, 1881-08-31
BRADFORD OIL REGION,
Dscrenno fn tho Producing Capacity Of
lbs Weila-All OF the Old Wells tatv.
lt1H &1n1s


Alckean County. 1cnnsyivanta. but exlcn'l-
Ing into tho borders 0f New York State. tts
Oil.tasln Il tho most wonderful 0te evor t1u-
yelopca. Its Two predecessors. tho Venai,go
itnA Butler Daslls, tho one centerinu otl Qil
Creek Ntltl tho Otar on Heavier Greek, were
morn n0tahle III single wells of great prodnc-
tlorl,-sonle Of their 'gnshers" yielding froM,
! 1,bd,0 to 1880 barrels 1t day eacll,-bnt there
WIS MI element Ut uncertainty ns to tapping
oll.snntt In drilling which does not exist ln
Tie Bradford field. In tho old regions nearly
lnlf uie wells put down were failures,
while only : per cent Of tic wells
drilled In Bradford "cOinu III ~ dry. A 150-
barrel well III this field, IN LII best days. was MI
exception, tho yield ranging from twenty to
fifty barrels. Tho snti!r symptoms Of cx-
lsaustion are appearing here rs manifested
themselves III tl,e lower fields when their de-
cline cDilitlcnccd. This decline III VcnanEo
and Butler WIS rnpid, and most Of the wells
lmyc long been abandoned, although many
nl them will still yield undor tho influence Of
tho pt'lip. = y.
'TlH most significant sign Of c,,aMgc in
thn production Of thB bradford field Is the
great dennd that has artscn IN all parts OF
the region for jumping machinery. A char.
ncterlstfc Of tho territory when development
commenced WIS tho voluntary yield Ut It's
wells. Not only WIS tho finding 0f tho OIL
santl IL certainty, but The wells were flowing
ones, without exception. Tho heavy EXPENSE
of the machinery nn4 help. that was ileces-
shrs iii producing OIL In tho other, regions
where tlle wells llal long ce,tsea tt How was
to l'nt down IFS wulls, md pruvlde ,al,tls 10
rcceiyc tha oil tat Instantly followed tla
entering OF the drill into the satttl. Tho &C.
snpatlol' Of tho manufacturers Of ol'-punt-
liSnt ln'i iust rlus Of the oil regions, beca,I,t,
utmost II ost Dn4 whom the trua character Of
tha lsradfnrl Held was recognized. a.
",,slleker:rud "'wns a thiitG Unknown III tl!e
%sse opcned 'Is issrc nntiI u i fss mo,'tI's aga.
Then there begali to bo inquiry frun dllfcr-
ellt parts 1t the territory tor pumping ma
tHrinl, ind tho tlenlnlMl gradually rruw Into
Now tile fact cannot te,lenied tllat thy pump
Is e0tling into ,Ho lii districts where tho gas,
which forces thu oil to How frun tho wills,
Ma3 forilor!y thu J!cavfcSt, a1ll the voluntary
l,rotnlnent operator, win hls heGn oyer tho
tug oil wujiy III Olu iortliern field !ru now
,,sing tho pump, 10y tl'1t tle wells layo
llimp gives II larger Yield tllan can l,a tie
peiidct( IN by the weakening How. l,lterr-
yiews witt. inrFe NUMBER .''I t,,' 1f ,a,i lsna;
tint tlls prnllttc region; willie stlll pr?.
tucing nll,cll mort, petroleum tllnn the world
actually demands. y raplly on tl9 decline: M @
s as Of 81 @ S,nra Sf %ss wt tG rep1ysG g yt T. e Se
months. The Iiu!1t Of tlse tlcia was accurate
ii defined lnst till. There wcro then al,unt
5000 wells producing III tho region, Sinco
gron,ti @ M ugaii, Pulling down wi1ut arc known
Is rs s's.:coitt-crap :wclls." Tlia number of
wells nHW producing is about 1iuoo. Tho
new wells that urs: put down DO nut tap my
crt.ase tia dfaiii On tic old deposit .Conse-
auently hoy do NOT make up for. tho 1eGll,le
ii tlu nid wells: 1t II stated that III tho Dor.
dell DISTRICT, wlero ye'lr ngo VOLS were
| yulu Ii now mt mnro tlInh ayt, barrels n dny.
Al, owner uf twcnly-seveu wells In tl,i.t tlls-
trtct snys tl,at tt0 als5reento protlilgt OF Ills
welis Is l"t rs nue now as o!!e % OF tllo,,i wgs M
I,nrtlvn wells. however, Is exceptionally
,srent, and eaiIuot be taken as y basis for cal
ctatsng tho general dpclll!G,--tlle one grolt
Ga.lse Of their uiIlIs'IHl falling ut helnE tho
i,ecli subjected to, mud 10 that caus. Is duo
tho corresponding decline ut tI1ls tlno In
other parts 0t Tie field. =.
fflho condition q ti!e wl!3le Nril.liort @ i!Gld
Wiar instances or Its. tleciine, Whlcl, hAyo
been nOted III looking over tho situntiDn. \
well near, Atkun ltnI,.A district of good
ws s. s'ssed Ma S9F scay IT t9'5ty seres asrss @ f
It's daily ypld Is now but eight barrels. Snci'
rapi,l "dfoprlng," WIS neycr!. knDw,l i, TIE
nurl l,crn field. before. Foster Brook, tho
territory wlliuh, formerly WIS M,nong tlle
richest, rcnurts That now Wclls start on vt
lnurc tlMln alle.t,1rtl less ylUla tan thn UriE-
illul wells did, at!d thel, Aalck!y stLsclinc To
insignificant production. Tho oil wulls nl0l!E
barrels 4 1ay, iow t aSoraKe @ two iSIrrels. Ti.se
case 1t cltel OF -nll,a wells near littf0rtl,
wl.!ch, were putting, slcarly 80 burru's Of gil
tlAiIy Into th1 talks, hut which nrH now only
iluwlMg r0r.y.tiye barrels day.
,Sue!i lA Tho story t!!at comes from all parts
OF the field. According Il, the last tlt0l,tll1
report Nr oil lstocks ut wells, tho production
lH!!l deGr!sss ~ tle rtlte of ut lsnst oo0 LAl.
III nIaes i @ x,ertan Iss la,. '! Sores t clrt, ;
which Is aeccpt@! III MlNny Quarters M nll-
tlh,rity Oh petroleum statistics, plAccs thu
.leelIIio ut l100N barrels Il ,Iiol,th. This
Is hvlleyal, however,. to 10 y higher rlts
tlan tho tnta at, hand WILL give vibrant to.
Tho average daily Yield ot the Bradford re-
gtun wells Ii ItUWstS and IL l,nIt parrcl3 eApk,