Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-06-29
SMALL WELLS ANDDRY
A Review Of the Oil Fields Is Not
Encouraging for Producers. /.
THE MOON POOL PROVES SPOTTED.
Possibilities of a General Cessation of
Active Operations,
DRILLERS LEAVE FOR WESTERN JAPAN

The field news for the week which has
just ended has been bullish. In fact, the
reports were almost as bullish as it is pos
sible for them to be. Small wells and dry
holes have been the only features. Not a
good well has been produced. These have
not been confined to any particular point,
but have been the rule in every
pool Whether this result will be
changed during the coming week the
drill alone will tell. Despite all theories
and speculations to the contrary, this fact
is coming more and more conspicuously to
the front every day, that the drill alone will
determine the value of territory. North
east and southeast lines are all right in
theory, but in practice they are not to be
eral idea of the direction of a
belt, but the operator who in
vests his money and drills hole
indiscriminately on a line theory will
sooner or later get left. In the Wildwood
field the wells which have touched bottom
during the week were in the Northeast, and
one on the extreme eastern edge. The lat
ter is 10 or 20 feet in the sand, with not a
showing of oil. 1t is the Finegan, Down.
ing & Co.'S No on Rynd farm. The
well of Black s. Co. on the Buff farm, in
|
worthless. The report from this well has
caused cessation of work in that locality,
which will indefinitely postpone the drill
| ing of several wells. The wells of Bowman
and the Augusta Oil Company, on the
Whitesen farm, Nos and 5, are now
looked forward to with more than ordinary
anxiety. The have been reported errone-
ously as being in and light, but
the fact is they have not yet
reached the sand, although near it.
They are over on the western edge, and if
even fair wells will be an incentive for
drilling in that locality. The No. 16, of
Whitsell, is due to get the sand to-day or
tomorrow. These wells will prove sur
prise indeed if they come in good. They
are all looked upon by operators in the
vicinity as being too far to the west. There
is a chance that they may strike spur to
the west and yet prove to be producers.
The Moon Territory.
This field has also proven disappointing
by the array of busters and small wells
which it has presented to the oil contingent.
1t has one redeeming feature, although
slight. Nearly all of the wells which have
come in dry have been drilled in the gas
sand and responded with a fair pressure.
The reports from the Forest Oil Com
pany's well, on the William Rou-
ser farm, were conflicting Saturday
last Monday morning before it had reached
the sand. It was drilled in last week and
by the latest report obtainable will make
25 or 30-barrel we'll. Our report from it
Saturday afternoon was to the effect that it
would be good for at least 80 barrels and
another placed it at only Is barrels day.
W. L. MELONS No. 8 on the Meeks is prac-
tically dry, and his No. 3 on the Parry
is also looking exceedingly blue. The
result of his well on the Meeks is blow to
that property, as bonus of SIS, 900 was paid
for it. Mr.. Mellon, however, is going
ahead to give it thorough test and is now
Meeks farm. No. 1 is down about 1000
feet; No. ., 1900; No. 4, LOO, and No.
has only finished spudding. The Kanawha
Oil Company's No. 3, on the Meeks,
is not up to the standard by any means.
Authoritative reports from it place it at 10 or
IL barrels day. Their No. on the same
farm is due to get the sand to-day or to-
morrow. There seems to be a dry streak
through almost the center of this field, and
which has not yet been sufficiently defined
for the operators to be able to steer clear Of
it entirely. The Forest Oil Company's
well on the James Neeley, off to the north
W6sty Is uOt 80 poor as WIS dI uIsb suppOstu,
but will make 15 or 20-barrel we'll.
The Hill Top Wells.
There were no wells at McCurdy of any
consequence last week. In fact, none reached
the sand. One of the three strings of tools
in the well of Black, Guffey & Co. on the
Munk farm was fished out, but if it takes as
long to get out the other two strings as it
did the first it is probable that the hole will
be plugged. 1t is in the northeast and is
one OF the most important wells in the field
Near it and equally as important is the well
belonging to the same company on the
Andrews farm. After fishing on top of the
sand for weeks it has been decided to drill
past the tools, but the job is a
tedious and intricate one in which new COM
plications are liable to occur which will de-
lay it as long again. The wells due in. the
field this week are Patterson & Co. s No.
the Cowan, and Switzer & Co. on the
Shaffer. The collapsing of the casing in
the Ewing well of the Forest Oil Com
pany, in the Southwest, will delay the
bringing in of that well indefinitely.
The Mcdonald Pool.
There is little change in this field that
was not given in The DISPATCH Saturday
morning. 1t seems to be the general i'm
preston now among operators that there is
little if any oil in the fifth sand and all that
is now coming from the wells in that terri
tory is out of the Gordon. There are sew
eral wells which should get the fifth sand
the last of this week. but Judging from the
past they will find little encouragement in
that stratum.
Drilling at Wildwood.
WILDwooD-Guffey & Queen will COM
mence their No. 8 on the Runger farm to-
morrow. They will build a rig for their No
on the Kolbar this week and are now drill
ing Nos. and on the Kretzer.
AnOperators Views.
While speaking of the outlook yesterday
one of the heaviest operators in the business
said that he would finish the half dozen
wells he now has under way, but that he
would start no more at the present price of
oil. The territory is becoming too spotted,
and he considers it too hazardous to risk
several thousand dollars in putting down
well with the chances of getting small one
or duster for less than 20 cents barrel
Off for Japan.
T. J. Stewart and Walker Dibble left
Pittsburg Saturday night for Japan via San
Francisco. They are both experienced drill
ers and have signed contracts with Japan
company to remain in that country year
and drill for oil on the west coast of Japan,
next the Japan Sea- There have been no
wells drilled in that country yet, but a hole
was dug nearly 400 feet, in which oil was
found. Samples of it are now in Pittsburg.
The land is so valuable where they expect