178 NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM 



In 1886 a project for exploring the deeper formations in this 

 region was formed by citizens of Fredonia. The incentive thereto 

 seems to have been supplied by the contemporaneous developments 

 in the gas fields of Ohio where large wells were being brought in 

 at depths of 1000 feet or more. A well was started in that year and 

 completed in the siimmer of 1887 at a depth of over 2500 feet. 

 The test was unsuccessful, further than it revealed a small flow of 

 gas at 2100 feet in sandstone which was regarded as the Medina. 

 Thereafter for many years little effort was made to search for gas 

 in the lower formations of the county. 



About 1903 interest seems to have revived, as a result perhaps 

 of the success attained in locating pools in the Medina of Erie 

 county. Silver Creek was the site of the new wells, and by" 1904 

 several good producers had been brought in by the South Shore 

 Gas Co. and the Silver Creek Gas & Improvement Co. The main 

 flow was found in the Medina at 1700 feet. The wells have been 

 persistent and the supplies were later increased by additional borings. 

 In 1904 the Brocton Gas & Fuel Co. put down two wells at Brocton 

 which penetrated the Medina at 2225 feet depth. One of the latter 

 yielded a small flow from that horizon and the other gave a little 

 sulphurous gas from higher up in the Devonian formations. 



The Frost Gas Co. of Fredonia shortly after undertook explorations 

 in the town of Sheridan and the Welch company in the town of 

 Westfield. These were also fairly successful. A well in the village 

 of Westfield, as reported by the latter company, developed a flow 

 at 2355 feet in white sandstone. 



Within the last 10 years a large number of deep wells have been 

 put down in the lake shore belt of Chautauqua county and this 

 has become one of the important producing districts of the State. 

 The flow comes from the upper 150 feet of the Medina formation 

 in the red and gray sandstones. 



Well on Miner farm, Sheridan. This well, situated on the farm 

 of H. S. and M. F. Miner, was drilled between December 29, 

 19 1 7 and February 19, 191 8, for the South Shore Gas Co., who has 

 kindly supplied the record. 



Surface materials 



22 feet 



White and brown shale 



955 



Flint 



I 175 



White Ume 



I 600 



Niagara limestone 



I 812 



White shale 



I 890 



Clinton 



I 915 



Red Medina 



I 995 



Gray Medina 



2 015 



White shale 



2 030 



White Medina 



2 044 



Red shale to bottom at 



2 061 



