The Rice belt journal. (Welsh, Calcasieu Parish, La.) 1900-19??, 1904-12-09
Oil FIELD NEWS NOTES.

Drilling began this week on the well
| located on the Romero tract north OF
Rice. and about six miles northwest
| of the tested field. j. H. Bowen has
the contract, but Driller Switzer is
in charge Of the work.
The pipe line of the Central Oil Re
! fnerv from the oil field to the com
pany's plant west of town, q distance
of about two miles, was finally com
pleted Friday. Saturday the first lot
of oil conveyed through the pipe was
the product of the Hill Top Company
The oil was pumped direct into the
retinery's receiving tanks, preparatory
for treatment. This opening OF a pipe
line for general business is of the
utmost Importance to oil producers
of the Welsh field, because of the fact
that all the storage tanks on the oil
fields are full to Overlooking. Some
of the wells have ceased pumping be-
cause of the lack of facilities for the
proper disposition of the oil. Now
that the refinery and its pipe line have
been opened up for the general use OF
locat oil promoters, operations will
soon be on in full blast in the oil field.
The first we'll of the Central City Oil
and Development Co. is going down
satisfactorily, work having begun last
Monday. The location of this we'll is
on lot Is, Immediately adjoining the
lot on which the Southwestern Oil
Company's we'll was drilled and only
a short distance from the famous
Welsh No. 3, which blew 400 feet of
four-inch pipe into the air, demolish-
ed the derrick and threw out hundreds
of tons of sand before it could be sub.
dued, by reason of the tremendous gas
pressure. The Southwestern well was
also gasser. 1t is located in the
midst of the gas section, and as the
drillers are now more familiar with
the peculiar formations and condi-
tons, . repetition of those blowouts
will doubtless be avoided, and If oil
really exists at this point in paying
quantities as everyone believes it
does, there is no reason why the many
obstacles heretofore encountere d
should not be overcome and produc-
ing we'll brought in. 1t is now believ-
ed the situation has at last been mas
tered.
Phelan B. Dorian, of Mobile, Ala,
and treasurer of the county of Bald
win, arrived in Welsh Tuesday even
ing to look after the interests of the
Van Heuvel Oil Company, in which
he is stakeholder. Wednesday af-
ternoon Mr.. Dorian removed the cap
from the pipe of Metropolitan No. 2,
located in the Conover subdivision, a
mile southwest of the tested field,
we'll abandoned for more than year
and half, and found that some gas
had accumulated in the pipe. A slight
skum of oil was on top of the water.
This we'll was sunk to depth of be-
tween 1000 and LOO feet. At 800 feet
stratum of oil was found and the
driller was urged to develop at that
point, but continued drilling through
the stratum, thinking another would
be reached. The latter he failed to
accomplish and the we'll was finally
abandoned. Mr.. Dorian was one of
the principal promoters of both the
Metropolitan and Southwestern Oil
companies of Mobile, and he firmly
believes that the Welsh field, when
properly developed, will be one of the
greatest in the south. The pits dug
by the Van Heuvel Oil Co. in which
considerable oil has been stored, have
been leaking and a large amount of
oil wasted. This we'll has closed
down because of a lack of storage
tanks and facilities for handling.