242 The Philippine Journal of Science 1915 



the reported occurrence of petroleum at Villaba, but had no 

 opportunity to verify the reports. 



Attention was recalled to the Villaba region by the reported 

 discovery of asphalt there in 1913. The original discovery was 

 made by a Filipino ranger in the forest service in mountainous 

 country about 10 kilometers northeast of Villaba. The material 

 found by the forest ranger is a brittle, solid bitumen, brownish 

 black in color, schistose or irregular in fracture, and high in 

 its content of paraffin. This discovery was followed immediately 

 by a period of active prospecting and claim location. A number 

 of other outcrops of material similar in character to the forest 

 ranger's outcrop have been located, and other outcrops and 

 seepages of hydrocarbons, ranging in character from petroleum 

 itself, through viscous liquids and semisolids, to hard, coallike 

 bitumens, are now known. Bitumen-impregnated limestone and 

 sandstone have also been found. A majority of the later dis- 

 coveries are nearer to the seacoast and in less mountainous 

 country than the first find, a feature which has stimulated 

 prospecting. 



At the present time there are about 30 claims in the district. 

 Approximately one half of these are individual claims, 8 hec- 

 tares in area; the remainder are association claims, 64 hectares 

 in area. A majority of the claim holders have pooled their 

 interests and have incorporated under the name of The Leyte 

 Asphalt and Mineral Oil Company, Limited. 



The notes upon which the present paper is based were made 

 during a visit of a week's duration in May, 1915. 



SITUATION 



Villaba is situated on the western coast of northern Leyte. 

 The petroleum seep whose existence is noted by Becker and by 

 Redwood lies near the seacoast about 4 kilometers north of 

 Villaba ; it is just inland from Burabod Point between the barrios 

 of Jinagnatan and Campocpoc. The solid bitumens first dis- 

 covered occur at the western base of the ridge surmounted by 

 Mount Benao and to the south of that mountain in the valley 

 of one of the streams at the head of Butason River. Other 

 seepages of petroleum, which were evidently not known to the 

 Spaniards, have recently been found at the head of the valley 

 east of Villaba at a distance of about 4 kilometers from that 

 town. Other outcrops of solid bitumens have been found around 

 the western base of Mount Benao, and viscous bitumens seep 

 from the banks of a creek which flows into Butason River farther 

 west than the outcrop first discovered. A mixture of solid 



