BULLETIN OF THE AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF PETROLEUM GEOLOGISTS 
VOL. 19, NO. 1 (JANUARY, 1935), PP. 19-24. 
RECENT DEVELOPMENTS IN GRAVITY PROSPECTING 
ON GULF COAST! 
OLAF F. SUNDT? 
Houston, Texas 
ABSTRACT 
The Gulf Coast salt domes found by gravity methods since the discovery of Sugar- 
land are reviewed up to and including the recent discoveries. 
Besides the better known torsion-balance method, the growing use of the pendulum 
and gravity meter characterize the last 2 years of gravity prospecting. 
Regional surveys destined to reveal the general gravity grain of the Gulf Coast in 
relation to the isolated salt masses are steadily growing and emphasize the importance 
of gravity surveys in geophysical reconnaissance work. 
RECENT DEVELOPMENTS IN GRAVITY PROSPECTING 
Although several shallow domes were discovered on the Texas 
Gulf Coast prior to 1927, the main impetus toward increased gravity 
prospecting was given by the discovery of the Sugarland dome. 
Since that time domes were found by the torsion balance in rapid 
succession: Fannett in 1927, Mykawa, Hankamer and Shepherds 
Mott in 1928, Manvel and Esperson in 1929, Rabbs Ridge and Citrus 
Grove in 1930, Spurger, Garwood, Livingston, Tomball, and Cleve- 
land in 1933 and Eureka in 1934. In Louisiana the following domes 
were found: Darrow in 1927, Roanoke in 1928, lowa and Cameron 
Meadows in 1929. 
Of these, Fannett is the only shallow dome represented by a tor- 
sion-balance maximum. All the others are more or less deep-seated 
and are represented by gravity minima. Many were not discovered 
earlier because minima were of secondary interest prior to the dis- 
covery of Sugarland. Since then the tables have turned completely. 
Several gravity maxima have been drilled since 1927, but all were 
rather weak and represented gravel beds or pseudomaxima which 
are not of a structural nature, but merely a resultant of forces caused 
by a number of conflicting salt flights. Others were local maximum 
closures on the regional high trends which are discussed later. The 
only known oil field on the Gulf Coast producing from a gravity 
maximum, excepting the shallow cap-rock domes, is the Louise field 
1 Read before the Geophysics Division of the Association at the Dallas meeting, 
March 23, 1934. Manuscript received, September, 1934. 
2 Geologist and geophysicist, 1312 Esperson Building. 
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