RECENT OPERATIONS IN GASPE] 213 



near Saint George's cove, on the northeast side of Gaspe hay. In none of these 

 localities do the springs yield any large quantities of oil, nor have the borings, which 

 have been made in two places, been as yet successful. The above indications are, 

 however, interesting, inasmuch as they show the existence of petroleum over a 

 considerable area in this region, some part of which may perhaps furnish availa- 

 ble quantities of tins material." 



Recent Exploitation. 



History of biter Operations not fully knoion. — Regarding later operations 

 but little is known, as owing to the distance from our usual fields of 

 work and the disinclination of operators to impart information it has 

 been found impossible to closely follow actual operations. However, this 

 much is known, that oil has been found at some depth, though in small 

 quantities. ■ 



Notes on past and present Investigations. — The following notes are gleaned 

 from a report on mines and minerals of the province of Quebec recently 

 prepared by J. Obalski, M E, supplemented by information obtained by 

 the writer : 



At Sand} r Beach, on lot B, York township, two wells were sunk about 

 20 years ago, one of which is said to have afforded oil, and about a mile 

 above Douglastown, on the southern side of the Saint John river, a well 

 was sunk 125 feet without successful result. At Silver Brook two wells 

 were bored to a depth of 800 and 900 feet respectively, both showing the 

 presence of petroleum, and on the southern side of the York river, near 

 Silver Brook, two borings were made by the Gaspe Oil company to a depth 

 of 700 and 800 feet, in neither of which was oil struck. Subsequent to 

 these a well was sunk at Sandy Brook to a depth of 700 feet, in which 

 oil was found, though in small quantity. The oil, a specimen of which 

 was collected in 1882 by the writer, was brought to the surface of a small 

 pool by the water, which flowed in considerable quantity from the boring, 

 and was a heavy black oil of about 25° Baume gravity. 



in 1888 the International Oil company of Saint Paul, Minnesota, 

 sunk a shallow well, which was in 1889 deepened to 450 feet without 

 finding oil. The lands and plant owned by this company Were in the 

 same year taken over by "The Petroleum Trust." which lias since 

 sunk five wells in the district. In one of these, bored at Seal cove, a 

 short distance south of the crown of the Tar Point anticlinal, they have 

 met witli a small quantity of high-grade oil. According to one of the 

 drillers, the boring reached a depth of 3,000 feet, of which the upper 

 2,150 consisted of yellow and white sandstone, followed by 850 feet of 

 bluish shaly limestone, in which, at a depth of about 2,600 feet from the 



