File 1450/1919 ‘Mesopotamia & Kurdistan: Geological Reports on’ [‎196r] (414/522)

15
{38) Sit.—The oil shows of Hit being near the Euphrates, a plentiful
supply of good water is always available, and transport of heavy machinery
is particularly easy as the river is navigable up to Hit. It is quite likely that
by means of a suitable substitute for firebars the local bitumen could be used
as a fuel in boilers : whether forced draught were necessary or not would be
a matter for experiment. If this is possible there is an ample supply of fuel
right on the drilling sites.
A well here would commence in the Asmari Limestone, and except for
the shale groups which are occasionally to be expected, is unlikely to reach
any other series beneath. . Rapid progress will not be possible through the
hard limestone, but no special difficulties should be encountered and caving
and jamming of the casing are likely to bo at their minimum. It is
extremely likely that gas will be struck and possibly strong shows of sulphurous
water.
(39) Abu Jir. —Abu Jir is similar to Hit in every respect except that it
is 20 miles from the Euphrates. Water suitable for boilers is unlikely to be
found in hand dug wells here as they would be sunk in the gypseous saliferous
Koweit Series. . There is, however, always the possibility of finding a catch
ment area containing rain water and more or less sealed off by clays from the
contaminating influence of the Koweit Series, but as this is only a possibility,
and the water if found would probably be there in insufficient quantity, it
cannot be relied on for actual drilling. The only alternative then is to pipe
water from the Euphrates or drill by internal combustion engine.
The drill would penetrate a small thickness of soft Koweit Series beds
and enter the Asmari Limestone Series beneath, when conditions would differ
little if at all from those at Hit.
(40) Nafatah. —Being close to the bank of the Euphrates transport and
water supply are particularly easy here, but there is no fuel and this would
probably be most easily brought from Hit 26 miles distant by water. A bore
hole, after passing a little Alluvium and Koweit Series strata, would enter the
Asmari Limestone Series as at Abu Jir.
(41) To increase the Nqft Khana Oil Springs. —It seems very improbable
that any increase in production of oil will be obtained by digging or excavat
ing at the springs. The seepages .are due partly to the springs of water mixed
with which the oil reaches the surface, and partly to gas pressure. The latter
is unlikely to increase effectively till depths of perhaps 300 feet or 400 feet
are reached, while the former remains a constant quantity : in any case the
digging of one or two test pits would be a simple and easy proof of this.
There is one way in which the amount of oil collected, as distinct from
the amount of oil issuing, could be materially increased, and that is by construct
ing at each seepage a simple form of trap. The object of this would be to
drain off the water underneath the surface instead of its flowing over the top
of the little artificial basins, as at present. In this manner the oil always
remaining on top, the water flowing out of a pipe below the surface would
carry no oil with it, as contrasted with the present when the escaping water
carries oil away all the time.
A most simple way of doing this would be to insert in each basin, below
water level, a short length of 2-inch or 3-inch pipe with a screw valve on
the outer end, or even a plug of wood or other substance would serve. The
orifice could then be adjusted to keep the water level constant and the oil
would be skimmed off at regular intervals when it was there in sufficient
quantity to be collected without water. In this manner none of the oil need
run to waste as at present.
(42) Oil Transport. —^Although the transport of oil which has not yet
been proved to exist hardly comes within the scope of this report, it will be a
problem of such importance if a paying oilfield is found anywhere near
Baghdad that it cannot be passed over without mention.
Erom Baghdad to the Gulf is 345 miles in a straight line and to this must
be added approximately a farther 100 miles to Hit or Naft Khana and possibly
a good deal more if there are other oilfields further North. A pipe line would
therefore fall little short of 450 miles as a minimum length. This is not

File 1450/1919 ‘Mesopotamia & Kurdistan: Geological Reports on’ [‎196r] (414/522)

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File 1450/1919 ‘Mesopotamia & Kurdistan: Geological Reports on’ [‎196r] (414/522)

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