OIL  AND  GAS  OF  THE  INDEPENDENCE  QUADRANGLE,  KANSAS. 
By  Frank  C.  Schrauer  and  Erasmus  Haworth. 
The  aim  of  this  paper  is  to  present  in  advance  of  the  full  report 
a  summary  of  what  is  known  concerning  the  distribution,  occurrence, 
development,  production,  character,  and  utilization  of  the  oil  and 
gas  of  the  Independence  quadrangle,  Kansas. 
SKETCH  OF  THE  REGION. 
Location. — The  Independence  quadrangle  is  in  the  southeastern 
part  of  Kansas,  and  includes  an  important  part  of  the  Kansas-Indian 
Territory  oil  and  gas  field.  This  field  has  an  area  of  nearly  11,000 
square  miles  and  extends  from  Paola,  in  eastern  Kansas,  southwest- 
ward  about  200  miles  to  Muscogee,  Ind.  T.,  and  Cleveland,  Oklal 
The  Independence  quadrangle  lies  near  the  middle  of  this  great  belt. 
It  embraces  all  of  Montgomery  County,  the  southern  third  of  Wilson 
County,  and  portions  of  adjoining  counties.  Its  southern  edge  is 
the  Kansas-Indian  Territory  boundary,  while  its  eastern  edge  is 
approximately  47  miles  west  of  the  Kansas-Missouri  line.  The  prin- 
cipal towns  are  Independence,  Coffey  ville,  Cherry  vale,  Neodesha, 
Caney,  and  Elk  City.  Independence,  situated  near  the  center  of  the 
quadrangle,  is  about  140  miles  from  Kansas  City. 
GEOLOGY. 
The  rocks  exposed  in  the  quadrangle  are  characteristic  of  the 
Pennsylvanian  series  (Coal  Measures)  of  the  Carboniferous.  They 
consist  of  heavy  beds  of  shale  and  sandstone,  alternating  with  thinner 
beds  of  fine-grained  crystalline  or  seinicrystalline  limestone.  There 
are  in  all  7  formations,  which  have  an  aggregate  thickness  of  about 
1,000  feet,  of  which  considerably  more  than  three-fourths  is  shale 
and  sandstone  and  less  than  one-fourth  limestone.  The  rocks  exhibit 
but  little  evidence  of  disturbance  and  lie  nearly  flat  or  dip  gently 
west-northwest  at  the  rate  of  about  15  feet  per  mile, 
446 
