The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1886-02-11
Petroleum Wells.

Prospectors in selecting promising
spot to test new territory are often IN
fuenced by "belt theory" first adj
vanced by a man named Angel. In q
general way his idea has been verified
by experience. 1t proceeded upon the
hypothesis that oil lies in bets or pools
having northeast and southwest trend,
sometimes called the "forty-fve 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 sub
terranean chambers corresponding to
the lines of surface ownership. The
driller's motto is first come, first
served" hence there is generally race
to see who will first tap natures till.
When the exact spot for the well has
been determined upon q well-hole Is
dug about fifteen feet in depth, and, II
solid rock is not reached, a wrought
iron pipe eight to twelve inches In
diameter is driven down to it. Above
this is erected the derrick" pyra-
midal structure OF heavy timbers. gen.
orally seventy-two feet in height At
each side is located fifteen to twenty
horsepower engine, which operates
walking beam to which is attached q
heavy cable and drilling apparatus.
This consists of four parts. The
upper one is called the "sinkei-bar,"
about eighteen feet in length; next
come the liars, seven feet in length;
then the "auger-stem," about thirty feet
long, of 3t-inch cold rolled steel; and
finally, at the end of this ~bit" three
feet in length Thus equipped, steam
is turned on, and the ponderous weight
OF 1000 to 5000 pounds, alternately
raised and dropped, as in pile-driver,
drives the bit into the rock at the aver
age rate OF sixty t. one hundred feet.
daily. After drilling for some time the
tools are hoisted and fresh bit 10 in
serted. Meanwhile sand pump" or
"bailer," cyl ndrical tube with valves
opening inward, is dropped down the
hole to remove detritus or water. A
casing" is fitted snuggly to the walls.
of the we'll 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
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 200 to 800 feet,
and sometimes reaching $500.
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 $1,000, and then
contracts with driler to furnish the
tools and sink the well. This charge
will probably average sixty cents per
foot. 1t is perhaps safe TO say that
wells in the larger fields average in
cost from s., 800 to $4,000.
Torpedoes, which We're first intro
duced about 1865, were received with
distrust, but are now in general use,
and have become a necessary part of
the equipment of wei. They are
cylindrical tubes, varying in size, but
generally eight inches In length and
four in diameter, containing fluid nitro
glycerine. These torpedoes are care
fully lowered into the wells and ex-
ploded by dropping a twenty. pound
cast-iron weight upon them from above.
The explosion skaters the walls, Civ
ing a greater exposure of surface to
draw oil from, thus stimulating the
wells and increasing their production.
Though this treatment hastens the ex-
haustion of we'll. it is believed by
many that the amount of oil obtained
exceeds what would otherwise be pro-
cured. At first only five or six quarts
of nitro glycerine were introduced, but
now it is no unusual thing to employ
10 to 200 quarts of glycerine, equal to
3,240 to 5,400 pounds of gunpowder.-
George Il. Gibson, iaa Harper's Mag
dsine.