gravel or surface
drift. The oil absorbed by the
bags was squeezed out and hauled
in wooden barrels to Pincer Creek,
Alberta, for local use. A recently
constructed auto road (Akamina
traiD leads from Waterton Lakes
to these seepages.
IAN account of the early days
Cf drilling in this vicinity may be
found in Dowling's report on this
area, This account shows con-
clusiyely that oil was encountered
in some Of the shallow drill-holes,
but possible commercial production
in this vicinity is doubtful. The
oil obtained from the seepages and
wells near Cameron Brook is dark
green and has a gravity of about
80 degrees Be. In the deeper wells
the drill passed from pre-Cambrian
rocks through the Lewis oyerthrust
fault into Cretaceous rocks (COlora-
do shale of Crowsnest volcanics)
SAGE CREEK SEEPAGES- The
less accessible seepages observed by
the writer along Sage Creek, British
Columbia, are larger and the oil
of a higher grade and lighter color
than that at Cameron Brook. The |
oil has an average gravity Of "A
degrees Be, is transparent, and !
has a straw or amber color. In one |
well was found oil of about so de-
grees Be. gravity, almost colorless
with a blush tinge resembling /
pure water clear" naptha. 1t
could easily be mistaken Tor dis |
colored" crude naptha from the |
Turner Valley field. One of the |
seepages appear to be capable of /
producing about one barrel of oil |
per day. The rocks at Sage Creek |
belong, according to DAILY. to the |
Appokunny formation OF Lower
Cambrian age, or, according to
Willis, of Algonkin age.
Seeps Along Fault
1.-THE structural significance of
these three seepages is that they
occur east of the west-facing Cam !
brian scarp Of the Clarke Range, /
near their (fault) contact with the
younger rocks of Flathead valley.
Other seepages are found among
Kishenehn Greek, British Columbia. I
and lower Kintla Lake. Montana,
along the same fault. Their align
ment suggests a fault of great dis
placement and high dip along the
western scarp of the Clarke Range.
"A discussion of the origin OF
these oil seepages must take into
consideration the following prob
lens: "a the original source beds
which gave rise to the hydrocarbons;
90 the reservoir rock from which
the present seepages are fed; (3) I
the structure OF the rocks which
makes IL possible for the oil to
reach the surface; "a the differ
ences, color, ct cetra, of the oil