The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1902-01-26
Petroleum of High Grade.

Petroleum of High Grade.
Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Ohio and
Indiana produce practically all OF me
hlgh-gTade petroleum refined in this coun-
try and, in spite Of millions spent in the
constant prospecting of new territory IN
those states, the supply has gradually
diminished until the visible supply above
ground, which in 1891 was 90,UOO,VO bar
rels, is now less than 10,O00,000 barrels,
and it falling off at the rate Of $50, 900 bar
rels monthly, so that the market price
or the crude product Is constantly rising.
In this condition of affairs it is certain
that as soon as Eastern oil men learn
dehniteIy-What at first they will be slow
to believe-that there is a genuine high
grade petroleum held in Montana, there
will be a rush of capital and a develop
ment that will add millions to the states
output of wealth.
There are in FIathead valley at least
5O,OV0 acres which would fetch from
$1,000 to $1,000 an acre If the field were
located in Pennsylvania, West Virginia or
Ohio, and this land Will command JUST
such prices just as soon as the Eastern
oil men learn the facts concerning the
discoveries in the kintia district. 1t
is well within the bounds of moderation
to say that the Flathead oil field is
capable, under development, Of an an
nuaI output of 10000 worth of Pc
troleum. Abundant fuel, plenty OF wa
ter, an easy grade over which to pipe
to the railroad and formation in WIZ
fast and cheap drilling can be '~ue,
make development work CO atiN y
inexpensive.
Ia Drill VIII Tell the story.
An analysis of the seepags oils shows
y So per cent OF Illuminating oil, Is per cent
| of the lighter oils, IL per cent lubr1catlnG
| oil and the remainder very heavy Oil.
That there is oil in the klntla district
| seems absolutely Certain, but only the
| drill can tell IL 1t is there in paying
! quantities. On the east side of the main
l rQn of hn Rockies on hn
1 an side Of the border a man named Al
! bridge and his son have for several years
| dipped the petroleum from springs and,
| after putting it through a crude pro-
| cess of refining, have sold it in Alberta
| This oil, however, is purely a fuel oil
and has not the valuable properties of
| the Kintla product
| The seepage Of the oils takes place along
! the base and in the valley of the main
| divide. The formation is badly broken
| since the main range is an upnft. But
underlying the floor of the valley is a
| formation consisting of shaleS and sand
| stone, dipping slightly to the north and
| east, but seemingly almost horizontal
and here the experts think the drill
| should show oil at a depth of from l,500
| to 1900 feet.
viii Start This Week.
If it has not already commenced, drill
| ing on the Butte company's property
will start this week. This company has
| Bolton, on the Great Northern, and a
| small sawmili outfit, a drill, and other
necessary machinery were taken in more
| than month ago. After the derrick had
| been erected, however, it was decided
| that the boiler was not powerful enough
| to handle the drill at any great depth.
| 1t was expected that this would result
in a long delay, but the company was
| fortunate enough TO find suitable boiler
| in Kalispell, and this was taken in last
| week The services Of an experienced
| driller from Pennsylvania have been Sc
cured, and, barring accidents, this com
! pany will know if their property is worth
| anything by next spring.
| A strong company Of local bU-:ness
men has been organized for the purpose
| of pushing development work and will
| send in a drilling outfit as soon as the
! snow is deep enough for Shedding ~
| Francis has organized a COMPANY in
| Helena, and this corporation will also
send In men and machinery for deveIon0
ment work this winter. Almost every
| man IN Kalispell who could raise fbe
necessary funds has one or more claims
in the oil region, and If the CONFIDENT
expectations Of those who are willing to
| risk their capital on their judgment are
| realized in any ordinary degree, KaIisnafI
is likely to be second only to Butte IN a q
year from now, in the matter of indi-
| Vidual wealth, SO far as Montana ia con
| cerned.
The Kintla country is one of great scan.
ic beauty, many Of those who have seer
1t asserting that it surpasses even the
far-famed Lake Mcdonald region in
l that respect