Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1915-04-09
CRESCENT SAID TO
Be NEAR STRIKE"
DRILLING SUSPENDED AND THE
CASING CEMENTED-HOFF.
MAN TELLS SITUATION.

With the announcement the fore
part of this week by Messrs. Slater
and Hoffman, in charge of recent op-
erations at the Crescent well, that
the drill had reached a formation
they were satisfied would produce oil
in commercial quantities, coupled
with the suspension of drilling oper-
ations ana the preparation of the hole
to bring in" the we'll, interest in the
local oil field has again been revived
and the oil enthusiasts are looking
forward to the time in the next week
or 10 days when they confidently be-
lieve the Crescent we'll will be pro-
ducing oil.
Drilling operations at the well
stopped Monday, hydraulic pumps
were sent for and installed Tuesday
and the drillers began placing a
cement bridge" at the bottom of the
hole, forcing the cement up the out
side of the casing between the pipe
and the sides of the hole by hydraulic
pressure, to shut off all water. This
work was completed Wednesday,
when it was expected it would take
a week or 10 days for the cement to
harden because of being under water.
Then the 100 or 1900 feet of water
in the we'll will be pumped out. the
cement in the bottom Of the casing
drilled through and when the drill
enters the reported oil formation
again, the hole will be dry
Those in charge of the work at the
well are very enthusiastic over the
prospects. The present formation is
reported to have been encountered
after a five-foot cap rock had been
drilled through, at depth Of about
2.110 feet, there being 2.105 feet Of
casing in the hole at the time. The
thickness of the oil formation was not
tested. but the casing was pulled back
a few feet and cemented. The gas
pressure is reported to be strong and
many believe a flowing well will be
brought in.
Hoffman Tells Situation.
In his talk to the crowd at the
Chamber Of Commerce Tuesday eve
ming. J. v. Hoffman. in charge Of the
drilling at the Crescent, said he had
been oil operator for 25 years.
much of that time in the California
fields, and told how he had gone to
CT -~- last fall. 1T didn't look
good" he said, and he came back to
Seattle and interviewed y number of
Seattle and Tacoma business men a.
to the local field, then pursued his
own Investigations, finding some
companies that were acting In good
faith, others not" and finally, upon
his advice, he said, his associates
financed the Crescent's latest opera
tions.
"When we started we intended
merely to go to the depth reported
last fall" he said, "but whether there
was oil there or not or whether there
was mismeasurement--a can see
how a driller who used whiskey
might make mistakes-we didn't
find oil at the reported depth, but the
formations and indications were 30
good we kept on drilling.
81 am happy to say to you that in
the last few days we went into for
nation we are satisfied in our own
minds will develop oil in commercial
quantities. The water we have in
the well makes pressure of 832
pounds to the square inch at the bot
tom of the hole. and you men can
appreciate the force of the pressure
there must be against that to permit
any oil to come into the well.
"Most Magnificent Showing"
at is the most magnificent show
ing of oil that have seen in many
wells, many have drilled myself.
My drillers, men of years of expe-
rience in the California fields. win
tell you on their oath that in all their
experience they have never encoun-
tered we'll with so strong a show
ing, or in many cases less indications.
which would not invariably produce
anywhere from several hundred to
$4,000 barrels day.
"But don't get overly enthusiastic
yet-we don't want you to think
there's anything unusual at work
we want you to wait until we show
you. We installed our hydraulic