Oxford eagle. (Oxford, Lafayette Co., Miss.) 1876-current, 1902-10-30
TExAs-LoUIsIANA OIL FIELD
Report of a Government Expert-The Sup
ply of Oil Is Limited-Daily Flow
of Beaumont Field.

AAcPoTt OF u EXPcEt-A nc 6uR-
ply of Oil Is Limited-Daily Flow
OF Beaumont Field.
Washington, Oct. ga bulletin
soon to be issued by the United States
Geological Survey contains report by
DR.. c. W. Hayes and William Kennedy
on the Texas-Louisiana oil field which
is of particular interest at this time.
From the Mississippi river west
ward through Louisiana and Texas to
the Rio Grande, along the border OF
the Gulf of Mexico, and extending
inland for from so to 100 miles is the
gulf coastal plain. The existence of
petroleum in this part of the country
has been known as far back as 1860.
Since the beginning of the present oil
development the coastal plain has been
examined, and its general under
ground condition to depth of about
1000 feet his been brought to view, al
though many questions as to under
ground structure remain unanswer-
able until further drilling.
With regard to the Spindletop oil
rock, the report states that its excep-
tional character explains in a measure
the remarkable features of the Spin
dletop pool Its extreme porosity IA
vors the storage of a very large vol
ume of oil, and also favors the yield
ing of this oil with very great rapidity
NJ &c oISn
favors the early exhaustion of the oil
in the pool and its rapid replacement
by the underlying salt water. Beds of
sulphur-bearing sand are reported
from some of the wells on Spindletop,
and beds of gypsum and of salt from
others
The indications point to the possible
development of oil along the following
lines, all running northeast and south
west: A line from Damon, in Brazo-
ria county, Texas, through Dayton to
Saratoga in Hardin county; a line
from Big Hill, in Matagorda county,
through Columbia to Sour Lake, in
Hardin county; line from High Is
land, in Galveston county, through
Big Hill to Beaumont, in Jefferson
county; a line from Sabine Pass, in
Jefferson county, Texas, through Vim
ton to Sulphur, in Calcasieu parish,
La; line from blackberry, Cameron
parish, to Spring Hill, Calcasieu par
ish, La. The well known oil ponds"
upon the surface of the water point
strongly to a source of oil near the
south end of the west jetty in the
gulf, at Sabine Pass.
Petroleum does not exist in unlim-
tied quantities anywhere. The supply
is practically limited to the contents
of the field, and when this has been
withdrawn no more is obtainable.
Spindletop forms no exception to this
inflexible rule, and the length of time
that even this great field may continue
20 produce oil is altogether dependent
upon the number of wells draining the
pool.
spindletops Daily Flow.
An estimate of the maximum flow
of 1872 wells now in use at Spindletop
may be made as somewhere between
25 700 and 10000 barrels daily; prob
ably the average flow would not ex-
ceed 10000 to 10000 barrels.
The total production of crude pc
troleum in the Beaumont Spindletop
field including the oil wasted from
wild gushers and from other wells, the
local consumption, the oil held in
tanks, and the oil shipped away, from
the beginning of 1901 up to May 81,
1902, is estimated at II, ,6SS, 900 barrels.
The value of well material, tanks, tank
cars, pipe lines, pumping stations, re-
fneries, and wells producing, drilling,
and abandoned, is estimated at about
| $7,640,000. On December 81, 1901, the
number of wells abandoned was 28;
of producing wells, 131; and of wells
drilling, 46; d total of 205. On May
1, 1862, there were 52.abandoned wells,
240 producing wells, and go wells drill
ing; total of 352-an increase on
May /, 1902, over December 81, 1901,
of "a abandoned wells, 109 producing
wells, and Ia drilling wells; total Of