Eight areas within Arizona have potential for commercial production of hydrocarbons or industrial gases (Figure 1). In addition, at least 14 Tertiary basins, which have not been adequately tested, contain evidence of hydrocarbon source and reservoir rocks. These conclusions are based on the following evidence: (1) current production of oil and natural gas in the northeastern part of the state, (2) past production of helium in the Holbrook Basin, (3) recent discovery of carbon dioxide in the Holbrook Basin, (4) surface seeps of tar and high gravity oil, (5) outcrops of petroliferous rocks, and (6) shows of oil and gas in wells. The status of drilling and indications of hydrocarbon potential in each area are described in this report.

This report summarizes the geomorphology and hydrology of the three principal tributary streams of the Bill Williams River in western Arizona. The Bill Williams River basin drains most of west-central Arizona, straddling Mohave, Yavapai and La Paz counties (Figure 1). The principal tributaries of the Bill Williams are Big Sandy River, which heads east of Kingman, and Santa Maria River, which heads near Hillside. These tributaries join to form the Bill Williams River at what is now Alamo Lake. Burro Creek is the largest tributary of Big Sandy River, entering south of Wikieup.

AZGS staff prepare and provide geologic maps, reports, and related information to interested or concerned citizens, governmental agencies, businesses, legislators and committee staff, teachers, and students. Geologists map and describe bedrock and surficial materials; and metallic, nonmetallic, and energy resources. They also identify geologic processes that may be hazardous to the public or limiting to land and resource management (e.g. earthquakes, land subsidence and earth fissures, flooding). Staff conduct investigations, write reports and prepare maps that summarize the results, and make this and related information available to the public. In addition, they compile and maintain data files and computer databases; maintain a library that features the geology of Arizona; and preserve a repository of selected rock cuttings and cores.

Index of Samples of Wells Drilled for Oil and Gas in Arizona (Includes Wells Drilled Through December 1998).

Seven sinkholes surround the city of Sedona in Coconino and Yavapai Counties, Arizona. They occur in surface bedrock of Permian age Esplanade Sandstone, Hermit formation, and Schnebly Hill Sandstone, but the causative source is from the collapse of subsurface water-filled caves in Mississippian Redwall Limestone that underlies those formations. The original Mississippian-age Redwall karst surface has undergone two additional phases of dissolution enlargement in later geologic time. The first occurred after the Laramide uplift of the Mogollon Highlands when northeast flowing streams penetrated the exposed Redwall Limestone erosion surface, and the second took place following the generation of the Verde graben ~10 million years ago when regional drainage reversal took place. Pre-graben Miocene basalt lava flows that overlie eroded Paleozoic strata are present on either side of, and faulted within, the Verde graben closed depression. Post-graben erosion generated the Mogollon Rim escarpment in the northern portion of the Verde Valley and allowed surface streams to erode the broad Dry Creek and Margs Draw valleys. Oak Creek fault, and the erosion of its canyon, is much younger than the faulting that generated the Verde graben. Over time water flow through the Sedona area evolved from surface flow to dominantly groundwater flow, mainly due to leakage through abundant northwest-southeast oriented rock joints and permeable fault zones into underlying cavernous Redwall Limestone. USGS oxygen isotope studies show that water recharge entering the northeastern part of the Upper Verde watershed, and passing beneath the greater Sedona area, originated high on the Colorado Plateau above 6900 feet before discharging at a rate of ~15 millions of gallons per day at artesian springs in the Page Springs area to the southwest of Sedona. Dissolution caves in the underlying Redwall Limestone have now enlarged to the point where their sandstone roof rocks have collapsed into limestone caves over the past several thousand years. Devils Kitchen sinkhole has historic records of collapse in the 1880s, 1989 and 1995, and it will continue to collapse in future years. Six additional sinkholes are in various stages of collapse from modern time and possibly to the end of the last Ice Age. While the danger of future collapse is probably minimal to humans, unregulated septic leakage into hidden sinkhole breccias within the town limits could contaminate groundwater being tapped for municipal use or the contamination of the Page Springs outflow. The report contains geologic maps, cross sections, photographs and individual features of the sinkholes as of the end of 2009.

These data are intended for those using some type of GIS program and who are familiar with database structure. Most of these files can work with ArcGIS or some similar GIS program. Some non-ESRI software can import shapefiles, which are also provided. .dbf files can be opened in MS Excel, if you do not possess MS Access.

Radiogenic age determinations, which involve precise field studies and detailed laboratory analyses, are expensive. Results have been included in many scientific publications, some of which are obscure. The purpose of this report is to make radiometric age determinations for Arizona more accessible to users. we have attempted to assemble all published determinations to collate them and index them to facilitate their use. The determinations are indexed by age, geographic location, and rock unit. The location for each determination is plotted on the accompanying maps. To the best of our knowledge, this is one of the first computerized and cross indexed age compilations of its kind.

Mineral districts presented herein and delineated on the enclosed map were defined according to geological criteria. The principal goal was to arrange known metallic mineral occurrences into discreet metallogenic systems of similar age and style of mineralization. It Is strongly stressed that many of the metallic occurrences have poorly understood geological controls and hence, many of the district boundaries will change as knowledge of both their deposits and geologic settings is improved. Nevertheless, this map initiates a geological approach to the subject of mine district definition and suggests that mineral districts are ultimately geological phenomena. Include a map sheet showing the distribution of metallic mineral districts of Arizona, map scale 1:1,000,000.

This compilation results from a joint effort between the Arizona Bureau of Mines, University of Arizona, Tucson, and the Arizona Oil & Gas Conservation Commission, Phoenix, Arizona. It serves as a basic data companion piece to Arizona Bureau of Mines Bulletin No. 182 "Coal, Oil, Natural Gas, Helium, and Uranium in Arizona," and the Arizona Oil & Gas Conservation Commission's "Index of Well Samples." It represents the first attempt, in Arizona', to produce a compilation of geologic data acquired from studies of exploration holes drilled through 1971 principally in search of oil, natural gas, and helium. However, also included are selected holes associated with mineral (principally non-metals) and water exploration and development.

Arizona is truly a land of scenic beauty and geologic marvels. The arid. climate and great relief combine to expose geology in a dramatic fashion equaled by few other places in North America. This guidebook is the fourth of a series being issued by the Arizona Bureau of Mines to acquaint tourists and residents of this state with its geology. It is hoped that the text will appeal to the amateur and layman as well as professional geologists and engineers. This is not a textbook, however, and the conceptual aspects of geologic phenomena are not treated in detail. The reader should consult introductory textbooks to learn such things as why volcanoes erupt and mountain ranges rise. What we have attempted to do is to call to the attention of the public specific examples of geology which occur along our highways. We hope this will make your trip a little more satisfying.