The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1905-10-13
OIL DRILLING IS OLD
IN KINGDOM OF JAPAN
A Territory Man Tells Of His
Experiences in Far
East. ..5N| I
USED GAS FOR 400 A
Japs Soon Became Acquainted With
The Modern Methods of the Ameri.
cans-Wages Much Lower
Than in This Country.

BartlesNille. 1. T., special: Drillers
who are back from Japan are telling
stories OF what happened to them there
while they We're sinking the holes for
the Standard Oil company, which in the
east is known as the International Oil
company. None of the globe trotters is
enanlored OF the country. They say
that three months in Gods country"
is worth a year in Japan OF India or,
n other eastern oil field.
-Four years ago the Standard wanted
drillers TO go to Japan. The company
had just secured an enormous conces-
sion and wanted to develop it at once.
Among the drillers who went were H.
w. Slower, now of Cleveland, Okla;
y. Fl. O'Brien and c. H. McReady of
Tulsa, 1. T., and S. K. Werlich. The
last two have just returned from the
apane fields. And they are glad
Has Had Oil 400 Years.
! Mr.. Werlich, telling of his expert
ences, said:
OH and gas have been produced In
Japan for hundreds of years. In all
that time they have been used as i'll
luminants. In this country we have
only been using oil for a period Of less
than fifty years for any purpose. There
was a weird theory that some of the
old Shinto gods were responsible for
these demonstrations and h people
worshiped the fire as sacred. The
same. thing happened in India. In fact
the story among the people Of the east
is that the remarkable performances
of the Persian fire worshipers were
nothing more nor less than lighting a
natural gas fame. 1t is impossible to
tell Just how long the Japanese and
the East Indians have known of the.
presence of oil and gas. l have been
told that there are records running
back more than 500 years containing
reference to these mysterious fires
which were supposed to be the work Of
the great god Shinto himself and which
We're used to mystify the people.
Standard Introduced Modern Methods.
A first the oil came from seep
wells. This was drained off in the
most primitive method. 1t is only since
the Standard Oil company and the
Shell Trading and Transport company
entered the eastern fields tina modern
methods have. been introduced. Now
the wells are drilled by the most i'm
proved machinery and by experienced
men. The formation is volcanic and
hard to drill. h depth at which oil
is found varies from 600 feet to 2,4OO
feet. There is, of course, a large per-
centage of dry holes, but it is not
sufficient to deter the continuance of
some of it running as high as "a a
barrel. The field is constantly en-
iarged. Most of il lies on the sea-
coast, where shipping facilities are
ample.
Wages Low in Japan.
Wages are not what they are in this
country, and Of the nine men sent out
four years 81 I do not believe there
are two left. The trouble is with the
natives. They are initiative and learn
rapidly. They are willing to work for
~ a month in our money. Therefore.
there is no show for an American who
is used to getting his Sc a day. There
is absolutely no opportunity for men
who wish to go int the oil business as
Independent operators. Everything is
on the concession basis, just as 1t is in
Mexico You have to have some friends
in Toxic before o can get any oil
wells.
Three Companies in Japan.
There are three companies at yres-
ent operating in Japan, two native
companies and Standard Oil. What the
royalties to the government are [ can
no say but they are big. The govern
ment, as in h cas- with Mexico, owns
all mineral rights and you have to see
a Jap official and not the farmer before
you can get a lease. Since the Begin
ming Of he war with Russia, 1 am told,
they are demanding all kinds Of things
for leases. The Japs go on the old
David Harum principle: DO others or
Ihey VIII do you, and be ure and do
EN- fust.' There is absolutely no room
Tor private competition in the east and
the hances are there never will be.
Where the Oil Is Found.
"Oil is found on the north island of
the japanese group, Hokkido, and on
both the eastern and western shores of
Nippon. The wells are not large pro-
ducers, but the, oil grades SO high that
it pays to produce it. The Japanese
companies and the Standard company
have refineries."