touTWELL.]     OIL    AND    ASPHALT    IN    SALT    LAKE    BASIN,    UTAH. 
471 
characterized  by  low  elliptical  mounds  of  recent  lake  deposits  of  clay 
and  sand,  which  are  sometimes  considered  by  oil  experts  to  indicate 
the  presence  of  oil.  On  a  number  of  these  mounds,  usually  at  their 
apices,  are  circular  pits  about  25  feet  in  diameter,  occupied  by  actively 
bubbling  springs  of  cold  water.  An  odorless  gas  escapes  from  the 
bursting  bubbles,  which  ignites  with  a  slight  report  and  for  a  brief 
period  gives  a  pale  light.  No  oil  was  observed  in  association  with 
either  this  gas  or  the  rising  water.  These  springs  were  the  guides 
to  the  gas  which  was  formerly  exploited,  and  together  with  the 
apparently  significant  topography  led  to  the  choice  of  location  for  the 
j  >  resent  explora ti  on . 
This  well  penetrates  waterworn  siliceous  and  calcareous  sands  and 
gravels,  bearing  occasional  shells,  fragments  of  wood,  considerable 
hot  water,  and  gas.  It  has  reached  a  depth  of  about  2,000  feet, 
where  a  more  solid  formation,  believed  to  be  coarse  bowlders,  was 
encountered.  This  interfered  with  further  sinking  by  making  the 
bore  crooked,  and  thus  led,  in  December,  1904,  to  the  abandonment  of 
the  well.  The  detailed  evidence  afforded  by  samples  of  the  material 
penetrated  in  drilling,  which  were  supplied  by  the  operators  and 
studied  by  the  writer,  is  shown  in  the  following  tabular  statement : 
Log  of  the  Ouffey  d-  Oaley  well,  1  mile  southwest  of  Farmington,  Davis  County, 
Utah. 
Character  of  strata. 
Thick- 
ness. 
Depth. 
Clay  and  sand,  occasional  wood 
Sand  and  gravel 
Greenish  micaceous  sand  and  gravel  _ . 
Fine  gray  clay  with  fresh-water  shells. 
Fresh-water  shells 
Fine  sand 
Coarse  gravel,  i  to  1  inch  diameter,  from  igneous 
rocks 
Coarse  sand,  partly  from  schists 
Coarse  gravel  and  fine  sand 
Angular  fine  gravel 
Greenish  cemented  gravel  and  micaceous  sand 
Green  sand,  coarse  waterworn  gravel,  with  black- 
ened wood 
Green  sand  and  rounded  gravel 
Sand  and  gravel  .   
Rounded  gravel,  quartz  sand,  occasionally  cemented  j 
by  pyrite,  wood  fragments 1 
60 
30 
30 
40 
25 
90 
300 
50 
50 
100 
Feet. 
1- 
170- 
510- 
170 
200 
300-     400 
420-     490 
500 
570 
630-  660 
700-  730 
730-  770 
770-  795 
810  9(M» 
900-1,200 
1,200-1,250 
1,250-1,300 
1,300-1,400 
