The Kalispell bee. [volume] (Kalispell, Mont.) 1900-192?, 1901-10-16
ATTRACT THE
WORLDS NOTICE
The Kin:la Oil Fields Have a
Parraffine Base.
VIEW OF AN EXPERT
P. W. Francis Says The Kintla Fields
Are A Fine Proposition. Asphaitum
Oil A Drug On The Market.

Writing to the Helena Record con
cerning the Kntla oil fields. Mr. f.
w. Francis, an acknowledged expert
in such matters says:
From time to time. of late. the
leading newspapers of the state
have painted Information given
| returning prospectors, investors
and others concerning the new oil
fields in Flathaad county. and while
much of this information has been
correct, much of it has been incor-
rect 1t may be of interest to your
readers to learn the facts.
In the valley Of the north fork of
the F'lathead river. lying between
the main divide Of the Rockies and
the Whitciish range, is strip of ter
ritory. beginning at the interna-
tional boundary line on the north and
running south about Is miles. which
seems, beyond any reasonable doubt.
to be a great Oil bearing field. And
the important fact is that the oil, AS
shown by many analysis of the crude
product gathered from the natural
seepage, has the parailine base. If
this were not SO. the new fields would
not be worth exploiting. Oil with the
asphatum base-the product of the
California and Texas fieds--is a
drug on the market, and will be for
a long time to come. The phenomen-
al output of the Beaumont gushers
has sWamped the sources of demand
and the stuff cannot be sold. even at
a loss. AS a matter of fact Montana
has several asphaltum oil fields, with
every surface indication of great
quantities of petroleum in the antic-
lines, that would be more productive
than any California district and
might equal the Beaumont territory
But if the investor were offered the
free gift Of such property, with pro
ducing wells bored for nothing. he
would be wise to decline the present
desire to emphasize this fact, be
cause the whole country is flooded
with the advertisements of oil stock
companies, and very few people
know enough of the kind of oil to
produce. The simple truth is-and
it is truth of great Importance to
this state--that a high grade paraf
fine base oil field has been found in
Flathead county, Montana.
Pennsylvania, West Virginia.
Ohio and Indiana produce practical
ly all the high grade petroleum re-
lined in the United States, anu in
spite OF millions spent in steady pros
pecting of new territory in those
states the supply has gradually di-
minished, until the visible supply
above ground, which in 1891 was over
9O,000,000 barrels, is now less than
100000 and that falling off at the
rate of $4,000 barrels monthly, with
the natural result Oh the market price
of the crude constantly rising.
In this condition of affairs it is
certain that as soon as eastern oil
men learn definitely what at first
they will be slow to believe-that
there is a genuine high grade petrol
cum field in Montana-there will be
a rush of capital and a development
that will add millions to the states
output of wealth. There are in 4 lat
head valley at least $4,000 acres
which would fetch from ST 900 to S.
600 an acre if the field was located
in Pennsylvania or Ohio or West
| Virginia, where oil men are; and
they will command those prices out
here just as soon as oil men are at
tracted this way in any numbers by
the news OF this discovery. 1t is
well within the bounds of moderation
to say that the Flatnead held is cap
able, under development. of an an
nual output of S50000,00O worth of
petroleum. which compares we'll with
the output of any mineral belt in the
state. Abundant fuel, plenty of wa
ter, an easy grade over which to pipe
to railroad and formation in which
fast and cheap drilling can be done
if the we'll sites are located properly,
will make development work COM
paratively inexpensive.
The development work done so far
has been done wholly by the Bulte
Oil company. This company has con-
structed fine wagon road from Bel
ton, on the Great Northern. to Lake
kintia, near the international bound
airy line, and has taken in a full
standard rig, with experienced drill
ers from Pennsylvania to handle it.
and ought to get to oil early in the
spring Other individuals AMI asso-
Citations have made many locations,
and some of them will son have rigs
on tne ground.
The seepage of oil occurs along
the base and in the canyon of the
main divide The formation here is
naturally badly broken up, since the
main range is an uplift. But under
lying the floor of the valley is for
nation consisting of shales and sand
stone, dipping slightly to the north
and east, but seemingly nearly hori-
zontal, and here the drill should
show Oil at a reasonable depth. What
this depth will be nothing but the
drill can tell. Perhaps 1900 or 1000
fleet is fair guess. A statement