New Iberia enterprise and independent observer., 1902-07-19
SOUTHERN OIL FIELDS.


according to unprejudiced opinion
are equal in pressure to Beaumont
best spouters in their best days
has attracted widespread attention
to the new field and to various
localities In Louisiana where indI
cations point almost cOnvincingly
to the existence Of extensive de
posts of oil which await only the
penetration of a drill to prove theil
presence.
1t is becoming a popular belief
with oil men and others who have
observed development in the new
Southwestern oil fields closely,
that clearly defined oil belt, of
greater magnitude than has here
tofore been thought of, extends
from the South Texas coast east
wardly to and beyond the Missis-
sippi river, including Southeast
Texas and Southern and Western
Louisiana. Already this belt has
been tapped in dozen different
places, and while gushers have not
always been the result, it has been
demonstrated to the satisfaction of
many persons that oil in quantities
sufficient to supply the needs of the
world will be found in course of
time in this Southern and South
western region.
Prospecting and development
has been stimulated by the bring
ing in of the Jennings gushers,
and today the people of Southern
Louisiana have the quest for oil
uppermost in their minds. 1t is
believed that the Jennings fields
will show a larger area than
Spindletop; such surmises being
based on the finding of oil in pump
ing quantities at distance of a
mile or more from the gushers.
At Vinton, La, 35 miles east of
Beaumont, and between that city
and Jennings, oil has been found
at depth of 28O feet and for more
than a year persistent attempts
have been made to drill we'll to a
depth sufficient to thoroughly test
the territory. At Welch, La, IL
miles west Of Jennings, a we'll will
shortly be sunk to depth of 1000
feet.
Beyond Jennings, to the east
ward, indications Of oil and gas
are present in abundance. This is
true to an extraordinary degree at
Anse la Butte and Bayou Boullion,
and also prevails at Belle Isle and
Terrebonne. At the first two
places the gas seepage is so general
and in such quantities that it has
caused experts and practical oil
men to predict for these localities
a rich future as oil producing dis
tricts. Captain Lucas picked Anse
la Butte for an oil and gas field be-
fore he started operations at Beau
mont. Even while he was boring
on Spindletop he was giving part
of his time to Anse la Butte.
When the Guffey Company alb
sorbed Captain Lucas leases and
began extensive operations in the
new Southwestern fields, its agents
were careful to obtain all the hold
ings to>be had at Anse la Butte,
and these holdings the company
regards as being exceedingly
valuable. Recently the Haywood
Brothers, who were eminently sue
cessful in the Beaumont field and
who later opened up the Jennings
field, have secured firm foot hold
in the Anse la Butte field, and
they will begin at once the develop
ment of the property by drilling a
we'll. They are operating through
the Haywood Bros. Oil Corpora
ton, a, million dollar company
which they organized for the
special purpose of prosecuting an
extension Of development in the
Jennings field and the development
of other Louisiana fields.
At Bayou Bouillion also the Hey
woods will sink q we'll immediate
ly. Here Messrs. Maxwell and
sherwood OF the Acme Supply Co.,
of which "Golden Rule" Jones of
Toledo is president, already have
installed complete drilling outfit
and are at work. The Maxwell
and Sherwood rig is on the west
side of the Atchafalaya River and
the Haywood rig on the east side,
between the Bayou Bouillion and
the river.
A representative of the Oil In
vestors Journal last week visited
Anse la Butte and Bayou Bouillion
to note the extent and nature of
gas and oil indications at these
places. The railroad journey from
Beaumont to Lafayette, La, the