Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-05-29
ANOILY IGNIS FATUUS.
No Drilling Now Being Done in the
Old Mcdonald Field.
MOVING SOUTH AND SOUTHWEST.
Salt Water u the Great Drawback to the
Sistersville Poom.
MANY NEW WELLS ARE u THIS WEEK

There were few features in the Mcdonald
field of more than ordinary interest yester-
day. The old wells are being rapidly
cleaned up, and no new ones are being
drilled now except in the immediate neigh
borhood of the Noblestown pool, around the
Meise we'll and in the southwest territory
below Mcdonald.
In the old McCurdy field proper, which Is
the extreme northeast end of what is now
known as the Mcdonald pool, there are not
half q dozen wells being put down.
Around the town of Nc Donald, and in the
region north and northeast of It. thcre are
no wells being drilled. Within 80 davs there
were 200 wells put down in this locality.
IS to 100 barrels n day, while the balance are
doing less than 80 barrels. None are being
drilled north of Noblestown, and only few
back of Oakdale.
south of the Panhandle Railroad, and it is
less than eight months ago since this terri
tory was considered as sterile so lar as It's
oil producing qualities were concerned.
Over 500 wells have been drilled in the
whole field. and their average production is
less than 40 barrels day. Only in spots
were the big wells found.
These rich spots were widely separated
and many dry holes and non-productive
wells were put down before the payin.
pools were located.
Has Been q Jack o Lantern Pool.
1t has been Jack o lantern field from the
start. Operators have blindly followed the
ignis fatuus from one end of the pool to the
other.
1t was a game of hit and miss at all times,
and the majority missed.
Those w.o did succeed in cornering the
will-o'the-wisp. struck it rich. They made
fortunes. Those who were unfortunate lost
everything they put into the wells.
Wells almost dry were drilled within
200 feet of others doing thousands
of barrels day. There were streaks of
hare, close sand traversing the pool in every
direction. The general trend of the belt, as
in nearly all other pools, was from north
east to southwest on the old established 40
oegnee line. That was all, however 1t was
the general direction, but could not be re-
lied upon in the body of the field.
At some points, notably in the southern
part of the McCurdy field, the rich streak
ran almost east and west, and in the same
region there was a rich belt which seemed
to go in q northwest and southwest di-
rection. a rare line in an oil field
One great and redeemin9 feature of the
field has been the Gordon or third sand. The
bulk of the oil was found in the fifth sand,
los feet below the Gordon, and many were
the wells drilled which were absolutely dry
in the fifth.
They were only saved from being busters
by oil found in the Gordon sand foundation.
Many of these wells were large, and were
also stayers, producing from 800 to LOCO bar
rels day for months. As general rule
the producing Gordon sand has been found
to the eastward of the rich fifth sand pools.
siste-sville Has Been Doomed.
Much has been written and said about the
sistersville field, which has been opened up
and has only attracted notice within the
last few months. 1t is 40 miles below Wheel
ing on the Ohio river.
The possibilities Of this pool have been
pretty well demonstrated. No wells have
hAz dr11l lad III la ~
salt water were not found. Salt water in
variable comes with oil, but the oil is held
back by the pressure of salt water until the
latter is partially exhausted.
The depth Of the wells is only from !, 300 to
1000 feet, while in Mcdonald the depth
ranged from 2, $50 to $50 feet.
Sisterville has evidently been doomed be-
yond its merits. The production OF the field
is only 1.6oo barrels with one we'll doing al
most q aquarter of this. The % or 30 others
range from ." to $50 barrels a day each.
of the profits from the oil which can be got
ten out OF small well. After pumping
water for weeks little oil is finally put
into the tanks, but break in the machinery
or a parting of the rods will throw a well
back from three days to a week before the
damage can be repaired.
The short stroke which is necessary in the
field to keep a well free OF water is ex-
operator said yesterday that an extra en-
Rine should be kept on every lease, to be
used when another would break down.
Only two wells in the field have been en-
tirely dry. They were both drilled by Duel
& johnson. one is on the Ohio side of the
river. 1t is located on the Pfeil farm,
an and s,..anI1,f. amess due Ts. west of the town
southern part of Friendly Island. In each
of these 225 feet of sand were found. They
are the only wells which have been drilled
through the Big Injun.
In the ether wells drilled three pay streaks
have been found. They are all within 80
feet Of the top of the sand. The first pay is
usually reached at Is feet below the lime
stone, the second at 81 feet below the first,
or 50 feet below the limestone, and the third
pay at % feet below the second, or so feet
from the top.
All of the territory in the region has been
hold by less than dozen companies and
firms.
Work at Mcdonald Yesterday.
The production of the Mcdonald field yes
terday was unchanged. 1t Is still "a 900
barrels. No wells were dropped from the
list of those making 20 barrels an hour or
more, and only three were changed. Ma
larkey & Co.'S No. / Freeman was reported
to have declined from 25 to 20 barrels an
hour; Guffey & Co.'s No. Mankedick and
Greenlee & Forst's No. l Bartley, will be in
the fifth early this week, and Nos. 2 and 8 on
the Marshall No. will get the Gordon.
The Wheeling Gas COmpany's No. l Rob-
bins should get the fifth tomorrow and No.
GLADDEN. is Due in the Gordon. Both are
south west of Mcdonald.
Gardiner & Co.'S No Kennedy, northeast
o. Oakdale, is reported light in the fifth and
also their No. 3 McGill, and No. 2 on the
Mary Campbell iarm, located near the Meise
well.
The Bear Creek Refining Company is
through the Big Injun ut their No. on the
Campbell farm.
Kennedy, Marshall & Co.'S No. Roy
should be completed this week, and their
No. Sudekim is nearing the Gordon sand
and looking for the Gordon sand at every
bit last evening in their No. l on the Mar
shall & Chalfant lease, southwest of Mobiles
town. Their No. on this property has
been cased, and No. 2. which is down LOO
feet, is delayed by fishing job.
Mercer McClurg have cased with the
81 in the we'll on the Guy lot, west of Oak
dale.