NOTES  ON  THE  GEOLOGY  OF  THE  MUSCOGEE  OIL  FIELDS, 
INDIAN  TERRITORY. 
By  Joseph  A.  Taff  and  Millard  K.  Shalfr. 
The  recent  active  well  drilling  in  Muscogee,  Ind  T.,  brings  to  light 
a  new  source  for  oil  at  a  lower  geologic  horizon  than  heretofore 
known  in  the  Indian  Territory-Kansas  field.  The  oil  is  also  of  a 
higher  grade  than  that  found  elsewhere  in  this  region. 
Location. — The  Muscogee  oil  field  is  at  present  limited  to  the 
immediate  vicinity  of  Muscogee,  in  the  eastern  Creek  Nation,  Ind. 
T.  Those  wells  which  produced  oil  in  paying  quantity  at  the 
time  investigations  were  made  in  July,  1904,  are  in  the  south- 
eastern part  of  the  town,  on  a  strip  of  land  1  mile  by  one-fourth 
mile  in  extent,  the  longer  diameter  of  the  field  having  a  northeast- 
southwest  course.  Six  wells  drilled  near  the  center  of  this  oil- 
producing  belt  were  barren.  A  few  wells  drilled  near  the  border 
of  the  town  site,  on  the  north,  east,  south,  and  west  sides,  did  not 
yield  oil  in  paying  quantity.  Other  wells  have  been  drilled  a  few 
miles  southwest  of  Muscogee;  also  at  Fort  Gibson,  7  miles  north- 
east, and  at  Wagoner,  14  miles  north,  each  to  a  depth  reaching  or 
passing  beneath  the  oil-bearing  sands,  without  profitable  results. 
Discovery. — Oil  was  discovered  at  Muscogee  in  1804,  when  two 
Avells  were  drilled.  In  one  of  these  oil  was  encountered  in  sand  at 
a  depth  of  665  feet.  This  sand,  after  being  shattered  by  an  explo- 
sive, yielded  12  barrels  of  oil  a  day.  Another  sand,  encountered 
at  1,100  feet,  produced  60  barrels  a  day  when  similarly  treated. 
Active  drilling  for  oil  began  in  February,  1904,  and  during  the 
year  more  than  30  productive  wells  have  been  drilled.  Their  com- 
bined capacity  is  estimated  at  1,000  barrels  a  day. 
Character  of  oil. — This  oil  is  dark  green,  turning  to  cherry-red 
when  held  toward  the  light.  It  is  of  a  much  higher  grade  than 
any  other  oil  produced  in  the  Indian  Territory-Kansas  fields,  hav- 
ing a  gravity  of  42°  Baume.  Other  oils  in  Indian  Territory  and  in 
Kansas  range  from  28°  to  32°  Baume. 
The  oil  at  Muscogee  resembles  some  of  the  Pennsylvania  oils  in 
appearance  and  gravity,  and  also  in  having  a   paraffin  base.     The 
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