Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-08-05
WELLS FALLING OFF.
The Old Mcdonald Gushers Are Fast
Disappearing From View.
SISTERSVILLE In A NEW LIGHT.
An Operator Claims Many Difficulties Are
Net With There.
NEWS FROM TIE DERRICKs YESTERDAY

WellS nave Deen unlSneQ up IN the McDOu-
aid field for the last five or six days, the
estimated production of the field is still
kept at 20, 900 barrels
There are only four wells given in the
list of those making 90 barrels an hour,
and the aggregate hourly produc-
tion of these four wells is only
80 barrels, or 2,16O barrels day. This
would leave II, $40 barrels to be produced
by the balance of the wells in the field,
which is considerably more than they were
credited with q couple of months ago, and
the notorious drop in the production of a
majority Of those old wells cannot be ques-
toned.
One of the wells dropped yesterday was
Greenlee s. Forst's No. on the Marshall
farm, south Of Noblestown, which was re-
ported in the gauges the day before to be
making 35 barrels an hour.
Fitzgibbon & Co.'s No: 3 on the Walker
farm, on the western horizon, was touched
up a little yesterday and brought up to 20
barrels an hour. This started off at IS bar.
rels an hour couple OF months ago.
In answer to a relegraphic inquiry the
men in charge OF the gauges at Mcdonald
explained that by a free use of nitro-glyce GER
inc number of the wells had been brought
up from 10 and u to II and Is barrels an hour.
thus bringing the production up to almost
q, 900 barrels.
Unfavorable View OF Sistersville.
An operator and a machinery man, who
has been at Sistersville since early last
spring, was in Pittsburg yesterday and does
not give the roseate view of that region
which some people are fond of doing. "The
fact is that the average wells down there do
not run over 60 or 70 barrels at most" lie
but these are the exception Where they
report one that is doing q couple of hundred
barrels or more, there are half dozen
others 80 light that it scarcely pays to pump
them.
"When they do get a we'll Ia the sand it is
necessary to pump salt water out of 1t for
several weeks, or possibly two months, be-
fore 1t begins to make any Oil There
failures, but there have also
been large number Of very
tors at sistersv,lle when asked what a well
that they may be bringing in is good for,
they invariably reply that it 10 showing for
a big one, but the chances are that its show
ing qualities fail when the guager drops his
pole into the tanks.
"There 10 another point about the field
which has been misrepresented. 1t has fire.
quently been given out that the cost of drill
ing well at Sistersville is only about $3, 500.
Now, 1 have drilled several wells in this
Same territory, and know what am talking
about
"Down on the flats along the river man
may get a well down for 81. 1000 If he has ex-
ceptionally good luck. but back on
the hills it is impossible to drill a
hole for less than $1,000. Then on
account Of the treacherous nature of the
territory you never can tell when you are
going to get down. There are wells down
there which were started two years ago, and
when they will get in as they had when they
started.
"Taken all in all sistersville is far from be-
ing desirable place in which to drill"
Reports From the Derricks.
SIsTERsv1LLE - LeComte & Vallilee are
starting to rig up for drilling at their No. 2
on the Hubbard farm. Their No. /. which
came in some time ago, is making 225 barrels
day.
The Miller's Run Oil Company's well on
tho Cyrus McCue farm, near Brownsville, on
the Ohio side of the river, is down about 800
Brenneman & Forsyth are in the sand
with No. Mccoy and are building rig for
william Johnson's No. Wells is in the
sand, and he has started to build rig for
No. l.
5 on the Mrs. Campbell farm viii get the
Gordon sand some time to-day.
The Devonian Oil Company's No. on the
Mcdonald heirs farm is down 1sOO feet.
1.6OO feet, and they have started to drill No.
l. The Devonian has started to build rig
on the Mertz farm in the lower end of the
M MeGuFdy Gu 50 feid. ID -. j. at.S Surrey Cos No
BUTLER-T. w. Phillips we'll on the Wolfe
farm, between Jefferson Center and Herman
station, is 20 days old and still doing 35 bar
rels an hour. 1t was drilled through the
sand yesterday. 1t has produced nearly
so, 600 barrels.
CALLERY-Snyder, Nicely Co.'s No. l on
the Phillips farm arr 1 is reported to DO 60 or 70
Geohring & Co. are down 100 ieet on the
John Keck farm. 1t is test well and is
three-quarters OF a mile due west of Dam
tarm. Garvin, Weir & Co. expect the sand
in a day OF two at John Covert No l.
ZELIENoPLE-Beck Bros. & Co.'s No. 2
Zeigler is 10 or II feet in fine quality OF sand
O'Donnell & Co.'s No. E. F. Miller is drill
ing in the top OF a good sand.
Returned From the Peruvian Fields,
The Oil City Derrick says: Alfred Ben
ninger, of Cranberry township, has returned
from a visit with his brother, John Ben
ninger, who is at Payta, Peru, and has charge
of the oil business of an English syndicate
there. Mr. Benninger says that the company
have a production of 500 barrels per day.
The oil is of 40 gravity, dark green in color
with a red tinge, and is used mostly for fuel
in Peru, selling for that purpose at a price
equivalent to s. so per barrel, United States
money. The depth of the wells is from 500 to $40
feet and oil is found in the second sand,
which is pebbly and of a darker color than
sand in this district. This stratum is from
Is to 80 feet in thickness The soil is loose,
and three strings of casing are necessary in
drilling the well to keep out the water and
prevent the well from caving. The same
condition of affairs makes shooting the
wells impossible.
Natural Gas for Waynesbure,
The gas main from Blacksville to Waynes-
burg will be completed to-day and for the
first time in its history the county seat of
Greene will have the natural fuel for heat
The gas will be used for heat only, as the
electric light people of the town have the
exclusive right to furnish light
The Gauges.
The production of Mcdonald was 10000
yesterday. The hourly gauges of the larger
wells at Mcdonald yesterday were as fol-
lows: Sinclair Oil Company's No. |, %; Peo-
ple's Gas Company's No. l4S 25; Forst a
Greenlee's No: McMurray. 2O Fitzgibbons
& Co.'s No. 3. Walker, 90 The estimated pro-
duction was 10000; stock in the field, $4,000.
Runs and Shipments.
National Transit Company runs wednes-
day were 2,S35; shipments, 20,966.
Southwest Pennsylvania runs from Nc
Donald were q l3s Outside of Mcdonald.
7.472. Buckeye runs, Macksburg division,
I732 Shipments from the Lima division,
1854. The Eureka runs were 1884; ship
menss, lo7. Southern Pipe Line shipments,
The OIL Market
Range of the September option: Opening.
6lTc: highest SIC; lowest 513zc closing, 5lsIc.
Refined oil-New York, &c; London, 4ssd;
Antwerp, 1871.
on C1TY, Aug. .4National Transit Certifi.
Gates opened at 5lIc; highest. SIC; lowest,
5lszc; closed at 5lIc. Sales, $4,000 barrels:
clearances, l94 600 barrels; shipments, "a. ~
barrels; runs, rs. 147 barrels.
NEW YORK, Aug. 4-Petroleum onened
steady at 5l1c; became dull and remained
So closing steady at 5lLc. Pennsylvanfa oil.
spot sales, 90, 600 barrels; opening, 5l%c; high.
est, 513<c; lowest 6l1Tc; closing at Sic; Penn