The Emporia weekly news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1881-1889, 1886-01-21
PETROLEUM WELLS.

Prospeetors in selecting a promising
spot to test new territory are often in
huenced by a'belt theory" first adj
vanced by q man named Angell In q
general way his idea has been verified
by experience. It proceeded upon the
hypothesis that oil lies In belts or pools
having a northeast and southwest trend,
sometimes called the ''forty-fiye degree
line" In districts known to be oil
bearing the wells ara frequently located
near the boundary Of the owners pro-
perry. The object is to drain as much OF
his neighbor's oil as possible, for there
are no partitions in the subterranean
chambers corresponding to the lines OF
surface ownership. The driller's motto
is first come, first served" hence there
is generally a race to see who shall first
tap natures till.
When the exact spot for the well has
been determined upon, weIl-hole IS
dug about Is feet in depth, and If solid
rock is not reached, q wrought iron pipe
eight to twelve inches in diameter is
driven down to it. Above this is erect
ed the derrick" q Pyramidal structure
of heavy timbers, generally seventy-two
feet in height. Ateach side is located
fifteen to twenty horsepower engine,
which operates a Walking-beam to
which is attached heavy cable and the
drilling apparatus.
This consists of four parts. The up
per one is called the ''sinker-bar, !"
about eighteen feet in length; next come
the liars" seven feet in length; then
the 'sauger-stem," about thirty feet
long, of st inch cold rolled steel; and
finally, at the end of this is ''bit'
three feet in length. Thus equipped,
steam is turned on, and the ponderous
weight of 1000 to 5000 pounds, alternate
Iy raised and dropped, as in pile-drt
yer, drives the bit into the rock at the
! average rate of sixty to one hundred
feet daily. After drilling for some time
the tools are hoisted and fresh bit il
inserted. Meanwhile ''sand pump,
or "bailer," a cylindrical tube witt
valves opening inward, is dropped down
the hole to remove detritus or water. A
casing is fitted snugly to the walls O.
the well to keep out the water and
when it is necessary to pump the oil, TIT
well is tubed. The tube is about twt
inches in diameter, around which
rubber packer is inserted just above thu
oil and gas bearing rock. This cuts OF
the escape of the gas, forcing 1t u
through the tube, and causing the wei
to flow. The bore of the well varie
from eight to six inches, and its dept
varies with the geological formation
averaging perhaps 1900 TO 1900 feet, ant
; sometimes reaching 25OO.
The cost of well naturally depend
, upon its location, depth, and characte
Of rock. The owner generally erect
the derrick, engine, and tank, at a.
average expense of $500 and then con
tracts with a driller to furnish the tool
! and sink the well. This charge Wi
> probably average sixty cents per foot
It is perhaps safe to say that wells il
the larger fields average in cost froI
$2500 to $4,000.
Torpedoes, which were first intro
duced about 1865, were received wit
2 distrust, but are now in general use
and have become Il necessary part {
the equipment of well. They are cN
lindrical tubes, varying in size, but gel
orally eight inches in length and four
: diameter, containing fluid nitrO-glycel
: ine These torpedOes are carefully low
cred into the wells and exploded b
| dropping a 20-pound cast-iron weigl
! upon them from above. The explosio
> skaters the walls, giving a greater e.
q posure of surface to draw oil from, thu
stimulating the wells and increasin
a their production. Though this trea
| ment hastens the exhaustion of wei
it is believed by many that the amour
of oil obtained exceeds what woul
2 otherwise be procured. At first onl
G five or six quarts of nitro-glycerine wei
introduced, but now it is no unusu;
thing to employ 12O to 200 quarts
olycerine, equal to 3240 to 800 pound
e Of gunpowder.- George r. Gibson.
n Rarper's Magazine for January