90 THE ROYAL SOCIETY OF CANADA 



Deeper drilling was then undertaken and a better supply obtained at a 

 depth of 1,000 feet. By 1904 there were six wells and the industrial 

 development of the town began. Several wells were started about 

 1905 at other points but proved unproductive; two at Langham and 

 three at Edmonton. Wells were also bored at Calgary in which very 

 little gas was found; but greater success attended the boring on the 

 anticline south of the Langevin and Cassils wells which gave in the Bow 

 Island well an enormous flow. This well was completed in the latter 

 part of 1908 and immediately interest was aroused again in Calgary, 

 but on advice from the Geological Survey no further drilling at Calgary 

 was to be attempted. The western edge of the syncline was advised, 

 but the next well unfortunately was not located there but very near 

 Calgary and was unsuccessful. In 1913 an anticline on the south 

 branch of Sheep creek was located on the western edge of the syncline, 

 and as the location conformed to that previously advised fresh boring 

 was started by Calgary interests. This developed into the present 

 Sheep Creek oil field, an area of small extent though the oil recovered is 

 of high grade. The oil boom of 1914 will long be remembered on 

 account of the indiscriminate location of oil properties without refer- 

 ence to the underground structure and the consequent very large use- 

 less expenditure in drilling. The general failure of the disturbed area of 

 the foothills in providing many favourable structure areas, has directed 

 attention to the more gentle structure underlying the plains, and a 

 small measure of success has been obtained, in the Peace and Atha- 

 baska valleys. Other drilling has shown the presence of gas at 

 various places. In order to estimate the extent of these new fields 

 extended study of the general structure is necessary. 



In the general geological study of this very large area attention 

 has, hitherto, been paid very largely to the beds outcropping at the 

 surface, so that the geological maps have been prepared with a view 

 to illustrating the mineral possibilities within reach of the ordinary 

 mining operations, largely with the coal reserves as the main basis. 

 By carefully observing the attitude of the beds at the surface pre- 

 dictions can be made for the shape assumed by the beds beneath, 

 since there seems a great thickness of quite conformable strata under- 

 lying the plains which include those supposed to contain the gas and 

 oil reservoirs. By extending the study of the surface formations 

 plans of the lower beds can be compiled, but as perfectly evenly 

 deposited beds are rare variations in thickness must be looked for. 

 The only absolute check that can be made on the thickness is by the 

 drilling records; consequently in order to adjust any general plan of 

 the formation the aid of the driller must be sought. This at first was 

 given with suspicion, but as the general plan developed into a case of 



