DISTRIBUTION. 139 



considerable area. The southernmost point is a little south of 19 N. 

 Lat, while the northernmost point is about N. Lat. 24°. Within 

 this area, stretching over five degrees of latitude, petroleum has 

 been found at about 14 different localities. But it is remarkable to 

 note that excepting the most southern localities opposite Prome and 

 west of Thayetmyo, all the others are west of the 95 of longitude 

 and east of the Arrakan Yoma. If we further keep in mind that 

 these localities are not very far east of the 95th meridian it seems 

 almost certain that the occurrence of petroleum in Upper Burma is 

 restricted to a well defined zone of about 40 miles in breadth, and 

 striking along the eastern side of the Arrakan Yoma for a distance 

 of not less than 300 miles. I do not wish to insist that petroleum 

 might not be found outside this zone, but there is a greater probability 

 of finding new localities within this zone than outside of it. 



It remains now to be seen how the petroleum occurs within this 

 well defined area, and whether we are able to discover some sort of 

 a rule which might serve as a guide when further researches are 

 made. It has been shown in preceding chapters, that everywhere in 

 Upper Burma petroleum occurs associated with a certain structural 

 feature of the strata, namely, within anticlinal arches. All the petro- 

 leum localities are situated on the top of anticlinal arches. Further 

 researches will therefore have to be made in this direction, that is to 

 say, the chief attention will have to be paid to such parts of the 

 petroliferous zone where the strata form anticlinals. 



If we enter the occurrences of petroleum on a map of Upper 

 Burma we see at once that they form two well defined lines or belts 

 which perfectly coincide in their strike with the magnetic bearing 

 of the Arrakan Yoma. The eastern oil line or belt we may call the 

 Yenangyoung anticline^ the western one the Minbu anticline. 



The Yenangyoung anticline. — The Yenangyoung oil belt includes 

 the following localities, beginning south :— 



1. Yenangyoung. 



2. Singu. 



3. Yenangyat. 



4. Bondoung. 



( 185 ) 



