The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1917-01-09

THE DAHL
closing months OF the year were an
market that affected Penn
syNania grade on September rs, and
Oklahoma-Kansas grade on November
- The closing prices per barrel for
these typical grades were: Pcnnsyl.
yania, S2Sj; Oklahoma-Kansas. Sl4O
As consequence Of an increasing
demand for oil and n decrease in the
stocks held by pipeline companies and
purchasing agents, the market for
grades Of petroleum produced in Cali
inrhia was uniformly strong through
out the year. The quotations posted
on December 2S. l9li. remained in
offcC, until February II. when all
grades except Ventura County were
advanced 10 cents, 4 further advance
Of cents, posted April J, likewise af,
lected all grades except Ventura coun-
ty. Subsequent advances of 5 cents
each, involving all grades of oil pro
duccd in the state, became effective on
September 20 and November p.
Development.
Under the stimulus of relatively hiGh
prices for crude petroleum during the
spring and early part of the summer of
1916, drilling was active throughout
the country, not only in proved areas
but in places tar from developed areas
Of oil and gas The greatest wildcat
activity was in Kansas, Oklahoma
TEXAS and Wyoming.
Mid-Continent Region.
SO successful in developing new pro
duction was the drilling campaign
in the Mid-Continent region, inspired
by the waning of Gushing and the
prompt advance of the crudooil mar
kct, that Oklahoma was enable to re
tain in 1916 the premier rank as al
oil producing state, and Kansas to Sc
cure recognition as an importan,
source OF crude Oil
The discovery of prolific pay
below the Bartlesville sand in the Cush
ing district, Creek County, Oklahoma
and the completion of great number
OF gusher wells in the Shamrock OF
south extension. OF that district, togeth
ed with the successful development o.
the Augusta and Eldorado fields, il
Butler County, Kansas caused tn,
ovcrproduction that depressed tn,
market for all high.grade crude oil.
east Of the Rocky Mountains durin.
the summer and early part of the fall
In Kansas the Augusta and EldoradC
districts were the Centers of driilin.
activity At the end of 1916 thcr
were about 500 producing wells in tn,
Eldorado district, the combined dali,
capacity of which was estimated to b.
in excess of 5000 barrels. In tn
Augusta field more than 100 producin
wells were drilled during 1916. and a
the end OF the year the estimated dali
capacity of the field was in excess q
$4,000 barrels. Significant discoverie
of oil, the value of which had not bee
determined by the end of 1916, wer
made in Kansas near Beaumont, Greer
wood County, and northwest of VIII
fields, in COwley County. In the oil
shallow-sand fields of Kansas drillin
activity was attended with especial
favorable results in the Paola distric
Miami County, and the Wellsville-d -di,
trict, Franklin County.
Outside of the Gushing distric
which remained the center of intcres
in Oklahoma drilling activity wa
much greater than i'm 1915. This wa
particularly true in the Ilealdton iel,
Carter County, where a large increas
in the production was recorded an
where several million barrels of o
was placed in field storage. Dirficu'
drilling and the exceptional depth ,
the productive sands retarded deyt
opmcnt in the Blackwell field. Ia
County, but the few wells complete
in 1916 fully justified the confden,
OF the operators in the future of thi
district. In the southern part of tn
Usage Reservation an especially ric
pool OF high.grade oil waS-discovere
aud partly developed by the Tidal o
Co, on its leases near Hominy. Oper,
tions in the Stone Bluff pool disco,
cred in 1915, resulted in the deyeloI
ment of small but productive are
yielding high.grade oil in souther
Wagner County. Six miles south q
Billings, in Noble County, the disco,
cry in August OF natural gas and &