New-York tribune., 1901-08-11
TEXAS OIL PRODUCTION.
HOW THE ESTIMATES HAVE CLIMBED
SINCE THE EARLY DAYS OF
THE "GUSHERS."

Beaumont Tex. Aug. 10 (speciaD.-It is asserted
that one OF the oil gushers Spindle Top recently
poured oil into tank at the rate Of 100000 barrels
q day. the remarkable feature Of that assertion
is the size Of the figures. hut the fact that the
assertion itself has not been contradicted- Ihere
can be no doubt that II the figures should be In
creased 50 per in :uture report there viii
be no contradiction. As the great State or Texas
Is not accustomed TO stand second In matter
where mere size is concerned il may be expected
that before the close OF the summer the claim viii
be made without contradiction that the production
Of any one Of the wells Spindle Top exceeds the
record OF the most prolific oil well in the history or
the world. To reach this distinction the produc-
tion will have 10 be marked up 10 nearly 10000
barrels the record well IN the Russian oil heos
actually produced 10000 barrels day
The production Of the wells Spindle Top has
been a curious study in arithmetical progression.
When the wonderful Lucas well. the pioneer OF
Spindle Top. flowed unmuzzed for ten days last
January. its capacity first placed at 300 bar
rels a day. That was an under estimate; but the
Texas people were novices in the oil business at
that time. and they were unable 10 gauge an oil
wells capacity 10y the size and force OF the column
Of oil that shot high above the derrick few
days after the discovery OF the oil the assertion
Was put forth. with perhaps. a touch Of uncer-
tainty II the tone that the well was good for
10t0G l5.O00 barrels day. This was promptly
s03fed at chiefly by farmers and others who knew
more about Texas ong horns than about oil wells.
the Lucas well was made by a prominent oil pro-
Queer Of Pittsburg, who visited Beaumont in the
nope Of leasing oil lands but returned home disgust
ed with the attitude OF Texas landowners. This eN-
pert estimated the capacity of the Lucas weh at
25O01 barrels day. II may be assumed that In his
disappointed state Of mind this gentleman was not
disposed TO overestimate the producing capacity OF
the well
A snort time afterward :he production was placed
81 900 barrels day. There the estimates rested
rNaar1-
lauoI began in earnest. Then the capacity Of the
Lucas and the Beatty began 10 climb upward, with
no utter protest. The figures were marked
up by the spectators. not half dozen Of whom
engage in the widest real estate speculation IN the
history Of the United States From $4,000 barrels
q Gay The production went by leaps ana bounds 10
400Bj 80 600 $1,000 and 20 600 barrels day. Not
olssentlne voice was llIled ABOVE lle HII ol ,t5
The assertions and let them stand without protest
The maximum estimate now stands al 10000 bar
-els a day
il must not be supposed that these assertions
were made with no attempt AT proof or convincing
circumstance. On the contrary, each upward step
vas announced as the result Of an accurate e, ana
scentlhc test ct the capaclty OF some pai ~
well As each human being in Texas was ,N YSaiy Si
al was Impossible 10 OBTAIN any IactS VIII ~ wlll.i
contradict successfully the cpeculators asseT-
no better success now AS matter OF fact it is
Impossible obtain the exact figures Of the pro
ducJion Of any well Spindle Top or elsewhere
in Texas one can only guess at it
The writer's estimate Of the capacity of each or
the wells on Spi- 1le Top is 5000 barrels. This
estimate has beer made after careful study of
tho Beaumont oil field since last February. and "A
comparison Of all the facts obtainable with the
pecuiarities Of the oil helds Of Russia The writer
during a visit TO the fields Of Baku. Russia, saw
q well flowing AT the OF 10000 barrels a day.
That Wen was eighteen inches in diameter at the
bottom and twenty-five inches at the top IL
threw solid column of oil high above the derrick.
In actual height the column perhaps the same
as the height OF the geyser streams sent up oy the
gushers on Spindle Top.
In thickness Of column how ever there was a de-
cided difference In the Russian well the oil came
through an anerture eighteen inches in diameter at
The bottom. whereas in the case of most of the
Spindle Top wells. the aperture at the bottom OF
the well is only four inches in diameter. Thus II
will be seen if the Russian well with an aperture
Of eighteen inches. threw a column Of oil as high
as that from one of the Spindle Top wells the
aperture OF which is only four inches. the produc-
greater than the capacity Of the smaller one.
In addition 10 this. it may be said that II Is
physical impossibty for. 10000 barrels OF oil 10
pass through a four-inch pipe in twenty-four hours
al pressure OF seventy-hve pounds 10 the square
frrh