Latitude:                         40° 26' 49"N

Longitude:                      80° 08' 37"W

Quadrangle:                   Oakdale 7 1/2'

Age:

Formation(s):

Purpose:                          This site contains one of the few remaining oil derricks in Southwestern Pennsylvania.

Derrick is at road level in parking lot. Parking available for motor coach. Recommended for all age groups.

(Make sure you get an up-to-date PAT Transit schedule:

No PAT Transit Service

From the Cathedral of Learning, Drive 0.7 mi. west on Fifth Avenue. Make a Left on Craft Av. Go 0.1 mi., then make a right onto Blvd. of Allies, go 0.3 mi. then bear right onto entrance ramp to I-376. In Downtown Pittsburgh, bear left to I-279 South. Stay on this highway through the Fort Pitt tunnels. From the end of the Fort Pitt Tunnel, go 8.5 miles and exit at the Campbell's Run Road exit. Follow Campbell's Run Road to Rt. 60, and make a right. Go Approximately 1 mile. Well is on west side of Road. Park in empty lot near well.

See map and figures.

As you drive/walk to the site you cannot miss the oil derrick above the tops of the trees. This is one of the few remaining derricks from the extensive McDonald-McCurdy oil field. This field, together with the adjacent Moon Run-Crafton, Venice, and Hopper fields, is the second largest oil field in Pennsylvania and one of the largest in the entire Appalachian Basin. The fields were discovered during the period of 1888 to 1896. They produce oil and gas from the Upper Devonian age Fifth, Fourth, Gordon Stray, Lower Nineveh, and One Hundred Foot sandstones. In addition, some gas has been produced from the Mississippian Big Injun sandstone and the Pennsylvanian First Gas Sand and First Salt Sand. Initial production rates for many of the wells were as high as 750 to 3500 barrels of oil per day, although most wells had initial production rates of 10 to 25 barrels of oil per day. After high production rates, most wells maintained a reliable production or 2-15 barrels per day. Even today, some wells are still producing (see site CANON 1-1). The last development in this area was between 1956 and 1983 when an additional six wells were drilled (Harper and Laughery, 1987).

For a complete history of the oil and gas production in the area see Ingham and others (1949).

 Click on the thumbnails below for a picture of the well and a map:

A view of the oil well derrick.

A map of part of the McDonald-McCurdy oil field. This well is well number 2 next to the 'B' in Robinson. Map from Ingham and others (1949).

A map of the entire McDonald-McCurdy oil field, along with surrounding oil and gas fields. Map from Lytle and Balogh (1975)

Harper, J. A., and Laughrey, C. D., 1987, Geology of the Oil and Gas Fields of Southwestern Pennsylvania, Pennsylvania Geological Survey, mineral Resources Report 87, 166 p.

Ingham, A. I., Tignor, E. M., and Nabors, W. M., 1949, McDonald and Adjacent Oil Fields, Allegheny and Washington Counties, Pennsylvania, Pennsylvania Geological Survey Bulletin M 29, 113 p.

Johnson, M. E., 1928, Geology and Mineral Resources of the Pittsburgh Quadrangle, Pennsylvania: Pennsylvania Geological Survey Bulletin A 27, 236 p.

Leighton, H. 1945, The Geology of Pittsburgh and its Environs: A Popular Account of the General Geological Features of the Region: Carnegie Institute Press, 2nd edition, Pittsburgh, PA , 80p.

Lytle, W. S., 1976, Oil Fields of the Greater Pittsburgh Region, Pennsylvania Geological Survey Mineral Resources Report 70, 119 p.

Lytle, W. S., and Balogh, L., 1975, Greater Pittsburgh Region Oil and Gas Fields Map, Pennsylvania Geological Survey Map 44.

Shaw, E. W., and Munn, M. J., 1911, Geologic Atlas of the United States: Burgettstown-Carnegie Folio, United States Geological Survey Folio 177 Field Edition, 123p.

Wagner, W. R., and others, 1970, Geology of the Pittsburgh Area: Pennsylvania Geological Survey General Geology Report G 59, 145p.

Click here for  an image of the County Geologic Map (1880)