The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1911-09-17
PROFESSOR GOULD ON
LOCATION OF OIL
SAYS THERE ARE PLENTY OF uN.
DEVELOPED FIELDS IN EAST
ERN OKLAHOMA.

Norman, Okla, Sept 1G.-ProfeSsor
Gould. director of the Oklahoma geo
logical survey is a firm believer IN
modern expert methods in the location
of mineral resources. In conyerSa-
tion regarding the matter OF the To-
cation OF oil and gas he recently SAID:
lit is extremely amusing to Waoh
the efforts of the ordinary uninitiated
oil man in trying 10 locate oil IN an
untried country. He usually spends
ten times as much money In drilling
in impossible places as II would cos
to hire an expert to 80 over the
ground and tell him where not 10
drill. recently received letter
from a company which has done eN-
tensiya drilling in Oklahoma OF late
wears. giving the location OF number
of dry holes they have put down. In
.oin. over the map il was easy
enough TO tell why the wells had not
been success. ANY one who un-
derstands the simplest elements OF
structural geology could have told them
before they drilled. that at least
three-fourths of the holes We're put
down where conditions We're such that
no OH OF SdN llllSlll Nv - NPN'N'N'
"Our brthren across the water are
more progressive than we. IheN
have long since learned that while
the geologiSt may not always be able
to locate productive territory with
certainty, ne can at least form pre'-
" good idea where to keep away
from. For that reason when French,
Dutch or English syndicates invest
in oil production in this country the
first thing they do is to hire the high
est-priced expert they can get and set
him to work.
TO cite single specific instance
When the Pearson company began
operations near Tampico, Mexico, they
employed the best geologist they
could get in America, and paid him
price that would justify him in TAX
ing hold of the work. He picked out
some half dozen biologists, and sent
them to Mexico to look after the de
tails of the work. Among others,
Young man named DeGolyer, one OF
mv students at the University of Okla
homa Cbut had not been graduated.
was chosen. DeGOlyer was an eN-
ceptionallv bright student, self-reliant
but at the same time conservative. lie
had had a number of years field eN-
perience. was we'll up in structural
geology. and knew what he was look
ing for and the best methods of get
ting it.
This English syndicate gives the
Coologist a free hand. No lease was
taken, no money paid out no well To-
Gated. no drilling done. except on the
recommendation of the geologist In
charge of the work. The lease man,
the drillers, the operators, all take
their que from him.
The result of this policy was shown
by the fact that the first well which
DeGolyer located after reaching Mex
leo came in as one of the largest OF
wells ever drilled in the world II
was reported as flowing 100000 bar
rcls a day initial production and flood
ed the entire country. After two
months time, when the operators f.
nally got it capped and under control
If produced 10000 barrels a day and
has been flowing ever since. This
is the we'll which has been playing
such havoc in the price of oil in Tex
as. It was located by a young fellow
from the University of Oklahoma who
had had training in structural geology.
u have always said and still main
tain that there are plenty of good
undeyeloped fields in eastern Okla
homa. | also believe that if one-tenih
the money spent in senseless wildcat
drilling was employed in getting a
man who understood his business 20
make study of the rocks, that much
better results would he obtained at
much less cost