368  CONTRIBUTIONS    TO    ECONOMIC    GEOLOGY,   1903.  [bull.  225. 
along  the  center  of  the  Katalla  Valley.  This  is  paralleled  by  a  number 
of  other  folds  cast  of  it  in  the  peninsula  between  Bering  Lake  and 
Controller  Bay,  one  of  the  most  distinct  being  the  anticline  in  the 
little  valley  nearest  Bering  River.  The  central  part  of  the  peninsula 
appears  to  consist  of  a  succession  of  folds,  several  of  which  are  exposed 
in  the  valley  of  Burls  Creek. 
OCCURRENCE  OF  PETROLEUM. 
Pefroleum  seepages. — Petroleum  seepages  are  very  abundant  in  the 
Controller  Bay  region.  Those  which  are  best  known  are  situated 
about  4  miles  east  of  Katalla.  The  flow  of  oil  is  here  very  large,  and 
good-sized  pools  have  collected  on  the  surface.  Another  group  of 
seepages  is  on  the  headwaters  of  Burls  Creek,  where  the  petroleum 
may  be  seen  oozing  from  the  joints  and  bedding  planes  of  the  carbona- 
ceous and  glauconitic  shales  which  are  exposed  in  the  deep  ravines. 
The  quantity  of  petroleum  here  exposed  is  not  as  large  as  at  the  seep- 
ages east  of  Katalla,  but  is  more  widespread.  The  small  stream 
between  Burls  Creek  and  Bering  River  has  several  seepages  along 
its  east  bank.  Seepages  occur,  too,  in  other  parts  of  the  peninsula 
between  Bering  Lake  and  Controller  Bay  and  in  the  region  west  of 
Katalla.  The  so-called  Nitchawak  region,  which  is  situated  on  the 
banks  of  the  various  branches  of  Nitchawak  River  and  in  the  vicinity 
of  Mount  Nitchawak,  also  presents  a  number  of  seepages.  Some  of 
these  are  located  on  the  banks  of  a  small  lake,  which  is  reported  to 
be  at  times  covered  with  petroleum.  The  small  creeks  which  enter 
Little  Nitchawak  River  from  the  north  have  a  number  of  seepages  on 
their  banks,  in  some  of  which  oil  issues  directly  from  the  rock,  which 
is  here  a  shale. 
A  strong  flow  of  gas  bubbles  to  the  surface  of  the  water  at  a  number 
of  places  along  the  lower  course  of  Katalla  River.  In  places  this 
flow  is  so  strong  that  it  can  be  heard  for  a  distance  of  several  hundred 
feet.     The  composition  of  the  gas  is  not  known. 
Several  large  sulphur  springs  issue  from  the  northern  bank  of  Bering 
River  within  a  mile  on  either  side  of  the  Indian  village. 
Petroleum  wells. — The  first  well  in  the  Controller  Bay  region  was 
drilled  in  the  summer  of  1901.  Work  upon  it  was  stopped  owing  to 
the  loss  of  tools. 
The  same  company  drilled  another  well  in  the  summer  of  1902,  which 
at  a  depth  of  about  250  feet  yielded  petroleum.  At  a  depth  of  350 
feet  the  tools  appeared  to  break  through  into  a  cavity  of  the  rock  and 
a  large  flow  of  oil  began,  spouting,  it  is  reported,  many  feet  above  the 
top  of  the  derrick.  No  estimate  of  the  amount  of  the  flow  has  been 
made.  This  well  was  immediately  capped,  to  be  reopened  in  July, 
1903,  and  drilled  deeper.  In  September  of  this  year  the  depth  attained 
was  between  400  and  500  feet,  drilling  still  continuing. 
