The St. Louis Republic., 1901-11-05

than 100000. and the pipe used in laying 12s
miles of pipe line cost not less than
sl,0Gc.O0o.
In the construction of the derricks in this
field 100000 feet of lumber was used. the
derricks costing. for labor and material
s20,0oe.
Extent of Proved Field.
At this time the proved field is about 200
acres in extent but 1t Is being constantly
broadened and conservative oil men think
1t will ultimately take in no less than 900
acres.
The amount OF money spent In the de-
velopment of the field up TO this time ex-
ceeds 50. .O0oO1O, and when II is remembered
that this vast sum has been expended with
ir nine months some idea may be had OF
the energy that has appropriately char
acteriZed this as the busiest spot on earth
II there are those who think activity in
this field has ceased. fifteen minutes spent
in observation will serve to remove such
opinion
More men are now at work than at any
previous time, and the construction OF
storage tanks pipe lines. loading racks and
other appliances for handling and market
ing oil is being carried on on a large scale.
Industries in Prospect.
Tanks are being constructed at various
points between the field and deep water oil
the south, and several OF them are going
up between the field and the town. Tho
j. NJ. Guffey Petroleum Company Is just
completing d refinery at Port Arthur. and
the Central Asphalt and Refining Company
has machinery en- route from the factories
for the construction of an immense plant
a few miles south of Beaumont, which is
TO use 1900 barrels of oil per day in the
manufacture of asphaltum and other by
products.
Doctor c. B. Forward has ordered ma
chinery for a large refinery to be built near
this city, and several Eastern oil men are
investigating the situation with view to
putting up refineries.
Notwithstanding all that has been done
In this field, and all that has been written
about Beaumont oil, the people of the
United States have not yet realized, even
to small degree, what Is here. Many of
them have had their faith shaken by the
failure of some irresponsible oil company
TO make good Its promises. and 1t would
take something akin to a miracle to re-
store that faith. The work of discrediting
the field has not been confined to irrespon-
sible oil companies however.
Malicious stories Circulated.
Stories have gone out of Beaumont stat
ing that the pressure under Spindle Top
WAS rapidly declining. and that within
very short time pumps would have to be
placed in the wells. The wells themselves
have refuted this story. however. and those
who have been sufficiently interested to in
vestigate the matter. have been thProughly
convinced that there was nothing eh which
to base such stories
Nobody expected the wells to continue
spouting oil with undminished force for
century. but they are astounding even the
most sanguine in this respect.
Since the Lucas well broke away from the
drillers and ran wild for ten days it is esti-
mated that not less than 100000 barrels OF
oil have flown from the wells on the hill
the greater part of which has been per-
mited to go to waste. This amount Of oil
would load string Of tank cars go miles
Ions, and it would appear that the removal
of such quantity of oil from Spindletop
Heights would materially weaken the pres
sure OF the wells, but contrary to the fears
CT oil men. it has not done SO to an appre-
ciable extent.
Pressure Undiminfshed.
For illustration, the Haywood well No. 2
may be cited. since much more oil has been
taken from 1t than from any other well on
the hill. This well came in with pressure
of l10 pounds TO the square inch, and II
opened and allowed to flow for an hour the
well Will register the same pressure to-day.
In fact. to conclude the matter 1t may be
stated in the most emphatic language that
the pressure that forces the oil from the
Spindetop wells has not decreased. and that
the best informed men in the field believe
that the wells will be spouters for at least
The production of a Spindle Top well Is
stupendous, and while outside people may
find it hard to believe the stories about the
capacities Of the wells. can readily
realize what a Spindle Top gusher means
when he sees one shoot column OF oil
l5J 10 200 feet in the afr. Much has been
written about the production of these wells
and IN hardly one instance has the output
Of a well for twenty-four hours been esti-
mated at less than 10000 barrels. and 1t is
fact that more than one well has flowed
at the rate of 10000 barrels in twenty-four
hours, under actual tests. and 1t may be
stated fact that the eighty-five spout
ers in this field will proc uce an average Of
.5O barrels per day TO the well.
Enormous Production.
This would run the total production for
a single day to the enormous quantity of
2.l25000 barrels-a quantity SO large as to
be almost incomprehensible. IL the barrels
were placed end to end they would extend
over a distance of l.6o0 miles. and one days
output of oil would fill a six-inch pipe for
a distance OF 5000 miles.
1t is such statements as these that make
people wonder. but time will prove their
truth. and in future years people will WON
der why they were slow TO believe them.
The writer has not the gift of prophecy,
but he has been in this field for six months
visiting the magic Spindle Top almost daily;
he has talked with oil men from all over
the United States and from several foreign
countries. and from the information thus
obtained he is constrained to say that the
Beaumont oil field is the biggest thing of
its kind on earth-vastly larger than one
man In a thousand realizes.
FRANK ANDREWS.