Montana oil and mining journal. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1931-1953, 1941-08-02


A-The presence of a structure or trap
capable of collecting and retaining
oil
B-The presence of porous formation
capable of containing oil.
C-The establishment of the presence of
oil in the trap and in the formation
Those factors add up to a new oil field
Strangely enough, these factors are not
readily recognized and are capitalized only
slowly. The person who recognizes these fac
tors usually makes fortune because he will
buy properties and hang onto them until de-
velOpment comes.
If the factor "a" is present and @B" Is
lacking, it is improbable that &C" will be
found.
Occasionally, &C" is found in the absence
of "a" and as rule 1t is useless to expect
an oil field-aIthOugh there are many excep-
tions to that rule, notably Cut Bank But
where all three factors are present, it is safe
to conclude that they spell new oil field
"A" involves geOlOgy-the science of find
ing bulge in the earth's crust. There are
perfect structures which do not contain oil
and gas, but it is seldom that oil is found
other than in a structural condition, which
condition can be ascertained by geology or
geophysics.
"B" is also a part of the work Of the
geOlOgist who may determine from mountain
exposures that possible oil containers are
generally present in the region of the fold.
If the fold is located in a -petroIiferOus
area, it is useless to look for oil and gas.
Biologists can determine from mountain
exposures and from the history of develop
ment whether region is petrOliferous
Afl" rRCuEfc or,Iv
ING. When oil is found in a defined trap, a
mere showing Of oil is not lightly dismissed,
even if the oil comes from only a thin
"stringer' of producing formation, because a
second or third or a fourth well may find
spot where the formation is sufficiently thick
to give commercial production.
Before the development of geOphysics, oil
prOSpectors in the flat country Of the Mid
continent used TO drill wells in new terri
tory with no idea of geology. If the first hole
was dry, they moved out three miles and
drilled another, working out in four direc-
tiOnS from the first hole. As many as 20 or
80 wells were frequently drilled in such a
campaign. Whenever one of the wells had a
showing Of OIL no matter how slight, drill
ing concentrated around that well, with mar
rowed space between wells, until the pool
from which the showing came was definitely
located.
The theory was and is that OIL DOES
NOT OCCUR IN SMALL QUANTITIES
SUCH AS SHOWING MEASURABLE IN
QUARTS OR GALLONS. Oil occurs In
POOLS. Therefore, when ANY oil Is found
in new territory, il points to the proximity
of a pool
No longer is an area condemned by a
showing Of oil.
We are thinking Of the Fryberger farm in
Kelvin fieId-a farm that was pretty definite
ly "disprOven" in the early days Of this field,
because 1t had only a showing Of oil The
well was drilled by the Gladys Belle, a Mid
continent firm which was among the first
arrivals In Kelvin. The Gladys Belle well on
the Fryberger, coupled with second well In
the area, was accepted as proof that there
was no oil in the district.
We are reminded Of that theory and Of
the long period in which the area was avoid
ed by drillers because Of the recent compile