That part of California east of the San Andreas rift and east of the western edge of the Sierra Nevada has been consistently ignored as a possible future oil province. Nevertheless, the subdivision of the region north of the Garlock fault and east of the Sierra Nevada is worthy of some attention by petroleum geologists.

About 40,000 feet of sediments in the region range in age from pre-Cambrian to Quaternary, with most periods represented. Structural deformation is generally complex, but regional metamorphism is lacking. An oil seep is known from Paoha Island in Mono Lake. In general, geologic conditions are similar to those in northeastern Nevada where there is currently an active exploratory program.

The principal factors which would assist exploration in this region are the concepts of discovery-thinking prevalent among geologists in the Mid-Continent and in the Rocky Mountains. Carbonate rocks may be source beds and also reservoirs; the general regional geology concerns features of basins superimposed upon geosynclines; lateral continuity is prevalent; saturated zones may be thin; structural deformation largely concerns competent strata.

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