Arizona republican., 1911-06-07

 PROSPECTS Operations Of Phoenix h. tePState Cons. 0iI Ce. LAAGE FLOW IS EXPECTED Probability of a Valuable Side Industry in Supply ing Water to Other Oper- ators and Explorers in the New District.
LAAGE FLOW IS EXPECTED

from a five day visit in the Midway Sunset oil fields at Maricopa. Cal. i where the Phoenix Interstate Consoli- l dated Oil company. composed entirely of Phoenix. Arizona, people, of which Dr Stone is one, is now engaged in sinking an oil well. The company has been more than satisfied with its pros poets for success for a long tune and the doctor returns more enthusiastic than ever over the conditions as he found them on the ground.
 In an interview last night Dr Stone said the well is now down 1850 feet and though some oil has been found the depth has not been reached for the big
 flow, though it is likely to be at any
 time. It may take another fifty or hundred feet, perhaps more. but there will be nc discouragement if it requires several hundred feet Of further drill ing. The present indications are so suggestive of the proximity of a big oil
 body that drilling is being proceeded with very carefully and very slowly.
 
 preparedness in the event a gusher should be tapped at an unexpected mo- ment Valves have been placed in the casing for the immedite cappinS of the well should a big flow he sud denly encountered. and the operations are being conducted by the most eN- pert men that can be employed
 The well is situated in the center or large district that has been mapped by the United States geological survey as proved ground Until the pres ent year all the wells in the Maricopa district have been known as shallow wells. which means from 500 to 1000 feet deep. but in the last six months the wells have all been sunk to a great CT depth. or from 1000 to 2.30O feet and every one of the deep wells has secured flow of from 900 to 10000 barrels a day. The Phoenix well was undertaken with a view of making it deep one. but from its location it is the belief in the district that it will strike the larger flow at less depth than many of the others.
 To illustrate the character of some of the formations passed through which justifies the hopes of the promoters the doctor mentioned the following strata, there being others encountered between them and above them of course. The first fine indication was a 10-foot lay er of solid asphaltum, which carried a small quantity of free oil. The next was a 15-foot stratum of oil sand. Still later 25-foot stratum of solid as- phaltum was passed through, very hard on top, but below the crust it was much softer. Then came shale and more oil sand, though the sand carried no oil. The bottom of the well is now in stratum carrying some free oil and considerable gas. indicating great pres sure below and that the large oil de- 1 posit may be broken into almost any time
 The location of the well is ideal m many ways. For one thing 1t is only | 15O yards to a pipe line of the Union | oil company. which will insure easy | marketing AnHher point that is gra- tifving is that about a mile away is 1 well producing a quality of lubricating | oil that is ready for the market with | out any process of preparation, and lu- | bricating oil is the highest priced of any oil product There is no assur- | ance that the Phoenix well will produce | lubricating oil. but it looks more hope | ful to be within a mile of 1t than to be | much greater distance away. If | there is no assurance that 1t will be i lubricating oil. there is also lively | hope that it may be.
 But there is another string to the | bow of the Phoenix company. Its well is situated on. higher ground than the | others in the district, which Is a very | dry one Few of the wells have en- | countered water in any quantity and | those owners who have struck water on their ground have only a, poor | quality of it. The Phoenix company | found a strong flow of water at | about 800 feet, and it was of excellent | quality The owners of the wells now | producing in the district require con siderable water for operating purposes and are ready at any time to buy at a good price. such water as the Phoenix | company may develop
 pr. stone says he believes the Phoe- nix property can be made profitable one by merely producing water for the | other operators, even if oil is not de- veloped in paying quantities. But the oil is what the company is after and fully expects to get it. Even if 1t gets oil it is quite likely another well will be sunk for water few feet away in the hope of making some good money on that commodity as a 'bi- product" The fact that the well is To- cated on higher ground than it's pros fC fs.~t tf1Fa af fa through the fact that if water is pro duced for market it can be piped to its patrons by gravity.