22G H. P. H. BRUMELL — GAS AND PETROLEUM IN ONTARIO. 



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Daily Capacity of BOme of the Wells 237 



( >ther Localities 238 



The Clinton as a < ias producer 238 



The Niagara as a < fas-producer 238 



( Mlier ( las-bearing Formations L'.'is 



The Onondaga as a Gas-producer 23J) 



The Trenton as a < ras-producer 239 



An unusual Occurrence of Gas 240 



Forthcoming Publication on the Subject 240 



The Areas under Consideration. 



Gas-producing Area. — In that part of Ontario lying south and west of a 

 line drawn from Toronto to Collingwood, operations in search of gas and 

 petroleum have been carried on for a number of years. They have re- 

 sulted in the discovery of two gas-producing areas of considerable extent, 

 viz. that in Essex county, in the vicinity of Kingsville and Ruthven, and 

 that in Welland county, in the neighborhood of Sherkston. Nor are the 

 wells of these two fields the only producing ones, for many isolated bor- 

 ings^ such as those at Cayuga, Dunn ville' and Mimico, afford no incon- 

 siderable flows. 



Oil-producing Area. — Petroleum has unfortunately been found in com- 

 mercial quantities in but one county, that of Lambton, where there are 

 two distinct pools, known as the Oil Springs and Petrolea fields. These 

 pools have been drawn upon continuously since 1862, when the first 

 flowing well was struck, in what is now known as the " upper vein." Fol- 

 lowing closely upon this discovery were more extended operations, which 

 brought to light the present oil horizon, known as the " lower vein." The 

 upper vein having long been exhausted, the source of supply has for 

 years been in the lower, wherein wells affording as much as 7,500 barrels 

 per day have been sunk. 



Authorities indicated. — As I wish to treat more of the geologic than 

 the historical side of the question, I will follow out the title of my paper, 

 but before doing so cannot do better than refer those interested in the 

 oil industry in Ontario to Dr Robert Bell's paper on " The Petroleum 

 Field of Ontario,'' published in volume v, Transactions Royal Society of 

 Canada, and to the report of the Division of Mineral Statistics and Mines, 

 part S, Annual Report Canadian Geological Survey, volume iv, 1888-89. 



Geologic Section of the Areas. — There is in that part of the province 

 under consideration a series of rocks, lying in almost undisturbed posi- 

 tion, ranging from the Trenton to the Portage formation, with an approx- 

 imate total thickness of 4,100 feet, as follows: 



