Fergus County argus. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1886-1946, 1905-12-26
MONTANA'S
OIL FIELDS
BOOM is EXPECTED FOR THE
DISTRICT IN TETON
COUNTY,

A boom is expected this coming
spring in oil fields in Teton county, To-
Gated on the coded strip, according to
j. NJ. Harris, president of the Allyn
City Oil company.
The oil fields are located in the
northwest corner of Teton county,
about ten miles from the Canadian
line. and are situated on the Swift
Current river, IA tributary to the st.
Mary's. The Canadian Pacific tracks
are only q miles distant and the Great
Northern 46 miles. the nearest railroad
station being Browning.
Practically all the oil ground has
been located Mr.. Harris estimates
that the ground located covers a strip
ten miles square. At the present time
four drills are running: two wells
have been struck and one of them is
capped. This we'll belongs to the
Sherman company. The oil stands 210
feet in the hole. 1t is declared that it
is the finest oil that has ever been
struck. running So per cent in lubr
ing. J. Ryan, the oil purchaser for the
Great Northern railway has stated
that the oil would be worth $40 a bar
rel if delivered at the railway station.
The other well in which oil has been
encountered belongs to S. d. Soens.
Through an accident the tubing en-
casing the Well, broke and the shaft
was caved in, necesstating the drill
l,,,11 hot I,n 11
gotten again.
The claims controlled by the Swift
Current Boulder Oil company, in
which Helena people are largely in
terested, are showing excellent ndi-
cations at the present time. They
now have hole drilled 1000 feet and
plenty of gas can be secured. a con-
elusive sign that oil is not far distant
Mr.. Harris stated that when he left
the fields the company had to cease
work, having reached the end of the
cable. but that a new one had been
ordered and everything was in shape
so work could be pushed through the
winter. In his opinion oil would be
struck at depth of not more than
| 1000 feet the indications being very
! favorable.
The Allyn City Oil company has not
| done much development work, but has
| 1000 acres of land in the heart of the
| oil fields and expect to begin develop
ment work next spring. Mr.. Harris
! is president of the company and gen.
! eral manager, but owing to an acct
| dent three years ago. when he fell so
! feet down a shaft, his health failed
him recently and work will not be
commenced again until he is able to
| superintend affairs.
During the past year persons from
all over the United States visited the
fields, most of them being investors
who bought land and who expect to
develop them this coming spring.
Representatives of the Standard Oil
company who visited the field the past
summer stated that as soon as the
field is sufficiently developed the COM
pany will put in a pipe line running
| from the field to the Great Northern
railway line. The president, vice pres
ident and general manager of the
Canadian Pacific have given a pledge
! that as soon as there are three oil
wells the road will put in a branch
running from the main line to Altyn
a distance of u miles. There is talk
of pipe line being put in to run in
to Canada from the oil fields, the line
to be II miles long. In that distance
there is a fall of 400 feet and the oil
could be sent at a slight expense, the
line being a gravity one.
Biologists who have examined the
fields say that the surface indications
are better than those in what are now
old producing fields and that in their
opinion the conditions are just right
for the Teton fields to develop one of
the best oil producers in the United
| States.
A Canadian expert who made an eX-
animation of the fields the past sum-
mer used an oil tester in 5O-acre
swamp on the ground of the Allyn Oil
company. After pushing the tester in
to the mud and holding it few min
utes gas began to come and when the
match was applied it burned freely.
Generous.
"Some men say" remarked the beau