The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1896-07-31
THE INDIANA OIL FIELD
NEW WELLS NUMBER 1ss. WITH
DAILY OUTPUT OF $500 BARRELs.
Wells Being Drilled show n Decrease
OF Thirty on Account Of the Drop
of Prices of
Special to the indianapolis. Journal.

Special TO the indianapolis Journal.
MONTPELIER. Ind. July so.-During
the month of July there were AS wells fin
ished in the great Indiana oil field. OF
which twenty-six were dry or worthless
for oil. being mostly gas producers. the
rest showing a daily output of $50 barrels.
This is an increase Of twcnty-four in COM
pleted wells over the June report and an
increase of 625 barrels in new production
In drilling wells there are lis and ninety
four rigs IN. showing a decrease in drill
ing wells of ten and a drop off of twenty
rigs up. making a total decrease in new
work of thirty. This shows the effect OF
the drop In the market. Had il remained
at or above the 60-cent rate the drill would
have been pushed in this State with a
vengeance this fall. but the market has
been so f~iuctuating the operators are
afraid to venture very far and are satis-
fled to lay back and produce only from the
wells now completed. New companies are
being formed daily in various parts OF the
State and more or less test work will be
done regardless of the price OF the product,
as the work will be done on more of a ven-
ture than anything else. Arrangement
are berg made TO drill for oil in Brown
county. where leasing has been active for
some time. 1t is reported from good au-
thor1ty that nearly every acre Of ground
along the gas belt is now held under lease
by some individual or company, and il
looks that way. 1t is known that the
Standard has a large acreage in the I'M
developed part of the State that rental is
being paid on. The Indiana oil field is Sec
ond to none on this continent. and all
must concede that q very valuable indus
try has been added to the manufacturing
interests OF the State. The main part OF
the field at the present writing Is centered
In the counties of Wells. Blackboard. Jaw.
Adams. Grant and Huntington. The field
is pound TO lengthen out considerably. as
oil has been found in many other counties
of the State. Randolph county stands a
seoa nS Sh of TO be equally as productiye
mas been found I'm paying quantities I'm this
county and lessers have been at work taxi
ing up territory. to develop. There are
many places in the State where wells were
drilled for gas I'm the early days of the
field; the sand being struck at a good
rot properly tested for that purpose owing
TO the fact that gas was the fluid looked
for. The following places where wells
for the finding OF oil fields: AT Bunker
Hill. where the sand is found at 992 feet:
at Brownstown oil was found at the depth
depth of 315 feet; at Decatur the sand was
struck at the depth OF 1.030 feet. which is
only penetrated the sand ten feet: at
Francisville oil was found at the depth of
ESQ Ieet IN paying Quantities.. at KeWana
the sand was found at the depth of I049
feet: at Logansrort the sand was found
at S95 feet: at Monticello the sand was
struck at 1.010 feet. about the same as in
the heart of the best producing territory
in the State; oil was found at Peru al S0s
feet: at Porter Station sand was struck
at Lbs feet; sand was found at Rochester
at l,16l feet: oil was found in paying guam
titles at Royal Center at the depth of e7
feet, or forty-two feet in the oil sand.
These figures are very inteyesting and full
or study for those who intend 20 invest in
the oil industry. as they show that the sand
lays On nearly the same basis as IL does in
the great producing part Of the oil field.
AT Terre Haute oil in a few instances has
been found In paying quantities. but at the
were completed In that immediate vicinity,
which condemned that part of the State.
but IL should not. as dry holes are found
in the center of the best producing area
IL the great oil districts. The great In
diana oil field will evidently extend west
from the present field as far as the Illinois
line. which will make il equal to any field
in the country. There Is only one oil field
i'm existence at the present time where the
drilling for oil is cheaper than in this State
and that is in the new fields of Kentucky
and Tennessee, where the crude is found
at the depth of from $50 TO $50 feet in pay
ing quantities.
The following is a comparison OF the
amount of work done I'm the oil field oc
this State for the months or June and
July: