Richardson and Mackenzie — Natural Naphtha. 439 



Art. XL. — A Natural Naphtha from the Province 

 of Santa Clara, Cuba, by Clifford Richardson and 

 Kenneth Gerard Mackenzie. 



The occurrence of colorless naphtha as a natural product in 

 Santa Clara is not new. It was first encountered August 18, 

 1881, in the western part of the Province near the town of 

 San Jose de los Ramos, at a depth of 300 feet. Its special 

 characteristics were, according to Salterain* : "It is colorless, 

 transparent as the clearest water, easily inflammable, and leaves 

 no sensible residue after its complete combustion ; its density 

 is 0*754 ; it boils at a temperature of 85°, dissolves asphaltum 

 and resinous matter, and possesses the characteristics of 

 naphtha." Sr. Manuel Cueto, the discoverer, reports that it was 

 used with good success in the engine of a steam launch and as 

 motive power for automobiles. About 20,000 gallons were 

 obtained, but disasters, breaking of drills, etc., caused the 

 enterprise to be abandoned, and the buildings were destroyed 

 during the war. The wells were visited in 1902 by a Canadian 

 driller. He reported that they were not producing, but that 

 considerable gas was being evolved. Oil was found 300 feet 

 down, which had a gravity of 61*6°B. The rock, through 

 which the wells were drilled, was a limestone mixed with a 

 black quartz. About 180 feet below the surface, a rock 

 resembling serpentine was encountered. 



The oil described in this paper comes from the same general 

 locality, at a depth of 1560 feet. The overlying strata as 

 shown by the drilling records were as follows : 



Depth 







Kind of Eock 



18 





feet Red soil. 



44 

 50 





u 

 it 



Yellow clay. 

 Hard black rock. 



52 





u 



Flint, gravel and pyrite. 



58 





Li 



Loose bowlders. 



. 80 

 85 

 88 

 94 

 96 





a 



a 

 a 



a 



Bowlders and gravel. 



Pyrite. 



Pyrite and sand. 



White quartz. 



Coral rock. 



101 





tc 



Sand. 



108 





tt 



Hard dark sand. 



118 

 124- 



128 



« 



Pyrite. 

 Sand. 



128- 



134 



a 



White limestone. 



*U.S. Consular Eeport, vol. x, p. 75, 1883, cited by Wood, Civil Report 

 of Military Gov. Cuba, Jan. 1, May 20, 1902, vol. v, pt. iii, p. 82. 



