Marietta daily leader. (Marietta, Ohio) 1895-1906, 1896-09-16
REVIEW OF THE WEEK.


/ a Notable CnHngc IN the SoutnWeet Operh-
tions--severai Promising wildcats.
Pittsburg, Sept. ia noticeable
change has been manifest in the south
west fields during the past week, and
If the same feeling continues there will
be quite an increase in field operations
before the end of the month. Another
advance of two cents in the credit
balance market bringing the price up
to 81. 12 has caused increased confidence
and created desire to once more start
the drill The feeling is not quite SO
strong in the local as in the lower
southwest fields, where they are not
only talking of starting new work, but
have already commenced. West Vir-
ginia territory will undergo another
puncturing in defined and untested
territory The chances for discovering
new pools in that State are fairly good
for the reason that there are large
blocks of territory that haye not been
drilled over. In the local fields the
same conditions, do not exist and for
that reason local operators are turning
their attention in the direction of the
lower southwest territory.
The most likely spot and the one
claiming the most attention is in the
| vicinity of the recent strike on the
Mayfeld farm, on Elk Fork, near Con-
| way, Tyler county. The we'll did not
make creditable showing when first
drilled into the sand but when the
drill was sent deeper into the sand q
pay was encountered that changed the
| complexion of matters very much, and
| resulted in flowing well with an out
put of 10 bbls. an hour. For a wildcat
pure and simple, this was surprise
and the excitement that followed, and
still continues, has been something re-
markable. Drilling was suspended as
soon as the we'll began to flow, and
nothing has been or will be done in
the way Of drilling it deeper until the
pipe line company has connected up
and prepared to take care OF the pro-
duction. The gauge Saturday, week
after the second pay had been drilled
into, showed the we'll was still produc
ing at the rate of 100 bbls. day. The
most skeptical must admit that it is a
good showing, with the chances in it's
favor when drilled deeper. Holders of
leases in that locality are very conf
dent that new pool will be opened,
nd ha xx,orlr ,f IaralN,;rfr fhoir hold.
ings will begin at once. Considerable
territory had not been leased in that
locality previous to the Mayfield strike
and it has commanded big bonus.
Some of those who got in before the
excitement secured leases on easy
terms, and they have made handsome
turns by sub-leasing to others.
The old developments, as has been
previously stated, will be subjected to
an era of new activity. One company
is reported to have made 90 locations
within the past two weeks. Wetzel
county will come in for the greater
part of this rev work
Across in Monroe county, near Ben
wood, the Price farm we'll is holding
up close to 200 barrels day, and in ad-
dition to the six wells now drilling
near it, many other locations have
been made, and the drill will be kept
bouncing for some time, unless the
Price we'll proves freak, thing not
at all probable, judging from it's
actions.
In the local fields, work or the at
tention of operators is not concentrat-
ed at any one particular point, but ex-
tends from Washington county on the
south as far as Clarion county on the
north. Probably the best we'll recent
ly discovered is that of Leidecker &
Stage on the Dutihl farm, northeast of
Duff City. 1t is a new hundred foot
producer, credited with an output of a
little more than 100 barrels day.
South and west of Zeleinople there
is little new hundred foot territory
that is somewhat interesting and the
scene of more activity than any other
development in the old banner oil pro-
ducing county.