72 
SANTA MARTA OIL DISTRICT, CALIFORNIA. 
noticed that the principal gas wells then known in western Pennsylvania were sit¬ 
uated close to where anticlinal axes were drawn on the geological maps. From this 
he inferred there must be some connection between the gas wells and the anticlines. 
After visiting all the great gas wells that had been struck in western Pennsylvania 
and West Virginia, and carefully examining the geological surroundings of each, I 
found that every one of them was situated either directly on or near the crown of an 
anticlinal axis, while wells that had been bored in the syncline on either side furnished 
little or no gas, but in many cases large quantities of salt water. Further observation 
showed that the gas wells were confined to a narrow belt, only one-fourth to 1 mile 
wide, along the crests of the anticlinal folds. These facts seemed to connect gas terri¬ 
tory unmistakably with the disturbance in the rocks caused by their upheaval into 
arches, but the crucial test was yet to be made in the actual location of good gas ter¬ 
ritory on this theory. During the last two years I have submitted it to all manner of 
tests, both in locating and condemning gas territory, and the general result has been 
to confirm the anticlinal theory beyond a reasonable doubt. 
The anticlinal theory was found applicable, according to Red¬ 
wood,® by various investigators in the Eastern Hemisphere, in the 
Caucasian and Carpathian fields, in India, Persia, and Algiers, alid 
as stated by Lyman, 5 in some at least of the wells in Japan. Fur¬ 
ther credence has been lent to it by investigators in various parts of 
the world in subsequent reports on oil districts. It has, however, not 
been proved to be of universal application. 
ACCUMULATION OF OIL IN THE SANTA MARIA DISTRICT. 
In the Santa Maria and Lompoc fields the evidence indicates that 
anticlinal structure is favorable although probably not absolutely 
essential to the accumulation of oil. But whether or not this fact 
is explainable on the basis of the anticlinal theory as previously 
advanced, and as seemingly applicable to eastern fields, remains a 
question, for the reason that definite evidence is lacking regarding 
the presence or absence of water in the strata containing the oil. 
The fields of the Santa Maria district are not yet old enough to make 
it ascertainable whether water occupies lower levels in the same por¬ 
ous strata in which the oil is contained, or strata below those contain¬ 
ing the oil, and whether water will take the place of the oil on its 
exhaustion in the wells; or, on the other hand, whether the oil 
occurs unassociated with water in large amounts. What evidence 
there is throws doubt on the assumption that water is present in 
sufficient amounts materially to affect- the position of the oil in the 
strata. Although over a hundred wells have been sunk to depths 
ranging between 1,500 and considerably more than 4,000 feet in 
various positions relative to the axes of folds, water has been reported 
in only four wells at a depth of more than 1,000 feet below the surface, 
or below sea level, and in only a few wells below 300 or 400 feet. 
In other words, whatever water is present occurs in all but four wells 
a Redwood, Boverton, assisted by Holloway, G. T.: Petroleum and its products, London, 1st ed., 1896, 
vol. 1, pp. 44-46; also 2d ed., 1906, vol. 1, p. 112. 
*> Geological survey of the oil lands of Japan, Tokio, 1877 and 1878. 
