The Ogden standard. [volume] (Ogden City, Utah) 1902-1910, 1910-04-15
UTAH OIL FIELDS
EXCITE OUTSIDERS

EXCITE OUTSIDERS |
Operators OF California and Colo
RADIO are becoming genuinely excited
over the oil fields OF San Juan and
Wayne counties, Utah. This is strik-
ingly illustrated by recent number
OF the San Francisco Post. page
of which Is devoted 10 stories and IL
lustrailons descriptive OF these fields,
together with advertisements OF Call
fornia companies which have interests
there. \. H. Spencer OF Denver, vice
president OF the London & San Juan
Oil company. says that not less than
Is new companies have been incor-
porated during the last winter on eth
er purchased or leased lands In the
San Juan district, and that nearly eY-
cry one OF them is sending a new rig
into the field TO develop It's holdings,
Options upon large holdings in the
Wayne county field have Just been
taken by Denver and California capl-
talIsts, who are preparing for cXten-
sive operations.
The San Juan field has been devel-
oped to the point that there is no
longer question OF oil existing there
in paying quantities. Little develop
ment has been done in the Wayne
field. but the indications for oil arc
said 10 he fully as good as they are
Ia San Juan. while the quality OF the
oil is all that could be desired, II Is
the high grade of the Utah oil. in
connection with the indications for
prolific yield, which appeals 10 the
California operators. They are nc
customed 10 handling oil for which
they receive co cents and 60 cents a
barrel, while the Utah OIL which has
paraffIne base. is of a quality which
brings So and $3.50 a barrel on the
open market
Pipe Lines Surveyed.
All that Is needed TO make tho Utah
fields among the most actiyc in the
United States Is transportation facili-
ties. The San Juan field Is 150 miles
from railroad, lbut as many hundreds
OF miles OF pipe line have been laid
To handle the relatively inferior pro-
ducts OF other fields. II Is not likely.
with so many companies becoming
active. that the providing Of trans
portation facilities Will be much long
er delayed.
Adyices from Bluff are, in fact. that
surveys have already been made for
pipe lines from the San Juan field to
Winslow, Ariz. aud Gallup, y NJ. and
that operators in that field have been
assured by New York capitalists that
4 pipe line will be constructed as soon
as the field is producing 10000 barrels
OF oil daily
The United States geological sur
yey viii mako an examination Of the
San Juan field during the coming field
season. 1t is said
The pioneer in developing the San
Juan oil field IS Colonel A. c. Ellis
OF Salt Lake City, whose operations
have been conducted by f. L. Good
ridge. who made the first oil discov-
cries In 1891. Ellis installed a drill
that year and the first sand was en-
counterod at 40 feet The quantity OF
oil developed was estimated by Good
ridge and the driller at 25 barrels a
day.
Nothing further was done in the
entire region until August, 1907, when
Ellis and associates resumed opera
tlons. Tho first sand was again en-
countered at 10 feet. some water hay-
ing come In at 150 feet. The first
sand was drilled through and Yielded
20 10 25 barrels day.
When the second sand was struck at
a depth OF 220 feet a tremendous flow
of oil. with great volume OF gas.
was encountered The oil was forced |
up above the top OF the casing, eight |
and quarter inches in diameter. a
distance OF IL feet, by the force of the |
gas and continued 10 spout for 10 or
10 minutes that high. Subsequently |
the flow began 10 decline and the oil |
Tor a month flowed gently over the |
pipe and gradually sank down TO about |
40 feet below the top Of the we'll and |
there il became stationary. The we'll |
was permitted 10 rest for some two
or three months, except that people
who visited the region would take
away such quantities OF oil as they
cared for. from one gallon 20 ten gal
Ions and the oil soon found IT'S way
into various states and places In the
state OF Utah
In the meantime q second well was
commenced by the same parties un-
der the business name Of the OIL com
pnny OF San Juan, further up the anti
cline, about three miles and a half
distant II was sunk TO the depth of
100 feet before II encountered the first
sand. The FIST sand In this well al
so showed high gas pressure and much
water. and yielded about thlrty-fye
barrels day
third we'll was thea commenced
At a point about two miles from the
second well to the northeast. and in
tho 6rst sand water has been en-
countered. with a strong Cow OF oil.
sno~Ing about the same yield for that
sand as the first and second wells.
Since then a fourth well has been
started at a point about a half mile
from the first well and the oil has
been encountered in the fourth well
as IN the others
Until after the finding OF oil in the
first well, which is situated 500 yards
from the San Juan. no money was
ever expended 10 the actual develop
ment OF the oil field except by the
pioneer. constituting the oil company
OF San Juan. but with the strike made
10 well No. l. the district commenced
hlling Up with locators. capitalists
following rapidly. Now there are not
lesS than ten drilling machines on
The doTd sI- fvrO original