The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1908-06-05
WORK STARTS IN o,L.eAs FIELDS
Kansas Experts Confident Of Success
in North Dakota.

Kansas Experts Confident OF success
in North Dakota.
Active operations have begun in the
Westhope oil-gas fields. Many things
have tended to prove that there is
! somewhere beneath the surface of this
country a vast body of oil and gas.
and experts in the business of pro-
ducing both oil and gas have become
enthusiastic over the prospect. All
indications go to prove that the West
hope field is allied with the Medicine
Hat field, as oil indications and strikes
of gas have been reported all the way
northwest from this place to the Cana,
dian city. At Carivale, northwest of
Westhope. gas has been found, and
| all along the Antler creek oil is seen
upon the water.
The first discovery dates back about
eighteen years. when at point where
| the Great Northern railroad crosses
the Mouse river, east of this city, John
McPhee, who is yet living near this
city, found evidences of oil. Every
year while drilling water wells around
Westhope the drillers have struck gas
In more or less quantities.
Six years ago James Ballantzine,
who had lived in the Indiana oil and
gas field, came to Westhope and urged
the organization of a company. Capt.
tai was lacking, and the project fell
through.
Two years ago gas was struck in q
we'll on the Link farm, six miles south
Of this city. The gas was lighted and
burned all winter.
For nearly two years Alex Ander.
son, living four miles from Bottineau.
burned gas in his cook stove, but on
| account of improper connections in the
plumbing the we'll had to be aban-
doned.
On July 8, 1907, strong flow of gas
was struck on the Parker farm, nine
miles south of Westhope, and it was
this we'll that attracted oil and gas
men from the Kansas field.
A test of this we'll was made re.
Gently, and it was found that the pres
sure was greater than last fall. The
we'll is 40 feet deep, and the pressure
is between fifty-five and sixty pounds.
Active drilling was commenced last
week by the Great Northern Oil, Gas
and Pipe Line Co., which expects to
go to sea level in it's quest for oil and
gas. Expert drillers from the Kansas
fields are in charge.
| M. S. Breckenridge of the Brecken-
ridge Oil Co. at South Sharon, S. D..
is also on the ground, while other oil
men have either been here and leased
land or are on the way.
Great things are in store for this
part of North Dakota, and big boom
is looked for. The men now here
mean business. and are backed by am
pie capital to prosecute the exploration
work.
At 1926 feet in a water we'll on the
Blaine-Trimble farm. a little more
than mile west of this city, oil was
struck in shale and for $50 feet the
driller has encountered the same shalo
and Oil indications. General Manager
Johnson of the Great Northern Oil
Co., has taken sample of the oil
to Minot to show the officers of the
company, and is confident that the
right thing is in sight.
Mr.. Breckenridge of the B7ecken.
ridge Co. says the Westhope field is
as promising as any of the big fields
were in their infancy.
Natural gas from the Parker we'll is
being used to drive the drill rig of the
Great Northern Oil Co.