610 THE OIL-FIEr,I)S OF EASTERN CANADA. —ELLS. 



generally in liquid form, disseminated tlii'uugli the igneous roek 

 in drusy cavities, some of which are lined with chalcedony. 



The area is also traversed by well defined anticlines, 

 running generally in an east and west direction ; and in several 

 places these are affected by fault lines. It is n^ar tb-^se lines of 

 fault that most of the oil-spri'ngs are situated. 



As might be anticipated from a close study of these rocks 

 conditions favourable to the occurrence of oil in quantity are 

 absent, owing, in large part, to their usuallv highly inclined 

 character and to their broken condition. la fact, the area if it 

 ever contained petroleum in quantity, of which, liowever, there 

 is no particular indication, Avould have been deprived of its 

 stores long since by escape along these lines of fracture. Be 

 that as it may, it has been clearly demonstrated by the expendi- 

 ture of large sums of money and by the sinking of numerous 

 wells to great depths, that Avith but few exceptions, the rocks 

 passed through are now practically barren as regards oil. In 

 some of the wells it would appear that there is a small amount 

 of oil which finds its way into the l)ore-holes, probably by 

 seepage from the surrounding strata, which can be obtained by 

 pumping, but in most of the holes bored there was evidently no 

 trace of oil whatever, though from a number water is still 

 flowing: freelv. 



The i-esults obtained in this area, as in Newfoundland, tend 

 to strengthen the theory, already well jiroved in the western oil- 

 fields, that productive wells in easterii C^anada must be sought 

 for in rocks which are comparatively undisturbed, and prefer- 

 ably with low anticdinal dips, and while the records of the wells 

 bored in the Gaspe district show in several cases the occurrence 

 of oil, aggregating an output of some hundred of barrels, the 

 general principle laid down is still maintained. 



In the province of Quebec no other occurrences of petro- 

 leum are as yet recorded, the bituminous matter found at Levis 

 in the form of anthraxolite, and in Labrador being excepted. 



