The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1899-01-24
IN THE OIL FIELDS.

Southwest operators have been very
much interested in the efforts made to
extend the Scio field during the past
week, says ID. S. w." in his weekly
oil review. Up TO that time nothing had
been discovered to show a probable lin
itatlon TO the nrcn OF producing terri
tory In any direction. Operations for
the FIRST two months had been confined
TO town tote. but the success that fol-
lowed was such as to encourage opera
tors to push ahead. The most import
ant OF half dozen wildcats started at
almost every point OF the compass from
the cluster OF wells In the town was
the one on the Amos farm. located near
~ mile northeast OF Developments. Re-
ports were. ind are still. conflicting as
10 the actual status OF this well. The
owners claim. and II Is the opinion Of
scme well Informed operators, claiming
TO have inside Information. that the well
has been drilled through the sand aud
is a buster. In that event an extension
beyond this location on Il 45-degree
Accepting the general report that this
well Is drr 1t still leaves the SclO field
with remarkable record. Some thirty
paying producing wells had been drilled
IN before 4 dustcr had been eEcoun-
tered.
The efforts TO extend the producing
territory 10 the northwest AMI south
west have met with better success. In
the former direction the two wells on
the McLandsbOrough farm. nile
northwest OF the town. show that ut
these locations the sand holds enough
oil TO make profitable wells. To the
southwest. on the N. l.. McLandsh0r-
ough farm. Is n fair well, and still fur
Their in this direction n test well was
drilled on the John McLandshorouSh
farm, that is reported showing f0r 4
fair well. but has developed more than
the usual amount OF salt water. Up TO
the present time nothing Is known of
the territory to the east, southeast or
west.
The wells completed maintain an
average OF forty barrels day. and have
an aggregate daily output OF about l,i00
barrels. These estimates arc substan-
tinted by the pipe line runs from the
field. The end OF the present month as
compared with December will show that
operations have more than doubled in
the SciO field.
During the week the first sale of Scio
producing property was recorded and
gave rise TO no little discussion. The
purchase included the holdings Of the
Sclo oil and Gas company. and was
based largely on prospective rather
than past developments: There are but
three producing wells on the property,
and the tota, production less than sixty
barrels a day. There is something like
1900 acres under lease, and the price
paid was Sf88.66a. so tt can readily be
seen that the lenses were the main thing
considered In the purchase and not The
producing wells. The element Of spec
ulatlon entered largely into the trans
action. and from that point Of view the
purchase was good one for the invest
ors. From the surroundings as dcvel-
oped II does not require stretch OF the
imagination to be convinced that = part
OF the purchased territory Jocks as good
as anything developed up to this time.
What will be the estimated value OF
settled production In the Sc!o field has
&c; 10 be- determined. The production
o: we'll when drilled in and what 1t
vii! produce al the end OF six months
has been demonstrated In two instances
only. The Scc companE'S first test,
drilled In last summer. started ut twc1ty
barrels & day and Is row doing tan bar
rels. The same companSs second ven
ture. Il month la;e-. started 1t forty bar
rels and Is now making twenty barrels
u day. The wells on town lots crn
scarcely hope 70" so good n record. for
the deposit % oil in the rock will be eX-
hausted much sooner than when there
tnr 20 I,.1, frN,
Opinions differ as 10 wha: SHOULD be
the productions of Scio well to con-
sti;utc 4 paying producer. when prop
erly protected. The COS; OF drilling. the
staying qualities OF the territory and the
cost of operating the wells aftc:' compile
ton are the main factors TO be consid-
cred. When large bonus has been paid.
as has been the case In n few instances,
Il must also be taken Into account.
Based on the average market price, 81:
cents. for the past year II would look
as though well that starts at ten bar
reis 4 day In the SEQ field might prop
erly be regarded as 4 paying invest
ment. II Is shallow territory and with
the modern appliances for coupling up
and making IL possible for one or two
men to pump almost any number OF
wells. operating the wells can be re-
duccd 10 the minimum.
4 practical operator gave II as his
opinion that the cost OF drilling could
he greatly reduced by Introducing the
rev drilling machine now used with
great success In the shallow sand terri
tory in West Virginia. The Crasshop-
per RIG could b. substituted for the reg
ulat!On rig which would be n saving
If no. less than $500. no incJHs!dcrlblc
sum. on each well drilled.
The lower southwest fields are not
springlnE any new surprises. No uew
pools have been discovered and some OF
the older developments In which there
has been considerable activity show
falling of: In operations. This IS true
OF Jackson Ridge. the salt sand district
In Richie county. and the shallow sand
territory In Peasants county.
Northeast OF Elk Fork there IS Il
slight increase in operations and the
Piney Fork and Stringiown deep sand
territory show large Increase In com
pletel work,
The South Penn oil company made
another Of It's phenomenal strikes N
the s. J. Harvey farm, on the east side
O: the Flat Run extension in MoNonga-
II: county.
The gauges OF the wells In the Scio
itlt Saturday morning. in the aWEre-
cate. showed very little change from
the report OF the previous Jay. The list
Is herewith appended: Sc!O Oil and Gas
company, Henry. 10 barrels; No. DON
aldsJn. 95 barrels; Allegheny Oil COM
pany. St:arcr. Is barrels: Fowler Nos.
aud .. ca ard ~ barrels. respectively;
LaugAr!dgc, 30 barrels: Kearns. 60 bar
rels: Re-. Cook. IS barrels: Dr. Cook. 45
barrels; Lysle. 10 barrels: Caldwell &
Boyer. Caster. IS barrels: Moore, 30 bar
rels: Ford. n barrels. and MiHcks. -
barrels: WILSON, x Reynolds. Farrell. 50
barrels: Kennedy < F!tzg!bbous. Ram
sey, 20 barrels. ami CaaaEI. 10 barrels:
Melrcn & Co., Sergeant. 100 5prrciS: C.