Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1865-03-31


WHAT II COSTS TO d. STRIKE on. "A long
account Of the Oil Wells in the Kanawha
Valley, Va, is published in the n y. World,
from which We extract the following
Before veil Is sunk. spot is chosen on
which 70 commence work. This location Is de-
termlned BY the dip Of rock, course Of stream,
burst Of uphezvsl. concentration Of rsvines, snd
other marks governing oil men, the failures and
successes Of others beng Of great benefit in max
ing selections Of tpots for wells. derrick,
resembling the frame Of an Old fashioned church
s;eeple, IL erected over the spot chosen. This
derrick is about 40 feet high, 10 feet square At
the base, sni tspsring to four or i've feet al the
top. where 8 pully- block is alfred, through
which runs a rope 70 work the drill and haul
up the boring tools, sand-pump (s tube or pump
which is used % clean out the chips from the hole
made by the iTilD, tubes, rods. Sc, used IN
sinking or working the well. A long box, shout
eight inches square e then put down till the
lower enl rests on the bed rock. be II one or 80
feet. THIS box Is called conductor. and its use
70 steady the drill which works Up and down
inside OF II. The cost Of erecting derrick is
from 500 to $50 according to its height or
planness; and the work is done by almost any
man acquainted With the use Of carpenters
tools The conductor costs from SIS to $50
according to the depth At which the bed rock is
reached. The drill "a heavy iron chisel With
rounded and shsrpened end. Il IS about three
feet long and weighs from 20 TO 100 pounds II
is worked up and down by means Of rod or
rope attached 10 the upper end. This chisel is
followed bv reamer, made Ike the drill, except
the end is square II brosks down the little
irregular outings Of rock left by the drill. The
reamer is follc@ed by the sand pump, which
cleans out the debris. To work the drill and
other tools necessary to sink we'll spring poles
(resemblng an old-fAshiOned vell-sEeep) are
sometimes Usei. Spring poles are cheaper than
engines at first, but not as good. The relative
cost Of boring Is as follows:
With spring poles s3 to 81 Per foot
Engine - 50 to SS75 per foot
This Is the price paid 70 men who take the con-
tract 10 sink the vel. the employer finding the
tools. ami II the work be done By An engine, the
fuel ami oil 70 work the same. This price includes
the cleaning out Of the well and putting IN the
tubing, but not the cost thereof. which IS about
90 cents foot. The range Of price is governed
by the depth OF the we'll In this section oil is
found at the depth (ayersge) Of 240 feet.
A twelve horse power engine costs, delivered
on the ground resdy for work here, about two
thousand four hundred dollars; a set Of tools
complete, three hundred and seventy -hye dollars
From the above figures. men will see how much
II costs 10 sink we'll Tanks cost about two
hundred dollsrs, but this expense need not be
incurred till the oil is reached. The building
over the engine 10 protect il from rain and
storms, COSTS about three hundred dollars. The
barrels are furnished by the refner, who takes
the oil from the tank, pays his own cost Of trans
portation, bsrreling, &C., and keeps you sup
piled with empty barrels This saves the oues-
tiOu Of transportation to parties owning or op-
Grating wells.
We are often asked how fsst man can bore,
or how many feet wen IS sunk in = day, The
answer depends On circumstances, according to
the nature Of the rock. Some daysthe drill
will make hsteen or twenty feet; sgaiu, Il Will
pound sll day and not penetrate more than
twenty inches- The average is about eight feet
day The best plan is to work two Sines Of
meu, from twelve TO twelve. and without toc
ping, drive down :. fzst as possibEs til the oil
Is reached .t- ~ p p .i'u'i-3 i-.i4.i--'-
As rear ssve c.u learn, there viii Be nut
down IN Western Virginia this season. At least
two thousand oil wells. Heretofore not over
one in i've struck oil; but the experience which
has followed tbe efforts Of new business Ike
this, directs eforts now TO two hundred per cent.
better advantage and pro6t than eyer before.-
Every day or 50, = valuable well is struck. and
if man or company bore on oil territory, in
stead Of on some oui-of-rsoge mountain, four
wells out Of every sir put down will yield rich
hsrvests-