THE MINING AND QUARRY INDUSTRY I912 51 



Pennsylvania, Ohio and West Virginia. They underlie small areas 

 in Cattaraugus, Allegany and Steuben counties near the Pennsyl- 

 vania border. The first well was drilled in Cattaraugus county in 

 1865, and Allegany county began producing about 1880. The oil 

 is found in fine-grained sandstones of dark color belonging to the 

 Chemung formation of the upper Devonic. In Cattaraugus county 

 the productive area embraces about 40 square miles, mostly in 

 Olean, Allegany and Carrolton townships. The pools of which the 

 principal ones are the Ricebrook, Chipmunk, Allegany and Flatstone, 

 occur at several horizons from 600 to 1800 feet below the surface. 

 The oil district of Allegany county extends across the southern 

 townships of Clarksville, Seneca, Wirt, Bolivar, Alma, Scio and 

 Andover and is divided into several pools that are considered to 

 be more or less independent. The Bolivar, Richburg and Wirt pools 

 have been most productive. The oil is found at depths of from 

 1400 to 1800 feet. The Andover pool lies partly in the town of 

 West Union, Steuben county, and is accountable for the production 

 in that section. The reports of the " Mineral Resources " covering 

 the year 1910 showed a total of 10,995 productive wells in the 

 State, of which number Allegany county had 7859, Cattaraugus 

 county 2917 and Steuben county 219. Practically all the wells are 

 pumped and the average yield is less than one-third of a barrel 

 a day. 



There has been a great deal of exploration outside the districts 

 mentioned, but up to the present time has not led to any positive 

 additions to the productive area. Some of the more interesting 

 and promising developments have been in northern Allegany county. 

 A discovery of oil was reported a few years since in the town of 

 Granger on the Livingston county border, considerably north of the 

 other pools, and about 30 wells were drilled as a test. Some of 

 these flowed under natural pressure, but they soon gave out, yield- 

 ing less than 3000 barrels altogether. In the last year or two 

 another section near Swain, town of Grove, has been under explora- 

 tion. The original discovery was reported on the Fred Bennett 

 farm where oil and gas were encountered in a well put down to 

 740 feet depth. Some other holes in the same vicinity were dry. 

 Recently drilling has been under way on the Harman place, and 

 two productive wells are reported to have been brought in of which 

 the first produced from 5 to 6 barrels a day. The second was 

 dry when drilled, but began to flow after having been " shot." 

 The oil is said to be of a dark, heavy quality. 



