The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1910-05-11
RAILWAY TO sink
MORE OIL Wells
Santa Fe Company Decides to
Start Work on Its Property
Near Fellows

pioneer in the North Midway field,
the Santa Fe company has done much
toward the development of the Kern
county oil fields, but a new move is
contemplated. according to the reports
of several prominent oilmen, that will
come near placing the Santa Fe at the
head of companies operating in the
Midway gusher belt. The Santa Fe is
to move its headquarters from the
present site near Midland to section
6 of the same township near Fellows.
The center of the company's activity
has shifted to the holdings grouped
about the terminus of the Sunset West
ern railroad and has grown so rapidly
that the contemplated move is in real
ity a necessity.
The Santa Fe has procured much of
its oil in the past by contract. The
prospects of the company's land in the
Midway field seem so good that this
method virtually has been abandoned
President E. P. Ripley made a careful
examination of the new field and has
thought so well of the possibilities of
development that he has placed his son
in charge.
PIONEER IN FIELD
A recent article in the Bakersfield
Echo dealing with the Santa Fe's move
says that the present camp was located
years ago, when the Santa Fe was a
pioneer in the North Midway field, and
is at the end of a long string of shall
low wells, 1900 feet or less in depth,
Ia in1,
pany's first drilling on the big tract
purchased from Chanslor & Garfield.
These wells are fair producers, consid-
ering their depth and cost of drilling,
but they are eclipsed in the general
esteem by the gushers recently brought
in farther north and west. 1t is be-
lieved that deeper drilling on section
will develop much more productive
sands than those tapped in the Santa
Fes present wells, but the only well
sunk far enough to test this theory
reached the deeper sand with such a
small casing that it's value could not be
accurately judged.
TO MOVE TO FELLOWS
Meantime the success of the Mays,
the st. Lawrence, the California Mid
way the Pioneer Midway, La Belle,
the Eagle Creek and It's own gushers
on section 6-32-23, and 25-31-22 has
the Santa Fe to leave the deep sands
on section undisturbed for the pres
ent and get its share of the rich cream
it's neighbors around Fellows are skim
ming.
An additional incentive to the Santa
Fe to get busy on it's newer lands is
the fact that the America Oilfields COM
pany, which owns quarters of
section S6-31-22, has staked out some
96 wells on the $50 acres and is drill
ing at a rate that shows a determine
ton to develop fully the territory as
rapidly as possible. The Santa Fe,
which owns the southeast quarter of
the same section, is practically COM
PEELED to drill along Its lines to prevent
its neighbor from draining its oil
measures.
The Santa Fe's we'll on section 25-31-
%, brought in a short time ago, flowed
by spurts at the rate of 1000 barrels
per hour finally sanding up. 1t is be-
lieved that when this we'll is finished it
will be fully equal to anything deveI-
oped in the Sunset Midway field. always
excepting, of course, the fabulous Lake
view The Santa Fe is now drilling
two more wells on section 20.
GUSHER STILL FLOWS
The Santa Fe owns the north half of
the south half and the south half of
the northwest quarter of section 25
The old reliable well brought in
by the Santa Fe on section g.
many times referred to as the most
satisfactory gusher in the whole Mid
way field, is still doing about 700 bag-
rels per day. On the southeast quarter
of section So, the Santa Fe has 16 or IS
rigs up, ready. or nearly ready for
drilling.
The Santa Fes lands in North Mid
way, for the most part, were purchased
years ago from Chanslor & Garfield
and still are marked on the maps as the
Chanslor & Garfield Midway oil COM
pany lands. 1t was reported that the
price was $4,000, 900.