January 19, 1917: THE COLLIERY GUARDIAN 135 OCCURRENCE OF PETROLEUM IN unknown depth of keuper marl and sandstone. At s TMCI 11 inn ‘Bletchley, south-by-east of Northampton, upon the edge It Ih lx L, A IM IK of the cretaceous series,’there is no sign of tri as. j-uv uuiiiiiiiig v/x mao ucu-o caouwaiuo, luciciuie, is so intensive and general that they may be either absent in the area under examination or attenuated to such an extent as to lose all vertical importance. If coal measures be found in the north-west Norfolk area, as probably they will be, no positive demonstration On Tuesday, before the Institution of Petroleum . The,'thinning of the trias beds eastwards, therefore, Technologists, Mr. William Forbes-Leslie presented ' ~ 1 ah elaborate paper on the “ Occurrence of Petroleum in England.” The author has collected together available information respecting oil seepages which have from time to time been recorded, of which the most important seems to have been that which occurred in the Riddings Colliery, Alfreton, Derbyshire. From this petroleum Dr. James Young, the founder of the Scotch shale industry, manufactured paraffin wax 70 years ago, and for a year or more from 7 to 10 barrels of oil per week were collected from this source. . The author regards . these seepages as being positive proof that a: true oil-.-, bearing stratum underlies the surface rocks of< Great Britain. He traces the relation of the oil escapes on: the eastern flank of the Pennine chain, suggesting a possible connection between them and the hypothetical oil-bearing stratum in question. The author’s object is to show that something still remains to be done in oil . prospecting in this country. He then proceeds to work out inconsiderable detail the tectonics of the concealed older rocks so. far as present knowledge enables this to be done. He shows that there is some relation, both in direction and position, between the oil seepages and the position of visible or concealed anticlines. The author says that the tendency has been to regard oil seepages in England as erratic expressions of oil from coal measure shales, and in those , places like Tregaron and Llanidloes, where no coal measures exist, interest in the question has not been sufficiently intense for any other practical theory .to be reconstructed.. Indeed, the whole question of oil in Britain has been treated as one of academic interest. The reason for this is attributed to the greater importance of coal as a fuel. The author claims that oil, if present in great quantities and widespread, must occur in rocks of an age not hitherto supposed to contain it. No country has been less tested for liquid oil in depth than Britain. He then proceeds to superimpose the indications of oil seepages upon the geological structures of * the palaeozoic floor of the eastern portion of England. He shows that there is an inevitable relationship to underground anticlinal form which is one of the most remarkable ruling signs in the whole sphere of; oil research in Britain. It is so constant, in sequence and design that one is obliged to consider it as a basic law- It is claimed that they indicate the existence of petroleum in large quantity. The author concludes as follows .— One point of importance alone remains for discussion, and that is this : Are the.oil-containing beds too remote for testing, or do they lie well within the level of economic drilling operations ? The maximum thickness of beds above coal measure rocks or above this horizon, although absent, are given below in descending order as follow:— Holderness. Near Aylesbury. Bulbourne and Tring. WELSH MINERS AND ABSENTEEISM. A. summary issued this week by Mr. Finlay A. Gibson, secretary of the Monmouthshire and South Wales Coal Owners’ Association, shows the daily and weekly absenteeism and the number of attendances lost through strikes during the past half-year at the 275 collieries included in the tables. The variation in the maximum possible number of attendances is accounted for by the Week ended No. of collieries from which the returns were jointly signed. Maximum possible No. of atten- dances for the week 1 for all collieries. Number of absentees. • Owing to workmen * failing to attend although able to do so. Percentage to maximum possible No. of atten- dances. Through causes over which the workmen have no control. Percentage to maximum possible No. of atten- dances. Total No. of absentees. Percentage to maximum possible No. of atten- dances. Sept. 23, 1916... 97 819,655 71,606 8*74 25,209 3*07 96,815 11*81 „ 30, „ ... 92 817,629 76,442 9*35 25,343 3*09 101,785 12’44 Oct. 7, „ ... 94 811,607 67,871 8*36 24,602 3*03 92,473 11*39 14, „ ... 93 817,710 . ■ 58,824 7*20 24,119 2*94 82,943 10*14 „ 21,. „ ... 91 813,735 58,643 7*20 23,265 2*85 | 81,908 10*06 „ 28, ... 92 . 816,063 62,206 7*62 24,951 . 3*05 87,157 10*67 Nov. ' 4, ,, ... 92 787,280 54,859 6*97 25,172 3*19 80,031 10*16 „ H, „ ... : 90 788,083 54,109 6*87 22,303 2'83 . 76,412 9*70 „ 18, „ ... 90 782,892 ■ 60,146 7*68 24,057 3*07 84,203 10*75 ,, 25, „ ... 89 785,392 52.237 6*65 23,942 3*05 76,179 9*70 Dec., 2, „ ... ' 82 759,789 51,508 6*78 22,564 2*97 74,072 9*75 9, „ - ' 75 746,057 49,371 6*62 22,368 2*99 71,739 9*61 ,, 16, ,, ••• 75 751,331 38,707 5*15 19,693 2*62 58,400 7'77 Totals for second quarter... 10,297,223 756,529 7*35 307,588 ' 2* 8 1,064,117 10*33 Totals for first quarter 10,414,387 911,257 8*72 307,225 2*94 - 1,223,368 11*74 Totals for six months ending December 16 ; 20,711,610 1,667,786 8*05 . 614,813 2*96 2,287,485 11*04 of their possible thickness can be made. The develop- ment of the carboniferous series of Nottinghamshire diminishes in a southward direction, for at Ruddington there are only 452J ft. of measures. In the boring at Kelham, near Newark, 16 miles north-east cf Ruddington, a similar attenuation of the measures was proved. * The Nottingham coal field, how- ever, is too far removed from the Fen area, and too decisively separated from it by the many transverse folds, to be an obvious or precise parallel for the carboniferous measures of the latter. It remains for the drill to demonstrate it. Nevertheless, there is no foundation for assuming that the formations in north-west Norfolk, separating the surface from the carboniferous limestone or other series, containing the oil sources which are supported by the older palseozoic floor, are beyond reasonable drilling depth. All evidence, indirect or substantive, points to the oil being within drilling distance from the surface. It should be possible to intersect the first oilsands of north-west jSTorfoik between 2,500 and 3,000 feet below the surface. The thickness of the oilsands or the beds containing oil, of course, cannot be even approximately measured, but from the enormous quantity of oil which has escaped into the oil-shale series of north-west Norfolk, the underground retaining structures must be of very considerable extent, and should still contain vast quantities of petroleum. With regard to the more northern and western sections of the eastern depression, numerous boreholes have penetrated partly or entirely the coal measure overlie, and there is no apparent reason to believe that the oilsands where they are suspected to exist from the presence of oil escapes on the surface, are below depths accessible to the drill. The oilsands in the boring at Kelham were 13 ft. thick at a depth of 2,439 ft. 2i in. from the surface, and were believ* d by other observers who have examined the boring to be only the upper sands of a productive series of unknown thickness. There is, however, no sign in this neighbourhood, or on either flank of the Pennine anticline, of such vast quan- tities of oil as are found absorbed in the oil-shale series of north-west Norfolk. The principal oil-containing forms comprehended in the concealed and visible systematic sectional arrange- ments of the eastern depression are possibly the A shover- Sherwood - Kelham ; anticline, the Castleton - Retford anticline and the Ouse Valley fold or the Lynn- es a result of ‘ Downham anticline. On the surface of these three folds are situated the most considerable oil escapes in the British Isles. If the imperfect reading of the geological record in my bands can impress upon you the great importance of the subject, and that wider public beyond you, who will so impartially benefit by the demonstration and' , . exploitation of oilfields in our midst, so that co-ordina- tion of effort between corporations or individuals can be secured towards testing the English formations for petroleum, or in justifying the Government to treat the question as one of national importance and worthy of their test attention, then, and only then, will the initial effort so imperfectly exposed herein be adequately justified. deletion of the attendances lost through strikes and want of tonnage. The amount indicated in the last weeks of December is more apparent than real, for the shortage of tonnage affected the number of days on which the pits were open. LETTERS TO THE EDITORS. 1. Chalk ... 1,350 2. Upper greensand 12 3. Gault 245 4. Neocomian, Lower greensand, Speeton clay, &c 350 5. Purbeck beds 7 6. Portland beds ... ... ) 7. Kimmeridge clay ... ' 500 8. Coralline beds 380 9. Kellaways rock, Oxford clay ......... 500 10. Cornbrash 25 11. Great oolite 7 800 12. Inferior oolite ... J 13. Lias 1,100 14. Rhsetic 65 15. Trias, 1,950 16. Permian 540 ( Represented by Speeton < . series. ... Vale of Pickering. ... Vale of Pickering. , ... Oxford and Fens. ... Witney. ... Cleveland. ... Cleveland. ... South Searle,nr.Lincoln ... Scunthorpe and Goole. ___ _____ ... Snaith (West Bank). Such would be the depth to the head of the carboni- ferous series or that portion remaining after denudation, were all the permian and secondary beds to develop a maximum thickness in one place, but these rocks vary in vertical measurement greatly and significantly when traced from district to district. Prof. Kendal holds the view that nowhere in the region under discussion — viz., from the Wharfe anticline to the edge of the Gulf ord pre-carboniferous outcrop—will more than half or two-thirds of the true thickness be found. A study of neighbouring boreholes will determine, as far as possible, the various thicknesses of overlying beds within the eastern depression. A~ -___________11 such study it is found that the total maximum develop- ment of all beds down to, but not including, the entire vertical depth of the lower lias is found to be, exterior to the chalk area, 1,886*6 ft. If the minimum is taken of all,.proved beds entering this area—viz., of north- west Norfolk from the north-west or coming..over it from the south, it is found that the aggregate thickness . will amount to 543 ft. 6 in. The nearest authentic borings in the area under discussion are at Peterborough, Crowland, Pinchbeck and Boston. The aggregate thickness of/all beds proved in the Peterborough borehole is 428*6 ft. to the base of the lower lias, and the vertical measurement of the beds which. may be encountered in north-west Norfolk to the base of the lower lias in any boring, especially in the southern part, should be found to correspond more nearly with the beds proved in the Peterborough boring than with those at Boston—adding, of course, to this measurement the presumed thickness of the Kimmeridge clay. The possible thickness of trias beds below the Jurassic■ presents apparently no difficulties. The nearest boreholes to the area under discussion, exhibiting trias,. are Northampton (Kingsthorpe. or Kettering Road), Orton and Grantham. At Northamp - ton the trias beds , are from 6 to 82 ft, thick, at Orton 47 ft., while Grantham, in the axis of the Northampton- Hathern syncline, presents 21*4 ft. of rhsetic and an S.W., marking the envelope “ Charters.’ Employment of Tonnage.—A new Regulation under the Defence of the Realm Acts regulates the chartering of vessels in the trade to or from British ports. Similar regulations , are being made in France and Italy, and the new measure is designed to secure closer co-ordination between the Allies in the employment of tonnage. In future permission will have to be obtained, from a national authority in each country before any foreign tonnage is chartered. In the case of the United .Kingdom, any person who wishes to obtain ! permission to charter a foreign ship should send full particu- lars to the Marine• Department, Board of Trade, London, The Editors are not responsible either, for the statements ■. made, or the opinions expressed by correspondents. All communications must be authenticated by the name and address of the sender, whether for publication or not. No notice can be taken of anonymous communications. As replies to questions are only given by way of published answers to correspondents, and not by letter, stamped addressed envelopes are not required to be sent. ORGANISERS CLEARING HOUSE. Sirs,—We have reason to believe that there is in the country a supply of talent and energy available for useful work which at present is either unable to find an outlet for its capacity or is misapplied. The need for, perfecting and assisting existing organisations is gener- ally admitted, and there is evidence on every hand that the volume of new work to be undertaken is destined to increase. In the stress of war the obvious need for a clearing-house and intelligence department for the organiser has been overlooked. In the conviction that such a machine is useful and necessary, both for the workers and for those who employ them, we have opened an organisers clearing-house with the following objects:— 1. ” 2. To act as consulting organiser. To provide—and, if necessary, to superintend— organisers to assist useful work which is already being done. To provide—and, if necessary, to superintend— organisers for new work. 4. To help “ square pegs ” into “ square holes.” 5. To collate information about the scope and activities of existing organisations - so that those who desire to give their assistance may be guided in the right direction. Organisers and secretaries of associations, leagues, and similar societies are asked to send any information about their work and requirements, which they may desire to be at hand for reference, to the secretary of the Organisers Clearing House. Those who want employment in the higher grades of organisation work are invited to apply in writing to the secretary, stating their previous experience, qualifications, salary and nature of work desired. Suggestions from those to whom the plan of the clearing house appeals will be , welcome, and should be addressed to the secretary. Chichester Percy I (Committee). F. P. Whitbread I ■ . A. E. Owen J / Percy Creed (Chief Organiser). January 18, 1917. 3. Cheap Coal for Dublin Poor.—The Bard Mayor of Dublin ■states that for every £500 or £1,000 subscribed to his coal fund by the public he will be able to1 obtain a similar amount from a quarter which he is not at liberty to name, and that, as a result, the people with incomes below 25s. a week will be able to purchase coal at Is. 6d. per bag. Hull Coal Exports.—The official return of the exports of coa'l from Hull to foreign countries for the week ended January 9 is as foLows :—Alexandria, 7,954 toms; Calais, 694; Cette, 2,001; Gothenburg, 1,959; Harlingen, 597; Karlstad, 318; Malta, 880; Norrkoping, 1,623; Naples, 1,428; Rotterdam, 164; Rouen, 11,663; Treport, 1,224—total 30,505 tons. .This compares with' 20,646 tons in 1916, 40,253 tons in 1915, 60,347 tons in 1914, and 64,826. tons in 1913. These figures do not include bunker coal, shipments for the British Admiralty, nor the Allies’ Governments. ,