Show OIL SIGNS NOT GOOD escaping gas along the gunnison river a mile or so above austin colorado and a supposed scum of oil on pools of water in the vicinity have for many years attracted attention and have led many to think that without doubt a large pool of oil existed here just beneath the surface recently al R campbell a geologist of the united states geological survey examined the region for the purpose of determining whether or not the surface indications and the geologic conditions would warrant the drilling of test wells in this vicinity for it is the policy of the survey to assist wherever possible in the legitimate exploitation and development of the mineral resources of a region or if it Is ds convinced that such resources do not exist to prevent waste of time and money in a useless search mr campbell found a pronounced dome in the rocks just above the bridge a mile above austin which would afford an ideal structure for the accumulation of oil if oil has ever been present in the rocks below were it not for the fact that the folding has been so intense as to develop in the hard rocks forming the dome many joint cracks and even small faults where the rocks have been most sharp y folded As only a few miles up the canyon the triassic sandstone sandston rests on greatly contorted gneiss there is apparently no rock beneath the surface which could have supplied oil to the dome and from the broken condition of the rocks it seems highly probable that should oil ever have accumulated here it would have hava escaped long ago the ease with which such volatile substances as petroleum can escape is shown by the gas which bubbles up today through the water even preventing it is said the freezing of the river in the winter mr campbell found that the gas which escapes in considerable volume for half a mile above the bridge is noninflammable and is therefore not natural gas as that term is generally understood that is it is not derived from petroleum he also found that the iridescent scum which forms on pools of water near the bridge is not oil but iron and is therefore no indication of petroleum As he found no surface indications of oil and no geologic structure favorable to its retention lie he concludes that it is highly improbable that oil will ever be found in the vicinity of austin litt little ae excitement some years ago there here was a over oil at delta in delta county and a shallow well was bored there but nothing of value was found As this town lies in the center of a synclinal through a ture known to carry oil in only a few fields in the world he regards the chances of finding oil at delta still less e than they are in the vicinity of austin |