THE OIL-FIELDS OF EASTERN CANADA. ELLS. 615 



large deposit of Albertite occurred, imd was worked extensively 

 some years ago. This was the mineral first discovered in this 

 district and which was pronounced to be bituminous coal by the 

 courts. It occurred in vein form, following a line of fissure 

 not far from the axis of an anticline in the shales. This 

 deposit extended from east to west for about half a mile, with a 

 width ranging from a few inches at either extremity to a thick- 

 ness of from fifteen to seventeen feet near the middle of the out- 

 crop. In depth the fissure continued for 1500 feet, the lower 

 250 feet being for the most part filled with a breccia made up of 

 shale fragments cemented with Albertite. 



The extent and value of this deposit can be understood from 

 the fact that during the time of working over 200,000 tons of 

 the mineral were marketed at prices varying from $16.00, in 

 the early years of the industry, to $22.00 per ton, for some 

 years before the mine ceased operations. It yielded about 

 15,000 feet of gas per ton and more than 100 gallons of oil by 

 distillation. 



The Albert shales with their associated oil-bands cover a 

 considerable area in the counties of Albert and Weistmorland. 

 They extend from east to west for more than sixty miles, and 

 have a thickness of not far from 1,000 feet. They are thrown 

 into a series of folds, often with steep dips, and are broken by 

 faults at a number of points. To the west they again outcrop 

 near the line of the Intercolonial railway to the vicinity of 

 Hampton, in Kings county. They are in places overlaid by 

 Lower Carboniferous shale and conglomerate, with which 

 are associated large deposits of gypsum and thick beds 

 of limestone in parts also bituminous, and in other places are 

 capped directly by the coarse beds of the Mill'^tone grit. 



All the shales of the series yield oil by distillation, the bulk 

 of the formation probably from fifteen to thirty gallons per 

 ton of shale, while the rich oil-bands, or cannelite, yield from 

 50 to 80 gallons. These bands were about forty years ago 



