Summary Report on Exploration for Oil and
Gas in the Peace River District,
British Columbia.

REVIEW.

An inquiry into the resources of the Peace River District, with especial reference to the
possibilities of finding oil and gas, has been in progress since the spring of 1919. In the first
summer season a general reconnaissance was made by the late Professor J. C. Gwillim, who in
conclusion recommended certain areas for more detailed examination. In the field season of
1920 such examination was carried out by E. Spieker, of John Hopkins University, Baltimore,
U.S.A., in an area south of the Peace River, and in another area on the north side of the same
river by the writer, assisted by Professor Alexander MacLean, of the University of Toronto.
These examinations showed that in view of the heavy covering of soil conclusive results could
be most economically and, in fact, could only be obtained by exploratory drilling. Consequently
field exploration was suspended during the two following seasons, and exploratory drilling was
earried on from June, 1921, to June, 1922, in the area north of the Peace River and just west of
the Peace River Block.

Metuop orf DRILLine.

The drilling was done under contract by Lynch Bros., of Seattle and Vancouver, who have
been both efficient and considerate in the performance of the work. J. C. Wilson was employed
to keep the records of the operations during the progress of the work.

Diamond-drills were used, power being obtained from a wood-burning sectional boiler which
could be carried in parts by a pack-train. The cores range from 2 to 1% inches in diameter
and the recovery was excellent—in some holes practically complete. Consequently nearly com-
plete sections of the formations peneterated have been obtained and preserved. In all, some 9.800
feet of the solid formations have been drilled, in six holes, which range in depth from 1,027 to
2,525 feet.

The major part of the cores is stored at Hudson Hope, properly boxed and labelled for future
reference by your own or other geologists working in the region. Already Dr. F. H. McLearn,
officer of the Geological Survey of Canada in charge of the Peace River District, has begun a
critical study of the cores for use in interpreting the geology of the possible oil- and coal-bearing
horizons on the west and south of this locality.

DESCRIPTION OF THE AREA.

Location.

The area that it was designed to test by the drilling campaign of 1921-22, just closed, was
deseribed in my report to this Department in 1920. It lies between the foot-hills of the Rocky
Mountains on the west and the western boundary of the Peace River Block on the east, and
between the South-west Halfway, or Graham River, on the north and the Peace River on the
south. The area measures some 40 miles from north to south, 10 miles in width at the north
and narrowing towards the south until the east and west sides nearly meet at the Peace River.
It is reached by pack-trail from Hudson Hope, which is on the Peace River, about 2 miles east
of the west boundary of the Block.

Surface.

Near the west boundary of the area the foot-hills of the Rocky Mountains rise abruptly to
a height of 1,200 to 1,800 feet above their eastern base. In marked contrast to this relief is the
surface of the wooded prairie, which declines towards the east, with occasional low gently sloping
swells and broad open valleys. One chain of hills parallels the front of the foot-hills for nearly
20 miles, at distance from them of about 10 miles, and rises in places to 300 feet above the
adjacent valleys. The other hills are lower and less regularly distributed. The area is drained
by several streams running easterly and south-easterly to the Peace River. Of these the Red