Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-05-11
THE OIL SITUATION.
A Brighter Outlook for the Produ-
GERS and the General Trade.
MANY NEW WELLS In ALLEGHENY.
Validating on the Increase in Adjoining
Counties.
DEVELOPMENTS IN WEST VIRGINIA

The condition Of the oil business in Allie.
ghenv county, at least, has changed within
the last three or four days. Since early las
fall it has been remarkably quiet. and dur.
inR the present year it is safe to say that il
has scarcely been better then during the
year of the shutdown.
The men who deal in oil well supplies,
boilers, engines, cordage and drilling tools,
in fact every one who is in any way con.
nected with the business has reason to com-
plain of the stagnation., The producers feel
il as much as any one, indeed more
30. and. although they were the
first to complain, they are the first to
relieve the quietude which exists through
the oil regions Within the next so days it
is almost certain that active operations will
be resumed all over Allegheny county.
There are vet thousands of acres which have
not been tested. and at almost any point the
fearless wlldcatter is liable to strike rich
pool
Wonderful wildwood Past.
Wildwood has been the wonder and ad-
miration Of all the old operators. But few
of them expect to find again within the
borders of the county another such reservoir
of petroleum. An operator said Yesterday
that he had been all over the field and
was surprised at the number of
new rigs which were going up.
Those sin the Wildwood district are not
looked upon as liable to stsrtle the trade
for the reason that they are all located on
vell-dehned territory, and it is known just
what they will do. The next wells of any
consequence that are looked for are in the
Moon district, down the Ohio. Operations
have again commenced with renewed vigor
in that locality, and there is plenty of ter
ritory that has yet to be explored. The Nc
Curdy field is also attracting some attention,
and the chances are that 1t will be per-
forated with a few scores of new
holes before the Fourth of july. Out
side of Allegheny county little Lawrence is
receiving the biggest share of the attention
of the operators. The test wells which are
being drilled at Pulaski, above New Castle,
and those in the neighborhood of Rock
Point by I. w. Phillips will determine the
existence of pool of any dimensions in
that region.
Through Belt Outlined.
By taking map of Pennsylvania and
West Virginia regions it will be seen that
the belt runs direct through the lower edge
of Lawrence and the northwest corner of
Butler counties. These localities have
never been drilled over. They are barren as
yet. The existence of oil is not known
anv more than it was at wildwood
before W. E. Griffith put down his first test
well. Only the drill will develop the fluid,
and geographical prophesies and divining
rods have never questioned the verdict of
the bit. Nearly all the Pittsburg operators
have men out now gathering up leases in
the localities mentioned, and by the time
the first test well goes down it is probable |
that not an acre will be left Unbiased.
Wildcat wells are now going down in |
Beaver county miles away from any pre- |
vious developments. They are being worked |
quietly, and the owners are in position to |
gobble all the territory possible in the vi |
cinity if they should make q showing of |
bill An operator said yesterday, in speak |
ing of the Moon field: ''The only difficulty |
down there is that the farmers want too |
much. They ask for an eighth royalty and |
I bonus of from $50 to 500 an acre. No |
operator can afford to make such terms at |
.he present price of oil. We are willing to
give them a sixteenth royalty, but an eighth
Is out of the question when you do not ex-
oect to get well that will do over 20 or %
barrels day at the outside. That is the
,nly obstacle in the way of the operators in
ne moon nelQ at present
Washington and Greene.
Following Allegheny county to the south
vest are Washington and Greene counties
md West Virginia. Pointing to Prof.
Jarll's latest map of the oil regions yester-
lay producer said: at is impossible to
ook at the little pools which have been
ound and which are located on this map
without thinking that there are more in the
Dc 1f =, /
Greene county unsounded, and 1t is only a
natter of a short time until that county will
'e the scene OF active wIldcatting. 1t
tands to reason that if an operator can get
Ill at less expense in this county
nan he can In other places he
FilI invest his money here. That
5 the reason why there has been so little
york done in West Virginia in comparison
nth Pennsylvania operations. The latter
egion has received a boom during the last
o days.
At PeRnsboro, Moore & Co. commenced
rilling a we'll on the McDougsll farm
asst Thursday, and contracts have been
made for 40 other wells.
The Home Pools.
The home fields yesterday gave some en-
engagement to the producers. Frost &
ireenlee's No. 3 on the Alston, at Wild
rood, was four bits in the sand Saturday
light and making is barrels an hour.
heir No. Good was 13 feet in the sand
nd had 800 feet of oil In the hole. Beers & |
'o.'s No. ! on the p. Kuhlber farm came in |
{ noon Saturday and started off at the rate
20 barrels an hour. The boiler was moved
ack and the we'll will be drilled deeper to-
ay, when it is expected it will do from 75
} 100 barrels an hour.
The most important feature in the Moon |
eld is the we'll of Forst & Greenlee on
he Hamburger farm which is expected in |
lis week. 1t will open up big lot of new
'nitory If it should come in good. The
ell of j. T. Moore & CO. on the Parker farm,
hich was started last Thursday, will also
iereAse the value of considerable land if
bod. 1t is three quarters of a mile from
le nearest well. 1t is bounded on the
orth by Coraopolis, by the McCurdy farm
D the south; the Young farm on the east
I'D the Mcfarland on the west.
The much talked of Menke we'll at Moon
doing from seven to ten barrels.
j. G. W,