The roundup record. [volume] (Roundup, Mont.) 1908-1929, 1912-01-26
CO,APANY BEING FORMED To
DRILL IN VICINITY OF SUGAR
METROPOLIS.
Indications Plentiful
n. J. Connolly, Experienced Oil Man,
Declares Territory Has All "Ear-
trict-Confident Not Only Oil But
marks Of Great Petroleum Dis
Gas Will Be Found.

Plans are now well under way for
the formation Of company to make
tests for oil and gas in the vicinity
of Billings, and a large part of the
capital stock has been subscribed.
Many Of the most prominent business
men in the city are Interested in the
undertaking and ii is confidently be.
lieved that oil or gass or possibly both
will be struck in great quantities.
II. Connolly. who is promoting
the enterprise, is and old oil man of 80
years experience, having drilled wells
in all the important oil fields Of tho
United States, and states that in none
OF these has lie found indications more
promising.
4 fund Of $1,000 is being raised
for the experimental work and plans
are being laid for a well 5000 feet
deep. Heavy equipment will be used.
SO that the well may be drilled deep
enough to ascertain for certain il
there is any oil lying under this Sec
ton Much OF the money already has
been raised and other business men
have signified their desire TO invest
in the enterprise.
u find the ear-marks on all sides
OF Billings" said Mr.. Connolly yester.
day, ''and ! can't see how there can
help being oil and gas in this couu.
try"
Mr. Connolly eXpains that he has
found traces of the oil bearing strata
north OF Billings, and that this sec.
tion has the blanket formation nee.
essary to good oil fields This strata
shape of a bowl, between the ranges
of hills and mountains which sur
round the Yellowstone valley, and the
layers of rock are practically unbro.
ken This, in the opinion of Mr. Con-
molly, will give pressure 10 the Gil
of gas lying beneath
Gas has been struck in small guan-
titles south of Billings, but is only in
small pockets, and is found in shale.
This, says Mr.. Connolly, is an lnnat-
ural condition, and these small bod
les Of gas, must have found that way
very slowly through minute apertures
in the earth, from larger bodies be-
meath in the natural oil bed, which 1t
is cetrain lies below
There is no use going at this thing
III halfhearted way, or making play
out Of it said Mr.. Connolly yester-
day. We will start with heavy ma
chincry and drill a hole large enough
SO we can go down at least 5000 feet.
Many oil drillers who lack experience,
& down about 1000 or 5000 feet and
then have to stop because the hole is
too small to sink farther, when prob
ably if they could go down few
feet more, they would strike
oil
Il am confident that We can strike
enough gas near Billings to supply
this town, and its growth for 80 years.
and If we can it will double the popu-
lation of the town in one year. as it
has almost every other town in the
United States where oil has been
struck
The company will secure lease of
not less than 10000 acres of land be.
fore starting to operate. The oil
lease on the land will not interfere
with the cultivation of it, except for
a few acres at the we'll.
Operations will start as soon as the
money is raised and arrangements
are already being made for the Sc
curing of machinery.