The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-10-17
The Reports for 1901 and 1902, Both
Long Delayed, Will BE Pub-
Iished Together.
ATTENTION TO THE OIL FIELDS
GEOLOGIST BLATCHLEY WILL, HAVE
MAPS IN 1908 REPORT.
He Il Working on 1t Now and Ex.
poets 1t to Prove of Much In
terest to Oil Men.

The long delayed report of State Ceolo
gst Blatchley for the years 1901 and 1902
will be out within the next two weeks. The
report for 1901 should have been publishad
in June, 1902, AMI the report for 1902 was
due a year later. They are not being
printed as separate reports, but will be
under one cover. 1.-THE reason they are
delayed" said Mr.. Blatchley YESTERDAY
has been thTashed over by the newsna-
pers and the public and the less said about
the delay the better"
The geologist is now at work on his re-
port for 1903 and this report is to contain
a map of the oil fields of Indiana. fea
ture which is made a part of the report
every three years. The geologist is taking
considerable pains in order that the oil
maps may be plain and comprehensive
and TO this end is spending as much time
as he can in the oil fields He was at his
desk yesterday evening, having Just re-
turned from visit to the Princeton and
Birdseye fields ''Iu the Princeton field -
said lie, Il found they have opened two
wells since July last, and five other der
ricks are up. The field lies about two
miles northwest OF Princeton The first two
wells are pouring about ten barrels a day
together. The oil is good lubricating STUFF.
l found that IL was discovered i'm a forma
ton in which oil had not before been struck
In this Staten sandstone from $40 tn
$50 feet below the surface, and only about
seventy-seven 10 eighty feet below a thick
vein Of coal This oil is found in what is
known as Mansfield sandstone, a field that
is new TO the biologists of this State. Oil
IS liable to be found in any sand or limo
stone in Indiana, but not i'm commercial
quantities except where certain Conditions
exist, and IL so happens that these condi-
tons are present in these two fields. The
conditions are porous rock to hold the oil
and an imperviouS shale about il which
has prevented the oil from passing off
In the form OF gas IL is impossible to
tell from two wells how large the field
will be, but there is good promise
THE BIRDSEYE FIELD.
1.-The Birdseye field is found in Dubois
and Perry counties. There was promise of
a good field there last spring, but the oper-
atOrs made mistake in putting the wells
too far apart. Three or four of them were
fair producers. but it did not pay to pump
them singly. II they had been sunk closer
together and could have been hitched to one
power they might have been pumped with
profit \ number of dry holes were drilled.
and most of the field has been Abandoned
THE limit of the Trenton rock in the
main oil fields of Indiana will in fine prob
ably embrace the greater part of the former
gaS-DrOducing land of the State. Seven or
eight years ago, in my reports, / predicted
that gas would in a few years fail, and that
oil would take it's place. This is proving
true. The Indiana oil output is gradually
increasing in value, and last year ranked
only second TO coal in the natural resources
of the State. The present high price of oil
will stimulate drilling, and there is no doubt
that this years production will greatly ex-
coed that of last year.
The geologist declares there are absolutely
no surface indications of oil. Every few
DAYS people write to him from different
parts of the State, telling OF startling sur
face indications, such as the discovery of a
thick coating of oil on the water in the To-
eaty. The geologist is kept busy answer
Ing these letters and telling people thar
''Ol on the waters" is not the slightest indi-
Cation that there is oil in the ground.
1T is the men who go about Oil-well drill
ing in a modest way that make the money
In Indiana declared Mr.. Blatchley. In
the oil business we have term called wild
eating This is where some man thinks
he has discovered something rich away on
from the regular field, and goes there and
spends time and money drilling a dry we'll;
or if he finds oil he does not get ii in guam
titles TO pay him. The men who make the
money those who stick TO the oil fields
drill few wells close together and run
them with one power. Men must economic
in the oil business we'll as in any other
business if anything is 10 be made out OF It.