Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-02-28
THE M'DONALD FIELD.
Some Fair Wells Showing and the
Production Increased.
NO BIG GUsHERs WERE REPORTED.
Old Producers Agitated and Their Produc-
tion Went Up Materially.
GAS CH0KES UP A WELL IN ELK COUNTY

The production Of the Mcdonald field was
increased yesterday from 26, 500 to 81 600 bar
rels. This was principally owing to the
drilling in and the increase of old wells.
The No. Matthews of Guffey. Jennings 8
Co. was agitated yesterday morning and in
creased from % to 60 barrels an hour.
The Oakdale Oil Company's No. Q on tho
John Wetmore farm was also drilled deeper,
aud its output increased from 20 to 5s bar
reis an hour.
Guckert & Steele's No. IL on the Mevey
farm was drilled into the Gordon sand late
Friday evening, and early yesterday morn
ing it was reported to be doing from rs to so
barrels an hour
The Steubenville Oil Comrany's No. /, on
the Boa lot east Of the wells, which have
so1e IN the tom Of
noon yesterday and made q seven barrel
how at o'clock. TWAS filed up with oil,
but the sand was full of slate and the
owners were looking for an Improvement at
every bit 1t is an important well, as de-
lining the salt between the Willow Grove
wells and the wells on the Mankedeck,
nearly quarter Of mile south and east Of
Given & Co. have commenced to spud on
the Dempley lot at Willow Grove.
Glfiey & Co are through the Big Injun
farm, and their No. 5 is drilling in the Iniun
Greenlee q Forst's No. Q on the Wade
farm, southwest of Mcdonald, is down Ls00
feet and should be finished up next week.
Drilling and Shooting Wells.
Guckert & Steele's No. 2 on the Burchinal
property at Willow Grove is down 1,5oo feet,
and should be in the Gordon sand next
week
Brown, Robson & Co. shot their No. on
the McMurray farm, east of Noblestown,
yesterday and 1t responded nicely.
The Devonian Oil Company shot its No. ],
on the j. N. Robb farm yesterday afternoon.
This company is starting No. 4 on the same
farm, and No. On the Elliott farm. Their
No. l. on the W. B. Moorhead farm, is down
LOCO feet. The Devoninn's No. 4, on the
Boyce farm. is down 1000 feet, and will be
finished up before the end Of the coming
week. Their No. on this farm has not been
flowing, and will be put to pumping. They
will not shoot it, as their Nos and on the
same farm. which are producing from 1900
Vesey & Co. have put the first string of cas-
ing in their well on the Marshall farm at
Noblestown.
Gufrey, Jennings & Co.'s No. on the Nc
Masters farm got salt water in the 100 foot,
and they are now engaged in casing it on.
Guffey & Co.'S No. l on the Nancy Bell Is
being cased with the small casing, and may
The Willow Grove Oil Company is spud-
ding in its No. on the Mankedick farm,
back of Willow Grove.
Mercer & McClurg are on top Of the salt
sand on the McMurray property at Mobiles
E. A. Rider and the Philadelphia Gas Com
pany have started to drill ON the Speer
Iarm, located 1,2O0 feet east of the Mccoy
Oil Company is also spudding in its well on
the Devine farm, south OF the Speer well.
Gas Freezes Up a Hole.
There Is a well in Elk county at which the
drillers have bad peculiar experience. It
is owned by Morck, Collins, Hardfson,
Prefer & Co., and is 900 feet deep. The To-
cation is on warrant No. 2, s54, in the wilds of
Highland township. At the depth OF 2, 400 feet
they found about ~ feet Of the regular
sand rock formation, and a heavy pressure
Of gas. They are now down 1890 feet, and
have two strings of tools in the hole. The
gas is the cause OF all their troubles. 1t has
besn several days since they were able to
the drillers 1okingly said it was because
the weasles down there didn't want to be
They could be moved neither up nor down.
The gas pressure caused the fresh water that
was poured into the hole to facilitate ihe
progress Of the drill, to freeze the tools fast
the gas gradually accumulated beneath tho
tools, the tendency was to raise them toward
the top. In the course of a few days the
sools were gradually raised l,sOo feet from
Another curious effect Of the gas was on
The cable, which was hauled out Of the
we'll unattached to the tools, and
WITH VII the. the lower over part seemingly converted
A second string Of tools was run down to
oosen the first. While this was being done
there was terrific explosion.
The cable began to fly out Of the hole
faster than the bull wheels could wind it up,
Ind there was geyser of ice and pieces OF
rope that knocked or the crown pulley and
The pulley block and brought them with q
crash into the rig. The drillers we're on the
ookout and no one was injured. The first
string of tools, however, remained in the
hole. The gas has found an outlet through
,he ice which surrounded them. At the time
the trouble occurred the bit was going
through rather soft rock. Gas frequently
freezes up a hole, but this seemed to be an
case.
Production and the Gauges,
Tho estimated production of the field
Thursday morning compiled from gauges
was 1900 barrels, 500 barrels more than the
lay before The hourly gauges were as fol-
ows: Jennings, Guffey & Co.'S No. s Mat
hews. 60; Heron No. 4, 40: Matthews heirs
10. 2. 25 Guffey & Queens No. l Sam
lel Wetmore, 40; Devonian Oil Com |
oany's Nos and Boyce, As; Oakdale |
Dill Company's No. Morgan heirs, 20; Nos. Q |
md 8 Baldwin, so: Nos. i and Wallace 80; |
Forest Oil Company's No. NJ. Wright, IS; |
iuffey, Murphy, & Co.'S Nos. and Sam
[ohn Wetmore, 30; production, $1,000; stock
n the field, 60, 500.
The runs of the Southwest Pennsylvania
Pipe Line Company from Mcdonald Fri
lay were 81 72s; outside OF Mcdonald, 1855
hipments. 1914 Buckeye runs, 5s, $50; ship
nents, 81. oo99. Southern Pipe Line runs, l6, Isl
Sew Y ork Transit runs, 4O,90o. Eureka ship