The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1904-10-14
REGARDS IT COODP9OSPECT
Eminent Authority Makes Supple
mentary Report ~ Observations
and Conclusions Drawn.

liable, was engaged to make an *
animation of the property of the
Bridger Canyon Oil company. Al
that time only comparatively little
work in the way OF development had
I been done. The report he then made
was OF an encouraging nature and
the company decided to proceed with
it's exploration, and a complete drill
ing plant was installed. Since then
sinking has been progressing rapidly
and in consequence OF the resultant
| showing it was determined that the
| services of Professor Aughey be Sc
cured for a second examination. His
last report follows:
SIN May of the present year !
made an examination OF the territory
Of the Bridger Canyon company. On
revisiting this territory in these first
days of October I am asked to give
the results of a second examination.
The following are the conclusions
which / reached:
81. 1 found nothing which leads
me, or should lead me, to modify the
deductions made from the facts
Learned on my first examination.
What those facts were, and conclu-
sions, can be zen by anyone in my
first printed report. l there stated
that there were two chances in three
for getting oil in paying quantities by
drilling for it to the proper depth.
This conviction is strengthened by
the results Of:
"2. The drilling that is now in
progress on this territory. At this
writing the depth reached is 1000
feet, or whereabouts, October 6, 1904.
The drilling is done on the northeast
corner of the southwest quarter of
section 16, township Z north of range
"a east. At the depth of AS feet a
small flow of oil was encountered, but
the drilling was continued beyond
that point in the expectation OF
striking a greater flow, but unexpect-
eddy a great volume OF water was en-
%countered and the casing off OF the
water also cased off the oil.
"Where the oil was struck. This
occurred where it was expected,
namely, at the horizon of the blum
finous shale in the lower part of the
granerose formation of the Fort Ben
ton group. This statement l make on
the authority OF l.. A. Corey, the gen
eral manager and vice-president OF
the company, and from the log of the
drilling. This shale, as stated in my
May report, has been exposed by up,
lift and erosion a mile or more fur
Their southwest and south OF the
stucco works.
Drilling deeper. After the first oil
was cased off the drilling was con
tinued into and through the Dakota
group, red sandstone. The drill is
now in the Parasite rocks and is ap.
preaching the horizon wher the
great flows of the Lander, Wyo.
wells come from. The amount ana
kind OF gas coming from the bottom
is a most hopeful indication that OF
will be found here at the same hort
; zon. If this should fail the company
can fall back to the oil horizon a.
445 feet, the edge OF which was there
encountered. BY going further south
eastward, the direction in which there
is increasing thickness of oil shales
and sands and stopping where they
are met in drilling, there are thu
strongest reasons for expecting a sat
isfactory flow of oil.
Business management. 1t is
: source of great satisfaction when OF
examination the business manage
ment is found to be beyond criticism
The is indebted to L. A
Corey, the vice-president and genera
manager, for a wise selection of ma
chinery and tools and the procurin,
of an expert oil well driller and con
tractor in the person of F. W. BIRD
of Butler, Pa, and the second shift
operator, James Hamilton.
"The drill is of the Warrington pal
ent, one of the best, if not the best, ii
use. I will not attempt to enumerat
the parts or the tools, but l hav
never seen superior ones in any Of
field and rarely their equal. All tn
parts and tools are in duplicate an
many in triplicate. The fishing tool
are especially fine. Provision is mad
for every possible accident. Henc