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Show San Juan Oil Fields Report Issued by United States Geological Ge-ological Survey on Petroleum Resource Re-source of Southeastern Utah. The search for oil fields in the United Uni-ted States hus been very active In the last few j ears and has extended to nearly every part of the. United States. This search Is not limited to the Inhabited In-habited regions, but is carried on no less eagerly In the deserts. As far back as 1882 E. L. Goodrldge, a prospector, pros-pector, thought there might be oil In tho great desert which lies chiefly in Northern Arizona but also extends Into In-to southern Utah. Ho concluded to go there nnd investigate. To reach the place he desired to examine it was necessary for him to go about 100 miles from the nearest pslnt on the railroad through an uninhabited and almost unwntered country to the little .Mormon settlement nt Bluff, Utah, From that plnco ho followed Snn Junn Itlver westward. Ho had gone scarcely scarce-ly 20 miles from tho little settlement when ho found springs of petroleum nlong the river and folds In the strntn which ho considered fnvornble for tho accumulation of oil. He therefore made a claim location. At that time it was Impossible to take drilling np-parntus np-parntus Into the field, hut ho persistently persist-ently clung to tho belief thnt conditions condi-tions wero favorable for an oil field. It was just 23 years later, In tho fall of 1907, beforo he could return to tho field with a drilling outfit nnd start a well. Ho continued drilling until March 4, 1008, when he struck oil. Tho well wns n gusher and throw oil nbovo tho derrick to n height ot 770 feet. Of courso this find caused great excitement and Induced others to enter en-ter the field. New wells followed In rapid succession In the next three years, hut most of them were only prospect holes put down to vnlldato tho titles of clnlms and not with the serious Intention ot determining tho oil resources of the -field. It was difficult dif-ficult to drill deep holes becauso It was almost Impossible to transport the necessary heavy machinery Into tho field. Moreover, drilling is very expensive, because the region Is dry nnd tho field Is far from any baso of supplies. It Is 10C miles to n narrow gaugo railroad and 158 miles to n standard gage. The region lies In n wonderful picturesque country, famed as tho home of the Navajo blanket-weaving blanket-weaving Indians. One canyon is a quarter of a mile deep, but not qulto so wide as that at tho bottom, nnd hns nlmost vertical walls. Water Is scarce. A supply for drilling Is hauled haul-ed in barrels from San Juan nivcr, which flows through tho field. Fuel Is also scarce, a few plnons on one of tho high plateaus and a scant growth of the same type of tree at tho base of the escapement around the plateau furnishing all that Is available. In spite of these difficulties, difficul-ties, however, drilling hns been undertaken under-taken nt several places in the field and oil found In some ot tho wells. The oil Is of high grade and contains some paraffin and considerable gasoline gaso-line suitable for use In automobiles. The Government heard of tho work these men were attempting, learned something of their difficulties, nnd sent one of Its geologists, Mr. E. O. Woodruff, to examine tho field and prcpnro a geologic report upon It. Ho mado a topographic map of tho flei showing the canvons, mountains, and the trails and similar fenturee. He also studied tho rocks nnd mn.ppcd the geologic formations. This map Bhows where drilling Is most likely to sue-i sue-i ceed. Samples of oil were collected ' and sent to Washington for nnalysls. 'I The conditions found by Mr Wood ruff have been set forth In a government govern-ment report In the subject (Bulletin 471-A-4 of the Geological Survey), which is distributed free. A copy can be obtained upon request nddressed to The Director, U. S. Geological Survey Sur-vey Washington. D. C. |