The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-11-30
in INDIANA OIL
GREAT INCREASE IN ACTIVITY DUR
ING THE PAST MONTH.
Production Also Largely increased
Winter Slack Time About to BE-
gin-GOOd Prospects for 100
Special to the indianapolis Journal.

Special to the indianapolis Journal.
MONTPELIER, Ind, Nov. Exploratory
in the Greater Indiana oil field for the
month of November now closing show a
great burst in operations. During the
month there were 26S wells completed. of
which thirty-seven proved to be dry holes
or gas wells large enough to connect to a
gas line, the balance having a daily output
of 4,0S9 barrels. or an average per well per
day of 171a barrels.
December, the closing month of the year,
starts in with good prospects. although
before the close of the month a decline in
operations is looked for, as is usually the
case every year. During the holidays the
operators who are from abroad always
spend a few weeks at their homes and they
hurry up what drilling wells they have so
as to have them completed and pumping
before they take their vacation. Then
again, operations dwindle during the winter
months on account of the cold and the
extra expense attached to operating. There
are 1S9 wells drilling and los rigs up. This
is an increase in new work of nine.
The oil industry, from a business stand
point, is in remarkably good shape in the
Indiana field, and if the price of the crude
product should remain anywhere near
what it is now the year of 1902 will develop
into the banner year for this State, as
much wild-catting will be done in all direc-
tions. Many of the prominent oil men
from the Eastern fields are investing in
Indiana oil properties, n they bring an
enormous capital with them. That is what
makes an oil field boom. Buyers from the
outside come in and purchase production,
the seller usually hunts up some unde-
veloped area and spends a good part OF the
money received opening up a new pool.
This keeps the money in circulation and
very little of it finds its way out OF the
State.
BY the opening of the coming spring
when considerable of the heavy gas pres
sure shall have dwindled away, In some
parts of the field, so that the gas ~restric-
tions will not interfere with drilling for
oil, there will be great activity In certain
parts of the field. When the gas pressure
is off the rock a field of great magnitude
is bound 10 be opened up. In Ohio the
once famous gas field is now being drilled
for oil and remarkably good wells are be
ing found. The same Will be true or the
Indiana field. 1t is the past history of all
fields, and Indiana will be no exception.
Grant county leads, as usual. in opera
tions, with Wells county a good second,
closely followed by Blackboard county. The
center of attraction i'm Blackford county is
the Hartford City pool, where many new
wells are under way. In Wells county the
work is pretty evenly divided among jack
son and Chester townships, whlle some
work is doing in Nottingham township.
Grant county has a large amount OF work
doing. For November in this county there
were seventy-two wells completed with a
new production of 1885 barrels, and only
three dry holes. There are now forty-nine
wells drilling and thirty-One rigs up. Fol
lowing are the operations in the State for
the months of October and November: