PETROLEUM,  NATURAL  GAS,  AND  ASPHALT. 
PETROLEUM  FIELDS  OF   ALASKA  AND  THE   BERING a  RIVER 
COAL  FIELDS/ 
By  G.  C.  Martin. 
INTRODUCTION. 
For  several  years  indications  of  petroleum  have  been  observed  at 
Cape  Yaktag,c  near  Controller  Bay,  on  the  western  shore  of  Cook 
Inlet,  and  at  many  points  on  the  Alaska  Peninsula;  and  high-grade 
coal  has  been  known  on  Bering  River.  A  large  amount  of  capital 
has  been  invested  in  these  fields,  several  wells  having  been  drilled, 
many  coal  openings  made,  and  other  improvements  undertaken  and 
projected.  The  verbal  and  newspaper  reports  from  the  region  have 
been  varied  and  conflicting,  while  such  statements  as  have  been  pub- 
lished by  geologists  have  not  been  based  upon  their  own  observations. 
Some  of  the  petroleum  and  coal  properties  have  been  carefully  exam- 
ined by  geologists  or  mining  engineers  in  the  interests  of  the  owners, 
but  their  reports  have  not  been  made  public. 
In  response  to  the  general  demand  for  information,  a  reconnaissance 
of  the  petroleum  and  coal  fields  in  the  vicinity  of  Controller  Bay  and 
Bering  River  and  of  the  petroleum  fields  on  the  west  shore  of  Cook 
Inlet  and  at  Cold  Bay  was  made  by  the  writer  during  the  months  of 
June,  July,  and  August,  1903.  The  following  is  a  brief  statement  of 
the  results  of  the  investigation;  a  more  complete  discussion,  together 
with  maps  of  the  regions,  is  in  preparation  and  will  shortly  be  published: 
These  fields,  though  widely  separated,  are  all  on  the  southern  coast 
of  Alaska  and,  except  the  Bering  River  coal  field,  on  tide  water.  The 
Controller  Bay  petroleum  fields  are  near  the  mouth  of  Copper  River, 
and  the  Cape  Yaktag  fields  are  75  miles  farther  east.  The  Cook  Inlet 
fields  are  about  320  miles  west  of  Controller  Bay,  in  the  middle  part 
of  the  western  shore  of  Cook  Inlet,  and  the  Cold  Bay  field  is  about  160 
a  On  some  maps  called  Chilkat  River.  &  Abstract  of  report  in  preparation. 
c  Commonly  spelled  Yakatag  or  Yakataga, 
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