30 NOETLING : PETROLEUM IN BURMA. 



With regard to the second locality, Mr. Theobald is a little more 

 explicit, stating that " the country consists of beds of shale and sand- 

 stone, occupying a high position in the newer tertiary group, and 

 probably not far removed geologically from the horizon of the bed 

 at Padouk-bin." 



From this we may conclude that Mr. Theobald opines, that the 

 petroliferous beds of both localities belong to his Pegu group, 

 holding a high position in the series. Mr. Theobald concludes his 

 remarks about the Banbyin oil locality by stating that the shales 

 contain certain fossils of the ordinary Miocene types : Ostrea, Pecten 

 (2 species), Conus, Cyprcea, Area, Solen, Turilella, crab's claws, 

 shark's teeth, etc. 



I have unfortunately not found any fossils myself at the last-named 

 place, nor have I succeeded in finding the above-named fossils 

 among Mr. Theobald's collections from Lower Burma, but I have no 

 doubt that the species will agree with those described by me from 

 Minbu or Yenangyat. 



This view, together with Mr. Theobald's statement that the 

 petroliferous beds hold a " high position " in the series, prove that 

 the geological horizon of these beds must be nearly the same as that 

 of the petroliferous sands of Upper Burma, viz., the upper part of the 

 lower miocene or Prome stage. With regard to the 4th locality, 

 of which I have no personal experience, Mr. Theobald simply states . 

 that it is situated within the area of the Nummulitic rocks, without 

 giving any further evidence for his statement. It is a priori not 

 impossible that petroleum should occur in the eocene rocks, but so 

 far it has everywhere in Upper Burma been found in beds of miocene 

 age. Before, therefore, accepting the eocene age of the Toung-boji 

 petroleum, I think the matter requires further confirmation. 



As regards the first locality near Myancung, the description of 

 the strata proves clearly that they belong to Mr. Theobald's Pegu 

 group ; in other words, that they are of miocene age. 

 ( 76 ) 



