The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1902-05-17
A STATEMENT GIVEN OUT
by The Committee on Safety Which
Is Somewhat Alarming.
THE INJECTION OF MUD AND WATER
nreatens the Whole Field, It Is Alleged.
Shipments for May Show Decrease
for First Part OF Month.

Beaumont, Texas, May le.-The safety
committee which has been holding meet
,''sS Tor two days finally wound up today
! oy report TO the effect that the mud
ana water that IS being poured into Spin.
ule Top is most damaging and they recon
! mend that the property owners be urged
10 stop It and meeting will be held OH
next Thursday. May -, for the purpose
oil taking some action 10 that cud.
mis- was perhaps the most important
matter In oil circles today from the fact
that the committee makes certain state
ments in the report to the effect that the
! mud and water is most damaging in eject
and that II It is not stopped many of the
wells will not flow.
The following is the report given out
10y the committee:
BcWmont, Texas, May rs, 1902 The at
tVhtl"h oi the safety committee has, dur.
!i'S we past month. been repeatedly call "a
" thc iart that n considerable portion OF
the proven territory " the spindle Tol
area Is being greatly damaged by the pump
illG OF large quantities OF mud aud water
mo tue uil formation during the drilling
lu OF wells with the usual rotary drilling
outhts. lnis method of drilling In the
'%lIN dNclopmcnt of the field was accent
auIe ana practical, due to the fact tnAt
"Ntht 10 keep the mud aud watcr from
p'hctUtinE more than Il short distance
rom tile uorc hole, hut since the pressure
mas hcon reduced and large puant,tics OF
on extracted from certain areas. this mud
aud water pcuctratcS and reaches TO dan
: louS distances In the oil formation, until
M ~ certain parts arc becoming thoroug il5
ci"gg'd and ulcd with mud and in otncr
taseS the water forces the oil out Of It's
natural reservoir This method OF com.
p'Cilng wells, II persisted in, viii eventually
ruin and destroy the oil industry in what
Is Known today rs the proven nclu.
The safety committee md that this pros.
Clt condition Is serious one and denlnds
lNNI3ut and c1cctiNc measures 60 preserve
l' NM as a Enshcr area The t"stinont
OF the contractors who arc dr.huT OF
spindle Top hill confirms the fact that
IN many casos lint a small portion OF tle
hud ana water pumped Into the oil strait
is returned to Inc surfacc. and in adGi,
uoh the unmHrkctahlc condition Of SOM
ot the oil produced from the affected area
Plovc3 In practical manner t1at the
interests Of an. producers are in jeopardy,
ana VIII be. until united action Is taken
10 remedy this cvil This committee h..
laycS that the solution Of the problem is
meg 'lthruI' and that To carry the ncccs
saII measures 10 successful Issue VIII
work no hardship to the owncra or con
tractors, but viii demand a uniform policy
OF operation.
This committee therefore urgently re-
quest the presence Of every owne' aud Oh
eldtor of spindle Top property. nBd al O
o. an others who may no Interested in
,na,lns me ToXas oil industry assume the
importance It deserves.
rhi- special meeting of the committee
WI ne held NJ $ o'clock p. m on Thurs
wy, Nay - at the oil exchange, in Beau
mont.
At this meeting, a careful discussion Of
Min IN, i, ,,Iu anu 9i tHG tenle9y proposed
'''''''ee'
wv
Half of the months oil shipments were
wound mp Yesterday and they show a falling
on for May Just rs was predicted Ia The
Post on the first of the month If Is d,o
10 the fact that none ~ tho l,ig sbcu r,,,s
port and Trading company vessels hayo prt
in at Port Arthur for rargoos this month
while two were there last month carving y
total Of 10000 barrels OF oil oione ,rbo
Tact that but one Is likely to get in this
month VIII make the shipments Mt
lehtcr for Man than for April, hut hr
amount OF oil taken from Spindle Top will
exceed mat Tor the month before from the |
IaCt That the carthcn and steel tnnkaactI
'elEg butt will run FOR this month alone 10 /
nearly 2,CCCOCO barrels
The shipments for the first half Of Nav
arc according "a the Enterprise 23Gg cais /
md @oIbj9 barrels.
40