martin] PETKOLEUM FIELDS. 131 
and Wingham islands and in the hills of the Nitchawak region. Each 
of these areas, considered independently, is therefore monoclinal. 
The intervening areas, where the solid rock is concealed by water or 
lowland, are so broad that the general structure can not be made out. 
The oil region is bounded on the west by an area of semimetamor- 
phosed rocks, from which it is probably separated by a fault. 
The area north and northeast of Bering Lake is in greater part of 
monoclinal structure and of uncertain structural relations to the region 
south of the lake. 
DEVELOPMENT OF THE FIELD. 
PREVIOUS DRILLING AND ITS RESULTS. 
Fifteen wells had been drilled or were drilling in this region in Sep- 
tember, 1901. Of these two are in the Katalla Valley, one is 3 miles 
east of Katalla near Cave Point, two are on Strawberry Harbor, nine 
are between the head of Katalla Slough and the mouth of Bering 
River, and one is on Bering River about 4 miles above its mouth. Of 
these wells, three (one in the Katalla Valley, one on Strawberry Har- 
bor, and one on Bering River) were abandoned before they reached 
bed rock. Four of them (one in the Katalla Valley, one at Strawberry 
Harbor, and two west of the mouth of Bering River) are still drilling. 
Of the remaining eight wells, three were mentioned in an earlier 
report." One of these wells is now furnishing oil which is used as 
fuel at the other wells of the same company. No statistics regarding 
the present production of the well are at hand, nor is it known how 
much greater the yield might be if the well were pumped continuously. 
The following is a record of this well as reported by the Alaska 
Steam Coal and Petroleum Syndicate, and published by Mr. F. H. 
Oliphant: b 
6 feet surface drift 6 
10 feet decomposed shale 16 
140 feet light-colored shale 156 
18 feet fine-grain sandstone 174 
One-half foot coal contained in the sandstone 174? 
190 feet dark shale, very hard 364£ 
One-half foot quartz containing iron pyrites, and contained in the shale 365 
1 foot oil sand and flow of oil 1 
Total 366 
Length of 12-inch casing , » 220 
Length of 9f-inch casing 340 
Numerous small showings of petroleum and natural gas were encountered as the 
drill proceeded down, and at 366 feet a large quantity of oil was developed, which 
flowed some petroleum. The well is said to have continued to flow until capped. 
« Bull. U. S. Geol. Survey No. 225, pp. 368-369. 
bThc production of petroleum in 1902: Mineral Resources U. S., p. 583. 
