142 ANNUAL REPORT 
line, which was laid in 1893, and passed near Buck run, encouraged the 
producer, since it removed the expense of hauling the oil to market. By 
1897 considerable work was being done, and in 1899 the existing “boom” 
began. At present (July, 1900) 17 drills are at work, chiefly along Oliver 
run, a small tributary of Buck run, and along Wolf creek, about one-half 
mile from Oliver run. Since the wells are shallow, those in the valleys 
usually not exceeding 125 feet, the drill makes rapid progress, and it 
should not be long until the limits of the field are determined. In the 
sixties operations were confined to valleys, the driller having the mistaken 
idea that the productive territory did not extend beneath the adjacent hills. 
Now, however, the high lands as well as the valleys are tested, and fair 
producers found. 
The following are the principal firms operating in the field at date 
of writing: 
Malta Oil Company. 
Oliver Run Oil Company. 
Jerry Buckley. 
Christy Brothers. 
Elmer Taylor. 
Buzzard & Gibson. 
Ghering & Mahaffey. 
Moore & Downing. 
Geology of the Field.—The surface rocks are in the main those be- 
longing to the Conemaugh formation or Lower Barren Measures, the hill- 
tops alone rising to the horizon of the Pittsburg coal. The latter is rep- 
resented by little more than a black streak, but the white limestone which 
underlies the coal is a prominent feature of the country. 
The following log of a well on Oliver run represents the general 
succession in the field: 
Thickness of Total 
stratum. thickness. 
Feet. Feet. 
ishitcoloredesands GoCks setae 43 43 
Red Tock (SHAlES) prey. 2am ie peste tent eset exe 90 133 
Blue core (1st limestone)................:. 3 136 
BIUVe SHAISS ee RCL A Ee uae enna ale arte attewatle 10 146 
Red rocks: Gshalesi\cs. ce eee hee oeeeheiere 20 166 
Blue core (2nd limestone ................. 3 169 
White) andivredeshaless ..05.5\. seus es cette 30 199 
“Fossil rock”—Ames limestone.........+.- 2 201 
Darkceray (SHAS t eek ce sears eieceusteseieie crete: 50 251 
Pinks |SHAles 2: See ese rareabeoetere eeaie leo siete onete 6 257 
SOMDSTOME: Ler ee Re Oi merece ern eyelet 15 272 
Sandy shales sy ee Ae ee ao vereehotecresebene 25 297 
Black. shales eiig ous rs ce craters lelero era Silene erate 35 332 
OMOIDRKOWTE UGVGSEOMWG. oS6655060000055065000 5 337 
Black Shales 2 ener Sealants clon velo cieneerer entierctens 70 407 
COGS CNOSD) im welerverce rec yereietereloiveperetencie eye crete 6 413 
