Show fe y y K V THE hydrocarbons OF EASTERN UTAH st A don Nl maguire aguire of ogden in mines anti and minerals of scranton pa K w it A it R V V it it V A it it V v U it it CONTINUED FROM LAST ISSUE the hydrocarbons of utah and northwestern colorado number about twelve ina in all 11 they are known commonly as sand asphaltum limestone asphaltum ph altum and oil shale the remaining nia ining r six are all forms of clear dry asphaltum or what is commonly known as the above hydrocarbons are k found scattered over an area of about square I 1 uiles miles comprising parts of carbon wasatch utah and uintah counties i in the state of utah and a part of routt and garfield counties coIn cu aties ties in the state of colorado of the above area rich in hydrocarbons about seven eighths 6 lie in the state of utah and one eighth in the state of colorado of the minerals enumerated above the i most abundant is sandstone asphaltum of which there are several extensive fields the chief of which is the one resting north of white rock kock agency it is in width about 1500 feet and runs in 11 greater or less prominence for about thirty miles this vast reef of asphaltum bearing sandstone forms a sort of half moon and lies wholly in the uintah and uncompahgre indian reservations in the state of utah the formation is the 11 gray or white cretaceous sandstone an and I 1 much hi higher gher than the measure in which we find the 11 gil g il bonite asphaltum vein at fort duchesne the immense asphaltum sandstone reef at white rocks indian agency in every w way ay resembles the ocean shore line in santa barbara and san buenaventura coun counties ies of southern california where asphaltum and petroleum are mined from a sandstone of similar formation the white rock sandstone contain containing im from 3 to 15 per cent pure asphaltum ph altum but as yet no work has been done upon this reef the asphaltum lime shale in utah county utah has proa produced a bev few thousand tons of fairly in good paving material which was purified in works established in salt lake city by culmer bros and where used has given excellent satisfaction as paving material the oil of this region are as yet unworked they usually lie in clearly defined horizontal veins or measures in thickness from four to thirty inches the shale when taken from these measures and placed in a wood camp fire emits a strong asphaltum odor and in a few minutes the liquid asphaltum exudes from the crackling ling t surface and in a minute seams along 11 its bedding planes creating a lasting flame and after burning for a few hours there remains for each lump of the shale placed in the tire fire a light yellow laminated ash heap all of the above hydrocarbons found in this part of utah lie above the coal measures between the carboniferous and the upper cretaceous the genesis of either cither mineral is aa s yet largely conjectural as to what source contributed to the present formation and anake up of each we are notable to distinctly explain in the laboratory of nature borit work is carried on very cunningly and secretly for which reason we are unable to prove as to what percentage anc ancient lent animal life of the old seas contributed to either of the above hydrocarbon sto make it what we find today doubtless animal and vegetable 0 life of bygone byg one ages each contributed co its share but how h ow much carne came from either we know not alongside the deposits of we find the remains of the fishes and as these deposits P of occur in very irregular r deposits their origin seems doubly difficult to prove we will therefore in this artices allow this point to rest and touch upon the hydrocarbons of eastern utah from an industrial standpoint As to their values to our great areat countr country gilsonite asphaltum undoubtedly sta stands ads first 9 both on account of its immense quantity and the successful way in which it is manufactured into varnishes lacquers mineral paint for interior and exterior use and its adaptability to use in marine service as a waterproof paint for 11 guns runs r gun crun carriages steel and woodwork of every description known to shipbuilding in its natural state as it comes from the mine it is ready for the manufacturers manufacturer hands shands there is no assorting no classifying it is dry f black and pure here is its analysis and this runs with the sligh slightest test v variation ari aaion through all the veins of this mineral in the uncompahgre and uintah reservations per ce cent it carbon hydrogen I 1 1100 oxygen 6 nitrogen Nitro 11 cren 40 ash 20 0 o I 1 total I 1 the above is a united states 11 government overn ment analysis and as may be seen there are percent per cent unaccounted for these undoubtedly are subtle elements which escaped in the work of analyzing now as to the condition of the vein in which this gilsonite ils onite asphaltum occurs it is a clear cross break or rent in the red sandstone the walls are perpendicular and parallel the rilling riling is of clear asphaltum from side to side with occasionally a sliver or slip from the wall rock found bedded in the center of the mass of mineral that tills fills the vein without doubt this pure bright asphaltum came up from below w where here it was in a liquid state it filled every nook and cranny of the great vein and doubtless flowed out for miles over the surface but in time heat from below and pressure from the i mighty n i aty walls on either side dried the mass of mineral filling I 1 the vein and a few ages agea of rest and quiet left it as we now find it one of the very best agents in the hands of modern man for a hundred uses in the arts and industries of our time and now as to price and quantity of gilsonite in this region when first thrown on the market gilsonite sold for per ton its sale became extensive but gradually its price fell to a little more than 50 per ton at which price it is likely to remain for many years As to the quantity accessible I 1 will quote the volume reported by the united states government rovern ment experts sent to report on these deposits during the last administration of president cleveland several weeks were spent by this commission in their work and when done they reported tons as a very conservative estimate which valued at 50 a ton its present price leave a value afi which as a single item stands well amid mineral resources the present out output p ut of gilsonite from utah is about tons annually and allowing double this amount to be used from this year forward it would require 2900 years to exhaust the supply reported in sight by the united states commission of one point we are sure the supply is abundant and a very very long period of time will be required ts exhaust it or is not nearly as abundant it occurs at several points within the uintah reservation but the veins are small usually from ten to fifteen inches in width with irregular walls they ar are eleonie come what wedge 11 shaped and rarely Z go go down deeper than seventy feet usually not half that distance five thousand tons would coverall y yet et known to exist in eastern utah although Z many claim larger I 1 quantities only a limited quantity has yet been mined and this was experimented upon by local and foreign scientists without satisfactory results very much resembles e gutta percha when heated it becomes very verv elastic like compact rubber but on cooling 1 it again 11 becomes hard and from its power of resistance is much 11 greater as it requires a strong 11 blow with a miner s pick to fracture a mass of it and when broken its fracture is not as resplendent as that of gilsonite asphaltum U exposed to fire until about one fifth of ity its volume is consumed the rein Q 91 ii i inar 80 per cent is soluble in alcohol turpentine arother mineral oils its qualities as a non corrosive and waterproof water proof varnish have not as yet been tested to sufficiently prove its merits in that line the formation in which veins of elat crite occur is of a light yellow and lined fined grained araine sandstone I 1 have seen no fossils 0 near the deposits of this mineral that I 1 exam ined and the veins are nowhere found as strong 11 or as wide as are the veins ofil of gilsonite il during the year 1889 mr joseph bieter of chicago gave r much attention to the elat clat erate crate deposits of uintah county utah and it is reported that lie he has organized a strong company to work certain large veins of this mineral that exist in garfield county colo A As 8 to the above the writer cannot make adv any official statements As far as is known to the writer th the e veins of clat erite fo found und in eastern utah ii near e tr soldiers summit and elsewhere in that region are small and do not penetrate to k great depth the region 0 in which hydrocarbons exist is a wild weird and interesting one terraces of white gray and red sandstone bound tile horizon to the east west and south while the timbered and snowy crests of the uintah mountains range ranche stretch away to the north running from west to east cast and shutting out the north winds from the valleys of the duchesne and white rivers alon along 9 the above streams there is much cottonwood and willow and on the high terraces there grow cedar and pinyon pine the region is shut out to the prospector and the miner as it yet remains part of an indian reservation and as long as it continues to be in this state no general development of the great mineral wealth can ever take place |