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12 COAL AND TIMBER June, 1905
THE HYDRO-CARBONS OF UTAH
Gilsonite, Elaterite, Ozokerite, words that through North and South by Green river.
convey little or no meaning to the layman. The rim of the basin is made up of the
are the names given to hydro-carbons found L'intMih mountains on the North, which
in commercial quantities in only one place range has four peaks reaching an altitude
in the world, to-wit, the State of Utah. In of 13.000 feet and over; the Wasatch moun-
fact, Gilsonite and Elaterite have never been
found in any other place in the world and
Ozokerite is only found in one other place,
Moldavia, Europe. These substances are
found in the Uintah basin in Eastern Utah,
a region for the most part wild and desolate,
the home of the raven, the jackrabbit
and the coyote. This basin is cup-shaped,
is about 200 miles in diameter and is cut
Black Dragon Gilsonite Mine, Utah.
tains on the West; the Book, or Roar Cliff,
mountains on the South and East.
From a geological standpoint this immense
basin presents many features of interest.
The formation is almost entirely
sandstone except the Uintah mountains on
the North. In the deep box canyons cut
by the larger streams and rivers, the formation
presents a perpendicular face often
3,000 or 4,000 feet deep, showing layer after
layer of sandstone between which sometimes
occur thin strata of shale. The formation
in the basin itself is almost entirely
Tertiary from the Upper Green River and
Fort Bridger sandstones down to the Dakotas.
There are many coal seams exposed
and some other minerals but the most interesting
minerals in the whole basin are
the veins of Gilsonite and Elaterite. These
substances were unknown a few years ago
and were brought to the attention of the
world as is usual in such cases by the intrepid
prospector, although the cowboys in
that region were the first to call attention
to them. The cowboys in riding over the
mountain ranges observed in places that the
Mints had brought to the surface small particles
of a peculiar black, shiny substance
which, upon casual view, had the appearance
of coal but upon closer inspection proved
to be quite different.
At the most promising points where these
discoveries were made prospecting was carried
on more or less systematically until
finally the veins were discovered and opened.
One of the earlier and most persistent
prospectors was
a well-known pioneer in
the West, Sam Gilson, one of those original
but strong characters to whom the West is
generally indebted for discovery and opening
up of its various treasures. It was
from him that Gilsonite derives its name.
Gilsonite occurs in perpendicular fissure
veins cutting the sandstone formation almost
as straight as an arrow and extending
in some
cases for miles, persisting in its
straight course over mountains and across
canyons showing like a black streak of paint
whenever the surface debris has been removed.
It is a hard, black, highly lustrous
substance with a fracture somewhat similar
to coal.
The veins are from six inches
to 20 feet wide and owing to their perpendicular
position are easily and cheaply
mined. The walls of sandstone between
which they stand are generally clean and
linn and do not need much timbering.
The dust from Gilsonite is highly explosive
and therefore great care must
exercised in mining it. Electric lights are
used exclusively in the deeper workings.
The veins are known to extend down 500
feet or more, and it is supposed that they
continue down
be
to at least the underlying
hard slates, several thousands of feet below.
It is the general belief of geologists
who have examined the basin that these
substances have their derivation from oil.
That after the basin had been lifted up and
formed in some late geologic time it settled
back somewhat and in doing so cracks were
opened extending deep down which were
filled with oil from below upwards.
This
infusion must have in later ages gradually
solidified. As a proof that the substance
was liquid or semi-liquid at one time, large
blocks of sandstone are sometimes
found