HILLS BETWEEN" TUZ KHURMATU AND KIFRI. 55 



little south-west of the summit of the range, and select a spot, 

 therefore, north-east of the summit, so as to allow for a considerable 

 hade of the axis locus. If it were necessary to prove one way or 

 the other whether the area contained remunerative supplies of 

 deep-lying oil, I should bore in the above position, first in the 

 Palkanah area, secondly at Gharrah, and perhaps thirdly, between the 

 two sulphuretted hydrogen occurrences east of Tuz Khurmatu. The 

 result, as I have said, must be looked upon as entirely speculative. 



A proposition less hazardous is the exploitation with shallow 

 boring, especially of the minor anticline in the north-eastern flank 

 at Palkanah. That the natural indications in this area occur on 

 the overfolded side of the axis and not on the other side, is 

 perhaps an adverse 'point, as this restriction is rather in favour of 

 the seepages occurring along a strike fault. The undertaking would 

 be speculative, but less expensive and therefore less hazardous. 

 Borings should be located on the north-eastern side of the double 

 limestone ridge, beginning at the highest point. 



Lastly, there is the question of hand-dug wells or pits. I would 

 suggest one or two experimental pits between some of the present 

 pits, along the same line, to ascertain whether an actual surface 

 .seepage is necessary as an indication of oil below ; there is room for 

 such pits. I should also be inclined to suggest, provided that a 

 shallow boring is not to be faced, that an experimental pit be sunk 

 on the north-eastern side of the limestone to a depth of say 200 — 

 300 feet, piercing the steeply dipping limestone on the way. The 

 Burmans reach depths of 400 feet in this way by using a diving 

 apparatus, through which a supply of air is pumped down to the 

 digger. Light is thrown down by a mirror at the surface, and the 

 diggings are hauled to the surface in the usual way. Their shafts 

 are four feet square, and timbered most of the way down. The 

 difficulty would be getting through the limestone, but this could be 

 engineered by judicious use of blasting powder. The Burmans get 

 through hard bands by dropping a heavy weight from the mouth 

 of the well ; this, however, is a cumbrous, though sufficiently effec- 

 tive method, and might fail in the case of a highly-inclined band 

 of limestone. 1 



Kifri " coal." — The Kifri " coal " mines are situated about 3 miles 

 E.S.E. of Kifri in the upper half of zone " a " of the Lower stage 

 of the Kurd series, some 1,100 feet above the top of the Fars gypsum 



1 Mem. GeoL.Surv. Ind.. vol. XL. pt. 1. p. 76. 



