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Historical Outline
Previous Work
Petroleum and Natural Gas
General Geology
Production
Stratigraphy
Crystalline Rocks
Chemical Properties
Reports
References
Appendix
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Chapter IX—Oil and Gas Production in Kansas

County Reports, continued

Geary County

The rocks of Geary county are similar to those of Morris, Chase and Butler counties to the south. They belong to the uppermost division of the Pennsylvanian and the overlying beds of the lower Permian. The Wabaunsee formation occupies the lowland in the north part of the county along the valley of Kansas river. The Permian, which covers the higher land to the south and west includes portions of the Council Grove, Chase and Marion formations. The strata, apparently horizontal, have a slight dip to the northwest, which is broken locally by minor undulations, forming more or less well-defined anticlines and synclines. The region as a whole is untested. Some drilling is in progress in the southeastern part of Geary county, but no production has been reported. A few of the wells have been located upon favorable structures, but others have been placed almost at random. It should be emphasized that wells located without regard to geologic conditions not only take large and unnecessary hazards but are of little if any value in future development.

Record of well at Junction City. (Morrison well No. 1.) Reported by J. R. Tuite.
Stratum	Thickness, feet	Depth, feet
Soil	12	12
Sandstone	18	30
Shale	45	75
Limestone	30	105
Red rock	15	120
Shale	20	140
Red rock	7	147
Limestone	35	182
Shale	25	207
Limestone	22	229
Shale	12	241
Red rock	27	268
Limestone	45	313
Shale	50	363
Limestone	20	383
Shale, black	67	450
Limestone	5	455
Shale	40	495
Limestone	15	510
Shale	40	550
Shale, sandy (salt water)	15	565
Sandstone	50	615
No record	15	630
Shale	80	710
Limestone	25	735
Shale	10	745
Limestone	25	770
Shale, white	40	810
Limestone	45	855
Shale	15	870
Limestone	15	885
Shale	23	908
Limestone	12	920
Shale, black	32	952
Limestone	18	970
Sandstone	23	993
Shale, black	37	1,030
Limestone.	21	1,051
Shale	29	1,080
Limestone	73	1,153
Shale	30	1,183
Limestone	10	1,193
Shale	18	1,211
Sandstone	15	1,226
Limestone	64	1,290
Shale, sandy (salt wafer)	10	1,300
Sandstone and limestone	75	1,375
Shale	32	1,407
Limestone	20	1,427
Shale	18	1,445
No record	4	1,449
Shale	9	1,458
Limestone	40	1,498
Shale	7	1,505
Limestone	30	1,535
Shale	12	1,547
Limestone (water)	63	1,610
Limestone	20	1,630
Shale	12	1,642
Limestone	28	1,670
Shale	10	1,680
Limestone	60	1,740
Shale, black	60	1,800

Record of the Henry Stillwagon well, Sec. 9, T. 18 S., R. 8 E., north of Alta Vista.
Stratum				Thickness, feet	Depth, feet
			Soil	6	6
Permian system—
	Chase and Council Grove formations:
			Limestone	8	14
			Limestone and flint	36	50
			Shale, red in part	65	115
			Limestone	18	133
			Shale	19	152
			Limestone, flinty	9	161
Pennsylvanian system—
	Wabaunsee formation:
			Shale	115	176
			Limestone, shaly	5	181
			Sandstone	5	186
			Shale, red in part	50	236
			Limestone	10	246
			Limestone and shale	100	346
			Shale	270	616
	Shawnee formation (?):
			Limestone	20	636
			Flint	10	646
			Shale	10	656
			Flint	7	663
			Limestone	35	698
			Shale	50	748
			Limestone (water)	10	758
			Shale, sandy	70	828
			Limestone	15	843
			Shale	22	865
			Sandstone (water)	15	880
			Shale	20	900
	Douglas formation:
			Limestone	20	920
			Shale	15	935
			Sandstone	10	945
			Shale	20	965
			Limestone	25	990
			Shale	15	1,005
			Limestone	22	1,027
			Shale	20	1,047
	Lansing formation (?):
			Limestone	70	1,117
			Shale	35	1,152
			Limestone	60	1,212
			Sandstone (salt water)	65	1,277
			Shale	40	1,317
			Sandstone (water)	50	1,367
			Shale	10	1,377
			Sandstone	20	1,397
	Kansas City formation:
			Limestone, shaly in part	80	1,477
			Shale	15	1,492
			Limestone, sandy (water)	30	1,522
			Limestone and shale, alternating beds	195	1,717
	Marmaton formation:
			Shale	70	1,787
			Limestone and shale	75	1,862
			Shale	50	1,912
			Limestone	30	1,942
	Cherokee shale:
			Shale	235	2,177
			Sandstone (water)	5	2,182
Mississippian system—
			Limestone	270	2,452
			Shale	15	2,467
			Limestone	160	2,627

Gove County

The uplands of Gove county, especially those of the northern part, are covered by Tertiary deposits. Cretaceous chalk belonging to the Niobrara formation is exposed along Smoky Hill river and tributaries in the south part of the county. The rocks are flat-lying or have a slight dip to the east. No indications of oil or gas in the region are reported, and unless there are deposits in the Cretaceous the county is not likely to have any production. The depth to the Dakota sandstone ranges from about 600 feet in the southeast corner of the county to more than 1,100 feet in the northwestern corner. So far as recorded no wells reach the Dakota.

Graham County

The higher portion of Graham county is covered by more or less unconsolidated Tertiary deposits, but in the valleys of Solomon and Saline rivers the Niobrara chalk of the Cretaceous is exposed. The Cretaceous outcrop comprises the central and southeastern parts of the county. The Niobrara, considerably over 100 feet in thickness, is underlain by the Benton shale about 400 feet thick, which rests in turn upon the Dakota sandstone. In the southeastern corner of the county the Dakota formation is not more than 500 feet below the surface, but the northeasterly dip of the beds and the rise of the land to the west bring it about 1,000 feet below the surface in the northwestern part of the county.

The structure of the rocks has not been examined in detail, but the county is so far from producing districts and the underground conditions are so uncertain that "wild-cat" drilling is extremely hazardous.

Grant County

The surface of Grant county is entirely covered by Tertiary deposits on the uplands and by recent sand and alluvium along the valley of the Cimarron and tributaries. The underlying formation is the Dakota sandstone. The county is not a suitable area for prospecting.

Gray County

This county lies mainly in the Arkansas valley and is thickly covered by Tertiary and younger formations. Dune sand is widespread south of the river. Dakota sandstone underlies the largest part of the county, but in the north Benton shale occurs beneath the Tertiary. No records of deep wells have been obtained. Drilling for oil or gas in Gray county is not recommended.

Greeley County

Greeley county lies on the high plains of western Kansas, at the extreme west border of the state. Tertiary deposits cover the entire county except a small area in the west, where the Pierre shale of the Upper Cretaceous outcrops. The Pierre shale and beds of the Niobrara formation, dipping slightly to the northeast, underlie the Tertiary deposits. The Niobrara, 600 to 700 feet thick, is underlain by the Benton shale, about 400 feet thick. In the southeast part of the county the Dakota sandstone lies at a depth of 800 to 1,100 feet. A well bored at Horace reached the Dakota at a depth of 1,050 feet and encountered red beds of the Permian at 1,350 feet. There is not sufficient information concerning the rock structure or underground conditions in Greeley county to warrant drilling for oil or gas.

Greenwood County

Except for very small areas of Permian strata in the southwest and northwest the rocks of Greenwood county belong to the younger formations of the Pennsylvanian system. The Douglas formation outcrops in the valleys of the Verdigris and Fall rivers in the southeastern corner of the county. The Shawnee formation occupies the eastern and central portion and the Wabaunsee formation the western portion. The resistant limestone members of these formations, such as the Oread and Burlingame limestones, form prominent escarpments.

As in adjoining counties, the general dip of the rocks in Greenwood county is to the west, but locally there are well-defined anticlines. Some of these have been drilled and show good production, but others have not yet been tested. The county has only recently entered the oil-producing field, and results of various tests are watched with great interest. The depth of the wells ranges from 1,000 to 1,900 feet. Apparently the chief production comes from sands in the upper portion of the Cherokee shale. To date the most important producing area lies east and northeast of Eureka. The Ditler well (Sec. 2, T. 26 S., R. 10 E.) is reported as a 50-barrel well. Another well from an 1,800-foot sand near Beaumont (Sec. 25, T. 27 S., R. 8 E.) is reported as a 20-barrel well. A well near by produced 2,000,000 feet of gas daily. A number of wells yield 10 to 20 barrels per day. Many new wells are in process of drilling.

Record of producing sands in the Greenwood county fields
Location			Depth to producing sand, feet	Thickness penetrated, feet	Initial production
Sec.	Twp.	Range
14	24	12 (a)	1,740	20	Oil, 25 bbls.
24	24	13	1,548	13	Gas, 3,000,000 cu. ft.
9	25	11	1,754	46	Oil, 20 bbls.
34	25	11	1,862	5	Oil, 30 bbls.
34	25	11	1,857
2	26	10	1,060	18
15	26	13	1,114	17
16	26	13	1,005	20
14	26	10	2,365
25	27	8	1,800		Oil, 20 bbls.
25	27	8	1,865		Oil, 50 bbls.
10	28	11	730
a. There are three gas sands above 800 feet in this well.

Record of Lewis well No. 2, Sec. 25, T. 27 S., R. 8 E., near Blodgett.
Stratum	Thickness, feet	Depth, feet
Limestone	50	50
Limestone (water)	140	1,500
Shale	10	60
Shale	130	1,630
Limestone	10	70
Limestone	25	1,655
Shale	10	80
Sandstone	5	1,660
Limestone, flinty	20	100
Limestone	30	1,690
Shale	10	110
Sandstone	5	1,695
Limestone	40	150
Sandstone	35	1,730
Shale	20	170
Sandstone	5	1,735
Limestone	10	180
Limestone	50	1,785
Shale	150	330
Shale	10	1,795
Limestone	20	350
Limestone	20	1,815
Shale	15	365
Sandstone	20	1,835
Limestone (water)	60	425
Shale	5	1,840
Shale	50	475
Sandstone	10	1,850
Limestone	5	500
Shale	10	1,860
Shale	25	525
Limestone	30	1,890
Limestone	40	565
Shale	20	1,910
Shale	35	600
Limestone	5	1,915
Limestone	10	610
Shale	15	1,930
Shale	40	650
Sandstone	5	1,935
Limestone (water)	65	715
Limestone	15	1,950
Shale	35	750
Shale	25	1,975
Limestone	50	800
Limestone	40	2,015
Shale	50	850
Sandstone	15	2,030
Limestone	35	885
Limestone	70	2,100
Shale	15	900
Shale	10	2,110
Limestone	105	1,005
Limestone	10	2,120
Shale	105	1,110
Shale	135	2,255
Sandstone	20	1,130
Limestone	30	2,285
Shale	90	1,120
Shale	10	2,295
Sandstone	35	1,255
Limestone	5	2,300
Limestone	10	1,265
Shale	60	2,360
Sandstone	10	1,275
Limestone	20	2,380
Shale	20	1,295
Shale	35	2,415
Limestone	15	1,310
Limestone	10	2,425
Sandstone	20	1,330
Shale	5	2,430
Shale (water)	10	1,340
Limestone	45	2.475
Sandstone	20	1,360
Sandstone	80	2,555

Record of well at Madison. (Haworth and Bennett, 1908, pl. 105)
Stratum				Thickness, feet	Depth, feet
Exposed at Surface
Pennsylvanian system—
	Wabaunsee formation:
		Burlingame limestone
			Limestone and shale	15	15
	Shawnee formation:
		Scranton shale
			Shale	37	52
			Limestone	3	55
			Coal	3	58
			Shale	21	79
		Howard limestone
			Limestone	7	86
		Severy shale
			Shale	16	102
Well Record
			Soil and clay	26	26
			Gravel	6	32
			Shale	10	42
		Topeka limestone
			Limestone	10	52
			Shale	5	57
			Limestone	3	60
		Calhoun shale
			Shale	85	145
		Deer Creek limestone
			Limestone	27	172
		Tecumseh shale
			Shale	58	230
			Limestone	8	238
			Shale	30	268
		Lecompton limestone
			Limestone	6	274
			Shale	21	295
			Limestone	17	312
			Shale	5	317
			Limestone	11	328
		Kanwaka shale
			Shale	29?	357
			Limestone	8?	365
			Shale	59	424
			Limestone	8	432
			Shale	19	451
	Douglas formation:
		Oread limestone
			Limestone, hard	35	486
			Shale, dark	4	490
			Limestone	3	493
			Shale	7	500
			Limestone	34	534
		Lawrence shale
			Shale	123	657
		Iatan limestone
			Limestone, brown	5	662
		Weston shale
			Shale	9	671
			Sandstone	172	843
	Lansing formation:
		Stanton limestone
			Limestone	11	854
		Vilas shale
			Shale	7	861
		Plattsburg limestone
			Limestone	11	872
		Lane shale
			Shale	5	877
			Limestone, (?) (slate)	44	918
			Shale	2	920
	Kansas City formation:
		Iola limestone
			Limestone	67	987
		Chanute shale
			Shale	2	989
			Limestone, fossils	2	991
			Shale	99	1,090
		Drura-Hertha limestones
			Limestone	12	1,102
			Shale	5	1,107
			Limestone	8	1,115
			Shale, red	7	1,122
			Shale	3	1,125
			Limestone, flint	87	1,212
			Shale, black	2	1,214
			Shale	6	1,220
			Limestone, gritty (water)	20	1,240
			Limestone, gray	18	1,258
			Shale, white	2	1,260
			Limestone, gray	8	1,268
			Shale, brown	2	1,270
			Limestone, gray	7	1,277
	Marmaton formation:
			Shale, light	110	1,387
			Limestone, brown	3	1,390
			Shale, dark	10	1,400
			Limestone, flint	35	1,435
			Shale, light	65	1,500
			Limestone, brown (water)	3	1,503
	Cherokee shale:
			Shale, black	30	1,533
			Shale, dark	60	1,593
			Shale, sandy	10	1,603
			Shale, black	20	1,623
			Shale, light, (water)	75	1,698
			Shale, sandy	12	1,710
			Shale, black	20	1,730
			Shale	150	1,880
			Sandstone	16	1,896

Hamilton County

Hamilton county, on the west border of the state, is traversed by Arkansas river. On either side of the river in the central part of the county are outcrops of Cretaceous beds belonging to the Benton formation, and in the northwest along tributaries of the Arkansas are exposures of the Niobrara. Dakota sandstone appears in the south part of the county along Bear creek. A thick deposit of Tertiary sands and gravels covers the uplands.

The rocks have a general northeast dip, but the structure in detail is not known accurately. As shown on the structure-contour map of western Kansas (Plate XXVI), however, a fairly well-defined anticlinal structure occurs south of Coolidge. The axis of this structure, mapped by N. H. Darton (1905, p. 58) of the U. S. Geological Survey, trends north and south along a line almost coincident with the state boundary. If oil or gas are contained in the rocks of this region this is one of the most desirable districts for thorough testing. Territory southwest of Hamilton county in Colorado contains some of the most clearly marked structure. Because of the distance from present oil-producing districts and the uncertainty of underground conditions, "wild-cat" drilling without regard to geologic conditions is extremely hazardous. A well drilled 537 feet at Kendall passed through the Dakota sandstone and stopped in the upper portion of the Permian red beds.

Record of well at Kendall. (Darton, 1905, p. 302)
Stratum	Thickness, feet	Depth, feet
Superficial materials	53	53
Sandstone	56	109
Lignite	2	111
Clay	3	114
Sandstone, gray (soft water)	38	152
Clay, very hard	2	154
Sandstone, gray	13	167
Shale, very hard in center	48	215
Sandstone, gray (soft water)	53	268
Shale	23	291
Sandstone	6	297
Shale	35	332
Sandstone, black	2	334
Shale	14	348
Sandstone, gray (soft water)	58	425
Sandstone, brown	5	430
Clay, brown below	23	453
Clay, sandy	23	476
Sandstone, light gray	17	493
Fire clay	3	496
Clay, red	34	530
Hard layer	3	533
Shale, red	4	537

Harper County

The rocks of Harper county, at the south center of the state, belong almost entirely to the Enid formation of the Cimarron group. They comprise the lower part of the Permian red beds which cover a very large area to the west and south. The Harper sandstone member of the Enid is typically developed in the central and eastern parts of the county, being well exposed on Chikaskia river and Bluff creek. Higher members of the formation appear in the west toward the Cedar Hills.

The possibilities of oil or gas in Harper county have not yet been tested, although a large area in the region has been reported leased. The depth to possible producing horizons is in all probability rather great. This, together with the difficulty in locating suitable geologic conditions due to the irregular character of the Enid beds, will retard exploration and development. In 1888 a well was drilled in the vicinity of Anthony to a depth of 2,335 feet, penetrating the upper limestone beds of the Pennsylvanian. A very strong flow of brine was encountered at the bottom of the well, but no oil or gas of importance.

Record of well at Anthony. (Haworth, 1898b, p. 90.)
Stratum				Thickness, feet	Depth, feet
			Surface loam, rich	9	6
			Subsoil, red	12	21
Permian system—
		Enid formation:
			Red rock (fresh water 30 feet from surface)	170	191
			Shale, blue	45	236
			Redrock	315	551
		Wellington formation
			Shale, blue (salt brine)	340	891
			Shale, red	30	921
			Shale, blue	25	946
			Rock salt	275	1,221
			Sandstone (small flow of gas)	139	1,350
		Marion formation:
			Shale, with some salt	115	1,465
			Shale, black	25	1,490
		Chase formation (?)
			Limestone	115	1,605
			Shale	35	1,640
			Limestone	55	1,695
			Gypsum	20	1,715
			Shale, black	38	1,753
Pennsylvanian system (?)—
			Limestone	82	1,835
			Limestone, soft	55	1,890
			Shale,white	40	1,930
			Limestone	87	2,017
			Shale, black	28	2,045
			Gypsum	20	2,065
			Limestone, soft	150	2,215
			Shale, black	35	2,250
			Limestone, magnesian, red	22	2,272
			Shale, white	38	2,310
			Limestone	25	2,335

Record of well at Harper (Reported by C. Ray Thompson, 1915.)
Stratum	Thickness, feet	Depth, feet
Soil, sandy	15	15
Shale	800	815
Limestone	3	818
Salt	6	824
Shale	125	949
Salt	11	960
Limestone	10	970
Salt	8	978
Limestone	52	1,030
Shale	70	1,100
Limestone, white	50	1,150
Shale, white	15	1,165
Limestone, white	55	1,220
Shale, white	10	1,230
Limestone, white	105	1,335
Shale, white	15	1,350
Limestone, gray	25	1,375
Shale, white and pink	40	1,415
Limestone (water)	45	1,460
Shale, white	5	1,465
Limestone, gray (water at 1,530)	95	1,560
Shale, blue	8	1,568
Limestone, white and blue	42	1,610
Shale, pinkish	10	1,620
Limestone, brown	60	1,680
Shale, brown	20	1,700
Limestone, white	5	1,705
Shale, pinkish	25	1,730
Limestone, brown	20	1,750
Shale, brown	15	1,765
Limestone, white	21	1,786
Shale, brown	8	1,794
Limestone, white	14	1,808
Sandstone, light gray	21	1,829
Shale, brown	9	1,838
Limestone, gray	12	1,850
Shale, blue	6	1,856
Limestone, white	8	1,864
Sandstone, gray	6	1,870
Shale, white and red	14	1,884
Limestone, gray	10	1,894
Shale, blue	86	1,980
Limestone, gray	4	1,984
Shale, brown	4	1,988
Limestone, white	16	2,004
Shale, white	36	2,040
Shale, brown	60	2,100
Limestone, gray	35	2,135
Shale, brown	238	2,373
Limestone, white	69	2,442
Shale, brown	25	2,467
Limestone, white	43	2,510
Shale, brown	40	2,550
Limestone, white	35	2,585
Shale, white	30	2,615
Limestone, white	35	2,650
Shale, brown	15	2,665
Limestone, white	50	2,715
Sandstone, white	20	2,735
Shale, blue	45	2,780
Limestone, gray	65	2,845
Shale, brown	55	2,900
Limestone, gray	25	2,925
Shale, brown	20	2,945
Limestone, white	5	2,950
Shale, brown	25	2,975
Limestone, brown	10	2,985
Shale, brown	140	3,125
Sandstone, white (water)

Harvey County

In the eastern one-half of Harvey county are thin-bedded limestones and shales belonging to the Marion formation of the Lower Permian. The western part of the county, drained by the Little Arkansas and tributaries, is covered by sand and gravel of Tertiary age, the McPherson formation, which conceals the underlying Permian strata.

The geologic conditions are in the main similar to those of western Butler county. The depth to oil and gas deposits, if present in the region, is probably great and the covering of Tertiary debris makes exploration difficult. A great deal of land has been leased, especially east of Newton, and some drilling is in progress in the southeastern part of the county.

Record of Hoover well No. 1, Sec. 22, T. 28 S., R. 2 W.
Stratum	Thickness, feet	Depth, feet
Soil	6	6
Limestone	24	30
Sandstone (water)	4	34
Shale	16	50
Red rock	10	60
Not recorded	37	97
Shale, blue	13	110
Shale	25	135
Red rock	105	240
Shale, white	10	250
Red rock	15	265
Limestone	4	269
Red rock	46	315
Limestone (?) fossils	12	325
Red rock	15	330
Shale, white	8	338
Shale, soft	27	365
Red rock	15	380
Limestone	70	450
Shale, white	42	492
Red rock	28	520
Limestone	15	535
Red rock	25	560
Limestone, hard	10	570
Sandstone	12	582
Red rock	28	620
Limestone, blue	5	625
Sandstone, hard	15	640
Red rock	56	696
Shale, hard	19	715
Red rock	25	740
Sandstone	15	755
Shale	10	765
Limestone	42	807
Red rock	23	830
Sandstone	12	842
Red rock	18	860
Limestone	10	870
Red rock	14	884
Sandstone	21	905
Limestone	10	915
Red rock	112	1,027
Sandstone	20	1,047
Shale, blue	2	1,049
Limestone	17	1,066
Red rock	64	1,130
Limestone	6	1,136
Red rock	14	1,150
Sandstone (salt water)	27	1,177
Shale	8	1,195
Limestone	23	1,218
Red rock	52	1,270
Limestone	30	1,300
Shale, brown	15	1,315
Limestone, hard	75	1,390
Shale, blue	5	1,395
Limestone and shale	5	1,400
Sandstone	76	1,476
Shale	69	1,545
Limestone, fossiliferous	25	1,570
Shale, white	30	1,600
Shale	30	1,630
Limestone, fossiliferous	76	1,706
Red rock	10	1,716
Shale	12	1,728
Limestone, hard	10	1,738
Shale, red	9	1,747
Red rock	3	1,750
Sand (water)	56	1,806
Limestone, sandy	6	1,812
Shale	6	1,818
Limestone	10	1,828
Sandstone	6	1,834
Shale	27	1,861
Shale, red	7	1,868
Shale, dark	32	1,900
Shale	5	1,905
Limestone, hard	43	1,948
Shale	5	1,953
Shells	15	1,968
Limestone, hard	20	1,988
Shale	4	1,992
Limestone	9	2,001
Shale, red	10	2,011
Sandstone (oil)	10	2,021
Limestone, dark	16	2,037
Limestone, fossils	1	2,038
Limestone, dark	52	2,090
Limestone, fossils	25	2,115
Shale, dark	1	2,116
Sandstone	15	2,131
Not recorded	4	2,135

Haskell County

Haskell county, in the southwestern part of the state, is entirely covered with Tertiary deposits, 20 to 100 feet or more in thickness. Benton shale of the Cretaceous underlies the Tertiary, and Dakota sandstone is encountered at no very great depth in several wells.

Lack of surface evidence of oil or gas, insufficient knowledge of the underground structure, and the present inaccessibility of the region preclude deep drilling in this county.

Hodgeman County

Throughout the larger portion of Hodgeman county Cretaceous rocks belonging to the Benton and Dakota formations are exposed at the surface. The uplands of the southwest and southeast are capped with Tertiary deposits. The Dakota sandstone, which outcrops on Pawnee river in the eastern portion of the county, was encountered at a depth of 186 feet near Jetmore. It is buried about 400 feet on the northwest. At present there is little prospect of oil and gas development in Hodgeman county.

Jackson County

Jackson county, in northeastern Kansas, lies almost entirely within the belt of outcrop of the Wabaunsee formation, the highest division of the Pennsylvanian in the state. The Burlingame limestone member, at the base of the Wabaunsee, appears in the extreme southeastern part of the county, in a prominent escarpment. The Scranton shale of the Shawnee formation lies beneath the Burlingame limestone. The lower members of the Wabaunsee formation appear in their order westward. The Willard shale member overlies the Burlingame limestone and is succeeded by the Emporia limestone, the Admire shale, and the Americus limestone members.

The strata of Jackson county dip slightly to the northwest, but the detailed structure has been examined only in part, the work being done by private enterprise. A covering of glacial debris obscures the rocks in many places, making geologic reconnaissance difficult. Although the depth to the Cherokee sand is not more than 2,000 to 2,400 feet in Jackson county, drilling is somewhat hazardous. No production is reported from the vicinity.

Jefferson County

The rocks of Jefferson county belong to the Upper Pennsylvanian, and for the greatest part to the Shawnee division. The Douglas formation, capped by the Oread limestone, appears along Kansas river in the southeastern part of the county, and in the extreme northwestern corner is a small area in which the Wabaunsee formation outcrops. The escarpment of the Burlingame limestone at the base of the Wabaunsee is a prominent topographic feature. Other limestone members form similar more or less well-defined benches.

No detailed examination of the structure of the rocks in Jefferson county had been made, although the possibility of oil and gas in the region has caused some little interest in testing. The horizon from which production possibly might come is 1,800 to 2,000 feet below the surface.

Record of well at Valley Falls. (Haworth and Bennett, 1908, pl. 102) Reported by E. B. Knerr.
Stratum				Thickness, feet	Depth, feet
			Soil	8	8
			Gravel	9	17
Pennsylvanian system—
	Shawnee formation:
		Severy shale
			Shale	17	34
			Limestone	3	37
			Sandstone	3	40
		Topeka limestone
			Limestone	16	56
			Limestone, white	12	68
		Calhoun shale
			Shale	22	90
		Deer Creek limestone
			Limestone	15	105
			Limestone, magnesian	3	108
			Limestone	12	120
			Shale, blue	5	125
			Limestone	10	135
		Tecumseh shale
			Shale	40	175
		Lecompton limestone
			Limestone	4	179
		Kanwaka shale
			Sandstone	8	187
			Shale and limestone	11	198
			Shale	5	203
	Douglas formation:
		Oread limestone
			Limestone	2	225
			Shale	7	232
			Limestone	10	242
		Lawrence shale
			Shale	19	261
			Shale, sandy	25	286
			Limestone, soft	7	293
			Shale	2	295
			Sandstone, soft	16	311
			Shale and limestone	29	340
			Sandstone (salt water)	42	382
		Iatan limestone
			Limestone, soft, light	2	384
		Weston shale
			Shale	7	391
			Sandstone	66	457
			Shale	1	458
			Sandstone, light	34	492
			Shale and limestone, flinty	6	498
			Shale, dark	2	500
	Lansing formation:
		Stanton limestone
			Limestone, hard	3	503
			Shale, dark	1	504
			Limestone	27	531
		Vilas shale
			Shale	9	540
		Plattsburg limestone
			Limestone, hard	23	563
		Lane shale
			Sandstone	9	572
			Shale	3	575
			Limestone	4	579
			Shale	10	589
			"Honeycomb" stone	3	592
	Kansas City formation:
		Iola limestone
			Limestone	22	614
			Limestone, shaly	3	617
			Shale	1	618
			Limestone	3	621
		Chanute shale
			Sandstone	11	632
			Shale, sandy	26	658
			Shale	5	663
			Sandstone	17	680
		Drum limestone
			Limestone, hard	15	695
			Shale	7	702
			Limestone	13	715
		Cherryvale shale
			Shale and sandstone	22	737
		Winterset limestone
			Limestone	9	746
			Shale	3	749
			Limestone	15	764
		Galesburg shale (?)
			Shale, dark	4	768
		Bethany Falls limestone
			Limestone	8	776
		Ladore shale
			Shale	5	781
			Coal, and shale	4	785
			Shale	2	787
		Hertha limestone
			Limestone	18	805
			Shale	5	810
			Limestone	3	813
	Marmaton formation:
		Pleasanton shale (?)
			Shale, dark	8	821
			Shale and limestone	27	848
			Shale	7	855
		Altamont limestone
			Limestone	13	868
		Bandera shale
			Shale	5	873
			Sandstone	31	904
			Shale, sandy	14	918
		Pawnee limestone
			Limestone, hard	5	923
			Shale	20	943
			Limestone	4	947
		Labette shale
			Shale, dark	5	952
			Shale, coal and limestone	17	969
		Fort Scott limestone
			Limestone	9	978
	Cherokee shale:
			Shale	15	993
			Coal	1	994
			Shale	92	1,086
			Sandstone, blue	3	1,089
			Shale, sandstone, and coal	12	1,101
			Shale	21	1,122
			Sandstone	11	1,133
			Shale	7	1,140
			Sandstone	5	1,145
			Shale and coal	7	1,152
			Sandstone	21	1,173

Jewell County

The high ridges in the northwestern part of the Jewell county shales of the Cretaceous system occupy the lower land. The Dakota sandstone, which outcrops in the Republican and Solomon valleys, underlies the entire county.

The strata are nearly level or dip slightly to the northwest. In the northwestern part of the county the Dakota lies about 700 to 800 feet below the surface. The reported occurrence of very light gravity oil in the Cretaceous strata of neighboring counties has roused interest in the possible existence of oil or gas in Jewell county. Test wells have been planned.

Johnson County

The surface rocks of Johnson county belong to the middle portion of the Pennsylvanian system. Limestones and interbedded shales of the Lansing formation, and locally the uppermost beds of the subjacent Kansas City formation, appear along streams. In the south, east and north parts of the county the Stanton limestone at the top of the Lansing formation forms a very prominent escarpment. The uplands in the central part of the county and southwestward from Olathe are. occupied by lower shaly member of the Douglas formation.

The structure of the rocks in Johnson county has not been examined in detail, but anticlines have been located in some places. On account of the nearness of Johnson county to Kansas City, there has been much interest in the possible oil or gas resources of this district. Test wells which have been drilled indicate the depth to the sandy beds of the Cherokee formation, the oil- and gas-bearing reservoirs of the fields to the southwest, about 200 to 1,200 feet. Some gas wells have been brought in and a few oil wells yielding 5 to 25 barrels per day have been reported, but to date there has been no large production from Johnson county.

Record of well at Olathe. (Haworth and Bennett, 1908, pl. 85)
Stratum				Thickness, feet	Depth, feet
			Soil	11	11
Pennsylvanian system—
	Lansing formation:
		Stanton limestone
			Sandstone	2	13
			Limestone	6	19
			Shale	7	26
			Limestone	6	32
		Vilas shale
			Shale	11	43
		Plattsburg limestone
			Limestone	15	58
		Lane shale
			Shale	14	72
			Sandstone	7	79
	Kansas City formation:
		Iola limestone
			Limestone	35	114
		Cherryvale shale
			Shale	62	176
		Winterset limestone
			Limestone	17	193
		Galesburg shale
			Shale	14	207
		Bethany Falls limestone
			Limestone	9	216
		Ladore shale
			Shale	3	219
		Hertha limestone
			Limestone	8	227
	Marmaton formation:
			Shale	42	269
			Sandstone	32	301
			Shale	5	306
			Limestone	23	329
	Cherokee shale:
			Shale	7	336
			Sandstone	4	340
			Shale	14	354
			Sandstone	7	361
			Shale	20	381
			Shale, sandy	2	383
			Shale	82	465
			Sandstone	7	472
			Shale, hard	3	475
			Shale, red	34	509
			Sandstone	21	530
			Shale	25	555
			Sandstone	5	560
			Shale	17	577
			Sandstone	6	583
			Shale, black	2	585
			Shale	15	600

Kearny County

Except for exposures of Benton shales of the Cretaceous west of Lakin, and the alluvium along Arkansas river, the entire area of Kearny county is covered by Tertiary deposits. Dakota sandstone lies at a depth of about 300 feet in the valley of the Arkansas.

The strata dip in a northerly direction. The detailed structure is not known, but under present conditions this is not a suitable area for tests.

Kingman County

The largest part of Kingman county, including all of the east and central portions, is occupied by red beds of the Upper Permian. These rocks, the Cimarron group, consist of red shale and sandstone with interbedded gypsum and salt, and in the main lack any well-defined stratigraphic markers by which their structure can be determined accurately. The western portion of Kingman county is covered by the Tertiary deposits, which conceal the Permian strata.

A deep test well drilled at Kingman in 1889 gives the only positive information available concerning the underground conditions in the county. The log of this well follows:

Record of well at Kingman. (Haworth, 1898b, p. 91.) Reported by county surveyor. Elevation at well, 1,500 feet A. T.
Stratum				Thickness, feet	Depth, feet
Permian system—
		Enid formation:
			Red rock	100	100
			Shale, blue-white	20	120
			Red rock	175	295
			Gypsum, blue	10	305
			Red rock, with some gypsum	145	450
	Wellington formation:
			Shale, blue	135	585
			Shale, soft, brown	5	590
			Shale, blue	70	660
			Rock, hard, blue	5	665
			Salt and shale	165	830
			Limestone	5	835
			Salt and shale	165	1,000
			Limestone	5	1,005
			Salt and shale	23	1,028
			Limestone, white	8	1,036
			Shale, oily	9	1,045
			Limestone, white, and shale	16	1,061
			Shale, blue	4	1,065
			Limestone, flinty	5	1,070
			Salt, shale and limestone	10	1,080
		Marion formation:
			Limestone	15	1,095
			Limestone and shale	30	1,125
			Limestone	35	1,160
			Shale	5	1,165
			Limestone	5	1,170
			Shale	15	1,185
			Limestone	12	1,197
			Shale	13	1,210
			Limestone	10	1,220
			Sandstone and shale, (oil)	5	1,225
			Shale and limestone	10	1,235
			Shale	5	1,240
			Limestone	3	1,243
			Sandstone	12	1,255
			Shale and sandstone	30	1,280
			Shale, blue	5	1,290
			Shale	5	1,295
			Shale,red	9	1,304
			Sandstone	6	1,310
			Shale, sandy	10	1,320
			Sandstone, buff	8	1,328
			Shale	6	1,346
			Sandstone, brown	24	1,370
			Shale, sandy	5	1,375
			Shale, buff	30	1,410

Kiowa County

Most of Kiowa county is covered by Tertiary deposits, alluvium and sand hills, but throughout the larger portion of the county the Dakota sandstone is at no great distance from the surface. Owing to erosion of its surface the Dakota thins rapidly to the southeast, and it does not appear above the underlying Comanchean sandstones exposed in the southeastern part of the county. The Comanchean, consisting of not more than 275 feet of sandy shale and sandstone, outcrops in a rather small area along Medicine Lodge river and its tributaries. To what distance it extends to the northwest beneath the overlying beds is not known, as there has been little drilling in the county. Red sandstone and shale belonging to the Woodward formation of the Upper Permian appear in the extreme southeastern corner of Kiowa county.

Because of lack of detailed knowledge concerning the rock structure of the county and the probable great depth to possibly producing strata, prospecting in Kiowa county is not recommended.

Labette County

The rocks of Labette county belong to the lower part of the Pennsylvanian system. The formations represented are the Cherokee, which covers the eastern portion of the county, the Marmaton, which covers the central portion, and the lower portion of the Kansas City, which outcrops in the northwest. The general strike of the outcrops is from northeast to southwest and the dip is to the west. The geologic map accompanying (Plate XXXV) shows the distribution of the formations.

There has been considerable production of natural gas in Labette county for many years and recently oil has been found. One well at the north edge of the town of Mound Valley was drilled about thirty-four years ago and still yields gas. The oil- and gas-containing strata belong chiefly to the Cherokee formation. Where this division appears at the surface in the east part of the county the covering is too thin and no production of importance has been discovered. Drilling in this area is not recommended. Farther west, however, where proper structural conditions are encountered, there are prospects of obtaining either oil or gas, in some cases both. The chief producing area in the county is situated west and northwest of Mound Valley, extending toward Cherryvale. This district is almost entirely a gas field. The wells have very good production considering the shallow depth of the gas sand. The average depth of the producing sands, as shown upon the accompanying table, is about 600 to 700 feet. The chief oil-producing territory in Labette county lies southwest of Mound Valley. Here a number of good wells have been brought in recently and a considerable number are now drilling. A small oil field is also being developed in a shallow sand southeast of Mound Valley. Near Oswego there is much interest in showings of oil which have been obtained in some wells.

New wells completed in Labette county, 1904 to 1915, inclusive. Data compiled from Mineral Resources of the United States, U. S. Geol. Survey
Year	Oil	Gas	Dry	Total
1904	31		1	32
1905			1	1
1906	1	3		4
1907
1908
1909		8	3	11
1910	1	2		3
1911		1		1
1912	2			2
1913		3		3
1914	8	28	18	54
1915	19	7	3	29

Total and average initial daily production of new wells in Labette county, 1912 to 1915, inclusive, by barrels.
Year	Total initial production, in barrels	Average per well, in barrels
1912	15	7.5
1913
1914	32	4.0
1915	105	5.5

Record of Mortimer well No. 4, at Parsons, T. 31 S., R. 19 E.
Stratum				Thickness, feet	Depth, feet
			Soil	20	20
Pennsylvanian system—
	Kansas City formation:
		Ladore shale
			Shale	17	37
		Hertha limestone
			Limestone	38	75
	Marmaton formation:
		Pleasanton shale
			Shale, white	40	115
			Limestone	10	125
			Shale, black	28	153
			Shale, white	15	168
			Sandstone	13	181
			Black shells	5	186
		Coffeyville limestone (?)
			Limestone	50	236
			Black shells	5	241
		Altamont limestone (?)
			Limestone	19	260
		Bandera shale
			Sandstone	15	275
			Shale, white	40	315
		Pawnee limestone
			Limestone	55	370
		Labette shale
			Shale	25	395
		Fort Scott limestone
			Limestone	60	455
	Cherokee shale:
			Shale, black	41	496
			Sandstone	69	565
			Shale	15	580
			Sandstone	10	590
			Shale	15	605
			Sandstone	63	668
			Shale	32	700
			Sandstone	20	720
			Shale	15	735
			Sandstone	65	800
			Shale, black	50	850
			Sandstone	50	900
			Shale, black	35	935
	Mississippian limestone:
			Flint and limestone	72	1,007

Record of well at Mound Valley. (Haworth and Bennett, 1908, pl. 91) Reported by L. P. Crossman, Joplin, Mo.
Stratum				Thickness, feet	Depth, feet
			Soil
Pennsylvanian system—
	Marmaton formation:
		Coffeyville limestone
			Limestone	12	14
			Shale	8	22
			Limestone	13	35
		Walnut shale
			Shale	12	47
		Altamont limestone
			Limestone	16	63
		Bandera shale
			Shale	3	66
			Sandstone	1	67
			Shale	4	71
			Sandstone	3	74
			Shale	100	174
		Pawnee limestone
			Limestone, 4 inches
			Shale, 8 inches		175
			Limestone	26	201
			Shale	17	218
			Limestone	15	233
		Labette shale
			Shale	44	277
		Fort Scott limestone
			Limestone	20	297
			Shale	5	302
			Limestone	19	321
			Shale	5	326
			Limestone	10	336
	Cherokee shale:
			Shale, black	10	346
			Shale	36	382
			Sandstone	7	389
			Shale	8	397
			Conglomerate	1	398
			Shale	42	440
			Shale, black	2	442
			Sandstone	5	447
			Shale	51	498
			Shale	14	512
			Shale	8	520
			Coal	1	521
			Shale	22	543
			Sandstone	7	550
			Shale	72	622
			Sandstone	15	637
			Shale	34	671
			Sandstone	4	675
			Shale, light	7	682
			Shale, black	7	689
			Shale, white	7	696
			Shale, black	7	703
			Shale	20	723
			Shale, black	7	730
			Shale, white	5	735
			Shale, black	28	763

Lane County

The larger portion of Lane county is covered by Tertiary deposits of considerable thickness, which lie upon the Niobrara chalk. The Niobrara is exposed in the deeper valleys of the north and east parts of the county. The Dakota sandstone lies at a depth of about 500 feet in the southeastern corner of Lane county and about 700 feet in the northwestern corner. The beds dip very gently to the north and the land rises gradually westward.

Very little is known concerning the detailed structure of the region, and unless oil or gas are found in more favorably situated districts near Lane county, this is not a desirable area.

Leavenworth County

The strata which appear at the surface in Leavenworth county are Upper Pennsylvanian in age. The extreme southern part of the county along the Kansas river valley is occupied by the Lansing formation, but the major part is occupied by the succeeding Douglas formation. The lower beds of the Shawnee formation outcrop in the west and northwest portions of the county. Escarpments formed by the Stanton and Oread limestones are the most striking topographic features in the region. Some drilling has been done in the southern part of the county and a few gas wells with fair production have been brought in recently near Linwood. A recent folio (Hinds and Greene, 1917) of the United States Geological Survey affords an admirable geologic and structural map of the vicinity of Leavenworth.

Record of well at Leavenworth, T. 9 S., R. 23 E. (Hinds and Greene, 1917.)
Stratum				Thickness, feet	Depth, feet
			Loam and clay	20	20
Carboniferous system—
	Pennsylvanian series:
			Shale and limestone, some sandstone	700	720
			Coal (Bevier)	2	722
			Clay and shale	25	747
			Coal	2	749
			Shale and sandstone, some clay	239	988
			Coal	2	990
			Shale and sandstone, some clay	185	1,175
	Mississippian series:
		Keokuk and Burlington limestones
			Reported as "hard, white sandrock," probably limestone of Mississippian age)	375	1,550
		Kinderhook group
			Limestone, brown	20	1,570
			"Iron pyrites"	5	1,575
			Shale, white	75	1,650
			Limestone, brown	30	1,680
	Ordovician system:
		Joachim (?) limestone
			Limestone, light gray	30	1,710
		St. Peter sandstone
			Sandstone, gray, hard	102	1,812
			Sandstone, "sharp" soft	18	1,830
			"Pebble sandrock," white	40	1,870
	Ordovician and Cambrian systems:
			"Rock," white, hard (limestone?)	50	1,920
			Sandstone, blue to white, soft	90	2,010
			Limestone	106	2,116

Lincoln County

In the valley of the Saline river and along the eastern side of the county the Dakota sandstone is exposed, and the higher lands are capped by a few hundred feet of Benton shale.

Conditions somewhat similar to those in Smith county have been observed in Lincoln county and in the neighboring districts. Oily scums have been noted upon the surface of the water in wells and on the water in creeks, but until recently have caused little excitement. With the greatly increased interest in oil development which prevails all over the state these oil seepages have been studied carefully, and some of the wells have received considerable attention in the technical journals and daily press. A typical seepage is found in the Herrens well, near Lincoln. According to reports, an oily scum has been observed upon the surface of the water in this well for a long time, but little comment was excited. Recently it was found that the oil which gathered on the water was of sufficiently high grade to be used as fuel for an automobile motor. It is reported that farmers came to the well and drew the oil from the surface for use in their machines. The oil appears to have the composition of a gasoline, but not more than 25 to 30 gallons a day could be drawn off. A sample said to have been taken from the Herrens well was sent to the Survey office some time ago. The upper half of the bottle was filled with clear, colorless gasoline; the rest of the material was rather muddy water. The gasoline had every indication of a refinery product, and it seems doubtful that it could have come from a natural seepage.

The interest in these wells, in which high-grade oils are reported to gather upon the surface, is great, and has caused a large amount of leasing in the district. Up to the present time practically no production has been recorded from this county.

Linn County

Linn county is located on the east border of the state in the lower part of the Pennsylvanian belt. The eastern portion of the county is occupied by the Marmaton formation and the western by the Kansas City formation, which lies upon the Marmaton. In the northwestern corner of the county the Lansing formation is present above the Kansas City formation, and the lower part of the Douglas, rests on the Lansing formation. The Iola limestone and the Stanton limestone form the most striking escarpments in the county. The limestone members of these formations form more or less well-defined escarpments, those of the Iola and Stanton limestone members being the most striking. The shale members usually form gentle slopes and occupy valleys.

The limestone and shale strata dip gently to the west, but there are local irregularities which may be of importance in the accumulation of oil and gas. Some geologic examination under private auspices has been done. Production of oil and gas in Linn county is limited almost entirely to scattered test wells. Several of these are located in the vicinity of Mound City in the south central part of the county, and a few in the northeastern corner, near La Cygne. The production from these wells is small. The following record of the producing sands in Linn county shows the shallowness of the wells:

Record of producing sands in Linn county
Location			Depth to producing sand, feet	Thickness penetrated, feet	Initial production
Sec.	Twp.	Range
3 miles southwest of La Cygne			625	25	Oil, 15 bbls.
McNabb Farm			600	34
5	22	24	328	22	Gas.
14	22	23	468	15	Oil, showing.
2 miles north of Mound City			400		Oil, 35 bbls.

Record of well at Pleasanton, Sec. 25, T. 21 S., R. 24 E.
Stratum				Thickness, feet	Depth, feet
			Soil	4	4
Pennsylvanian system—
	Marmaton formation:
		Pleasanton shale
			Shale and shells	38	42
			Sandstone	5	47
			Shale, white	44	91
			Coal	3	94
		Coffeyvil1e limestone
			Limestone	17	111
		Walnut shale
			Shale, white	15	126
		Altamont limestone
			Limestone	6	132
		Bandera shale
			Shale, black	40	172
		Pawnee limestone
			Limestone	17	189
		Labette shale
			Coal	3	192
			Shale, black	10	202
		Fort Scott limestone
			Limestone	12	214
	Cherokee shale:
			Shale, slaty, fossils	74	288
			Shale and sandstone	20	308
			Sandstone	8	316
			Shale, black	22	338
			Shale	10	348
			Sandstone, brown	5	353
			Shale, white	5	358
			Shale, black	40	398
			Sandstone, black	26	424
			Sandstone, white	20	444
			Shale, white	95	539
			Shale, black	117	656
			Limestone, sandy	39	686
			Sandstone	6	692
			Shale and sandstone	65	757

Logan County

The surface rocks of Logan county belong to the Cretaceous and Tertiary systems. In the valley of Smoky Hill river there are extensive exposures of Pierre shale and Niobrara chalk. The high plains to the north and south are covered by Tertiary deposits. The Dakota sandstone underlies the county at a depth of 800 to 1,000 feet in the southeastern part, and 1,000 to 1,500 feet in the northwest. The beds dip gently to the north. Several deep holes have been drilled, but none of them have reached the Dakota sandstone. The detailed structure of the rocks is not known, but from present indications Logan county is not likely to produce oil or gas.

Lyon County

Lyon county lies chiefly within the belt of Upper Pennsylvanian outcrop. The upper portion of the Shawnee formation outcrops in the southeastern part of the county, the Wabaunsee formation occupying the remainder of the county. In the extreme northwestern corner there is a small area of Permian strata. The Burlingame limestone at the base of the Wabaunsee formation forms a rather prominent escarpment across southeastern Lyon county, the Cottonwood and Wreford limestones at the base of the Permian forming a prominent bench in the northwestern corner of the county. [A geologic map and account of the geology of Lyon county is published by A. J. Smith (1903).]

A considerable amount of development work is in progress in Lyon county, but no production of importance has yet been recorded. Several wells near Emporia have been abandoned as dry holes at depths of 1,989 to 2,245 feet.

Record of well at Emporia. (Reported by A. J. Smith.)
Stratum				Thickness, feet	Depth, feet
			Soil	3	3
Pennsylvanian system—
	Wabaunsee formation:
		Willard shale
			Clay, light	22	25
			Not reported	5	30
			Limestone, blue	2	32
			Shale	4	36
			Limestone, blue	3	39
			Shale	14	53
			Limestone	7	60
			Shale	12	72
		Burlingame limestone
			Limestone	26	98
	Shawnee formation:
		Scranton and Severy shale
			Shale, blue	42	140
			Limestone	5	145
			Shale	16	161
			Limestone	2	163
			Sandstone	10	173
			Shale	2	175
			Sandstone, micaceous	15	190
			Shale, sandy, brown	67	257
			Limestone, and shale black	7	264
			Coal and fire clay	1	265
			Shale, sandy	26	291
			Sandstone	10	301
			Shale, sandy, (salt water)	39	340
		Topeka limestone
			Limestone	25	365
		Calhoun shale
			Shale	16	381
			Limestone	8	389
			Shale, brown	30	419
		Deer Creek limestone
			Limestone, dark, fossils	7	426
			Shale, black, bituminous	5	431
			Limestone, white	4	435
			Shale	5	440
			Limestone, (Fusulina)	10	450
		Tecumseh shale
			Shale, green	17	467
			Limestone, fossils	5	472
			Shale, dark	20	492
		Lecompton limestone
			Limestone, blue	15	507
			Shale	8	515
			Limestone	15	530
		Kanwaka shale
			Shale	16	546
			Limestone	4	550
			Shale, calcareous	6	556
			Sandstone	5	561
			Shale, sandy	10	571
			Limestone, fossiliferous	4	575
			Shale, dark, calcareous	4	579
			Sandstone	22	601
			Shale, blue	14	615
	Douglas formation:
		Oread limestone
			Limestone with calcite crystals	41	656
			Shale, black	6	662
			Limestone, soft white	9	671
		Lawrence shale
			Shale, slaty	18	689
			Coal	1	690
			Sandstone, hard	19	709
			Shale, slaty	3	712
			Coal	2	714
			Fire clay	1	715
			Sandstone	20	735
			Shale, sandy	65	800
		Iatan limestone
			Limestone, blue	5	805
		Weston shale
			Shale, sandy	15	820
			Sandstone and limestone	13	833
			Shale	9	842
			Sandstone	64	906
			Shale, sandy	38	944
			Limestone, white, crystalline	6	950
			Sandstone	18	968
	Lansing formation:
			Limestone, white, soft	17	985
			Limestone, white, hard	8	993
			Shale, soft (water)	5	998
			Limestone	19	1,017
			Shale	6	1,023
			Limestone, white	31	1,054
			Shale	10	1,064
			Limestone	40	1,104
			Shale, argillaceous	3	1,107
	Kansas City formation:
			Limestone, white, crystalline	18	1,125
			Limestone, blue	64	1,189
			Limestone, white	19	1,208
			Shale, slaty	17	1,225
			Limestone, white	5	1,230
			Shale, green	8	1,238
			Shale, red and brown	8	1,246
			Limestone, fossiliferous	16	1,262
			Shale, black, slaty	3	1,265
			Limestone, brown and white	45	1,310
			Shale, black, bituminous	4	1,314
			Limestone, pinkish oolite (salt water)	35	1,349
			Shale, black, bituminous	5	1,354
			Limestone, hard	3	1,357
			Shale	2	1,359
			Limestone	17	1,376
	Marmaton formation:
		Pleasanton and Walnut shale
			Shale	11	1,387
			Sandstone	33	1,420
			Shale, argillaceous	4	1,424
			Sandstone	26	1,450
			Shale	38	1,488
		Altamont limestone
			Limestone, gray, fossiliferous, flinty	16	1,504
		Bandera shale
			Sandstone, gray	3	1,507
			Pawnee limestone	18	1,525
			Limestone, dark	11	1,536
		Labette shale
			Shale, black and sandy	24	1,560
		Fort Scott Limestone
			Limestone	15	1,575
			Shale, slaty	4	1,579
			Limestone, brown	16	1,595
	Cherokee shale:
			Shale, black, bituminous	19	1,614
			Shale light, brown	13	1,627
			Limestone, dark	5	1,632
			Shale, slaty	12	1,644
			Sandstone	26	1,670
			Shale, brown, sandy	25	1,695
			Shale, slaty	20	1,715
			Shale, sandy, calcareous	5	1,720
			Shale, brown, sandy	33	1,753
			Sandstone	5	1,758
			Shale, black, bituminous, coal	4	1,762
			Shale, sandy	7	1,769
			Shale	16	1,785
			Sandstone	5	1,790
			Shale	15	1,805
			Limestone, hard, dark	1	1,806
			Shale	12	1,818
			Limestone	3	1,821
			Shale, black, slaty	6	1,827
			Shale, dark gray, sandy	121	1,948
			Shale	3	1,951
Mississippian system—
			Limestone, hard, flinty

McPherson County

The rocks of McPherson county, like those of Saline county to the north, belong to the Upper Permian and Dakota Cretaceous. The Permian strata include the Wellington and Marion formations. The Dakota sandstone overlies the Permian and occupies the largest area along the northern and northwestern borders of the county. In several places beds of possible Comanchean age are found between the Dakota sandstone and the Wellington shales. The south central portion of the county is occupied by an alluvial deposit of Tertiary age called the McPherson formation. It obscures the structure of the underlying strata in this region.

In general the strata of McPherson county are almost flat-lying, but there is a slight dip to the west. This, in conjunction with the westward rise of the land, brings higher and younger. formations to the surface in the west. Oil 'and gas may be found by tests of suitable geologic structures in the county, but it is not probable that these materials will be discovered in quantity. Drilling has been reported near Lindsborg, but no production is recorded.

Record of well at McPherson, T, 19 S., R. 8 W.
Stratum	Thickness, feet	Depth, feet
Soil and clay	75	75
Sand, gravel	65	140
Shale, gray	60	200
Limestone, sandy	5	205
Shale, black	30	235
Red rock	5	240
Shale, black	80	320
Limestone, sandy	5	325
Shale, black	65	390
Rock salt	1	391
Shale with silt	4	395
Shale, black	25	420
Shale and salt	20	440
Rock salt	105	545
Shale, black	35	580
Shale, calcareous	15	595
Shale, black	90	685
Limestone, white	35	720
Shale, black	80	800
Shale, calcareous	25	825
Shale, black	30	855
Limestone, white	50	905
Shale, black	10	915
Shale, calcareous	35	950
Limestone, white	30	980
Sandstone, brown	25	1,005
Limestone, white	25	1,030
Shale, black	20	1,050
Limestone, white	50	1,100
Red rock	5	1,105
Limestone, gray	95	1,200
Shale, calcareous	40	1,240
Shale, black	20	1,260
Limestone, white	15	1,275
Shale, black	195	1,570
Red rock	5	1,575
Shale, black, slaty	25	1,600
Shale, gray, calcareous	5	1,605
Shale, black	15	1,620
Red rock	10	1,630
Shale, black	45	1,675
Shale, white, slaty	5	1,680
Limestone, white	10	1,690
Shale, black	50	1,740
Limestone, white	15	1,755
Shale, black	65	1,820
Red rock	10	1,830
Shale, black	40	1,870
Sandstone	20	1,890
Shale, gray, sandy	40	1,930
Shale, calcareous	10	1,940
Shale, black, dark gray	80	2,020
Shale, calcareous	60	2,080
Sandstone, salt	45	2,125
Shale, calcareous	10	2,135
Sandstone, dark gray	10	2,145
Shale, calcareous	15	2,160
Sandstone, gray	10	2,170
Sandstone, dark	10	2,180
Shale, black, slaty	10	2,190
Sandstone, dark gray	30	2,220
Limestone	7	2,227

Marion County

Permian strata of the Marion and Wellington formations are found at the surface over nearly all of Marion county. Lower beds of the Permian, including the flinty divisions of the Chase formation, are found in the east part of the county on either side of Cottonwood river.

The geologic conditions in Marion county are in the main similar to those of Butler county on the south, but thus far no satisfactory production has been recorded, although some wells have been drilled and others are now in progress of drilling. The structure of the rocks in the county has not been examined in detail. [Geologic subdivisions of the Marion formation have been mapped in Marion county by Dr. J. W. Beede: Kan. Acad. Sci., Trans., vol, XV.]

Record of well on John Mehl farm, Sec. 11, T. 20 S., R. 4 E., Southeast of Marion.
Stratum	Thickness, feet	Depth, feet
Soil	5	5
Limestone	18	23
Shale	55	78
Limestone	12	90
Shale	13	103
Limestone	25	128
Shale, black	4	132
Limestone	62	194
Shale, black	9	203
Limestone	12	215
Shale	8	223
Limestone	10	233
Shale	10	243
Limestone	20	263
Shale	10	273
Limestone	68	341
Shale	30	371
Limestone	15	386
Shale	10	396
Limestone	20	316
Shale	15	331
Limestone	30	361
Shale	20	381
Limestone	50	431
Shale	15	446
Limestone	15	461
Shale	30	491
Limestone	15	506
Shale	110	616
Limestone	25	641
Shale	60	701
Sandstone	30	731
Shale	20	751
Limestone	30	781
Shale	70	851
Limestone	20	871
Shale	10	881
Limestone	50	931
Shale	65	996
Limestone	10	1,006
Shale	45	1,051
Limestone	25	1,076
Shale	55	1,131
Limestone	90	1,221
Shale	20	1,241
Limestone	20	1,261
Shale	10	1,271
Limestone	25	1,296
Shale	25	1,321
Limestone	15	1,336
Shale	25	1,361
Limestone	20	1,381
Shale	50	1,431
Limestone	50	1,481
Shale	90	1,571
Sandstone (water)	40	1,611
Shale	10	1,621
Limestone	15	1,646
Shale	75	1,721
Limestone	125	1,846
Shale	8	1,854
Limestone	72	1,926
Shale	10	1,936
Limestone	35	1,971
Sandstone	8	1,979
Limestone	90	2,069
Shale	70	2,139
Limestone	15	2,154
Shale	60	2,214
Limestone	75	2,289
Shale	170	2,459
Sandstone	25	2,481
Limestone	15	2,499
Sandstone	25	2,524
Limestone	55	2,579
Sandstone	30	2,609
Shale	20	2,629
Sandstone	20	2,649
Limestone	15	2,664

Marshall County

Marshall county, on the north line of the state, contains strata of the Upper Pennsylvanian and Lower Permian. The eastern half of the county is occupied by the Wabaunsee formation, the western by equivalents of the Chase, Council Grove and Marion formations. The escarpment formed by the Cottonwood and Wreford limestones, which extends north and south across the central part of the county, is most prominent.

No development work has been reported in Marshall county. An irregular deposit of glacial drift obscures the rocks in parts of the county, and no detailed examination of the region with regard to possible oil or gas has been made. Should the proper conditions be found, it is possible that oil or gas might be discovered. Under present conditions, however, drilling is rather hazardous.

Record of well at Marysville, Sec. 28, T. 2 S., R. 7 E.
Stratum	Thickness, feet	Depth, feet
Soil	5	5
Sandstone	4	9
Shale	92	101
Limestone	12	113
Shale	40	153
Limestone	2	155
Shale	7	162
Limestone	10	172
Shale	40	212
Limestone	5	217
Shale	8	225
Limestone	4	229
Shale	12	241
Limestone	6	247
Shale	29	276
Limestone	5	281
Shale, red	15	296
Limestone	26	322
Shale	15	337
Limestone	97	434
Shale	18	452
Sandstone	35	487
Shale	20	507
Limestone	32	539
Shale	35	574
Limestone	38	612
Shale	67	679
Limestone	45	724
Shale	58	782
Limestone	35	817
Shale	15	832
Limestone	42	874
Shale	8	882
Sandstone	64	946
Limestone	20	966
Sandstone	21	987
Shale	75	1,062
Limestone	42	1,104
Shale	17	1,121
Limestone	32	1,153
Sandstone	16	1,169
Limestone	66	1,235
Shale	8	1,243
Limestone	21	1,264
Shale	22	1,286
Limestone	19	1,305
Sandstone	20	1,325
Limestone	35	1,360
Shale	10	1,370
Limestone	20	1,390
Shale	12	1,402
Shale, limestone, sandstone	60	1,462
Shale	20	1,482
Sandstone	45	1,532
Limestone	22	1,554
Shale	25	1,579
Limestone	35	1,614
Shale	18	1,632
Sandstone	12	1,644

Meade County

Tertiary and later deposits cover most of the surface of Meade county, but beds of the Comanchean, 50 to 150 feet thick, and the uppermost strata of the Permian red beds outcrop on Crooked creek and tributaries of the Cimarron in the southeastern part. The northwest part of the county is underlain by the Dakota sandstone, but it is apparently absent in the eastern and southeastern part. So little is known concerning the structure of the rocks underlying Meade county, and so great is the depth to horizons likely to contain oil and gas, that this region offers very little inducement to the prospector.

Miami County

The surface rocks of Miami county, like counties to the southwest which are important oil and gas producers, belong to the middle portion of the Pennsylvanian. The upper members of the Marmaton formation are exposed in some of the river valleys in the southeast corner of the county, and the Kansas City and Lansing formations occupy all the eastern and central portion.

To the northwest the Douglas formation appears. The geologic map accompanying this report shows the different formations in Miami county and their surface distribution.

The general dip of the rocks in this region is to the northwest, but careful observation shows that in some places the rocks are horizontal or that there is a slight inclination in an opposite direction. Such localities it is desirable to test. The first oil and gas well in Kansas was drilled in Miami county, but recent production has been much the most important in the history of the field. The producing districts of Miami county lie to the west, northwest and southwest of Paola. They are practically continuous with the producing tracts of Franklin county on the west. Miami county is the northeastern-most extremity of the well developed Kansas oil and gas field, and as production spreads to the north and northeast it is followed with much interest. The oil and gas sands are found partly in the Marmaton formation, but chiefly in the Cherokee shale. The depth to the producing sands in various parts of the district is shown in the following record, the wells from Miami county being included with those from Franklin county.

Record of producing sands in Franklin and Miami counties
Location			Depth to producing sand, feet	Thickness penetrated, feet	Initial production
Sec.	Twp.	Range
8	15	21	766	28
8	15	21	720	28	Oil, 20 bbls.
27	15	21	700		Oil, 20 bbls.
	16	19	430	55	Gas.
	16	19	668	9	Gas.
			665	57	Gas.
			1803	15	Oil.
Ottawa			935	10	Oil and gas.
	16	19	670	58	Oil and water.
13	16	20			Oil, 10 bbls.
9	16	21			Oil, 25 bbls.
19	16	21			Oil, 3 bbls.
18	16	21	748	10	Oil, 20 bbls.
	16	21	718	12
18	16	21	771	18	Oil, 40 bbls.
18	16	21	718	12
4	16	21			Oil, 30 bbls.
20	16	21			Oil, 40 bbls.
17	16	21			Oil, 70 bbls.
16	16	21	652	40	Oil, 15 bbls.
27	16	21	642	36
29	16	21	650		Oil, 20 bbls.
27	16	21	621	14
34	16	21	525		Oil, 10 bbls.
35	16	21
22	16	21	700
13	16	22	366	7	Oil, 10 bbls.
22	16	22	356	14	Oil, 10 bbls.
17	16	22	650	30
13	16	22	346	18	Oil, 8 bbls.
22	16	22	340	20
31	16	22	650	49	Oil, 100 bbls.
5	16	23	300	30	Oil, 25 bbls.
33	16	23	300		Oil, 40 bbls.
28	17	21	600		Gas, 1,000,000 cu. ft.
15	17	21			Oil, 100 bbls.
5	17	22	685	35	Oil, 150 bbls.
4	17	22	308	18	Oil, 15 bbls.
5	17	22	712	25
5	17	22	720	35	Oil, 100 bbls.
5	17	22	660	48	Oil, 200 bbls.
4	17	22	290	35	Oil, 30 bbls.
5	17	22	692	40	Oil, 100 bbls.
6	17	22	650	48	Oil, 200 bbls.
6	17	22	632	49	Oil, 40 bbls.
6	17	22	685	40	Oil, 100 bbls.
8	17	22	705	32	Oil, 100 bbls.
9	17	22	680	35	Oil, 100 bbls.
9	17	22	665	45	Oil, 75 bbls.
9	17	22	616	90	Oil, 150 bbls.
16	17	22	385	20	Oil, 10 bbls.
16	17	22	400	30	Oil, 25 bbls.
16	17	22	434	30	Oil, 25 bbls.
22	17	22	330	22	Oil, 75 bbls.
20	17	22	660	21	Oil, 20 bbls.
27	17	22	352	14	Oil, 10 bbls.
31	17	22	600	50	Oil, 200 bbls.
35	17	22	506	12	Oil, 10 bbls.
31	17	22	641	63	Oil, 200 bbls.
4	17	23	286	22	Oil, 75 bbls.
4	17	23	310	24	Oil, 100 bbls.
4	17	23	300	24	Oil, 40 bbls.
5	17	23	713	22	Oil, 100 bbls.
5	17	23	690	41	Oil, 150 bbls.
9	17	23	178	30	Gas, 500,000 cu. ft.
16	17	23	298	18	Oil, 8 bbls.
16	17	23	420	44	Oil, 24 bbls.
24	17	24			Gas, 250,000 cu. ft.
13	18	20	672	12	Oil.
12	18	20	690		Gas, 1,000,000 cu. ft.
34	18	21	610	10	Gas.
			850	35	Water.
15	19	22	375	10
16	19	22	479	10	Oil, 10 bbls.
1 1/2 miles south of Rantoul			700	12	Gas, 2,000,000 cu. ft.
Northwest of Ottawa			1,150	35	Gas, 2,000,000 cu. ft.
Northeast of Ottawa			760	5	Oil, 10 bbls.
6 miles southwest of Wellsville			660	43	Oil, 75 bbls.
12 miles south of Wellsville			510	38	Oil, 60 bbls.
16 miles northwest of Paola			748	10	Oil, 20 bbls.

Wells drilled and acreage held in Miami county, 1909 to 1916, inclusive. Data from Mineral Resources of the United States, U. S. Geol. Survey.
Year	Wells				Acreage
	Wells productive Jan. 1	New wells completed		Abandoned	Fee	Lease	Total
		Oil	Dry
1909	38			4			1,065
1910	34			1	3	371	374
1911	33			9	32	391	423
1912	24	3			30	388	418
1913	27	15	4	14	510	6,733	7,243
1914	28	69	19	11	613	20,125	20,738
1915	116	38	13	9	351	9,384	9,735
1916	145	217	56
1917	362

New wells completed in Miami county, 1904 to 1916, inclusive. Data compiled from Mineral Resources of the United States, U. S. Geol. Survey. Figures for 1916 from trade journals.
Year	Oil	Gas	Dry	Total
1904	84		13	97
1905	197	17	32	246
1906	25	5	8	38
1907	5	3	2	10
1908		6		6
1909
1910
1911
1912
1913
1914	131	13	42	186
1915	33	4	15	52
1916	217	2	56	275

Record of new wells drilled in Miami county, January, 1916, to October, 1917, inclusive, by months
Month	New wells completed				Total initial daily production, in barrels
	Oil	Gas	Dry	Total
1916
January	9		2	11	490
February	18	1		19	504
March	22		3	25	515
April	24		15	39	500
May	30	1	9	40	492
June	31		8	39	324
July	26		2	28	265
August	13		8	21	134
September	10		1	11	170
October	10		2	12	160
November	16		6	22	405
December	8			8	195
Totals	227	2	56	275	4,154
1917
January	3			3	187
February	8		3	11	305
March	6		4	10	102
April	13	2	2	17	250
May	7	1	1	9	255
June	7		2	9	245
July	21	3	1	25	430
August	17		4	21	250
September	30	9	19	58	549
October	24	3	4	31	492
Totals	136	18	40	194	3,065

Record of Harbison well, Sec. 6, T. 17 S., R. 22 E., northwest of Paola.
Stratum				Thickness, feet	Depth, feet
	Lansing formation:
			Soil	10	10
			Limestone	10	20
			Shale	5	25
			Limestone	10	35
			Shale	15	50
			Limestone	8	58
			Shale	57	115
	Kansas City formation:
			Limestone	55	170
			Shale	35	205
			Limestone	10	215
			Shale	10	225
			Limestone	15	240
			Shale	15	265
			Limestone	10	275
			Limestone	5	300
	Marmaton formation:
			Shale	220	520
			Limestone	10	530
			Shale	55	585
			Limestone	10	595
			Shale	15	610
			Limestone	5	615
			Shale	37	642
			Limestone	5	647
			Shale	10	657
			Limestone	5	662
	Cherokee shale:
			Shale	18	680
			Sandstone	5	685
			Oil sand	40	725
			Shale	20	295

Record of well at Paola. (Haworth and Bennett, 1908, pl. 85 Located 500 feet south of school building.)
Stratum				Thickness, feet	Depth, feet
			Soil	21	21
Pennsylvanian system—
	Kansas City formation:
			Shale	74	95
			Limestone	9	104
			Shale	15	119
			Limestone	14	133
			Shale	9	142
			Limestone	4	146
			Shale	37	183
			Limestone	13	196
			Shale	13	209
			Limestone	28	237
			Shale	8	245
			Limestone	21	266
			Shale	3	269
			Limestone	14	283
			Shale	2	285
			Limestone	5	290
			Shale	3	293
			Limestone	2	295
	Marmaton formation:
			Shale	153	448
			Sandstone	25	473
			Shale	22	495
			Limestone	6	501
			Shale	4	505
			Limestone	6	511
	Cherokee shale:
			Shale	16	527
			Sandstone	5	532
			Shale	10	542
			Sandstone	5	547
			Shale	84	631
			Coal (?)	4	635
			Shale	24	659
			Sandstone (oil)	41	700
			Shale	210	910
			Sandstone (oil)	20	930
			Shale	5	935
			Sandstone (oil)	103	1,038
			Limestone	37	1,057

Mitchell County

Mitchell county, in the north central portion of the state, is located in the belt of Cretaceous outcrop. The largest part of the county is occupied by strata of the Benton shale, but along Solomon river and tributaries, in the eastern and southeastern parts, Dakota sandstone appears at the surface.

The structure of the rocks in Mitchell county has not been examined in detail, but it is very probable that anticlinal folds and terraces exist, which, should oil prove to occur in commercial quantities in adjoining districts, such as Lincoln county, it would be most desirable to test with the drill.

Record of well two miles northeast of Cawker. (Darton, 1905, p. 308.)
Stratum	Thickness, feet	Depth, feet
Surface	38	38
Shale, dark green	175	213
Sandstone (strong brine)	2	215
Sandstone and shale, red and yellow clay, alternating	185	400
Red rock, very hard	27	427
Shale, coarse, sandy	40	467

Montgomery County

The geologic formations which outcrop in Montgomery county belong to the middle portion of the Pennsylvanian, and consist of the Marmaton formation in the southeast part of the county, the Kansas City formation in the eastern and central part, the Lansing formation in the west central part, and the Douglas formation along the western border of the county. The trend of the outcrops of these formations and their various members is nearly north and south. The details of the surface geology are well shown upon the geologic map of the county which accompanies this report.

Montgomery county has had a long history and important part in the development of oil and gas in Kansas. Since 1893, when the first extensive drilling in this region was begun, the county has produced a very considerable fraction of the total gas an I oil of the state. Gas was piped to Independence as early as 1893, and the town has been supplied continuously since that. time. At first the supply was small, but in 1902, 1903 and 1904 a number of wells producing 12,000,000 to 37,000,000 cubic feet of gas daily were drilled, furnishing an abundant supply to all of Montgomery county. This gas field now supplies a very extensive district.

Importance as an oil-producing field was first attained in 1902, when a number of valuable oil wells were drilled. The development of the oil industry was very rapid for a number of years. Some of the wells at this time had an initial production of as much as 1,000 barrels a day. There are no sharp subdivisions in the Montgomery county oil fields, one area merging more or less with another, as shown upon the accompanying production map of the county. One general district extends from Independence south to Coffeyville and southwest to Bolton, Wayside, Havana and Caney. It is continued into another large field about Cherryvale, in the eastern part of the county, and scattered districts are found to the north and northwest as far as the limits of the county. The chief producing sand in the vicinity of Cherryvale is reached at 700 to 800 feet. Some of the oil wells in this district are reported to produce 50 to 100 barrels a day.

The Wayside pool, southwest of Independence, is one of the older fields which is still actively producing. Although the production of most of the wells ranges between 5 and 25 barrels daily, the life of the wells is long. The field is therefore a very satisfactory producing area. There are three productive sands in the district. An upper sand, called the "Wayside," is found at 600 feet and is generally regarded as one of the longest-lived producing sands. About 100 feet below is the "Wieser" sand, which produces a heavier oil than that obtained from the Wayside. The third sand is the "Bartlesville," found at a depth of about 1,100 feet. Much of the gas comes from a still deeper sand.

The Bolton field, near Independence, has been important since 1903, maximum development taking place between 1903 and 1905. Many of the wells brought in at this time were gushers of moderate size. Some drilling is going on at the present time in this district, but the production of oil and gas is not important.

In the vicinity of Caney an oil- and gas-producing sand is encountered at a depth of 610 to 650 feet. One well in this district is reported to yield as much as 40 barrels of oil a day and 500,000 feet of gas. Interest at present is greatest in development near Tyro, just east of Caney. Near Elk City, in the northwestern part of the county, considerable development work is now going on and some good wells have been brought in. One gas well, producing from a 600-foot sand, is reported to have 2,000,000 cubic feet per day. A test well recently drilled in the district went to a depth of 1,475 feet, where it is reported Mississippian limestone was encountered. No good producing sands, however, were found at these lower depths. [Note: For a detailed account of development in Montgomery county, see Haworth, 1908.]

A compilation of the records of the oil and gas sands of Montgomery county is given in the following table:

Record of producing sands in the Montgomery county fields
Location			Depth to producing sand, feet	Thickness penetrated, feet	Initial production
Sec.	Twp.	Range
10	32	17	622
10	32	17	670
West of Elk City			1,100
			700
	32	17	685	13
	32	17	680	25
34	32	17	700	50	Oil, 200 bbls.
34	32	17			Oil, 100 bbls.
21	32	15	1,034	46	Gas.
35	33	14	610	40	Oil, 40 bbls.
18	33	15	1,180		Oil, 75 bbls.
26	33	15	735	20	Gas.
			1,110	22	Gas.
26	33	14	610	30	Oil.
3	33	17			Oil, 150 bbls.
14	33	17	680		Gas, 2,000,000 cu. ft.
	34	14	625	40
35	34	14	1,340	18	Oil, 50 bbls.
24	34	15	570		Oil, 40 bbls.
24	34	15	576		Oil, 40 bbls.
	34	16	835	5	Gas.
3	35	14	1,340	24	Oil, 50 bbls.
3	35	14	1,331	16	Oil, 40 bbls.
3	35	14	1,350		Oil, 50 bbls.
3	35	14	1,183	15
			1,362	18
1	35	14	1,410	6
9	35	15	1,040	20
3	35	15	1,300		Oil, 100 bbls.
16	35	17	450		Oil, 10 bbls.
Northeast of Caney			777
			1,300		Oil, 100 bbls.
4 miles northwest of Cherryvale			600		Oil, 150 bbls.
Bolton			1,116	15
2 miles west of Independence			1,050		Gas, 4,000,000 cu. ft.
Wayside Pool			600
			750		Oil, 5-25 bbls.

Wells drilled and acreage held in Montgomery county, 1909 to 1916, inclusive. Data from Mineral Resources of the United States, U. S. Geol. Survey.
Year	Wells				Acreage
	Wells productive Jan. 1	New wells completed		Abandoned	Fee	Lease	Total
		Oil	Dry
1909	448	3		1			57,008
1910	450	8		27	324	30,015	30,339
1911	431	38	3	58	851	45,307	46,158
1912	411	101	2	68	3,548	51,684	55,232
1913	444	558	25	35	5,647	55,203	60,850
1914	28	69	19	11	613	20,125	20,738
1915	1,034	145	38	131	6,974	144,616	151,590
1916	1,048	798	48
1917	1,846

New wells completed in Montgomery county, 1904 to 1916, inclusive. Data compiled from Mineral Resources of the United States, U. S. Geol. Survey. Figures for 1916 from trade journals.
Year	Oil	Gas	Dry	Total
1904	715		113	828
1905	104	89	40	233
1906	60	88	21	169
1907	21	31	4	56
1908	1	79	17	97
1909	5	100	22	127
1910	16	56	7	79
1911	60	36	22	118
1912	202	116	47	365
1913	602	173	92	867
1914	691	137	75	903
1915	201	129	49	379
1916	778	34	48	860

Record of new wells drilled in Montgomery county, January, 1916, to October, 1917, inclusive, by months
Month	New wells completed				Total initial daily production, in barrels
	Oil	Gas	Dry	Total
1916
January	59	6	3	68	705
February	72	6	4	82	691
March	56	8	9	73	795
April	71	1	8	80	841
May	88	3	5	96	452
June	109	2	6	117	1,535
July	75	1	2	78	1,249
August	61	4	4	69	821
September	76	1	5	82	920
October	15			15	365
November	59	1		60	695
December	37	1	2	40	460
Total	778	34	48	860	9,529
1917
January	24		1	25	320
February	23	7	2	32	348
March	19	1	10	30	523
April	24	1	4	29	276
May	43	1	6	50	597
June	31	3	6	40	427
July	35	2	7	44	703
August	16		11	27	403
September	21	3	11	35	227
October	33	1	10	44	395
Total	269	19	68	356	4,219

Total and average initial daily production of new wells in Montgomery county, 1911 to 1915, inclusive, in barrels
Year	Total initial production, in barrels	Average per well, in barrels
1911	1,300	21.7
1912	2,522	12.5
1913	5,871	9.8
1914	6,262	9.1
1915	2,505	12.5

Record of well at Cherryvale. (Haworth and Bennett, 1908, pl. 94)
Stratum				Thickness, feet	Depth, feet
			Soil and clay	6	6
Pennsylvanian system—
	Kansas City formation:
		Winterset limestone (?)
			Limestone (calcareous shale, containing crinoids)	7	13
			Sandstone	14	27
			Shale, sandy	5	32
			Sandstone	11	43
			Shale, little coal	7	50
			Sandstone	34	84
		Galesburg shale (?)
			Shale	6	90
		Bethany Falls limestone
			Limestone	13	103
		Ladore shale
			Shale, blue	50	153
		Hertha limestone
			Limestone	10	163
	Marmaton formation:
		Pleasanton shale
			Shale	55	218
			Coal	1	219
			Shale	23	242
		Coffeyville limestone
			Limestone	23	265
		Walnut shale
			Shale	16	281
			Limestone	14	295
			Shale	3	298
		Altamont limestone
			Limestone and shale	15	313
		Bandera shale
			Shale, sandy	18	331
			Sandstone (oil)	21	352
			Shale, sandy	85	437
		Pawnee limestone
			Limestone	21	458
		Labette shale
			Shale	8	466
			Shale, calcareous and sandy, little coal	16	482
			Sandstone (oil)	44	526
		Fort Scott limestone
			Limestone	32	558
			Shale, bituminous	8	566
			Limestone	20	586
			Shale	6	592
			Limestone	9	601
	Cherokee shale:
			Shale	15	616
			Shale, little coal	34	650
			Limestone	1	651
			Shale	9	660
			Limestone	5	665
			Shale	5	670
			Coal and pyrite	1	671
			Shale	46	717
			Shale, blue-gray, little coal	17	734
			Sandstone	23	757
			Shale	25	782
			Coal	1	783
			Shale, sandy	2	785
			Sandstone	4	789
			Shale	38	827
			Sandstone	4	831
			Shale, blue	28	859
			Sandstone, little coal	5	864
			Shale	69	933
			Clay, little coal	5	938
			Shale, blue	5	943
			Shale	50	993
			Coal and pyrite	2	995
			Shale	9	1,004
	Mississippian limestone:
			Limestone	4	1,080
			Chert	4	1,012
			Chert and limestone	18	1,030
			Limestone	63	1,093
			Chert	3	1,096
			Limestone and chert, broken	8	1,104
			Chert	27	1,131
			Limestone and chert	89	1,220

Record of well southwest of Independence
Stratum		Thickness, feet	Depth, feet
	Soil	5	5
Lansing and Kansas City formations:
	Sandstone	50	55
	Shale	80	135
	Sandstone	65	200
	Shale	50	250
	Limestone	50	300
	Shale	100	400
	Limestone	5	405
	Shale	60	465
	Sandstone	15	480
	Shale	20	500
	Limestone	40	540
Marmaton formation:
	Sandstone	40	580
	Shale	70	650
	Limestone	25	675
	Shale	60	735
	Sandstone (gas)	20	755
	Shale	10	765
	Limestone	30	795
	Shale	15	810
	Limestone	20	830
	Shale	5	835
	Limestone	20	855
Cherokee shale:
	Sand and shale	255	1,110
	Sandstone (gas)	20	1,130

Morris County

Morris county contains the stratigraphic divisions of the uppermost Pennsylvanian and Lower Permian rocks, which are typically developed and mapped in Chase county, immediately to the south. They include the Wabaunsee formation of the Pennsylvanian, in the southeastern part of the county, and the overlying Council Grove, Chase and Marion formations of the Permian, which occupy the remainder of the county.

The general dip of the rocks in this region is to the west, but in parts of the county there are well-defined anticlinal structures. These have been located by private enterprise. The probable depth to producing horizons is about the same as in Butler county, where the geologic conditions are very similar. Several wells have been drilled in Morris county, chiefly in the vicinity of Council Grove, but have been abandoned as dry. Some drilling is now in progress. No production of importance has been recorded from the county to the present time. Records of deep wells near Kelso and Hymer which encountered granite are given in chapter VII.

Morton County

Morton county, in the extreme southwestern corner of the state, is almost entirely covered with more or less unconsolidated deposits of Tertiary age. The Dakota sandstone of the Cretaceous appears at the surface locally along tributaries of the Cimarron and appears to underlie the entire area of the county.

Nothing is known definitely concerning the structure of the rock in the region, and under present circumstances this part of the state can hardly be regarded as profitable country for oil and gas drilling. Nevertheless it is seriously planned to make tests of a number of areas in western Kansas. Deep wells which have been drilled in Morton county have penetrated the Permian red beds, but have found only salt water.

Record of well at Richfield. (Darton, 1905, p. 308)
Stratum				Thickness, feet	Depth, feet
			Soil and Tertiary grit	40	40
Cretaceous system—
	Benton formation:
			Clay, yellow and sandstone	12	52
			Sandstone	9	71
			Clay, blue	1	72
		Dakota sandstone
			Sandstone (quantities of water)	130	202
			Shale, blue	49	251
			Sandstone, red (flow of 6.3 gallons of water per minute at 637 feet)	450	701

Nemaha County

Nemaha county lies entirely within the belt of outcrop of the Wabaunsee formation, which belongs to the uppermost Pennsylvanian. Members of the Wabaunsee which appear in the county are chiefly the Admire shale, the Americus limestone, the Elmdale shale, and the Neva limestone.

The strata exhibit a very slight but general dip to the west, interrupted locally by reverse dips, which form low anticlines, suitable in some cases for the accumulation of oil or gas. Examination of the structure of the rocks in Nemaha county is somewhat hindered by glacial drift, which covers all of northeastern Kansas. Wells have been drilled in the vicinity of Seneca, but no production is reported. Granite appears to underlie the central part of the county at a depth of about 700 to 800 feet. Record of a well at Seneca which encountered granite is given in chapter VII.

Neosho County

The surface rocks of Neosho county belong to the middle portion of the Pennsylvanian system. The Marmaton formation outcrops in the southeastern portion of the county, the remainder being occupied by the Kansas City and Lansing formations. The alternating limestone and shale members of these formations cross the county in a general north-northeast direction, the limestones forming more or less prominent escarpments. The most clearly defined escarpments are those of the Hertha limestone in the east central part of the county, the Drum limestone along the western edge of the county, and the Iola limestone in the northwestern corner of the county. Shales at the base of the Lansing formation outcrop in the west and northwest.

The general west dip of the strata in Neosho county is interrupted by a number of well-defined anticlines and other structures favorable for the accumulation of oil and gas. As has been proven for many years, the county contains valuable deposits of these fuels. The chief producing district is a direct continuation of fields in Allen county to the north. It occupies the environs of Chanute and extends southeast as far as Erie. In the southwest part of the county near Thayer there are two other small fields. Neosho county is one of the oldest producing counties in the state. The first big oil well in the Chanute field was brought in by the Kansas-Texas Oil and Gas Company in the fall of 1903. It had a natural flow of 500 to 600 barrels a day for some time. [For a detailed account of early developments in Neosho county, see Haworth and Bennett, 1908, p. 32-35.] Most of the oil wells in the county at the present time are small producers, yielding from 5 to 50 barrels per day. The initial production of many of the wells ranges from 50 to 250 barrels per day, but after five or six months production settles down to a steady 5 to 10 barrels per day. This low but regular daily yield may last as much as ten years.

The following table shows the record of producing sands in typical wells of Neosho county.

Record of producing sands in Neosho county
Location			Depth to producing sand, feet	Thickness penetrated, feet	Initial production
Sec.	Twp.	Range
25	27	17	890	20	Oil, 12 bbls.
36	27	17	893	17
14	27	18	748	17
6	28	19			Oil, 50 bbls.
22	27	19			Oil, 15 bbls.
29	27	19	698	12
			747	28
29	27	19			Oil, 10 bbls.
30	27	19			Oil, 15 bbls.
32	27	19			Oil, 15 bbls.
1	28	18			Oil, 10 bbls. Gas 2,000,000 cu. ft.
12	28	19			Oil, 5 bbls.
10	28	19			Oil, 20 bbls.
6	28	19	735		Oil, 150 bbls.
10	28	19			Oil, 15 bbls.
20	28	20	550	35
	28	19	750	28	Oil, 35 bbls.

Wells drilled and acreage held in Neosho county, 1909 to 1916, inclusive.
Year	Wells				Acreage
	Wells productive Jan. 1	New wells completed		Abandoned	Fee	Lease	Total
		Oil	Dry
1909	255	12	2	82			7,050
1910	185	2	5	16	610	12,502	13,112
1911	170	26	1	13	1,050	3,798	4,848
1912	102	24	5	39	1,778	3,860	5,638
1913	168	244	15	7	724	24,823	25,547
1914	405	26	21	47	1,844	21,075	22,919
1915	384	53	18	23	1,660	25,052	26,712
1916	414	237	8
1917	651

New wells completed in Neosho county, 1904 to 1916, inclusive. Data compiled from Mineral Resources of the United States, U. S. Geol. Survey. Figures for 1916 from trade journals.
Year	Oil	Gas	Dry	Total
1904	454		65	519
1905	97	27	31	155
1906	68	61	36	165
1907	7	87	18	112
1908	30	54	34	118
1909	18	65	17	100
1910	9	61	17	87
1911	16	21	22	59
1912	62	30	23	115
1913	257	32	27	316
1914	221	23	19	263
1915	92	43	9	144
1916	237	6	8	251

Record of new wells drilled in Neosho county, January, 1916, to October, 1917, inclusive, by months
Month	New wells completed				Total initial daily production, in barrels
	Oil	Gas	Dry	Total
1916
January	9			9	125
February	19		1	20	215
March	21			21	305
April	31		1	32	550
May	32	1	5	38	429
June	27			27	465
July	41			41	605
August	10	1		11	125
September	9	1	1	11	100
October	9			9	95
November	12	2		14	160
December	17	1		18	180
Totals	237	6	8	251	3,354
1917
January	17			17	185
February	20	3		23	275
March	15		4	19	150
April	14	1	3	18	280
May	6		2	8	275
June	30	1	1	32	785
July	28		3	31	995
August	29		3	32	480
September	29	4	1	34	368
October	38	1	2	41	417
Totals	226	10	19	255	4,210

Total and average initial daily production of new wells in Neosho county, 1911 to 1915, inclusive, by barrels
Year	Total initial production, in barrels	Average per well, in barrels
1911	208	13.0
1912	693	11.2
1913	5,168	20.1
1914	2,414	10.9
1915	1,182	12.8

Record of J. W. Anderson well, Sec. 20, T. 28 S., R. 20 E., near Erie.
Stratum				Thickness, feet	Depth, feet
			Soil	6	6
Pennsylvanian system—
	Marmaton formation:
		Pleasanton shale
			Shale	54	60
		Coffeyville limestone
			Limestone	20	80
			Shale	20	100
			Limestone	10	110
		Walnut shale
			Shale	62	172
		Altamont limestone
			Limestone	10	182
		Bandera shale
			Shale	70	252
		Pawnee limestone
			Limestone	40	292
		Labette shale
			Shale	36	328
		Fort Scott limestone
			Limestone	23	351
			Shale (water)	8	359
			Limestone	7	366
	Cherokee shale:
			Shale	4	370
			Sandstone (water)	32	402
			Shale	78	480
			Limestone, fossils	2	482
			Shale	58	540
			Sandstone (gas and oil)	33	573
			Shale	40	613
			Sandstone	10	623
			Shale	180	803
Mississippian system—
			Limestone	20	823

Record of well at Erie. (Haworth and Bennett, 1908, pl. 98) Drilled near center of SW, Sec. 20, T. 28, R. 20 E., two miles north of Erie, Kan., April, 1898, by Erie Gas and Mineral Company, on farm of J. W. Anderson.
Stratum				Thickness, feet	Depth, feet
			Soil	6	6
Pennsylvanian system—
	Kansas City formation:
		Ladore shale
			Shale, white	54	60
		Hertha limestone
			Limestone	21	81
	Marmaton formation:
		Pleasanton shale
			Shale (little gas)	6	87
			Shale	12	99
		Coffeyville limestone
			Limestone	10	109
		Walnut shale
			Shale	63	172
		Altamont limestone
			Limestone	10	182
		Bandera shale
			Shale	73	255
		Pawnee limestone
			Limestone	45	300
		Labette shale
			Shale	38	338
		Fort Scott limestone
			Limestone	23	361
			Shale (water)	8	369
			Limestone	6	375
	Cherokee shale:
			Shale	5	380
			Sandstone	32	412
			Shale (water)	78	490
			Limestone, fossils	2	492
			Shale	58	550
			Sandstone (gas and oil)	35	585
			Shale	40	625
			Sandstone	10	635
			Shale, fossils	178	813
	Mississippian limestone:
			Limestone	20	833

Record of well near Chanute, SW, S. E. 14, Sec. 25, T. 27 S., R. 17 E. (Haworth and Bennett, 1908, pl. 87) Chapel well.
Stratum				Thickness, feet	Depth, feet
			Clay	6	6
Pennsylvanian system—
	Lansing formation:
		Lane shale
			Shale	29	35
	Kansas City formation:
		Iola limestone
			Limestone	20	55
		Chanute shale
			Shale	10	65
		Drum limestone
			Limestone	50	115
		Cherryvale shale
			Sandstone	20	135
			Shale	10	145
			Sandstone	5	150
			Shale	30	180
		Winterset limestone
			Limestone	62	242
		Galesburg shale
			Shale	6	248
			Limestone	4	252
			Shale	10	262
			Sandstone	7	269
		Bethany Falls limestone
			Limestone	16	285
		Ladore shale
			Shale	9	294
		Hertha limestone
			Limestone	54	348
	Marmaton formation:
		Pleasanton shale
			Shale	42	390
			Shale	25	415
		Coffeyville limestone
			Limestone	7	422
		Walnut shale
			Shale	54	476
		Altamont limestone
			Limestone	14	490
		Bandera shale
			Shale	35	525
			Sandstone	15	540
			Shale	20	560
		Pawnee limestone
			Limestone	42	602
		Labette shale
			Shale, black	11	613
			Shale	22	635
		Fort Scott limestone
			Limestone	18	653
			Shale, black	8	661
			Limestone	24	685
	Cherokee shale:
			Shale	21	706
			Sandstone	29	735
			Shale	37	792
			Shale, sandy	9	781
			Shale	108	889
			Sandstone (oil)	20	909
			Sandstone and shale	5	914

Ness County

The higher portions of Ness county are covered by Tertiary gravels which lie upon strata of the Cretaceous Niobrara formation. In the central, southern and eastern parts of the county Benton shales are widely exposed. The Dakota sandstone comes to the surface on Pawnee Fork, in the southeast corner of Ness county, but to the northwest this formation is buried to increasing depths. It is slightly over 500 feet beneath the surface as encountered in a well near the town of Ransom, on the divide between the head of Walnut creek and Smoky Hill river.

The structure of the rocks in Ness county has not been ascertained, and it is very possible that in this general belt of Cretaceous outcrop a number of anticlines or similar structural features favorable for the accumulation of gas and oil may occur. Whether oil and gas actually underlie portions of this county it is, of course, not possible to state without fair tests of favorable structures. Oil and gas seepages have been reported in the Cretaceous strata of this portion of Kansas, making desirable the careful examination of all indications. It is not possible to indicate the depth at which oil and gas might be encountered.

Record of well in northwest corner T. 20, R. 24. (Darton, 1905, p. 309)
Stratum				Thickness, feet	Depth, feet
Cretaceous system—
	Benton formation:
			Clay	40	40
			Shale, blue	150	190
			Shale, blue, clayey, with hard blue gritty layers	50	240
			Shale, white, clay	30	270
		Dakota sandstone
			Sandstone (water)	40	310
			Shale, red and sandy	135	445
			Sandstone, coarse grained	5	450

Norton County

All of Norton county is underlain by the Cretaceous Niobrara chalk. It is exposed in the valleys of Sappa creek and the North fork of Solomon river and is encountered in all the deeper wells of the county. The uplands are covered by Tertiary deposits. No deep borings have been reported in Norton county, but it is probable that the Dakota sandstone lies about 750 feet below the surface in the eastern portion of the county, and about 900 feet in the west. No surface indications of oil or gas have come to notice and the detailed structure of the rocks in the region has not been determined. As indicated by the structure contour map of western Kansas (Plate XXVI), however, a broad anticlinal warping of the Cretaceous strata is present between Norton and Decatur counties. This is the most favorable region in northwestern Kansas for tests seeking oil and gas.

Osage County

The surface strata of Osage county belong to the Douglas, Shawnee and Wabaunsee formations of the Pennsylvania system. The Douglas formation outcrops in the extreme easterly portion of the county in the valley of Osage river and tributaries. The Shawnee occupies a very large area, covering all of the remainder of the county except the rather small belt of Wabaunsee outcrop in the west. Striking escarpments are formed by the Oread limestone member of the Douglas formation in the eastern portion of the county, and by the Burlingame limestone member of the Wabaunsee formation in the western portion. Escarpments made by the limestone members of the Shawnee formation are in general not so prominent.

Thin beds of coal, averaging about 16 to 22 inches in thickness, occur in the upper portion of the Severy shale member of the Shawnee formation and are mined to a considerable extent in the north central portion of the county. Contrary to some popular impressions, however, there is no essential relationship between beds of coal and deposits of oil and gas. In general the surface rocks of Osage county are almost horizontal, dipping to the west at an angle imperceptible to the eye. Locally, more or less clearly defined anticlinal structures have been located and some development work has been done. Up to the present Osage county has made little advance, however, interest here lying chiefly in the similarity of its general geologic conditions to producing areas to the south. Drilling is now going on in several parts of the county. It is reported that oil has been encountered at a depth of 1,560 feet in a well near Overbrook.

Record of well at Lyndon. (Haworth and Bennett, 1908, pl. 89)
Stratum				Thickness, feet	Depth, feet
			Clay surface	10	10
Pennsylvanian system—
	Shawnee formation:
		Deer Creek limestone
			Limestone	14	24
		Tecumseh shale
			Shale, soft, light	6	30
			Limestone	5	35
			Shale, dark	2	37
			Limestone, gray	3	40
			Shale, light	10	50
		Lecompton limestone
			Limestone, shells of	3	53
			Shale, soft	7	60
			Limestone, hard	5	65
			Shale, soft	10	75
			Limestone	4	79
		Kanwaka shale
			Shale, sandy	34	113
			Limestone	4	117
			Shale	1	118
			Limestone	7	125
			Shale	13	138
	Douglas formation:
		Oread limestone
			Limestone	20	158
			Shale, black	5	163
			Limestone	1	164
			Shale, soft	10	174
			Limestone, magnesian	10	184
		Lawrence and Weston shales
			Shale, sandy	20	204
			Shale, trace of coal	10	214
			Shale	10	224
			Sandstone (salt water)	15	239
			Shale	3	242
			Sandstone	12	254
			Shale, blue	37	291
			Sandstone	12	303
			Shale	92	395
			Sandstone	105	500
			Shale, soft	7	507
	Lansing formation:
		Stanton and Plattsburg limestones
			Limestone	93	600
		Lane shale
			Shale	70	670
	Kansas City formation:
		Iola limestone
			Limestone	57	727
		Chanute and Cherryvale shales
			Shale	11	738
			Sandstone	82	820
		Winterset limestone
			Limestone	10	830
		Galesburg shale
			Shale, black	5	835
		Bethany Falls limestone
			Limestone (salt water)	17	852
		Ladore shale
			Shale	6	858
		Hertha limestone
			Limestone	9	867
	Marmaton formation:
		Pleasanton shale
			Shale	118	985
			Sandstone	20	1,005
			Shale	2	1,007

Osborne County

The rocks of Osborne county belong almost entirely to the Cretaceous system. The uplands, chiefly in the western portion of the county, are occupied by the Niobrara formation. The valley of Solomon river and the eastern and southern portions of the county are occupied by the Benton. Small outliers of Tertiary sand and gravels occur. The strata dip very gently to the north. The Dakota sandstone lies at moderate depth throughout Osborne county, being very near the surface in the southeastern corner and gradually increasing in depth to about 500 feet on the divide in the extreme northwestern portion of the county.

Data concerning the oil and gas possibilities of this region are not at present available. If oil seepages reported from adjacent districts in Lincoln county should prove to indicate commercial deposits of petroleum it would be highly desirable to examine closely the territory in Osborne county.

Ottawa County

Ottawa county, which lies in the lower part of the valley of Solomon river, is underlain almost entirely by the Dakota sandstone of the Cretaceous. In the deeper valleys of the southern portion of the county the underlying Permian shales belonging to the Wellington formation are exposed.

The structure of the rocks in Ottawa county has been investigated only locally by those interested in possible oil and gas development. Tests drilled in adjacent counties have not encountered commercial deposits of oil or gas, though it should be noted that most of these "wild-cat" tests were not located with reference to geologic conditions.

Pawnee County

Pawnee county is located in the southern portion of the belt of Cretaceous rocks. The lower part of the county contains outcrops of the Dakota sandstone. The higher land is capped by the Benton shale. Along Arkansas river there are extensive alluvial deposits of Tertiary and Recent age, while to the south are equivalent deposits of sand and gravel, the sand being largely drifted into dunes.

Exposures of the rocks are not abundant over considerable parts of Pawnee county and little geologic work has been done. At what depth the oil- and gas-bearing horizons of districts farther east in Kansas would be encountered in this part of the state, if they extend so far, it is not possible to state. This county can hardly be regarded as a desirable area for drilling under present circumstances.

Phillips County

Phillips county is underlain throughout by the Niobrara formation of the Cretaceous. It is exposed in the deeper valleys of the extreme northwest and the southern portion of the county. The higher lands are covered by Tertiary sands and gravels. The Niobrara formation is 50 to 200 feet thick and is underlain by the Benton formation, about 400 feet thick, the latter in turn being underlain by the Dakota sandstone. The formations dip gently to the northeast. The Dakota sandstone varies in depth from 500 feet in the Solomon valley to 700 or 800 feet in the higher land to the northwest.

Some local anticlinal structures have been located in the vicinity of Phillipsburg, but so far as reported no development work has yet been done in the county. The depth to possible oil- or gas-containing strata is entirely conjectural.

Pottawatomie County

The rocks which form the surface of Pottawatomie county belong to the Wabaunsee formation of the Upper Pennsylvanian and to the Chase and Council Grove formations of the Lower Permian. Almost the entire area of the county is occupied by the Wabaunsee formation, the Permian strata forming an outlier in the western portion of the county.

The dip of the strata is very slightly to the west. More or less well-defined anticlines have been found in some parts of the county and drilling is at present reported from the south central part. No production of oil or gas has yet been obtained in Pottawatomie county.

Record of well at St. Marys. (Well No. 1, drilled for St. Marys Coal, Oil and Gas Company, by Schell & Mildren, Chanute, Kan. Land owned by St. Marys College.)
Stratum				Thickness, feet	Depth, feet
			Surface	8	8
Pennsylvanian system—
	Wabaunsee formation:
		Admire shale
			Sandstone, yellow	22	30
			Shale	85	115
		Emporia limestone
			Limestone	3	118
			Shale, brown	8	126
			Limestone	2	128
			Shale, blue	5	133
			Limestone	12	145
		Willard shale
			Shale	90	235
			Limestone	4	239
			Shale, blue	8	247
		Burlingame limestone
			Limestone	6	253
			Shale, white	8	261
			Limestone	6	267
	Shawnee formation:
		Scranton and Severy shales
			Shale, blue	68	335
			Sandstone, brown	17	352
			Shale, brown	48	400
			Coal	1	401
			Shale, blue	9	410
			Limestone	5	415
			Shale, blue	5	420
			Limestone	3	423
			Shale, blue	6	429
			Limestone	2	431
			Shale, blue	2	433
			Sandstone (some gas)	23	456
			Shale, blue	21	477
		Topeka limestone
			Limestone	10	487
			Shale, blue	2	489
			Limestone	12	501
			Shale, blue	3	504
			Limestone	4	508
		Calhoun shale
			Shale, white	32	540
		Deer Creek limestone
			Limestone	16	556
			Shale, black	3	559
			Limestone	2	561
			Shale	7	568
			Limestone	2	570
			Shale, blue	4	574
			Limestone	4	578
		Tecumseh shale
			Fire clay	8	586
			Shale, blue	52	638
		Lecompton limestone
			Limestone	28	666
			Shale, blue	6	672
			Limestone	2	674
			Shale, blue	2	676
			Limestone	2	678
		Kanwaka shale
			Shale, blue	46	724
			Limestone	3	727
			Shale, blue	45	770
	Douglas formation:
		Oread limestone
			Limestone	22	792
			Shale, black	6	798
			Limestone	5	803
			Shale, blue	4	807
			Limestone	12	819
		Lawrence shale
			Shale, red	18	837
			Sandstone	40	877
			Shale, blue	5	882
		Iatan limestone
			Limestone	10	892
		Weston shale (?)
			Shale, black	2	894
			Sandstone, black	5	899
			Shale, blue	5	904
	Lansing formation:
		Stanton limestone
			Limestone	10	914
		Vilas shale
			Shale, blue	33	947
		Plattsburg limestone
			Limestone	5	952
			Shale, blue	4	956
			Limestone	6	962
		Lane shale
			Shale	4	966
			Sandstone, white	15	981
			Shale, blue	12	993
			Sandstone, white	23	1,016
			Shale, blue	34	1,050
	Kansas City formation:
			Limestone, white	37	1,087
			Shale, black	4	1,091
			Limestone	3	1,094
			Shale, blue	12	1,106
			Limestone	28	1,134
			Shale, blue	5	1,139
			Limestone	5	1,144
			Shale, dark	3	1,147
			Sandstone, white	16	1,163
			Shale, white	1	1,164
			Limestone	8	1,172
			Shale, blue	3	1,175
			Limestone	37	1,212
			Shale, blue	4	1,216
			Limestone	10	1,226
			Shale, blue	9	1,235
			Sandstone	10	1,245
			Shale, blue	5	1,250
			Limestone	3	1,253
	Marmaton formation (?):
			Shale, white	22	1,275
			Limestone	3	1,278
			Shale, blue	8	1,286
			Limestone	4	1,290
			Shale, blue	9	1,299
			Limestone	10	1,309
			Sandstone	21	1,330
			Shale, dark	6	1,336
			Limestone	18	1,354
			Shale, blue	2	1,356
			Limestone	2	1,358
			Shale, black	3	1,361
			Limestone	21	1,382
	Cherokee shale:
			Shale	58	1,440
			Shale, blue, fossiliferous	50	1,490
			Sandstone	16	1,506
			Shale, blue	20	1,526
			Sandstone	32	1,558
			Shale, dark	10	1,568
			Limestone	3	1,571
			Shale, blue	65	1,636
			Sandstone, gray (some oil)	12	1,648
			Shale, blue, fossiliferous	47	1,695
			Sandstone	15	1,710
			Shale, black	12	1,722
			Shale, white	10	1,732
			Shale, black	8	1,740
			Shale, white	70	1,810
			Shale, black	15	1,825
			Shale, white	8	1,833
			Limestone	3	1,836
			Shale, white	5	1,841
			Shale, red	30	1,871
Mississippian system—
			Limestone	21	1,892

Pratt County

The surface of Pratt county is covered by dune sand, gravel and other deposits of Tertiary age, 50 to 200 feet in thickness. As indicated by well borings, the Dakota sandstone of the Cretaceous underlies the greater part of the county. The Dakota appears to thin out toward the south, for it is practically absent where the proper horizon is exposed in Barber county to the south. Strata of the Comanchean, which are typically developed near the south line of Pratt county, extend an unknown distance northward beneath the county.

Very little concerning the underground structure of Pratt county is to be ascertained from examination of the surface on account of the mantle of Tertiary material.

Rawlins County

The entire area of Rawlins county, with the exception of exposures of the Cretaceous Pierre shale along Beaver creek, is covered by Tertiary deposits. The Tertiary consists chiefly of sand, clay and gravel and effectually conceals the structure of the underlying strata. The Pierre shale is about 200 feet thick and is underlain by the Niobrara and. Benton formations, which have a total thickness of about 900 feet. The Dakota sandstone lies at a depth of about 1,600 feet in the northeastern corner of the county and about 2,400 feet in the higher lands to the west.

There is no reported evidence of structures favorable for oil or gas in the region and no satisfactory indication that these fuels occur within drilling distance of the surface in this region. Rawlins county is not at present, therefore, good prospecting territory.

Reno County

It is known that Permian strata underlie all of Reno county, although there are few if any exposures of these rocks at the surface. The entire southwestern central and southeastern portions of the county are covered by dune sand, gravel and other deposits of Tertiary and Recent age. The northeastern part, in the vicinity of Hutchinson, across which flow Arkansas and Little Arkansas rivers, is a wide, flat alluvial plain chiefly built during Tertiary time. Dakota sandstone of the Cretaceous outcrops in the northwest part of the county.

The central part of Reno county is apparently near the crest of a broad, gentle anticline, as indicated by the elevation of the salt-bearing strata of the Wellington formation, which are extensively mined at Hutchinson and Sterling. [Haworth, 1899, p. 88; also, Kirk, 1899, pl. VI.] Many wells have been drilled to the salt strata, a depth of about 800 to 900 feet, but few wells have been carried to greater depths. A well drilled to 1,700 feet at the Morton salt plant, Hutchinson, encountered nothing of interest below the saliferous Wellington shale.

Record of well at Hutchinson. (Kirk, 1899, p. 92.) Ben Blanchard prospect well, south of Arkansas river.
Stratum				Thickness, feet	Depth, feet
			Sandstone, drift and soil	146	146
Permian system—
		Enid formation:
			Shale, red	26	172
			Shale	2	174
			Shale, red	76	250
	Wellington formation:
			Shale, blue	12	262
			Shale, gray	78	340
			Shale, red	10	350
			Shale, black	15	374
			Shale red	9	383
			Shale, black	4	387
			Shale, black	95	482
			Salt	18	500
			Shale	9	509
			Shale and salt	3	512
			Salt	13	525
			Shale	8	533
			Shale	5	538
			Shale	2	540
			Salt	11	551
			Shale	7	558
			Salt	10	568
			Shale	4	572
			Salt	27	599
			Rock, flint	2	601
			Salt	47	648
			Shale	3	651
			Salt	138	789
			Shale	13	802
			Salt	8	810
		Marion formation:
			Shale	37	847
			Gypsum	28	875
			Limestone	38	913
			Marble	3	916
			Clay	1	917
			Shale	4	921
			Gypsum	8	929
			Shale, black	5	934
			Limestone	6	940
			Shale, red	2	942
			Limestone	19	961
			Shale	11	972
			Limestone	10	982
			Sandstone, black	7	989
		Chase formation (?):
			Limestone	24	1,013
			Sandstone	27	1,040
			Shale	22	1,062
			Limestone	14	1,076
			Shale	25	1,101
			Sandstone, red	45	1,146
			Limestone	12	1,158
			Shale (small seam coal)	36	1,194
			Limestone	26	1,220
			Sandstone	35	1,255
			Limestone	10	1,265
			Shale	30	1,295
			Limestone	5	1,300
			Shale	7	1,307

Republic County

Republic county is located on the north border of the state in the northeastern portion of the Cretaceous area. The rocks of the county belong entirely to the Dakota sandstone and Benton shale divisions. The Dakota is exposed in the southern and eastern parts, the Benton to the northwest. The strata are nearly horizontal, dipping very slightly to the northeast. Some anticlinal structures have been observed in Republic county, but little prospecting has been done. A boring to a depth of 1,110 feet made at Scandia passed through the Dakota sandstone into the Permian. No oil or gas has been reported from the county.

Rice County

The greater part of Rice county is underlain by the Dakota sandstone of the Cretaceous, but outcrops are common only in the north and northeast parts of the county away from the Arkansas river valley. South of Lyons the surface of Rice county is a broad, flat plain formed by Tertiary to Recent deposits of gravel, sand and alluvium. This material, which in part belongs to the McPherson formation (see chapter VI), is only slightly consolidated. The Dakota sandstone underlies the sand and gravel in the southwest part of the county, but in the southeast, Permian strata belonging to the Wellington formation are encountered in borings.

The strata in Rice county are almost horizontal. The general dip of the Dakota is slightly to the north, but locally there are pronounced irregularities in structure. A number of deep wells have been drilled and some mine shafts put down to a depth of approximately 1,000 feet. Here, in the lower part of the Wellington shale, are thick beds of rock salt, which are the source of the large salt production of Kansas. Deep tests for oil or gas have not been made in this county so far as reported.

Record of well at Lyons. (Darton, 1905, p. 314. Bemis salt well.)
Stratum				Thickness, feet	Depth, feet
			Surface	30	30
			Loam, sandy	15	45
Cretaceous system—
		Dakota sandstone
			Sandstone (25 gallons per minute of good water)	10	55
			Clays, variegated in color	12	67
			Clay, blue	13	80
			Clay, black	30	110
			Sandstone, gray (small supply of water)	10	120
Permian system—
			Shale and sandstone	152	272
			Limestone, shale, gypsum and salt	811	1,083

Record of well east of Crawford, Sec. 3, T. 18 S., R. 6 W. (Smoky Hills Oil and Gas Company.)
Stratum	Thickness, feet	Depth, feet
Soil	3	3
Sandstone, red	10	13
Shale, blue	67	80
Shale, red	480	560
Salt	100	660
Shale, light	5	665
Salt	10	675
Shale, light	5	680
Salt	60	740
Shale, light	5	745
Salt	25	770
Shale, light	5	775
Salt	35	810
Shale, light	5	815
Salt	5	820
Limestone, shaly, fossils	60	880
Shale	18	898
Limestone, dark	5	903
Shale	7	910
Limestone, crystalline	20	930
Shale, sandy	10	940
Shale, light	5	945
Limestone shale, fossils	35	980
Shale, red	10	990
Shale, yellow	10	1,000
Shale, white	25	1,025
Shale, red	25	1,050
Shale, white	40	1,090
Shale, yellow	27	1,117
Limestone	3	1,120
Limestone, sandy	15	1,135
Shale, sandy	10	1,145
Shale, light	10	1,155
Limestone, hard	70	1,225
Limestone, sandy	20	1,245
Shale, light	10	1,255
Shale, brown	10	1,265
Shale, sandy	10	1,275
Shale, blue	40	1,315
Limestone	10	1,325
Shale, dark	10	1,335
Limestone, fossils	10	1,345
Shale, blue	5	1,350
Shale, brown	15	1,365
Limestone, fossils	10	1,375
Shale, dark	10	1,385
Not reported	425	1,810

Riley County

The surface rocks of Riley county belong chiefly to the lower portion of the Permian system. The outcrop of the Wreford and Cottonwood limestone members, which cap the prominent Flint Hills escarpment farther south, is found along Kansas and Big Blue rivers at the south and east borders of the county. The uppermost strata of the Pennsylvanian Wabaunsee formation are exposed locally along these streams.

The rocks dip gently westward. The region has been examined for oil and gas structures only in part. No production is reported. Record of a deep well at Winkler which encountered granite is included in chapter VII.

Rooks County

The most widely exposed surface formation in Rooks county is the Niobrara division of the Cretaceous. Except for small areas along Saline river in the southern part of the county, where erosion has cut into the Benton formation, the Niobrara underlies the entire county, but on the upland divides a mantle of the Tertiary Ogalalla formation, composed of limy sand and gravel, conceals it. Very good exposures of the Niobrara are seen on Solomon river. The strata of Rooks county dip almost imperceptibly to the northeast. The structure of the Cretaceous rocks has not been examined in detail, however, and if oil or gas is found in this portion of the state it will be important to determine the conditions in Rooks county.

Rush County

The rolling plains of the Benton formation characterize almost the entire area of Rush county. The formation, which consists chiefly of easily eroded shale, is not thick in any portion of the county, and to the southeast it is absent, the underlying Dakota sandstone being exposed. The Dakota is about 400 feet below the surface in the northwest part of the county. The structure of the Cretaceous rocks in this region has not been examined in detail, but there is a slight dip to the northeast. No prospecting for oil or gas has been reported in Rush county.

Russell County

Russell county lies almost in the center of the great Cretaceous area which covers several thousand square miles in north central Kansas. The divisions which are exposed in the county are the Dakota sandstone, which outcrops extensively along Smoky Hill and Saline rivers and their tributaries, and the Benton formation, which is found in all the higher lands between the streams. The Dakota underlies the Benton, but is nowhere buried more than 500 feet. The detailed structure of the rocks has not been determined, but as shown on the structure contour map of western Kansas (Plate XXVI), the general dip of the Cretaceous in this region is to the northeast.

Saline County

Strata of Permian age, belonging chiefly to the Wellington formation, occupy all the lower land along Smoky Hill and Saline rivers. The divides between the streams and all the higher land in the western portion of the county are capped by the Dakota sandstone. In a few places, especially in southern Saline county, strata of intermediate age occur between the Permian and Dakota sandstone. These, the so-called "Mentor beds," are provisionally referred to the Comanchean.

Some wild-cat drilling has been done in Saline county, and recently tests have been located near Salina on the basis of geologic structure, but no production is recorded. Test wells in this region should be drilled to a depth greater than 3,000 feet, although it is possible that production might be obtained at lesser depths.

Scott County

The surface of Scott county is covered by Tertiary deposits of the Ogalalla formation, 50 to 200 feet thick. The depth to the Dakota sandstone, which is estimated to be about 700 feet in the southeastern corner of the county, gradually increases to the northwest. So far as known no wells in Scott county have been drilled to this depth.

Sedgwick County

A considerable portion of Sedgwick county, including the valley of Arkansas, Little Arkansas and Ninnescah rivers, is covered by unconsolidated deposits of sand, gravel and alluvium which conceal the underlying stratified rocks. The entire area of the county is underlain by beds of the Permian system, belonging in the east to the marine Big Blue group, in the west to the red-colored, chiefly non-marine Cimarron group. It is not possible to determine the structure of these rocks in the wide, flat, alluvium-filled valleys, and in many other sections it is difficult to secure geologic data on account of infrequent and unsatisfactory rock exposures. Development of possible oil and gas deposits in the county is thus rather seriously restricted. Some drilling has been done and tests are now being put down at certain places. It is reported that oil was reached at a depth of 2,637 feet near Wichita, but no commercial production has been recorded.

Record of Wolf well No. 2, SW, Sec. 6, T. 28 S., R. 1 E. (Elevation, 1,101 feet. Drilled April 26, 1915.)
Stratum	Thickness, feet	Depth, feet
Soil	5	5
Shale, clay	55	60
Limestone	17	77
Shale, clay	2	79
Limestone	17	96
Shale, slaty	14	110
Limestone	15	125
Shale, slaty	5	130
Limestone	5	135
Shale, slaty	20	155
Limestone	8	163
Shale, slaty	7	170
Limestone	45	215
Shale, slaty	10	225
Limestone	20	245
Red rock	25	270
Shale, slaty	25	295
Limestone	10	305
Shale, slaty	10	315
Limestone	5	320
Shale, slaty	25	345
Sandstone	40	385
Limestone	10	395
Shale, slaty	5	400
Red rock	20	420
Shale, slaty	20	440
Limestone	5	445
Shale	15	460
Sandstone	25	485
Limestone	10	495
Shale, slaty	10	505
Red rock	10	515
Limestone	10	525
Shale, brown	15	540
Red rock	5	545
Limestone	25	570
Red rock	15	585
Shale, brown	5	590
Limestone	10	600
Shale, blue, slaty	30	630
Red rock	10	640
Sandstone, calcareous	5	645
Red rock	15	660
Sandstone	20	680
Shale	17	697
Limestone	23	720
Shale	5	725
Limestone	135	860
Shale	5	865
Limestone	17	882
Shale	33	915
Limestone	25	965
Shale	215	1,180
Limestone	50	1,230
Shale	25	1,255
Limestone	70	1,325
Shale	15	1,340
Limestone and shale	70	1,410
Limestone	45	1,455
Sandstone	30	1,485
Shale	40	1,525
Limestone	175	1,700
Red rock	5	1,705
Limestone	20	1,725
Shale	85	1,810
Sandstone	55	1,865
Shale	5	1,870
Limestone	45	1,915
Shale	15	1,930
Sandstone	15	1,945
Red rock	7	1,952
Shale	5	1,957
Limestone, sandy	13	1,970
Red rock	5	1,975
Shale, blue, slaty	5	1,980
Sandstone	8	1,988
Shale, blue	6	1,994
Limestone	36	2,030
Shale, blue, slaty	50	2,080
Shale	125	2,205
Limestone, sandy	15	2,220
Shale	35	2,255
Sandstone	15	2,270
Shale	20	2,290
Sandstone	50	2,340
Shale, slaty	265	2,605
Shale, sandy	5	2,610
Shale slaty	10	2,620
Sandstone	10	2,630
Sandstone, brown	20	2,650
Sandstone	7	2,657
Limestone, sandy	8	2,665
Sandstone	65	2,730
Shale	30	2,760
Sandstone	25	2,785
Shale	135	2,920
Limestone	10	2,930
Shale, green, slaty	20	2,950
Sandstone	50	3,000
Shale, slaty	20	3,020
Limestone	10	3,030
Shale, slaty	5	3,035
Limestone	20	3,055
Shale, black, slaty	5	3,060
Limestone	35	3,095
Shale, black, slaty	10	3,105
Limestone	65	3,170
Shale, black, slaty	5	3,175
Shale	65	3,240
Shale, sandy	10	3,250
Sandstone	20	3,270

Seward County

Seward county is covered by thick Tertiary deposits belonging to the Ogalalla formation. The calcareous sand and gravel composing this mantle is underlain by the Dakota sandstone in the north and by the red beds of the Permian Cimarron group in the south. No very deep wells have been recorded from this part of Kansas. The following is the record of a well at Liberal:

Record of well at Liberal. (Darton, 1905, p. 316-317)
Stratum	Thickness, feet	Depth, feet
Clay, hard	6	6
Sandstone	35	41
Sandstone, soft	22	63
Sandstone, coarse	12	75
Sandstone	10	85
Sandstone, soft	100	185
Sandstone with clay	80	265
Sandstone, hard	5	270
Sandstone, coarse, with gravel	45	315
Sandstone	130	445
Sandstone, coarse, with gravel	40	485

Shawnee County

The surface rocks of Shawnee county belong to the upper portion of the Pennsylvanian system, the eastern part of the county being occupied by the Shawnee formation and the western part by the lower portion of the Wabaunsee formation. The Topeka limestone member of the Shawnee and the Burlingame limestone member at the base of the Wabaunsee form prominent escarpments.

The rocks dip gently westward, as a rule, but locally more or less well-defined anticlinal structures have been located, geologic work having been done by private interests. A test well drilled in the southwest part of the county was dry.

Record of well at Topeka. (Haworth and Bennett, 1908, pl. 6. Diamond core drill. Location, Lawrence street, between Second and Third streets. Recorded by B. B. Smyth.)
Stratum				Thickness, feet	Depth, feet
			Soil	42	42
Pennsylvanian system—
	Shawnee formation:
			Sandstone, fine, gray	16	58
			Sandstone, coarse	24	82
		Calhoun shale
			Shale, blue	19	101
			Shale, clay, laminated, light blue	7	108
		Deer Creek limestone
			Limestone, dark conglomerate	3	111
			Limestone, mixed with clay	12	123
			Shale, blue	1	124
			Limestone, dark	4	128
		Tecumseh shale
			Shale, blue	9	137
			Shale, laminated	15
			Shale, blue	2	154
		Lecompton limestone
			Limestone, hard, gray	2	156
			Shale, blue	23	179
			Limestone, gray, fossiliferous	5	184
		Kanwaka shale
			Shale, blue, laminated	1	185
			Shale	17	202
			Shale, laminated, light and dark	17	219
			Shale, blue (water)	14	233
	Douglas formation:
		Oread limestone
			Limestone, gray	5	238
			Shale, light	5	243
			Limestone, gray	11	254
			Limestone, light	1	255
			Shale, black	7	262
			Limestone, light	8	270
			Shale	6	276
			Limestone, gray	3	279
			Shale, hard, black	6	285
			Limestone, gray	2	287
		Lawrence shale
			Shale, sand and mud	124	411
		Iatan limestone
			Limestone, crystalline	2	413
		Weston shale
			Shale	41	454
			Shale	30	484
			Shale, laminated, with limestone	31	515
			Shale, dark, compact	25	540
	Lansing formation:
		Stanton limestone
			Limestone, light to dark, some shale	52	592
		Vilas shale
			Shale, dark, laminated	17	609
		Plattsburg limestone
			Limestone, gray	18	627
			Shale, black	3	630
			Limestone, gray	6	636
			Shale, blue	3	639
			Limestone, gray	1	640
			Shale, blue	1	641
			Limestone, gray	1	642
			Shale, blue	1	643
			Limestone, gray	2	645
			Shale, blue	3	648
		Lane shale
			Shale, blue	20	668
	Kansas City formation:
		Iola limestone
			Limestone, light	20	688
			Shale, soft, and mud	11	699
			Limestone, gray	13	712
		Chanute shale
			Shale, dark, clayey	12	724
			Limestone, gray	7	731
			Shale, hard, black	2	733
			Limestone, gray	2	735
			Shale, dark, laminated	12	747
		Drum limestone
			Limestone, gray	9	756
		Cherryvale shale
			Shale, dark	4	761
			Limestone, light and dark	3	764
			Shale, dark	10	774
			Limestone, light	3	777
			Shale, dark	11	788
		Winterset limestone (?)
			Limestone, some shells	23	811
			Shale, with limestone	4	815
			Limestone, light to dark	14	829
		Galesburg shale
			Shale, laminated, dark	6	835
			Limestone, conglomeratic	3	838
			Shale, laminated	2	840
			Limestone, conglomeratic, fossiliferous	1	841
			Shale, laminated, and limestone	13	854
		Bethany Falls limestone
			Limestone, conglomeratic fossiliferous	12	866
			Shale, dark with limestone	5	871
			Limestone, light gray	7	878
		Ladore shale
			Shale, black	5	883
		Hertha limestone
			Limestone	29	912
	Marmaton formation:
		Pleasanton shale
			Sandstone, gray	3	915
			Shale, laminated, blue	8	923
			Limestone, gray	11	934
		Bandera shale
			Shale, dark	6	940
			Shale, blue	14	954
			Shale dark clayey	32	986
				8	994
			Shale, bituminous	2	996
			Limestone, conglomeratic	2	998
			Shale, dark, clayey	2	1,000
		Pawnee limestone
			Limestone	3	1,003
			Shale, laminated	8	1,011
			Limestone	2	1,013
		Labette shale
			Coal	1	1,014
			Shale, laminated	4	1,018
			Sandstone, laminated	35	1,053
			Shale, laminated	3	1,056
		Fort Scott limestone
			Limestone	2	1,058
			Shale, laminated	5	1,063
			Limestone	1	1,064
	Cherokee shale:
			Shale	38	1,102
			Sandstone, light	1	1,103
			Shale	18	1,121
			Coal	1	122
			Shale, black to light	7	1,129
			Coal	1	1,130
			Shale, dark to light	10	1,140
			Sandstone and shale	4	1,144
			Shale, black	2	1,146
			Coal	1	1,147
			Shale and clay, some flint	50	1,197
			Coal	1	1,198
			Shale and sandstone, laminated	14	1,212
			Coal	1	1,213
			Clay	4	1,217
			Shale	14	1,231
			Sandstone, micaceous	11	1,242
			Shale, blue	3	1,245
			Limestone, porous (gas)	3	1,248
			Shale	1	1,249
			Sandstone, variegated	9	1,258
			Sandstone and shale	1	1,259
			Shale, dark	3	1,262
			Shale, little coal	9	1,271
			Limestone, dark	1	1,272
				2	1,274
			Shale, dark	2	1,276
			Limestone, gray	1	1,277
			Shale, black	1	1,278
			Limestone	1	1,279
			Shale, dark	5	1,284
				3	1,287
			Shale, blue	12	1,299
			Shale with limestone	5	1,304
			Shale	14	1,318
				4	1,322
			Shale, mixed with iron oxide	3	1,325
			Sandstone	9	1,334
			Shale, dark	6	1,340
			Shale, black, little coal	10	1,350
			Sandstone, little coal	1	1,351
			Sandstone, hard	1	1,352
			Shale, with limestone	8	1,360
			Shale, clay, dark	9	1,369
			Shale and sandstone	1	1,370
			Sandstone, gray	2	1,372
			Shale, some limestone	8	1,380
			Shale, clayey, with mica sandstone	10	1,390
				3	1,393
			Sandstone	1	1,394
			Shale, dark	24	1,418
			Sandstone, gray	9	1,427
			Limestone, light	1	1,428
			Sandstone, shaly	6	1,434
			Sandstone, gray	15	1,449
			Shale, dark	2	1,451
			Sandstone, gray	2	1,453
			Shale	1	1,454
			Sandstone with shale hands	12	1,646
			Shale, laminated, dark	34	1,500
			Sandstone and shale	13	1,513
			Limestone, light	7	1,520
			Shale	9	1,529
			Coal	1	1,530
			Shale	67	1,597
			Coal	2	1,599
			Limestone, crystalline	3	1,602
			Shale, dark	4	1,606
			Coal	1	1,607
			Sandstone and shale	3	1,610
			Shale	11	1,621
			Sandstone, white	4	1,625
			Shale, dark	13	1,638

Sheridan County

Sheridan county is covered by a thick deposit of the Tertiary Ogalalla formation. The underlying Cretaceous formations are the Niobrara chalk in the eastern part of the county and the Pierre shale in the northwest. The depth to the Dakota sandstone is estimated at about 800 feet in the southeastern part of the county and 1,250 feet in the northwestern part.

Sherman County

The surface of Sherman county is thickly mantled by calcareous sand and gravel of age which forms the Ogalalla formation. The Pierre shale, which is not more than 200 feet thick in this region, is exposed on the North Fork of Smoky Hill river in the southeastern part of the county and underlies the entire county. The Dakota sandstone is estimated to be about 1,500 feet below the surface in the southeastern part of the county and about 2,000 feet in the northwestern part. Following is the record of a deep well at Goodland:

Record of well at Goodland
Stratum				Thickness, feet	Depth, feet
Tertiary system—
			Soil and surface material	100	100
			Sand and gravel	50	150
			Sandstone (water)	25	175
			Red rock	25	200
			Sand and gravel (water)	50	250
			Red rock	50	300
			Sand and gravel (water)	50	350
Cretaceous system—
			Shale	790	1,140
			Sandstone (gas)	25	1,165
			Shale	835	2,000
		Dakota sandstone
			Sandstone	90	2,090
Permian system—
			Shale, blue, clayey	77	2,167

Smith County

Smith county is situated on the north border of the large Cretaceous area of north central Kansas, and contains extensive outcrops of the Niobrara formation. This division of the Cretaceous covers the entire central and southwestern portion of the county. Along Solomon river and tributaries in southern and southeastern Smith county the Benton formation outcrops. The northern part of the county. is covered by a mantle of Tertiary deposits. The depth to the Dakota sandstone is from 300 to 500 feet in the southeast and about 800 feet in the northwest.

The Cretaceous rocks dip gently to the northeast in Smith county .. The detailed structure of the region has not, however, been determined. Recently there has been a great deal of interest in oil development in Smith county on account of oil seepages which have been found in shallow wells and on streams. Oil scums, it is reported, have been noticed for many years on the water from wells and streams in the district, but only recently, apparently, have they attracted much interest. At Bellaire, twelve miles east of Smith Center, and at Athol, about the same distance west of Smith Center, oil of unusually high grade has been reported upon the surface of water wells at depths of 20 to 24 feet from the surface. The flow of oil into the wells is said to be nearly three barrels a day. Much of the land about Smith Center, Bellaire and Athol has been leased and drilling is projected, but to the present time no authentic reports of production on a commercial scale have been received from Smith county. It is unlikely that the shallow horizon from which oil in this region has been obtained will be of great importance.

Record of the Wm. Buchanan well, Spring Brook farm, near Lebanon
Stratum	Thickness, feet	Depth, feet
Soil	5	5
Shale	8	13
Limestone	3	16
Shale, black	375	391
Sandstone (salt water)	100	491
Shale	75	566
Sandstone (salt water)	25	591
Shale	40	631
Red rock	35	666
Shale	40	706
Sandstone (salt water)	15	721
Shale	95	816
Sandstone (salt water)	15	831
Shale	25	856
Sandstone (salt water)	10	866
Red rock	85	951
Shale	30	981
Red rock	110	1,091
Shale	75	1,166
Limestone	15	1,181
Shale	20	1,201
Red rock	5	1,206
Shale	90	1,296
Red rock	20	1,316
Shale	25	1,341
Red rock	10	1,351
Shale	70	1,421
Sandstone	15	1,436
Shale	35	1,471
Sandstone	15	1,486
Shale	205	1,691
Sandstone	30	1,721
Red rock	84	1,805

Stafford County

The entire area of Stafford county is covered by sand, gravel and alluvium belonging to Tertiary and Recent geologic time. In the north the sand is accumulated in low dunes. Lack of rock exposures makes it impossible to determine the underground structure. Development is therefore greatly impeded.

Stanton County

The surface of Stanton county is almost entirely covered by the more or less unconsolidated deposits of the Tertiary Ogalalla formation. The deeper valleys contain exposures of the Dakota sandstone in some localities, and well records indicate that this division of the Cretaceous underlies the entire county. Too little is known concerning the underground structure to make drilling desirable.

Stevens County

Stevens county is entirely covered by calcareous sand and gravel of the Tertiary Ogalalla formation. The region is an undissected portion of the featureless High Plains and contains no outcrops of older rocks. The Dakota sandstone of the Cretaceous underlies most of the county as indicated by well borings, but nothing concerning the structure of the concealed strata is known.

Sumner County

The strata which come to the surface in Sumner county belong to the upper portion of the Big Blue series of Permian age. The eastern portion is occupied by the Marion and Wellington formations, which in this part of the state are considerably increased in thickness. The formations are chiefly shale and the topography is for the most part without prominent features. As a rule exposures are only seen along the larger streams, such as the Ninnescah and Chikaskia, which diagonally cross the strike of the beds. In the extreme west part of the county is the base of the red beds of the Cimarron group.

Geologic examination has shown the existence of some more or less well-defined anticlinal structures in Sumner county, but little scientific development work has been done. Test wells have been drilled in the south and south central parts of the county, some of which have shown a fair production of gas. During the early part of 1917 drilling was active, but no important oil production has been reported. The depth to the producing sand is in most cases somewhat over 2,000 feet as shown by the following tabulation:

Record of producing sands in Sumner county
Location			Depth to producing sand, feet	Thickness penetrated, feet	Initial production
Sec.	Twp.	Range
11	34	2	1,020	20	Gas.
			1,515	5	Gas.
			2,145	5	Gas.
			2,215		Gas, 500,000 cu. ft.
			2,380	17	Gas, 7,000,000 cu. ft.

Record of Wood-Anderson well No.7, Sec. 11, T. 35 S., R. 2 E., near southeast corner of Summer county.
Stratum	Thickness, feet	Depth, feet
Soil	60	60
Shale	60	120
Gypsum	3	123
Shale	10	133
Gypsum	2	135
Shale	30	165
Gypsum	15	180
Shale	10	190
Gypsum	10	200
Shale	15	215
Gypsum	5	220
Shale	100	320
Limestone	13	333
Shale	5	338
Red rock	10	348
Shale	25	373
Limestone	10	383
Shale	30	413
Limestone	10	423
Shale	15	438
Limestone	10	448
Shale	25	473
Sandstone	25	498
Red rock	15	513
Limestone	90	603
Shale	10	613
Red rock	10	623
Shale	10	633
Limestone	85	718
Shale	10	728
Red rock	25	753
Limestone	10	763
Red rock	10	773
Sandstone	10	783
Shale	22	805
Limestone	30	835
Shale (1/2 million ft. gas)	10	845
Limestone	10	855
Shale	10	865
Limestone	125	990
Shale	15	1,005
Sandstone	25	1,030
Limestone	10	1,040
Shale	165	1,205
Limestone	10	1,215
Shale	25	1,240
Limestone	5	1,245
Shale	25	1,270
Limestone	40	1,310
Shale	60	1,370
Limestone	10	1,380
Shale	10	1,390
Sandstone	20	1,410
Limestone	35	1,445
Shale	30	1,475
Limestone	65	1,540
Shale	95	1,635
Limestone	45	1,680
Shale	15	1,695
Limestone (little gas and water)	55	1,750
Shale	10	1,760
Limestone	60	1,820
Shale	10	1,830
Limestone	70	1,900
Sandstone	95	1,995
Shale	30	2,025
Limestone	20	2,045
Shale	20	2,065
Limestone	10	2,075
Shale	35	2,110
Red rock	30	2,140
Shale	30	2,170
Limestone	15	2,185
Shale	15	2,200
Sandstone	25	2,225
Red rock	10	2,235
Shale	25	2,260
Limestone	5	2,265
Shale	25	2,290
Sandstone	30	2,320
Shale	70	2,390
Limestone.	10	2,400
Shale	25	2,425
Sandstone	90	2,515
Shale	10	2,525
Sandstone	70	2,595
Shale	10	2,605
Sandstone	160	2,765
Shale	90	2,855
Sandstone (little oil and gas)	160	3,015
Shale	40	3,055

Thomas County

The entire area of Thomas county is covered by the Tertiary Ogalalla formation. The underlying strata belong to the Pierre shale, the uppermost division of the Cretaceous which is present in Kansas. The depth to the Dakota sandstone at the base of the Cretaceous ranges from about 1,250 feet in the southeast part of the county to 2,000 feet in the northwest. Because the Tertiary conceals the structure of the underlying Cretaceous beds, testing for oil or gas is made very difficult. The region is not a good area for drilling.

Trego County

Trego county, located in the west portion of the great Cretaceous area of Kansas, contains widely distributed outcrops of the Niobrara and Benton formations, the best exposures being found along Smoky Hill river. The uplands are covered by Tertiary deposits which are referred to the Ogalalla formation. The Dakota sandstone, at the base of the Cretaceous in this region, is found about 400 feet below the surface in the Smoky Hill valley and about 900 feet below the upland of the north part of the county.

The Cretaceous strata have a gentle dip to the northeast, but the structure has not been examined in detail. No direct surface indications of oil have been reported in Trego county and the existence of oil or gas deposits in the region can only be conjectured.

Record of well north of Smoky Hill river, near western border of Trego county. (Darton, 1905, p. 320)
Stratum	Thickness, feet	Depth, feet
Clay	40	40
Shale, blue	110	150
Chalk, white (water)	40	190
Shale, blue	256	446

Wabaunsee County

The surface rocks of Wabaunsee county include the uppermost strata of the Pennsylvanian system in central Kansas and the basal beds of the Permian. The Pennsylvanian rocks belong to the Wabaunsee formation named from this county, and occupy all of the east central portion of the county. In the west and southwest is the very irregular escarpment of the Cottonwood and Wreford limestone members of the Chase formation. These divisions and the strata farther west comprise the Permian area.

The general dip of the rocks in Wabaunsee county is westward, but a few anticlinal structures have been found, as, for example, near Alma, where an anticline with its crest 160 feet above the bottom of the adjacent shallow syncline to the east occurs. This structure did not prove to contain commercial quantities of oil or gas. Record of a diamond core drilling at McFarland to a depth of 2,003 feet follows. The logs of wells at Wabaunsee and Zeandale which encountered granite are given in chapter VII.

Record of well at McFarland. (Haworth and Bennett, 1908, pl. 101) Reported by M. C. Bullock Company, contractors. Diamond drill record.
Stratum	Thickness, feet	Depth, feet
Loam	3	3
Clay	31	34
Gravel	5	39
Shale, blue soft	14	53
Shale, light blue	11	64
Shale, blue, bad	51	115
Shale, black, trace of coal	2	117
Shale, blue	42	159
Shale, sand streaks	62	221
Shale, clay	12	233
Shale and limestone	30	263
Shale, clay	9	272
Shale, clay and sand	45	317
Shale, sand, little limestone	37	354
Shale, clay	20	374
Shale, clay and sand	19	393
Coal and shale	1	394
Shale, sandy	13	407
Shale, clayey	14	421
Shale, sticky	9	430
Shale, black	4	434
Shale, sandy	11	445
Shale, clayey	21	466
Shale, clay and dark sand	34	500
Shale, clayey	35	535
Coal	1	536
Shale, clay and sandstone	45	581
Shale, soft clay	8	589
Shale, blue clay, limestone	17	606
Shale	3	609
Limestone	5	614
Shale	8	622
Shale and sandstone	9	631
Shale, dark	19	650
Limestone	11	661
Shale	7	668
Limestone, shale partings	21	689
Shale, dark blue, stocky	46	735
Limestone	19	754
Shale, black	4	758
Limestone	13	771
Sandstone	4	775
Shale, sand, limestone	88	863
Limestone	26	889
Shale, black	7	896
Limestone	3	899
Shale, blue	25	924
Sandstone, shaly	7	931
Sandstone	63	994
Limestone, bituminous shale	1	995
Coal	1	996
Shale, sandy	4	1,000
Shale, lime spotted	6	1,006
Shale and sandstone	10	1,016
Sandstone, soft	88	1,104
Shale	6	1,110
Sandstone	4	1,114
Sandstone and coal	8	1,122
Limestone and shale	1	1,123
Shale	28	1,151
Limestone	15	1,166
Shale	4	1,170
Limestone, shale partings	17	1,187
Not reported	13	1,200
Shale	8	1,208
Shale and limestone	152	1,360
Shale	5	1,365
Shale and limestone	64	1,429
Shale	1	1,430
Shale and limestone	3	1,433
Shale	2	1,435
Limestone, salty	32	1,467
Shale	6	1,473
Limestone	25	1,498
Shale, black	3	1,501
Limestone	1	1,502
Shale	10	1,512
Limestone	24	1,536
Shale, black	5	1,541
Shale	68	1,609
Limestone	5	1,614
Shale, greenish	15	1,629
Limestone	12	1,641
Shale	12	1,653
Coal	1	1,654
Shale, black	2	1,656
Shale	8	1,664
Limestone	6	1,670
Shale	5	1,675
Limestone	9	1,684
Shale	4	1,688
Coal	1	1,689
Shale and limestone	3	1,692
Limestone	2	1,694
Shale	2	1,696
Limestone	3	1,699
Shale	7	1,706
Limestone	3	1,709
Shale, black	7	1,716
Limestone	3	1,719
Shale	5	1,724
Limestone	5	1,729
Shale, black	4	1,733
Coal	1	1,734
Shale, hard	45	1,779
Shale, sandy	11	1,790
Shale	2	1,792
Shale, sandy	10	1,802
Shale, black	6	1,808
Coal	1	1,809
Limestone	6	1,815
Shale, black	9	1,824
Coal	1	1,825
Shale	3	1,828
Shale and limestone	14	1,842
Shale	17	1,859
Coal	1	1,860
Shale	30	1,890
Coal	1	1,891
Shale	13	1,904
Sandstone	10	1,914
Shale, sandy	6	1,920
Shale, reddish	4	1,924
Shale	16	1,940
Shale, coal, limestone	18	1,958
Shale, black	14	1,972
Coal	1	1,973
Shale	9	1,982
Limestone	1	1,983
Shale, limestone streaks	20	2,008

Wallace County

Most of the surface of Wallace county is covered by Tertiary deposits, but extensive exposures of the underlying Cretaceous are found along Smoky Hill river and its tributaries. The Cretaceous rocks belong to the Pierre shale. The Dakota sandstone is estimated to lie about 1,100 feet below the Smoky Hill valley and 2,000 feet beneath the uplands in the northwest part of the county. The general dip of the rocks is to the north. There is insufficient evidence in the region of structure favorable for the accumulation of oil and gas to attract the immediate attention of producers.

Washington County

The largest part of Washington county is underlain by strata of Cretaceous age belonging to the Dakota sandstone and Benton shale formations. The east part of the county contains outcrops of the Big Blue series of the Permian, beds of the Chase and Marion formations being chiefly represented. The Cretaceous overlaps to the east in northern Kansas and is found resting on successively older divisions of the Permian. Farther north in Nebraska the Cretaceous immediately overlies the Pennsylvanian.

The Permian rocks of Washington county have a slight westward dip, but the Cretaceous beds are inclined gently to the northeast. It is difficult to make any definite statement from a geologic standpoint concerning the prospects of oil or gas in this region. The structure has not been examined in detail and oil or gas have not been found in commercial quantities in this part of Kansas. However, the reported occurrence of oil seepages at a number of points in the Cretaceous just west of Washington county is sufficient to attract the interest of oil producers.

Wichita County

The entire area of Wichita county is covered by Tertiary deposits referred to the Ogalalla formation. These probably lie upon the Niobrara formation of the Cretaceous throughout most of the county. The Dakota sandstone lies from 800 to 1,100 feet below the surface, its depth increasing from southeast to northwest. Wichita county is not likely to attract the attention of those interested in oil and gas development because of the lack of evidence concerning the local underground structure.

Wilson County

Wilson county, one of the long-standing producers of the southeastern Kansas oil and gas fields, contains strata belonging to the middle portion of the Pennsylvanian system. The Kansas City formation outcrops in the extreme southeastern corner of the county, the Lansing formation appears in the east central portion, and the Douglas formation occupies the western and northwestern part of the county. The outcrops of these formations and their members are shown upon the map of the county which accompanies this report.

The general dip of the surface strata in Wilson county is to the west, but a number of well-defined anticlines of varying size occur. The production of oil and gas is chiefly associated with these. Development work began in the vicinity of Neodesha in 1893, when wells were drilled for gas. The wells were successful and gas was piped into Neodesha in 1894. The first oil well was brought in near Neodesha on the 4th of July, 1894. The company which did this preliminary development in a short time sold their interests to the Forest Oil Company, which later was reorganized under the name of the Prairie Oil and Gas Company. [Note: For a detailed account of early development in the Wilson county district, consult Haworth and Bennett, 1908, p. 21-41). While the majority of the wells in this county are gas wells, there is also a considerable number of small-production oil wells. The chief producing districts, as shown upon the accompanying map, are: (1) in the vicinity of Neodesha, especially east and northeast; (2) Altoona, trending northeast into Neosho county; (3) northwest and northeast of Fredonia; and (4) in the northern part of the county, extending from Benedict through Roper and Buffalo into Woodson county. Development work in 1916 and 1917 has been active in the area northeast of Fredonia, and several very good oil wells have been brought in. In February, 1917, a well drilled by the Dixie Company was reported to yield 21 barrels per hour. Many 10- and 15-barrel wells have been brought in recently, and it seems possible that this old field may become once more an important oil producer. The following record is a tabulation of data concerning the oil and gas sands and their production in various parts of Wilson county:

Record of producing sands in Wilson county
Location			Depth to producing sand, feet	Thickness penetrated, feet	Initial production
Sec.	Twp.	Range
25	27	13	1,110	16	Oil, showing.
			1,234	30	Oil, gas, showing.
5	27	14	788	22	Gas, 500,000 cu. ft.
			990	25	Gas, 100,000 cu. ft.
			1,120	10	Gas.
8	27	16	927	15	Oil, 5 bbls.
			958	12	Oil, 25 bbls.
34	28	14			Oil, 5 bbls.
24	28	13	1,075	30	Gas.
23	28	15	800		Oil, 200 bbls.
7	28	16	1,025	37	Gas.
34	29	16			Gas, 250,000 cu. ft.
8	30	16			Oil, 40 bbls.
17	30	16			Oil, 10 bbls.
18	31	16			Oil, 5 bbls.
31	31	16			Gas, 250,000 cu. ft.

Wells drilled and acreage held in Wilson county, 1909 to 1916, inclusive. Data from Mineral Resources of the United States, U. S. Geol. Survey.
Year	Wells				Acreage
	Wells productive Jan. 1	New wells completed		Abandoned	Fee	Lease	Total
		Oil	Dry
1909	198			2			17,880
1910	196			3	3,575	20,398	23,790
1911	193		6	23	1,518	14,860	16,378
1912	170	9	1	10	1,050	6,822	7,872
1913	169	33		4	40	15,624	15,664
1914	198	7	5	28	800	15,989	16,789
1915	177	10	3	25	198	10,603	10,801
1916	162	63	2
1917	225

New wells completed in Wilson county, 1904 to 1916, inclusive. Data compiled from Mineral Resources of the United States, U. S. Geol. Survey. Figures for 1916 from trade journals.
Year	Oil	Gas	Dry	Total
1904	170		41	211
1905	36	24	16	76
1906	7	48	26	81
1907		47	10	57
1908		66	21	87
1909		89	24	113
1910	1	80	27	108
1911	2	65	27	94
1912	18	86	52	156
1913	40	54	45	139
1914	27	12	20	59
1915	6	13	4	23
1916	63	3	2	68

Record of new wells drilled in Wilson county, January, 1916, to October, 1917, inclusive, by months.
Month	New wells completed				Total initial daily production, in barrels
	Oil	Gas	Dry	Total
1916
March	3			3	25
April	4	1	2	7	45
May	15	2		17	80
June	6			6	50
July	11			11	115
August	4			4	70
September	4			4	45
October	4			4	20
November	9			9	70
December	3			3	55
Totals	63	3	2	68	575
1917
January	3			3	35
February	6	2		8	80
March	8		2	10	80
April	9		1	10	48
May	6	1	1	8	58
June	12	2		14	153
July	19	4		23	321
August	8	3	2	13	65
September	25		4	29	290
October	30	8	6	40	344
Totals	126	20	16	158	1,474

Total and average initial daily production of new wells in Wilson county, 1911 to 1915, inclusive, by barrels
Year	Total initial production, in barrels	Average per well, in barrels
1911	35	27.5
1912	255	14.2
1913	342	8.6
1914	268	9.9
1915	35	5.8

Record of well at Neodesha. (Haworth and Bennett, 1908, p. 62-64)
Stratum				Thickness, feet	Depth, feet
			Surface soil and clay	33	33
Pennsylvanian system—
	Kansas City formation:
		Chanute shale
			Sandstone, fine grained, slightly calcareous	34	65
			Shale, gray, calcareous and arenaceous	5	70
			Shale, gray, calcareous	43	113
		Drum limestone
			Limestone, light colored	19	132
		Cherryvale shale
			Shale, bluish	15	147
		Winterset limestone
			Limestone. light colored	51	198
		Bethany Falls limestone
			Limestone, with black shale	5	203
		Ladore shale
			Sandstone, fine grained	67	270
		Hertha limestone
			Limestone, light colored	21	291
	Marmaton formation:
		Pleasanton shale
			Shale, bluish	37	328
			Limestone, with shale	16	344
			Shale, black	29	373
		Coffeyville and Altamont limestone
			Limestone, arenaceous	79	452
		Bandera shale
			Shale	105	557
		Pawnee limestone
			Limestone, with bluish shale	47	604
		Labette shale
			Shale, black, calcareous	3	607
			Limestone, shaly	15	622
			Shale, slightly calcareous	33	655
		Fort Scott limestone
			Limestone, with some shale	25	680
	Cherokee shale:
			Shale, dark, calcareous	153	833
			Shale, bluish, slightly calcareous	3	836
			Sandstone	4	840
			Shale, bluish	4	844
			Shale, dark	11	855
			Shale, calcareous	38	893
			Shale, black	10	903
			Shale, with some sandstone	27	930
			Shale, black	38	968
			Sandstone, with some shale	18	986
			Sandstone, light colored	8	994
			Sandstone, white, slightly ferruginous	27	1,021
			Sandstone, very ferruginous	35	1,056
			Shale, black	20	1,076
			Shale, bluish	14	1,090
			Chert, with shaly material	11	1,101
Mississippian system—
	Burlington and Keokuk limestones
			Limestone, arenaceous	18	1,119
			Shale, arenaceous	13	1,132
			Limestone, cherty	12	1,144
			Limestone, arenaceous	4	1,148
			Limestone, cherty	73	1,221
			Limestone, arenaceous	11	1,234
			Limestone, cherty, ferruginous	6	1,240
			Limestone, arenaceous, ferruginous	13	1,253
			Limestone, cherty	85	1,335
	Kinderhook formation:
			Limestone, with little shale	4	1,342
			Limestone, shaly	8	1,350
			Limestone, arenaceous	4	1,354
			Limestone, cherty	2	1,356
			Limestone, arenaceous, slightly ferruginous	2	1,358
			Shale, calcareous	6	1,364
Cambrian and Ordovician systems—
			Sandstone, cherty	3	1,367
			Sandstone, cherty, calcareous, ferruginous	93	1,460
			Limestone, cherty	4	1,464
			Sandstone, fine grained	10	1,474
			Sandstone, calcareous	8	1,482
			Limestone, magnesian, arenaceous	8	1,490
			Sandstone, with calcium and magnesian carbonates	37	1,527
			Sandstone with considerable magnesian carbonate	7	1,534
			Sandstone cherty with magnesian carbonate	10	1,544
			Sandstone, with considerable magnesian carbonate, part cherty and part somewhat ferruginous	45	1,589
			Limestone, magnesian, cherty	3	1,592
			Sandstone with magnesian carbonate	4	1,596
			Limestone, cherty	2	1,598
			Sandstone, with magnesian carbonate	5	1,603
			Limestone, magnesian, cherty	35	1,638
			Limestone, magnesian, arenaceous	43	1,681
			Limestone, magnesian, cherty	3	1,684
			Limestone, magnesian, arenaceous	9	1,693
			Sandstone with magnesian carbonate	7	1,700
			Limestone, magnesian, arenaceous	8	1,708
			Sandstone, with magnesian carbonate	67	1,775
			Limestone, magnesian	10	1,785
			Limestone, magnesian, arenaceous	5	1,790
			Sandstone, cherty, with magnesian carbonate	39	1,834
			Sandstone, white	17	1,851
			Sandstone, with magnesian carbonate	5	1,856
			Limestone, magnesian, arenaceous	38	1,894
			Limestone, magnesian, cherty	19	1,913
			Limestone, magnesian, arenaceous	23	1,936
			Limestone, magnesian, cherty	21	1,957
			Limestone, magnesian, arenaceous	22	1,979
			Sandstone, cherty, with magnesian carbonate	4	1,983
			Sandstone, with magnesian carbonate	4	1,987
			Limestone, magnesian, arenaceous	160	2,147
			Limestone, magnesian, arenaceous	35	2,182
			Sandstone, white, part coarse and part fine	90	2,272
			Sandstone, coarse, with some feldspar	5	2,277
			Sandstone, coarse, some of quartz, an appreciable amount of feldspar	5	2,282
			Sandstone, fine grained, much of the quartz angular, some feldspar	3	2,285
			Sandstone, coarse, the grains distinctly waterworn, considerable gray-colored feldspar	5	2,290
			Sandstone, the quartz in many cases angular, some feldspar and a few scales of mica	6	2,296
			Sandstone, white, fine grained, the grains mostly angular	5	2,301
			Sandstone, much of quartz is angular, some pink feldspar	2	2,303
			Sandstone, fine grained	2	2,305
			Sandstone, many grains well rounded, considerable gray feldspar	7	2,312
Pre-Cambrian systems (?)—
			Granite (?)	100	2,412

Woodson County

The surface rocks in Woodson county belong chiefly to the Douglas and Shawnee formations of the upper Pennsylvanian. The Lansing formation, beneath the Douglas, occupies a very small area along Neosho river and Owl creek in the extreme eastern part of the county. The outcrop of the Douglas formation comprises all the central and eastern parts and that of the Shawnee formation the northwestern part of the county. The various members of these formations are shown upon the geologic map of the county which accompanies this report.

As in the adjoining region, the rocks of Woodson county have a gentle westward dip, but locally some anticlinal structures have been discovered. As a whole, development has been rather slow, but test wells which have been drilled in various parts of the county in most cases have had a good oil production, encouraging further work. As shown on the accompanying map, the chief oil production at the present time comes from small scattered areas. These lie (1) in the northeastern part of Woodson county, near Neosho Falls and Vernon; (2) in the center of the county, near Yates Center; (3) along the southern margin of the county, connecting with the fields in Wilson county, and along the western border. Beside these small fields, many scattered test wells, some with rather satisfactory oil production, are found in various places. Some of the wells southeast of Yates Center are reported to produce 75 to 150 barrels a day from a sand about 1,100 feet deep, The following tabulation shows the location of some of the wells and the depth of the producing sands:

Record of producing sands in Woodson county
Location			Depth to producing sand, feet	Thickness penetrated, feet	Initial production
Sec.	Twp.	Range
30	23	17		10	Oil, 75 bbls.
15 miles southeast of Yates Center			1,075	14
34	26	16			Oil, 150 bbls.
14	26	13	1,140		Oil, 25 bbls.

Wells drilled and acreage held in Woodson county, 1913 to 1916, inclusive. Data from Mineral Resources of the United States, U. S. Geol. Survey.
Year	Wells				Acreage
	Wells productive Jan. 1	New wells completed		Abandoned	Fee	Lease	Total
		Oil	Dry
1913		3	1
1914	3	2	2	1		1,080	1,080
1915	4			2		42	42
1916	2

New wells completed in Woodson county, 1904 to 1915, inclusive. Data compiled from Mineral Resources of the United States, U. S. Geol. Survey.
Year	Oil	Gas	Dry	Total
1904	20		4	24
1905
1906
1907
1908
1909		2		2
1910
1911
1912	1	3	3	7
1913	2		3	5
1914	12		2	14
1915		23	2	25

Following is the record of a typical Woodson county well at Toronto. The log of a deep well recently drilled at Yates Center, encountering granite is given in chapter VII.

Record of well near Toronto. (Haworth and Bennett, 1908, pl. 96) Drilled by James Amm, on the Robert Sample farm. Reported by Troxel.
Stratum				Thickness, feet	Depth, feet
			Soil and clay	26	26
			Gravel	5	31
Pennsylvanian system—
	Douglas formation:
		Lawrence shale
			Shale	79	110
		Iatan limestone
			Limestone	5	115
		Weston shale
			Shale	140	255
	Lansing formation:
		Stanton limestone
			Limestone	65	320
		Vilas shale
			Shale	16	336
		Plattsburg limestone
			Limestone, brown	19	355
			Limestone, shale and shells	53	408
		Lane shale
			Shale, light	90	498
	Kansas City formation:
		Iola limestone
			Limestone, water	58	556
		Chanute shale
			Shale	10	566
		Drum limestone
			Limestone	15	581
		Cherryvale shale
			Shale	27	608
		Winterset limestone (?)
			Limestone	44	652
			Limestone, brown, water	20	672
			Shale, dark	3	675
			Limestone	15	690
		Galesburg shale
			Shale	10	700
		Bethany Falls limestone
			Limestone	24	724
		Ladore shale
			Shale, black, water	5	729
		Hertha limestone
			Limestone	19	748
	Marmaton formation:
		Pleasanton shale
			Sandstone, gray	15	763
			Shale	3	766
			Sandstone, gray	18	784
			Shale, blue	85	869
			Shale, dark	30	899
			Shale, light	16	915
		Altamont limestone
			Limestone	18	933
		Bandera shale
			Shale	72	1,005
		Fort Scott and Pawnee limestone
			Limestone	4	1,009
			Shale	3	1,012
			Limestone	14	1,026
			Shale	6	1,032
			Limestone	48	1,080
	Cherokee shale:
			Shale, dark	24	1,104
			Oil sand	25	1,129
			Shale	121	1,250
			Sandstone, soft	4	1,254
			Shale	86	1,340
			Sandstone, soft	7	1,347
			Shale	83	1,430
			Sandstone, soft	8	1,438
			Shale	14	1,402

Wyandotte County

Wyandotte county contains typical exposures of the Kansas City, Lansing and Douglas formations of the Pennsylvanian. The Kansas City formation is found in the bluffs of Kansas and Missouri rivers along the east and south borders of the county. The Lansing formation occupies the higher land in the east and the Douglas formation outcrops extensively in the western part.

The attention of the oil and gas prospector was very early drawn to Wyandotte county, but this part of Kansas has never proven an important oil producer. [Note: For an account of early development in Wyandotte county, Haworth and Bennett, 1908, p. 26-29.] Development in the county has been limited almost entirely to gas wells, but recently there has been an attempt to reach some of the oil-bearing sands. Near the town of Piper wells were drilled in 1915 which were reported to yield some oil, but there has been no commercial production. Gas wells in the vicinity of the town yield a good supply of natural gas. A new company has recently been organized and has taken over some of these old wells, and it is possible that much new development work will be undertaken.

Record of well at Bonner Springs.
Stratum				Thickness, feet	Depth, feet
Pennsylvanian system—
	Kansas City formation:
			Limestone and thin shale beds	190	190
	Marmaton formation:
			Shale, arenaceous, with thin limestone beds in lower part	260	450
	Cherokee shale:
			Shale and sandstone	390	840
Mississippian system—
		Burlington and Keokuk limestones
			Limestone, light bluish gray, hard, cherty	325	1,165
		Kinderhook (?) group
			Limestone, sandy, and shale	150	1,315
Ordovician system—
			Limestone	190	1,505
		St. Peter sandstone
			Sandstone	35	1,540
Ordovician and Cambrian systems—
			Limestone, magnes and shale	580	2,120

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Kansas Geological Survey, Geology
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