NYSGA 1957
New York State Geological Association
Twenty-Ninth Annual Meeting
Wellsville, N.Y. - May 9 - 12, 1957
Guidebook
for
Geology of S.W. Tier
Oil and Gas Fields
Oil Refining
Field Trips
Edited and Compiled
by
W. H. Young, Jr. and W. L. Kreidler

A: GEOLOGICAL OUTCROPS IN WELLSVILLE AREA
by W.L. Kreidler, N.Y.S. Geological Survey

A: GEOLOGICAL OUTCROPS IN WELLSVILLE AREA

Junction with Rte 19
Junction of Route 19, turn right (south). The Wellsville crops out at the base of the hills to the east which are capped by Germania or basal Cattaraugus.

STOP 1 Hinsdale Outcrop
9:07 A.M. Hinsdale outcrop in road cut along Fords Brook. This is a 20 minute stop. (Sta. 2 on Map 2)
Description:
Top - 7' | Hinsdale - interbedded gray micaceous siltstones 1" to 4" in thickness and gray shales; contain loose sponge spicules, Prismodictya sp. and Cyrtospirifer disjunctus.
Base - 5' | Wellsville - interbedded 1" to 4" dark purple siltstones and shales.

Outcrop to left, across creek

Oil Field
Oil wells in Fords Brook pool on left.

Tank Farm
Sinclair tank farm on left.
2010: Tank farm is gone...

Cross Genesee River
Cross Genesee River and turn left (north) at blinker light onto Route 19. (At northeast end of Genesee River bridge test hole encountered 125' of glacial deposits.)

Glacial and river terraces on right.

Terraces and Scio Oil Pool
Glacial and river terraces on left and Scio oil pool, on right, across railroad tracks. Top of producing sand is at a depth of 290'

Machias formation outcrops
Machias formation outcrops on right across Vandermark Creek.

STOP 2 Cuba and Machias outcrop.
10:00 A.M. This is a 45 minute stop. (Sta. 3 on Map 2).
Description:
Top - (the upper portion is accessible only with great difficulty and therefore the data for these upper units is taken directly from the Wellsville Bulletin)
Top - 20' | irregularly bedded buff sandstone
12' | fissile olive-gray argillaceous shale
13' | buff siltstone and sandstone containing numerous Tylothyris mesacostalis
2' | massive buff sandstone
5' | interbedded buff sandstone and siltstone
1.5' | massive buff sandstone (base of Cuba)
12' | interbedded gray shale and thin gray siltstone (top of Machias)
1' | fossiliferous gray siltstone
10' | mostly gray argillaceous shale with a few thin gray siltstones
1.5' | medium light gray siltstone containing coquinites of Cyrtospirifer disjunctus
6' | fissile medium gray shale with limonitic stain
2' | gray siltstone containing coquinites of Cyrtospirifer disjunctus
15' | mostly medium gray argillaceous shale showing limonitic stain, with a few interbedded 1" to 1' gray siltstone containing crinoid stems
road level - 20' | mostly medium gray shale with a few interbedded 1" to 2' gray siltstone
Base - 6' | interbedded medium gray shale and gray 1" to 2" siltstones (The lower two units are exposed in the creek bed below road level)

Madison Hill oil pool

STOP 3 Wellsville Outcrop in stream bed
11:02 Wellsville outcrop in stream bed about 100 yards north of street. This is a 45 minute stop (Sta. 1 on Map 2)
Description:
Top - 1' | medium light gray 2" to 4" siltstone
7' | olive gray shale with limonitic stain
12' | concealed
2' | medium light gray shaly siltstones and shales containing coquinites of crinoid stems; also present are Chonetes sp., Productella sp, and Cyrtospirifer disjunctus
2' | medium light gray 1" to 6" siltstone containing Cyrtospirifer disjunctus
4' | concealed
5' | interbedded olive gray shale and medium light gray thin to 2" siltstones; contain crinoid stems, Chonetes sp. and Cyrtospirifer disjunctus
3' | medium light gray 1" to 4" siltstones containing coquinites of crinoid stems and Cyrtospirifer disjunctus
15' | olive gray shale with a limonitic stain and only a very few interbedded thin gray siltstones
1' | gray fossiliferous coquinites of crinoid stems and Cyrtospirifer disjunctus
base - 5'
medium light gray thin to 3" siltstones containing flattened concretions ("storm rollers" ) up to 3' in diameter

Sinclair Refinery on left of road
2010: The refinery is no longer here, as it had a bad fire in 1958, the year after this field trip, and there was not enough oil left in the ground to justify rebuilding it. (It had also had a bad fire in 1936, but was then rebuilt.)

B: HARRISON VALLEY ORISKANY GAS STORAGE FIELD
by G. C. Borland, N.Y.St. Nat. Gas Corp

B: HARRISON VALLEY ORISKANY GAS STORAGE FIELD

Glacial terrace on left
Sand bank on left is in glacial terrace material.

On lake or stream terrace
On glacial lake or stream terrace on East side of Genesee valley. Stream cut in opposite side of river valley about 1 mile ahead and on right is old stream channel cut when glacial lake drained this way into the Allegheny River water shed. Present Mississippi River-Great Lakes watershed divide is about 1 mile up this valley West of Genesee River.

Sand and gravel quarry
Small gravel and sand quarry on right in glacial terrace material.

Out of main Genesee River Valley
Straight ahead and up hill out of main Genesee River Valley.

Gas pipe right-of-way
Cross cleared right-of-way of New York State Natural Gas Corporation's main transmission line from Sabinsville Field station to State Line Field Station. Right of way leads off to right at angle.

Drainage Divide
Left onto dirt. Hill top straight ahead is drainage divide between Great Lakes and Atlantic Coast water sheds. Elevation approximately 2200'.

Chemung Outcrops
Straight ahead. Chemung surface outcrop evidence. Catskill on scattered hill tops. Note slightly reddish color of stones in fence rubble and stone piles on these hill tops. These are predominately from sandy formations in the Catskill.( Cattaraugus).

Ida Scoville No. 1 Gas storage well
Gas storage well on right is the Ida Scoville #1 at northwest edge of Harrison Oriskany sand gas field. Oriskany is at 5201' depth.

Courtright storage well
Courtright storage well on left. Surface elevation 2225', top of Oriskany at 5129' in well.

Glacial material on left.
Glacial material on left. Terminal moraine of glaciers is about 10 miles south of this locale.

No. 2 Schofield storage well.

STOP 1 Harrison Compressor Station
New York State Natural Gas Corporation's Harrison Compressor Station, used solely for the storage of natural gas from Texas and the South in this previously depleted Oriskany sand gas field.
Plant Engineer's house and Schofield #3 storage well on left side of road. Park on right side of road next to fence. (see fig. 5).
ABSOLUTELY NO SMOKING INSIDE LIMITS OF FENCE.
11:30 A.M. The tour through the plant and "blowing off" the well will be completed about now. Those people leaving from this area can check their present location by looking at sketch in Chapt. VII, p.38.

C: SINCLAIR OIL REFINERY
Trip through the Sinclair Refining Company's Wellsville plant which processes Allegany crude oil.
No road log.
2010: The refinery is no longer here, as it had a bad fire in 1958, the year after this field trip, and there was not enough oil left in the ground to justify rebuilding it. (It had also had a bad fire in 1936, but was then rebuilt.)

D: OIL FIELDS AND WELL SHOOTING
by W. H. Young, Jr., Bradley Prod. Corp.

D: OIL FIELDS AND WELL SHOOTING

Descend from glacial terrace.
Incline is down off of old Genesee River glacial terrace.

Glacial lake terrace deposits.
Sand and gravel in left bank is at base of old glacial lake terrace deposits.

Pumping station in distance
Sinclair Refining Co. station in distance on right before crossing river pumps oil from Fords Brook field to Wellsville Refinery.

Shady Brook Glen of Fords Brook
Turn right and approach west edge of Genesee River flood plain, going through Shady Brook Glen of Fords Brook. 3" pipeline running along left side of road carries all oil from Fords Brook field to Sinclair refinery. Rocks in Glen are Hinsdale and Wellsville (see Stop 1, Trip A-1)

Oil wells
First few oil wells at extreme NE edge of Fords Brook field.

Gas pipelines
Cross cleared right of way (visible to left, up hill) of 14" and 20" diameter lines carrying gas from Pennsylvania and New York Oriskany gas fields to Rochester. Lines owned by New York State Natural Gas Corporation.

North edge of Fords Brook oil field.

STOP 1 Thornton Co. Warfield pressure plant.
1:50 P.M. STOP NO.1 Thornton Co. Warfield pressure plant. See water supply and injection wells, treating, mixing, filtering, pressuring and measuring of water and the filtering of oil wells for the water flood process of secondary recovery of oil.
ABSOLUTELY NO SMOKING OR OPEN FIRE PERMITTED while away from cars. (see fig. 6)

Injection well boxes
Boxes over water injection wells can be seen either side of road.

Injection wells
Turn left and proceed up very steep hill. On other side of hill road parallels a line of water injection wells (on right) with a different type of cover box.

STOP 2 Bradley Prod. Corp. Wesche property.
3:20 P.M. STOP NO. 2 Bradley Producing Corporation Wesche property. See pumping power, pumping and flowing oil wells, separator, stock tanks and gas saver used in oil recovery by water flooding.
ABSOLUTELY NO SMOKING OR OPEN FIRE PERMITTED in area of this stop. (see fig. 7)
4:30 P.M. Proceed on foot to see a well "shot" on the Bradley Producing Corporation Apco property about 1/4 mile east of STOP 2.

E: STRATIGRAPHY OF SOUTHWESTERN NEW YORK
by W. L. Kreidler, N.Y.S. Geol. Survey

E: STRATIGRAPHY OF SOUTHWESTERN NEW YORK

Leave Pleistocene deposits
Leave the thick Pleistocene deposits of the Genesee River Valley and continue on the Wellsville geological unit.

Station 9 Whitesville
Station 9. Slow down Whitesville (?) exposed in road cut, showing a storm roller zone, and a fine example of cyclic bedding.

Enter Allegany Oil field
On left (south), Sinclair Refining gathering tanks and pump station, entering the Allegany Oil field.

Allentown, N.Y
Allentown, N.Y., caution light near school. NOTE: Oil jacks in front yards and next to store.

Messer Oil Co. Lease
Messer Oil Co. Lease, with water treatment plant on right and power house on left.

Oil tank battery
Oil tank battery on right (north) side of Route #17.

Station 10 Whitesville fm
Slow down. Whitesville (?) exposed with fossils on road cut on right (north) side of road.

Whitesville fm.
Electric jack and Whitesville (?) on left (south) side of Route #17.

Pressure Plant on left

Siltstone outcrops
Siltstone outcropping alongside of road.

Western edge of Allegany Oil Field.

Water Plant on right

Glacial delta and river terraces
Cross over Dodge Creek bridge. Glacial delta and river terraces in the valley.

Dirty outwash material in glacial deposits
Entrance to Wolf Creek Scout Camp. NOTE: On left, stream or lake deposited dirty outwash material in the glacial deposits.

STOP 1 Wolf Creek flat pebbly conglomerates
9:26 A.M. (Station 11 on Map 2)
This is a 75 minute stop including loading and unloading.
Wolf Creek flat pebbly conglomerates in abandoned quarry on hill to right. The type locality of Wolf Creek conglomerate is at Sta. 12, 2.5 miles to the north and on left side of road. The Wolf Creek conglomerates are characterized by flat or discoidal quartz pebbles accompanied by occasional red jasper pebbles.
This quarry was opened about 10 years ago for rip rap to be used for levee dikess along the Allegheny River at Portville N.Y.
Top - 3' | olive gray micaceous siltstone
4' | massive sandstone with a little conglomerate, generally white with some limonitic stain; fossiliferous
3' | white 2" to 6" sandstone; fossiliferous
12' | massive sandstone and conglomerate containing "0rthoceras" sp., generally white with slight limonitic stain
Base -7' | massive white sandstone with a little conglomerate, showing slight limonitic stain
NOTE: From quarry you can see a glacial moraine dam and post glacial stream running from Scout Camp Lake through moraine on west side of valley.

Flood control dike
Flood control dike along Allegheny River on left (south) of Route #17.

Possible delta
To the right, pit in deltaic sands and silts. It might possibly be delta of Haskell Creek into Allegheny River valley during a glacial lake stage.

Olean Tile Company

Cemetery on glacial hill

Bradford Oil Field
Entering northern extension of Bradford Oil Field into New York State. NOTE: Boulders of Olean cgl along both sides of road.

Oswayo outcrop on left (east) side of road.

STOP 2 Cattaraugus red beds
11:24 A.M. STOP NO.2 Cattaraugus red beds with Oswayo above.
This is a 20 minute stop. (sta. 15 on Map 2)
Description: The Oswayo is composed of greenish-gray sandy shales with interbedded shaly, frequently fossiliferous, sandstone layers. The contact of the Cattaraugus and base of Oswayo is believed to be at the top of the highest red shale found in this section which is overlain by a fine-grained, greenish-gray, sandstone. Cattaraugus. A succession of red shales interbedded with greenish grey shales and fine-grained, greenish-gray, thin-bedded micaceous and argillaceous sandstones. It contains several well defined flat pebble conglomerate horizons. The Cattaraugus contains excellent cross-bedding and shows shaling out of the sandstones.

Row of crude oil stock tanks on left of dirt road.

STOP 3 Rock City Park
12:03 P.M. STOP NO.3 Rock City Park - type locality of Olean conglomerate.
NOTE: We will be here 2 hours, have lunch, examine outcrop and leave at 2:00 P.M. Mr. Melborne Cunningham, concessionaire at Rock City Park has made available to us picnic and parking areas. While here, the group will visit the type locality of the Olean conglomerate. (Sta. 16 on Map 2)
Description: The Olean conglomerate type locality is south of Olean, N. Y. at Rock City where it is 64' thick. There is an occasional layer of coarse quartz sandstone present in the conglomerate. Cross-bedding, joint cracks and large rounded or ellipsoidal pebbles are prominent features of the Olean conglomerate. The greater majority of the pebbles are vein quartz and milky in color but a few rose-colored ones are present. Pebbles 30 millimeters long are common, but most range from 10 to 20 millimeters in length.. There are a few pebbles of dark gray slate in the conglomerate. The Olean loses its conglomerate character as it is traced south into Pennsylvania. Fifteen to 20 miles south of the New York-Pennsylvania line it consists of a medium to coarse-grained quartz sandstone. The Olean conglomerate is found as far east as Alma Hill in Allegany County.
From hill is a good view of Olean and the former Socony-Vacuum Refining stock tank farm.