Northern Wisconsin advertiser. [volume] (Wabeno, Wis.) 1898-1925, 1901-09-19
AN OLD BUSINESS EVEN IN
TEXAS.
in PROGRESS THIRTY YEARS
Earlier Well Promised Riches but
the Product Soon Ran Out
Some Of the Great Cashiers
Which Now Occasion Such a
Craze.


Oil springs or seeps occur in many
places in the eastern half of the
state and also in Louisiana. Prior to
1898 the principal developments were
in what is known as the Sour lake dis
trict, in Jefferson county, and thence
eastwardly into Louisiana. Many
test wells had been sunk with varying
results, in most cases some oil being
found in each well, but although
some of the wells started making
several hundred barrels per day, they
soon subsidized into very small pro-
ducers, and oil was not produced or a
commercial scale until the Corsicaua
field, in Navarro county, was develop
ed in 1898. This oil is of different
character from any other Texas oil
yet discovered, being paraffine base
oil, and while of heavier gravity
than Pennsylvania oil, is suitable for
refining, and contains practically the
same products as Pennsylvania oil.
At Beaumont, on January II, 1901.
the now famous Lucas we'll struck oil
at depth of 1900 feet and started
flowing large volume of oil. The
oil spouted a hundred and fifty feet
into the air and its output was
variously estimated at from 10000 to
$4,000 barrels per day, but no accurate
measurements were taken. The well
flowed for nearly two weeks before 1t
could be controlled, and the country
in the vicinity was flooded with oil.
Subsequently thanks were complct-
ed and an accurate measurement of
the flow was obtained. The well
filed a thirty-five thousand barrel
tank in little less than twelve hours,
or at the rate Of 10000 barrels per
day. The we'll seems to have little,
or no gas, and it is an interesting
question, not yet answered, as TO
where the we'll gets its pressure %
force the oil to such a height above
the ground. The country is perfectly
fiat for many miles in all directions
around the we'll
The oil in this, and all other Texas
wells. occurs in the cretaceous forma-
ton everything the Austin limestone.
This limestone crops out on line
running approximately from north to
south through Sherman, Dallas, Waco.
Temple and Austin City, and dips
from this line towards the east. On
this limestone has been deposited the
cretaceous formation in increasing
thickness as we go eastward, and of
varying strata. At Galveston this de-
post has a thickness OF 5000 feet.
floating in this cretaceous deposit
there occur strata of sand rock of III
definite and irregular extent, and at
varying depths. These sand strata
carry the oil. Except the oil found
near Corsicana, in Navarro county,
Texas oil is not what is commercially
known as petroleum, namely, it is not
paraffine oil.
The oil is of dark greenish brown
color. almost black, and varies in
gravity from about IA degrees to %
degrees. That from the Lucas We'll
has a gravity of 224 degrees. 1t con-
tains 1 6410O per cent, sulphur in
solution, or combined with the OIL
On distillation it yields about 80 per
cent of heavy distillate strongly inn
pregnate with sulphur end without
the viscosity required to make good
lubricant. The 10 ner cent. remain
ing in the still is good quality Of
pitch or ASPHALT Of high melting point
and could probably be substituted for
the ordinary asphalt of commerce.
The attention called to Texas oil
will undoubtedly lead to a wide ex-
ploration for other deposits of oil
which are likely to exist at other
points in the state, and it is possible
that more oil may be found of the
same class as the Corsicana oil, and
if found in large quantity would affec
the Pennsylvania product. It is yet
however, a matter of mere speculation
as to whether or not sucn deposit:
will be found.
So far as any process now known
is concerned the Beaumont oil viii
not produce any Illuminating oil Of
good quality. The oil has no lubricat
ing properties, and does not contain
any parafine wax. The only use tt
which it eau be applied, with presen
knowledge, is fuel For this pur
pose, however, it is valuable, and /
the promise of the wells recent!
drilled shall be realized it will Leaf
to an enormous business, possibly
even larger than the present pc
troleum business, and may have de
cided influence on the coal trade ant
on the coal carrying railroads.
So far there have been nine produc
ing wells completed and six DIR.
holes. There are about seventy rig
and drilling wells Nothing definit
is known as to the capacity of thes
nine wells. but they each made a larg
showing when opened. and the owner
claim that each one is as large, q
nearly so, as the Lucas well.
1t is estimated that three and hal
barrels Of oil has fuel value Of on
ton Of coal, and. on this basis, tn
output of tre aire wells would NOR
than equal 100000 tons Of coal daily
A very small proportion of this Of