Prome and Thayetmyo. 31 



3. — Stratigraphical features. 



Little or nothing is known about the structural conditions under 

 which the petroleum occurs ; Mr. Theobald simply states that the 

 strata are " rolling and dipping at various angles," but the diagram he 

 °ives of the occurrence of petroleum at Padouk-bin clearly proves that 

 it occurs on the crest of an unsymmetrical anticline. As far as I am 

 able to judge, both occurrences of Padouk-bin as well as Banbyin are 

 situated on an anticline running north-west to south-east. 



With regard to the other two localities, I am unable to say any- 

 thing definite, but further researches will probably prove that they 

 are situated on anticlinal arches. 



4. — Economic value. 



The above-named localities have hitherto not given rise to any 

 industrial undertaking ; even the natives after some attempts have 

 entirely abandoned their wells, which at the time when I visited 

 these localities were in a very dilapidated condition. 



The Burma Oil Company had several deep wells drilled at Padouk- 

 bin before they commenced to bore at Yenangyoung. Unfortunately 

 there were no boring registers kept, or if there were any, they have 

 been lost. As far as I could ascertain the wells reached a consider- 

 able depth, but no petroleum was found, and the Company eventually 

 abandoned this particular spot as unprofitable. 



Although it might be rash to entirely condemn the occurrences of 

 petroleum in Lower Burma as insignificant, when nothing more is 

 obtainable than such meagre information, my personal opinion is that 

 it is very unlikely that these small occurrences indicate a larger 

 quantity of petroleum in greater depths. This much has been proved 

 by the deep borings at Padouk-bin. It maybe that, when the indica- 

 tions are followed up, richer oilsands will be discovered, but it seems 

 questionable whether they would be worth the large expenditure 

 incurred. 



( 77 ) 



