LOS ANGELES DISTRICT: FUTURE DEVELOPMENT. 197 
SOUTHWEST AND WEST OF LOS ANGELES. 
It seems probable that the productive zone of the Salt Lake field 
extends northward and possibly a little westward from the territory 
now developed. Just where the northern limit is located is prob¬ 
lematical, but it is quite certain that it is considerably south of the 
base of the Santa Monica Mountains. Within this northern exten¬ 
sion the beds in general dip to the west, and for this reason the most 
productive area will doubtless be found west of La Brea road. East 
of this road the oil sands approach the surface and consequently 
yield smaller quantities and heavier oil than the same beds farther 
down the dip. 
The region southeast of the Salt Lake flexure, as shown by several 
wells, does not appear to offer many inducements for exploitation, 
at least in the immediate vicinity of the Salt Lake field. Farther 
east, however, in the region west and southwest of Westlake Park, 
should deep wells strike a local flexure similar to that in the 
Salt Lake field they would doubtless yield large quantities of oil 
and gas. If the disturbance or fracture already mentioned as occur¬ 
ring in the vicinity of the lagoon does not have a northwestern exten¬ 
sion, terminating the Salt Lake flexure and the productive zone on 
its northwestern flank, then it appears highly probable that deep wells 
will strike productive sand in the southern part of section 20 and 
the northern part of sections 29 and 30, T. 1 S., R. 14 W. 
Outside of the territory mentioned in the preceding paragraphs 
there is little or no evidence of remunerative oil deposits in the 
immediate vicinity of Los Angeles. Were it not for the great thick¬ 
ness of Pleistocene sand and gravel, which cover the great Los Angeles 
Plain'from the Santa Monica Mountains and Raplietto Hills to the 
ocean, it would be more than likely that productive territory could be 
developed over this plain. At least it is almost certain that the oil¬ 
bearing strata underlie it, but whether or not the structural con¬ 
ditions are at any place conducive to the accumulation of gas or 
oil in paying quantities can be determined only by costly exploita¬ 
tion with the drill. 
Bull. 309—07-14 
