New-York tribune., 1910-06-19

rnent dictated that, II ne ever Couiu Hopo
to meet Sir Weetnan on even grounds, ne
must rid himself of the milestone of ex-
pense. in the shape of the $3.50 duty on
every barrel of American crude oil thar
he imports. which has hung about his neck
since the war began
Needed Mexican Crude Oil.
He must obtain Mexican crude to SUD-
pIement the meagre 200 barrels daily
which he has been able TO secure from the
Mexican Petroleum Company. Limiteds
and thus reduce the quantity Of dutiabie
American crude that he Is importing.
which amounts to six-sevenths OF his 10
tai requirements. Mr.. Pierce became
developer. He accordingly leased track
of land at TopiIa. near Tampico, and be-
gan drilling for OIL
"As drilling continued"-it is Mr.
Pierce's literary bureau that is being
auoted--"it became a certainty that ore
of the best wells in Mexico had been dis
covered, and. In confirmation of this Il
NAV be stated that the well Is flowing
more than 1000 barrels a day of high
grade crude.
'It is quite remarkable that Mr. Pierce
should have made a vast fortune in oil
without OWDIl1S d NOL4J anu t4A1] 4AO SAAO0AN-
strike a valuable and timely one at the
very first attempt
Highly inportant-to Mr. Pierce-if
true. Now as to the facts. eel Impair
ciaI." of this city, is the government or
gan and the most important and Inf1uen-
tial newspaper in the republic. ''E1 I'm
parcialp is not under subvention either by
the Waters Pierce Oil Company or the
Asuila. company. It publishes the dis
play advertisements of both corporations
but owes allegiance to neither.
The paper recently deemed the oil stu
alton in Mexico of such moment that, on
its own account and for the purpose of as
certaining precisely how each company
stood with respect TO its supply or
crude oil. 1t instituted an independent in
"vestigation The results ennbody a gel
eral resume of the whole situation in
Mexico, so EAR as the supply of crude II.
is concerned The following Is reprinted
from eel Imparcia1" issue Of April 10.
1910:
"interestina Oil News From, Tan1pico."
s"The recent important developments in
the exploration for oil in the Tauplco-
Tuxpam district have led us TO fnvessl-
gate the situation, and the following IN
formation Just received from our special
correspondent at Tampico. which is the
most authentic account yet given to the
public of the oil developments in that
section, we believe will be of considerable
interest to our readers
''The Waters Pierce Oil Company, op-
Grating under the name of the Mexican
Fuel Company. is drilling at Santa F'e.
in the Topi1a. district, on the Panuco Riv-
TT1as
extent of their operations to date is two
wells, one Of which has been drilled 10 4
depth of 2.440 feet. and the other. now
drilling has reached 1,640 feet. Their
first well was reported at times as capab's
of producing 1000 barrels daily. but il
is now producing only about five or ten
barrels day, which is coming up between
the and 8 inch casing. It is feared that
this well will be q failure The hole is
bridged or plugged in such way that It
is very doubtful If it can ever be cleaned
out
The troubles are said to be due to
mistakes made in the kind Of pumping
equipment used as well as the operation
of same The we'll was tubed 70 a depth
Of about 1850 feet. and II is claimed that
the failure to anchor this tubing, together
with the use Of combination wooden and
iron sucker rods. is responsible for tn"
constantly recurring brealzdowns and the
final plugging of the we'll
'HThe tubing was jerked in two at about
$50 feet from the bottom. allowing about
500 feet TO drop and telescope in the s
inch casing. with the result that the well
Is now plugged with q mass Of iron and
wooden rods and collapsed tubing, of
which they have been able TO remove only
about so feet during more than a months
fishing. The production from this well to
date has been approximately $50 barrels
of OIL
Enhancement of Troubles.
"At their second well the last thres
weeks were spent in recovering tools and
collapsed S-1nch casing which had plugged
the hole. While these distractions were
extracted, 1t is a great disappointment to
the management to have to reduce the
hole to 6-inch diameter casing. as the
drillers are fearful that this will prevent
them from reaching the oil stratum en-
countered in the first we'll
Santa Fe is the only place where the
Waters Pierce Oil Company are drilling
in the republic.
THE Doheney interests in this district
are being operated under the name of the
Mexican Petroleum Company and the
Huasteca Petroleum Company The Mexi-
can Petroleum Company's production at
Ebano continues about as heretofore.
namely. approximately 1000 barrels daily.
all of which goes to the National Rail-
ways of Mexico. The Huasteca Petroleum
Company mas shipped by barges from the
Juan Casiano fields during the last six
weeks about 10000 barrels of oil. one
half of which has been forwarded in tank
cars from Tampico to Mexico City for
the use of the Mexican National Gas COM
pany $500 barrels 10 Ebapo and the re-
naming $500 barrels turned over 10 the
Waters Pierce Oil Company az Tampico.
The pipe line OF the Huasteca Company
from Cerro Azul, in the Tuxpam district,
to Tampicc. q distance of about eighty
miles. Is being laid rapidly
While it is very difficult TO obtain IN
forns ton relative to the operations of the
Compahia Mexicana de Petroleo 'El
Aguila' (the Pearson interests). II Il
known that they recently brought in a
gusher at Potrero del Llano ar a depth 81
about 1000 feet, which is securely cappsd
and ready for exploitation. The gravity
Of this oil Is said 10 be about 20 degrees
Beaume. They are now drilling two other
wells in this same field. They have also
recently brought In two wells at Tan
guijo, near the Tamiahua Lagoon ami
are now drilling two more wells on this
tease They are surveying routes for nina