Sistersville oil review. [volume] (Sistersville, W. Va.) 1896-1901, 1898-09-07

ton is nearly 1000 feet. The ju-
rassic rocks are made up of three
distinct bands; the lower is the ma
rine bed, the middle the beds OF
light.co1ored sandstone and the up
per various colored marls, making
in all about 900 feet. The Dakota
group, the basal member of the
cretaceous, does not contain the
heavy band of conglomerate that is
usually seen in Central Wyoming.
1t is composed of light colored
sandstone and shale, and has a
thickness of about $50 feet. The
Fort Benton groupe was not stud
led, but 1t has a normal develop
ment, and is characterized by the
typical bands of shale. On the east
side of the anti-clinal the red sand
stone dips n degrees north of east,
and rises rather abruptley 500 feet,
but the greater elevation is reached
about one mile from the axis, where
the Dakota sandstones form very
high and prominent ridge. Farther
to the east can be seen successive
bands of the upper cretaceous
groups, and in the distance thick
beds of Wasatch and Bridger
Eocene. On the west side of the
anticlinal the rocks change in dip
rapidly, and in the distance of a
Fquarter of mile they change in
dip from a few degrees to 10 de-
grees south of west, but suddenly
fatten to form the Lander syncli-
nal.
Owing to the vast quantity OF
rock removed from the west side of
the field by erosion, it is possible 10
drill and reach the oil horizon at
any point west of the anticlinal and
east of the Wind river Mountain.
Up to the present time the exact
position of the oil horizon has not
been determined in these oil wells,
as their records have been lost.
Beyond question the source of the
oil is the conglomerate and the
magnetism limestone below, found
$50 feet below, the contract OF the
triassic and carbonferous torma-
tions. Among the axis of the Sho-
shorne anticlinal in this district
there is developed series of domes.
The dip along the line of the axis
is often from E degrees to 10 de-
grees. The Murphy wells are To-
Gated in one of these domes. 1t is
estimated that 1900 barrels go to
waste annually at these wells, as
they al, allow oil to escape badly.
From the most reliable data OBJ
tainable the production of the wells
has been estimated at 200 barrels
each if pumped. The elevation of
the we'll and the dips have caused
the difference in the depth of these
wells"
Concerning the production of
Texas, which made such remark
able record in 1897,the report says:
This State increased from the
insignificant production OF 1880
barrels OF petroleum in 1896 to IS.
e75 barrels in 1897, being an in.
crease of So SIS barrels, amounting
/ to q $50 per cent, Or in other words
for one barrel produced in 1896
there were Az barrels produced
in 1897. The production for 1895
was only so barrels. 1t is produc
ed in four counties namely Navarro
Jefferson, Hardin and Baxter.
Nearly the entire production comes
from Navarro county, near the town
of Corsicana. about fifty miles
southeast of Dallas. At the close
of 1897 there were 43 wells, and of
this number six were non produc-
ers. The oil is found in a loose
sand deposit, from 20 to 80 feet
thick, the drill passing through the
homogeneous blue clay, until the
sand is penetrated, which is known
as ponderoassa, or joint clay, and
crumbles to dust on exposure to the
air. The average production per
we'll is from IS to Is barrels per
day. Some wells are put down by
a rotary drill; the bit with project
ing wings, is secured to the end of
the tubing, and water is pumped
through it, escaping out the sides
of the bit and washing up the
loosened material on the outside of
the tubing to the surface. This is
a rapid aud cheap way of sinking
wells, and is generally successful,
unless solid rock or houlders are
encountered, but Objectionable,
owing to the heavy water pres.
sure put on the oil and SAND in