OCR Text |
Show OIL DEVELOPMENT POSSIBILITIES j NEAR DELTA, MILLARD COUNTY The following acticle appeared In the issue of May 15, of the Salt Lake Mining Review, written from Delta by F. L. Byron: Delta. Utah. F. L. Byron, -an old-time old-time oil prospector and resident of this place, who has been engaged for the past several weeks in looking over Millard County for petroleum indicat ions, had this to say with respect re-spect to results of his investigations: To begin with, this valley lies in the Tertiary formation, and while this formation is not the greatest producer of oil in the United States, it nevertheless does produce more than half of the petroleum of the world. I find that oil seeps in domestic do-mestic water wells are of common occurrence oc-currence in many localities that I have visited. I have been informed by two prominent water well drillers who have had wide experience in drilling for water in this vicinity that they have found oil at depths ranging from 380 feet to 700 feet, and in one instance a well had to be abandoned for domestic purposes on account of oil and gas. Oil in Springs aiul Water Wells On the eastern fim of the valley where the monoclinal structure flanks the mountain range there are to be found springs with usmistaka-ble usmistaka-ble oil seeps. In this vicinity, between be-tween Holden and Fillmore, some desultory efforts at drilling for oil have been been made during the past fifteen years. Little information can be had regarding the log of these wells, but from what I gather they were all shallow wells, some five or six in number, and none could be regarded re-garded as a test well. "Some fifteen years ago a state appropriation was made for the purpose pur-pose of drilling for artesian water flows in Millard county. A site was selected on a farm owned by H. Stevens, Ste-vens, situated four miles west of Fillmore Fill-more and a well was put down to a depth of 700 feet. No water flow was struck, but I have it from James A. Melville, a well known banker and capitalist of this county who was I connected with the management of this well, that petroleum of good qua-, lity but small quantity was struck. One Standard Rig Well is Capped About three years ago a close corporation cor-poration came in with a standard rig and put down a well on this same site, starting with a twelve-inch hole. As to what depth was attained or what results were accomplished I was unable to learn. although I asked the manager, who is still in Fillmore. He said he was not permitted per-mitted to give out further information informa-tion regarding the well, as his company com-pany was desirous of getting enough leases to justify a test well drilling campaign on broad and comprehen-Give comprehen-Give lilies. However, this gentleman did volunteer the information that his people, in the event of oil being found in commercial quantities, was ready to construct a pipe line from Utah to San Francisco. This well site is on "pretty structure," struc-ture," situated as it is on a low dome about three-fourths of a mile long and a half mile wide, sloping to the east and to the west, while on the north and the south it intersects an anticline at right angles. These anticlines anti-clines rise to a height of from 500 to 800 feet above the surrounding terrain. ter-rain. The standard rig is still on the ground and the well is capped. Oil Indications Are Numerous "One familiar with the oil game cannot go about in this great valley, which' is 120 miles long by 50 miles wide, without being impressed with its possibilities as an oil field with its immense gypsum beds, chalk beds, salt deposits and sulphur springs all of which are regarded by some of the foremost oil geologisfs as being the end products in nature's process in the making of petroleum. This valley, for the most part lying as it does in a high state or original repose with occasional low upfolds and gentle anticlinal ridges running from one to five or ten miles in length, surrounded as they are by great areas of nearly level terra, affords af-fords a broad subterranean base for the oil to gather into the structure. From these indications and conditions condi-tions and the absence of great faults on the one hand, and with no great river escarpments to cut the oil measures mea-sures and denude the oil sands, making mak-ing a possible escape by seepage ages ago, it would seem that the oil must be with us still. It therefore seems to me that intelligent effort in the development of this field should bring substantial and profitable results. |