Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1904-03-30
Several New Rigs 10 be Set Up
Near Cisco Station on the
Rio Grande.
WESTERN CONSOLIDATED WELLS
Preparations Being Made to Sink Them
To the Depth Of at Least $500 feet
Experienced Men Ia Charge.

The growing interest being taken IN
the oil fields OF Utah Is manlfesting It.
self In other places than the Salt Lake
valley. Experienced oil operators and
experts are not combining their investi-
cations to the territory stretching along
the shores Of the Great Salt Lake to
Promontory alone, but are reaching out
into other counties as well,
Renewed attention is being paid to
the Green River fields in the eastern
part Of the state and there Is every
reason to believe that the country will
come forward with some important de-
velopments during the present year.
II was learned today. from gentle-
man who is in position to know, that
preparations are well under way for
resumption OF work on the
Western Consolidated Oil COM
pany's properties in Grand county
Those who have kept In touch with the
movements OF oil men will remember
that this company, which is comprised
mostly OF Salt Lake citizens, succeed
ed in interesting a syndicate of east
ern oil men last year and, In consider
alton Of giving the gentlemen a certain
interest In the wells, the latter agreed
TO proceed to install a rig and COM
mence drilling One Of the principals
In the syndicate is Perry ID, Jones, who
has gained considerable expert
ence In the oil line In the Indiana fields
Under his direction a well was put
down TO the depth OF 1900 feet, the top
hole measuring II inches across. Mr..
Jones intention was TO 90 to the deep
as rapidly as possible and provided
equipment sufficiently powerful to
drop the drills through the most OBJ
stinate formation to- the depth of 1000
feet. but at the 1900 foot point
serious mlshap occurred In the losing
Of the drill head. A determined effort
was made to pick 1t UP again; nearly
months time was spent In trying to re-
cover It, but the effort proved unsuc-
cessfuL Another we'll wa3 start
ed and sunk to the depth OF
1000 feet and It Is this one that
is to be continued downward. Mr.. Jones
has great faith IN the country and
has concluded TO give It a severe test
in addition TO working at the well men,
toned, secord rig VIII be set up
shortly and the machinery has already
arrived at Cisco, a station on the Rio
Grande Western In Grand county, near
which place the wells are located,
In the well abandoned on account
OF the accident mentioned, Indications
Of most encouraging nature presented
themselves, sufficient at least TO thor
oughly convince Mr. Jones that with
further depth the chances for finding
oil In commercial quantities was ex.
Ceedlngly good, so he does not propose
TO stop until he knows what the ground
contains to the depth Of anyway $500
feet.
+. 7. Merritt, an Indiana operator and
expert, the News" Is Informed, has
arrived on the ground again and will
have at least one standard rig In opera
ton within the next few weeks.
The presence OF oil and oil bearing
rock and shae In Emery and Grand
counties has been known for long
time. but little attention was paid to
this industry up 10 few years ago.
There are numerous springs In which
oil comes to the surface, and lodges
OF rock are so thoroughly saturated
Win bli as W lsilllt anu DuIH freely.
Mr., Merritt In giving his opinion OF
the Green River oil basin, after maxi
ing study of its geological conditions
stated recently that oil would be en-
countered in large quantities at q depth
of about 5000 feet. over large por-
tlon OF the Green River basin are found
hydro carbons and other strong evil
dences of the presence OF petroleum.
The upper tartary formation, he ex-
plains, extends down to the bed OF the
basin, which Is OF the Cretaceous and
Devonian period. Fossil fish, shells,
etc, are found In quantities, showing
this to have been az some remote period
the bed Of the sea: claimed by oil au-
thorItles to be one Of the strongest In
dications Of the presence Of oil.
Through Moses Davis OF Provo. one OF
the company's directors, the Western
Consolidated has acquired several Sec
tions Of oil lands on the Promontory
point In Boxelder county. which may
be the scene OF active operations within
the present year
Among the Salt Lake men interested
In the company are Judge II. =, Tan.
ner, who Ia the president. and Matt
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