GEODECISTB CONTINUE
TALKS ON BEND SERIES
W. L. MATTESON DECLARES SUB-
SURFACE STRUCTURE MORE PRO-
NOUNCED THAN SURFACE.
C. R. ECKES and F. B. PLUMMER Discus
Origin and Chemical Formations.
The Bend series in Texas continued to be a subject of interesting debate in the meeting of the American Association of Petroleum Geologists yesterday. There was renewed discussion of the paper by Dr. G. H. Girty in which the conclusion was reached that the Bend is Mississippian formation in its lower member. Dr. J. A. Udden talked about the fossils in the Bend and noted that they were found all the way through the several members of the series. A debate that was illuminating ensued between Dr. Udden, David White of the United States Geological Survey and Professor Charles Schuchert of Yale.
A paper by W. L. Matteson reviewed and illustrated development of the North Central Texas field. He pointed to the Parks well in Stephens County of Ranger Pacific Coal and Oil Company as a place to pursue their Ranger explorations when it became known that the Parks well was a producer. Mr. Matteson said that development in the Eastland-Stephens County pools shows that subsurface structure is more pronounced than surface structure. He pointed to the development that is being made on drilling wells will continue to afford sound basis for correlation of formations and that they should be carefully kept. His
conclusion as to structure at Ranger and vicinity is that it will work out into one great anticline with two or more distinct domes and many great cross-folding creating noses that will extend in many directions like the arms of an octopus. Mr. Matteson finds eight producing horizons in the fields of North Central Texas, six of them being in the Bend series. He reviewed a number of papers and pointed to their horizon of production with reference to the Marble Falls limestone member of the Bend series.
What Formation is Bend?
Respondent Berger, State Geologist of Kansas, presented a paper in which he told of extensive recent work in the outcroppings of the Bend series and differed from the conclusions of Dr. Girty as to the formation to which the lower member of the Bend series belongs, placing it in the Pennsylvanian and doing it by fossils and the new methods that meet approval of the paleontologists. His paper started the discussion as to the formation to which the Bend series belongs.
A paper by Walter R. Berger of the Empires Company went into the geology of the Hogshooter gas fields of Oklahoma, and related also to the fossils and the paleontological theories of formations. It was commented upon by Professor Schuchert, who is a very close student of the entire proceedings.
Origin of Sulphur.
C. R. Eckes was on the program for a paper on the relations of sulphur and caprock in the Gulf Coast field, but said he wants to get more data before presenting such a paper. The discussion went on, however, as to the origin of sulphur in the saline domes and there was interesting chemical and geological discussion, with a great deal of diversity of opinion and firm convictions. F. B. Plummer of the Roxana Company advanced a very profound theory as to the origin of sulphur there and gave a learned discussion of the chemical formation of the sulphur due to laboratory conditions that are created by natural causes in the underground regions.
Sidney Powers, who was with the American Expeditionary Forces in France as a geologist officer, told of the work of geologists in the several armies, geologists credit for the successful neutralization by Hindenburg of some swamps that baffled the Germans. He showed maps that were made by the American Expeditionary geologists and told of their surveys as to water and materials.
Coke County Red Beds.
J. W. Beede presented a paper on the oil showings in the red beds of Coke County and explained a very thorough explanation of that region. He cited copious oil showings and advanced several theories as to the origin of the oil, but approved none of them fully. He pointed to the general belief, however, that all known oil in the red beds is in the region of faults, as at Heidison, or else overlying sharply inclined Pennsylvanian formation. He admitted that it seems improbable that oil is indigenous in the red beds, but said he seemed when he wound up with the statement that question "can only be settled by the drill so far as he is concerned."
Examination of deep borings near Georgetown and at Red Springs by Dr. J. A. Udden was explained by him and he considered that this equipment in connection with these cuttings, which he said, showed the existence of a very important anticlinal structure, "was a great uplift had been in the region of the red beds." He said: "The map seems to indicate a syncline to the westward of the Balcones escarpment." This paper brought forth no opposition or discussion.
F. E. Gregory of the Fuel Administration reviewed the work of that body and told of its efforts and success in conserving natural gas, the conservation of which he said, is of paramount importance, an indication to repeat the heretofore published statement that a great deal of waste is due to unnecessary high pressure in gas lines.
Roxana Helps Materially.
A paper on the stratigraphy of the Pennsylvanian formation by F. B. Plummer, assisted by C. H. Hammill, both of the Roxana Company, was accompanied by a map made by them showing the correlation of limestone in that area. The map and its explanation were especially interesting to the geologists and drew a great deal of attention as much discussion. The Roxana Company and its geologists were complimented by many people for their public spirit in making this material available to the profession in this way and the example was pointed out as one worthy to be followed by other large companies that have capable corps of geologists in this field. Professor Schuchert, David White and Wallace E. Pratt all paid the map and paper very high compliments. The map shows much work on the ground and adds measurably to the known area of geology of the Texas oil fields.
Water in the Bend.
Water problems in the Bend series were discussed in a paper by M. L. Fuller of the Sun Company who advanced number of theories and outlined sections where the water is known to be in certain horizons. His paper was generally discussed, as it presented a subject of great immediate and practical interest to the oil men developing that region. He pointed out that an official of the Texas Pacific Coal and Oil Company says that no well drilled by that company shows any indication that the subject is still undecided. Mr. Fuller concluded that it is hard to say whether the water comes with the oil or from outside. The discussion was participated in by a number of the men who were working in the field and the information that was collected for the record is voluminous.
big California fields for a long time and knows them well.
At the be of Mr. Lombardi that California production will increase when it shall become possible to expand development as at this time restricted by litigation and otherwise. He said that he had no opinion that the Treasury Department will be disappointed in the revenues that are to be derived from the internal revenue tax on oil producers under the new law, which provides for a comprehensive method of ascertaining depletion and depreciation figures on producing properties. But it is nevertheless his belief that the law and the curves and tables prepared by the Treasury Department for ascertaining these factors are both improvements over the old law and methods and more just to the petroleum industry.
Value of Fossils.
Charles Schuchert, professor of geology at Yale University, enriched the sessions of the Association of Geologists by interposing a suggestion that one fossil named by John A. Udden as having been found in the borings of one of the Sinclair wells in Stephens County would definitely and beyond doubt determine whether the formation in which it was found was Pennsylvanian. This fossil is the Fusulina.
It never did any good for itself in any other than the Pennsylvania period. It is easily identified under the microscope but may be missed by those who have ever of the low forms of animal life that are found in ancient formations. The fossil is about the size of a grain of wheat and has cell and other characteristics that make it unmistakable. It is evident that a chunk of him the size of a grain of sand, to his eyes would show a form of Fusulina was active in the Permian period, but he saw no evidence of it different to the eye of the paleontologist.
This creature had as a latter section of his name the word "secalinia." When Professor Schuchert talked over his suggestion as to the Fusulina, some one asked the identity of the speaker, the scientist was not all became acquainted.
Oil Geology of Texas.
Dr. J. A. Udden of the bureau of economic geology and technology of the University of Texas has presented very comprehensive papers in plain language for the benefit of the people who are interested in oil lands on oil investments. He has told of the formations in Texas and pointed out that about two-thirds of the area of Texas is of possible oil-producing character.
He noted the production of oil in the Thrall field from igneous rocks, one of the few instances of secondary petroleum. He described the salt dome production in the Gulf Coast fields and tallies as to the anticlines and terraces that are producing oil in North and North Central Texas.
His theory that a great oil field may be developed on the Edwards Plateau of Texas seems to be new to some of his scientific heaves, but there is a lot of testing now under way in that region. Dr. David White of the United States Geological Survey told the geologists of the estimates that have been made by his survey of the possible future production of petroleum in the United States. It is not much compared with the increase of consumption.
He pointed out that the geologists should work for conservation of petroleum and save money by discouraging drilling in areas where there is no probable chance to get production. He pointed to the increase of consumption of petroleum products and to the probability that the United States will soon have to secure from other lands across the seas.
Dr. Lombardi said that the acquisition of oil reserve areas overseas by American oil companies against the day when we may have to import petroleum products into this country. He said Texas Oklahoma, Kansas and New Mexico looked to for new fields and pointed out that the estimates made on the basis of production in that country give to North Texas 400,000 barrels a year and to the midcontinent field 1,700,000, 000 barrels.
NOTES OF GEOLOGISTS.
Maurice Lombardi, assistant manager of the oil production department of the Southern Pacific Railroad, who is attending the convention from San Francisco, is one of the prominent men of the profession. He has been with the