Savannah courier. (Savannah, Tenn.) 1885-1979, 1886-01-28
PETROLEUM WELLS.
Ike Selection and First Tapping Of Prom
~ Using Spots. -

s Using Spots.
Prospectors in selecting promising
spot to test new territory are often in
huenced by 'belt theory, first adj
vanced by man named Angel. In a
general way his idea has been verified
by experience. 1t proceeded upon the
hypothesis that oil lies in belts or pools
having a northeast and a southwest
trend, sometimes called the "forty-five
degree line" In districts known to be
oil-bearing the wells are frequently To-
Gated near the boundary of the owners
property. The object is to drain as
much of his neighbours oil as possible,
for there are no partitions in the SUBJ
terranean chambers corresponding
to the lines of surface ownership The
driller's motto is 'first come, fret
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, well-hole is
dug about fifteen feet in depth, and if
solid rock is not reached, wrought
iron pipe eight to twelve inches in
diameter is driven down to it. Above
this is erected the derrick, a pyramid.
al structure of heavy timbers, generally
seventy-two feet in height. At each
side is located fifteen to twenty horse
power engine, which operates walk
ing-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 Jars seven feet in length;
then the "auger-stem' about thirty
feet long, of three and one-quarter 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 two thousand
to three thousand pounds, alternately
raised and dropped, as in pile.driver,
drives the bit into the rock at the av-
erage rate of sixty to one hundred feet
daily. After drilling for some time the
tools are hoisted and fresh bit is in
serted. Meanwhile o ''sand pump" or
"bailer'' #, a cylindrical tube with valves
opening inward, is dropped down the
holegto remove detritus or water. A
easing 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
a rubber 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 we'll va
ries from eight to six inches, and its
depth varies with the geological for.
nation, averaging perhaps twelve hun
dred to fifteen hundred feet, and some
times reaching twenty-five hundred.
The cost of 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 fifteen hundred dol
lars, and then contracts with drilleI
to furnish the tools and sink well
This charge will probably average sixty
cents per foot. 1t is perhaps safe t
say that wells in the larger fields aver
age in cost from twenty-five hundred
to three thousand dollars.
Torpedoes, which were first intro
duced about 1865, were received will
distrust, but are now in general use
and have become a necessary part O
the equipment of well. They ar
I cylindrical tubes, varying in size, Blu
generally eight inches in length ant
four in diameter, containing fluid nitro
glycerine. These torpedoes are care
fully lowered into the wells and ex
ploded by dropping twenty-poun'
cast-iron weight upon them from above
The explosion skaters the walls, givin,
4 a greater exposure of surface to draw
oil from, thus stimulating the wells ant
I increasing their production. Thougl
this treatment hastens the exhaustion
of a well it is believed by many tina
the amount of oil obtained exceed
what otherwise would be procured. A
first only five or six quarts of nitro
glycerine were introduced, but now
is no-unusual thing to employ one hun
dred and twenty to two hundred quart
of glycerine, equal to 9,240 to $40
pounds of gunpowder,--George r. Gil
son, in Harper's Magazine.