1 8 NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM 



State Oil Producers Association held at Olean, September 21, 192 1. 

 The resolution is as follows: 



Whereas, We believe that all the petroleum resources in the Allegany county 

 and Cattaraugus county oil fields of southwestern New York contain millions 

 of barrels of oil yet in the ground which can be profitably produced if the best 

 scientific methods of restoring pressure are adopted; and whereas, our oil pro- 

 ducers need geologic knowledge to assist in such production to prevent waste; 



Resolved: That the New York State Oil Producers Association, representing 

 more than 1000 small producers, through its officers, petition the Director of 

 the New York State Geologic Survey to make a geologic survey of the Allegany 

 and Cattaraugus oil fields; and, if possible, to do the work during 1922 so that 

 we may gain geologic knowledge while we most need it. 



This resolution was favorably acted upon September 22, 192 1, by 

 the Regents of the University and a request was made by the Director 

 through the State Board of Estimate and Control, that an appro- 

 priation be granted by the State Legislature, which is now in session, 

 for the purpose of carrying out a geologic survey of the oil fields of 

 the State. Of the important oil areas of the State only the Chipmonk 

 pool, whose productive sand is higher in the series, being above the 

 Bradford or Richburg sand of the other pools, is regarded by many 

 producers as not being capable of being flooded successfully. The re- 

 maining areas which can be successfully flooded, excluding certain 

 portions in the Bradford and Richburg pools, comprise about 60,000 

 acres. The results thus far obtained by the use of restored pressure or 

 flooding are most gratifying. Certain leases have reported a produc- 

 tion from 2000 to over 5000 barrels per acre from areas that were 

 practically exhausted under the old method of operating. Theoreti- 

 cally an acre of fully saturated sand one foot thick with a porosity of 

 10 will contain 775 barrels of oil. The thickness of the oil sands which 

 can be flooded in New York State vary from a few feet to over 50 feet 

 and a fair average for the fields to be flooded is 20 feet. The 

 porosity of the New York oil sands ranges from 10 to 18. Assum- 

 ing the lower figure for porosity and the thickness of sand as 20 

 feet, the oil content of an acre is over 14,000 barrels. 



Many estimates have been made of the probable amount of oil 

 that has been left in the sands after they are regarded as exhausted 

 by the old methods of production. The usual estimates have placed 

 the amount not recovered between 80 and 90 per cent. The amount 

 of oil left in the sand that can be recovered by restored pressure or 

 flooding is not readily determinable. Aside from theoretical 

 considerations, practical results in the field seem to show that more 

 oil can be obtained by flooding than has been obtained from leases 

 that have become exhausted by the old method of operation. The 

 past and future production of oil in New York by the old method 



