Hill. — Oil-wells and Oil-prospects, East Coast. 515 



It has been pointed out that petroleum is widely distributed 

 over the earth's surface, but, although the indications in the 

 different countries are generally similar, it is curious how widely 

 the rock-formations differ in which the petroleum is found. 

 Thus, according to Professor Zuber, who is an authority on oil 

 and its distribution, petroleum is found in every geological 

 formation from the Silurian upwards. The oil-wells of Canada 

 are supplied from Silurian rocks ; those of the United States 

 from Devonian ; those in Argentine, Asia Minor, and Eg3rpt 

 from the Cretaceous system ; and those in Italy, the Caucasus, 

 Roumania, and Burma mainly from the Tertiaries — lower or 

 upper. 



Professor Engler, another high authority on oil-fields, says- 

 that " petroleum formations always consist of bituminous clay 

 shales and other (chiefly variegated) clays, alternating with, 

 sandstones and conglomerates, while the limestones which are 

 met with in these formations always contain tarry matters,, 

 though very rarel}^ pure petroleum. Petroleum." continues the 

 professor, " occurs solely in sandstone rocks, and the most 

 reliable indications of the existence of petroleum are the occur- 

 rence of salt springs or salt beds and sulphuretted-hydrogen: 

 springs." This information is of value to the geologist in 

 making observations favourable to the occurrence of a petroleum- 

 basin. The characteristics here indicated are to be found irre- 

 spective of formation or geological age, and certainly, if there 

 are indications of underlying beds of petroleum, there can hardly 

 be reason to doubt that the petroleum-beds of the east coast are 

 fairly extensive. 



Another point of importance deserves to be noticed in con- 

 nection with what is known as the " crude oil." It has been 

 explained that petroleum is not limited to a particular system 

 or rock-formation, and just as the formations differ so do the 

 qualities and varieties of petroleum obtained. In the trade it 

 has been laid down by Professor Mabery that four special kinds 

 or types of petroleum are derived from the wells. These are 

 paraffin petroleum, Russian or napthene petroleum, sulphur 

 petroleum, and nitrogen petroleum. In the first, paraffins are 

 found in the largest proportion ; in the second, napthenes ; 

 whilst in the third and fourth there is either a trace of sulphur 

 or of nitrogen. ' 



The origin of petroleum is not known. There are various 

 theories, some chemiiits holding it to be of vegetable origiji> 

 others of animal, whilst others, among whom may be named the 

 famous Russian chemist. Professor Mendelieff, affirm that it is of 

 chemical origin. 



As showing the closeness of the compositions of coal and 



