Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1900-1911, 1909-11-08

on small pieces of land, and there was
Immediately great activity started IN
this section, many companies being Or
ganized and principally financed by the
people of Coalinga and the oil men IN
terested in the field. Drilling was done
with great deal of confidence.
1.-THE log of the Lucille well had been
used by all of the operating companies,
believing that the information con-
tanned in 1t was accurate. The proper
depths were reached in the we'll at
which, in the judgment of the opera
tors, the water should be shut off, ana
this was done, and the oil sands We're
drilled through without the precautlon
usually taken in new territory, ana
when these wells began to be tested out
1t was found that they contained large
quantities Of water with the Oil. In
other words, the wells to the extent Of
nine or ten wells in the west half OF
section and the adjoining sections OF
80 and ~ were failures.
at was then found that there was
possibility,of an error in the log fur
nished by the Lucille Oil company, and
there was a great uncertainty as TO
whether this water was coming from
above or below the oil sands, or whether
It was contained i'm the oil sands them
selves, and hundreds of thousands or
dollars were expended in these wells.
Work, however, has been carried on
with remarkable persistency and dur
ing the past three years section has
continued to be one of the most active
centers of development In the Coalinga
oil field The operations have met with
varied successes and disappointments,
the difficulties especially in the east
half being overcome to a great extent.
zone of the most important wells
brought in recently was the Silver TIP,
fo1, nhpnOmpnAl
even for the great Coalinga field.
Now the great importance OF the
Marian we'll lies In the fact that IL is
on the west side of the section ana all
of the supposed failures in this section
are In the line of the development ne
tween the celebrated Silver tip and the
Marian. The Marian, in my judgment,
proves beyond question of doubt that
the so-called failures have been merely
mechanical errors and that this will be
found 70 be some of the best territory
in the Coalinga field. However, there
are conditions here that make II neces-
sary for very careful handling or the
water situation, the water strata APP
parently lying closer to the OIL sahus
than in the other part of the field.
This well, in my judgment Will en-
courage a great deal of development In
section IL to the west and section Is
to the south. Sections 10 and IL, being
held in small parcels, will permit the
organizing OF numerous companies ana
consequent activity. In fact, l believe
that the Marian well has demonstrated
to certainty millions of dollars worth
of property that was believed by OIL
men generally to be all right but until
the bringing in of this we'll there was
more or less of an uncertainty about
1t, and necessarily made capital timid
In the development OF this part OF the
field. .,
"You will understand that the Coal
inga field generally has been very rree
from water troubles, and il is not sur
prising that a great number OF errors
were made in this section, as conditions
were found to be entirely different In
the water strata everything the OIL
sands"