Los Angeles daily herald., 1886-01-21


SPOT to test new territory are often in
huenced by "belt theory" first ad-
vanced by man named Angel. In q
general way his idea has been verified
by experience. Ii proceeded upon the
hypothesis that oil lies in belts or pools
having a northeast and southwest trend,
sometimes called the 5-degree line. >
| In districts known to be oil.bearing the
wells are frequently located near the
boundary of the owners property. The
object is to drain as much of his neigh
boris oil as possible, for there are nc
partitions in the subterranean chambers
corresponding to the lines of surface
ownership. The driller's motto is "6rsi
ome, first served, hence there is gener.
ally race to see who shall first taI
Natures till.
When the exact spot for the we'll has
been determined upon, well.hole is
dug about fifteen feet in depth, and il
solid rock is not reached, wrought
iron pipe eight to twelve inches in di-
ameter is driven down to it. Above
this is erected the derrick, a pyra.
midal structure of heavy timbers, gen.
orally seventy-two feet in height. AT
each side is located fifteen to twenty
horse power engine, which operfaes a
walking beam to which is attached a
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
Glars" seven feet in length; then the
''auger. stem," about thirty feet long, of
81 inch cold rolled steel; and finally,
at the end of this is a ''bit" three
feet in length. Thus equipped,
steam is turned on, and the ponder
ous weight of 1000 to 5000 pounds,
alternately raised and dropped. as in a
piledriver, drives the bits into the rock
at the average rate of sixty to one hun
dred feet daily. After drilling for some
time the tools are hoisted and fresh bit
inserted. Meanwhile ''sand-pump" or
"bailer," a cylindrical tube with valves
opening inward, is dropped down the
hole to remove detritus or water. A
leasing" is fitted snugly to the walls Of
the well to keep out the water; and
when it is necessary to pump the oil, the
well is tubed. The tube is about two
inches in diameter, around which rub.
ber packer is inserted just above the oil
and gas bearing rock. This cuts off the
escape Of the gas, forcing it up through
the tube and causing the well to flow.
The bore of the well varies from eight to
six inches, and its depth varies with the
geological formation, averaging perhaps
1900 to 1900 feet, and sometimes reach
ing 2500. :,
The cost of a well naturally depends
upon its location, depth and character
of rock. The owner generally erects the
derrick, engine and tank at an average
expense of $500, and then contracts
with driller to furnish the tools and
sink the well. This charge will prob
ably average sixty cents per foot. 1t is,
perhaps, safe to say that wells in the
larger fields average in cost from $500
to $4,000.
Torpedoes, which were first introduced
about 1865, were received with distrust
but are now in general use, and have
become necessary part in the equip
ment of a well. They are cylindrica
tubes, varying in size, but generally
eight inches in length by four il
diameter, containing fluid nitro
glycerine. These torpedoes are carefully
lowered into the wells and exploded by
dropping twenty-pound cast-iror
weight upon them from above. The ex
plosion skaters the walls, giving O
greater exposure of surface to draw oil
from, thus stimulating the wells and in
creasing their production. Though this
treatment hastens the exhaustion of q
well, it is believed by many that the
amount of oil obtained exceeds what
would otherwise be procured. At first
only five or six quarts of nitro-glycerint
were introduced, but now it is no unusual
thing to employ l20 to 200 quarts o.
glycerine, equal to 3, 240 to 5,400 pounds
of guupowder. / Harper's Magazine fol-
January.