The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1917-08-28
CHESTNUT WELL SETS A RECORD
FOR DEEP DRILLING.
BY Alfred j. Diescher. Vice President
and General Manager Of the Empire
Gas & Fuel Company.

| About a year ago the Empire Gas &
Fuel Company of Texas acquired some
10000 acres Of leases in Palo Pinto
County, Tex. The earlier drilling had
| developed several small gas wells in
the 1000 foot sand. well had been
started, known as the Chestnut No.
Well,' to be drilled to this same sand
1t was located several miles away from
the nearest producing well, and there.
fore was in wildcat" territory
The well was started with 10.inch cas-.
ing, as is customary for such shallow
drilling. When the expected sand was
encountered II was found to be very
thin and practically unproductive at that
point. II was determined to make
thorough test Of the formations by
carrying this we'll TO as great depth as
possible, unless oil or gas were mean.
while encountered In paying quantities
The work was carried on under the
general direction Of e. r. Yingllng who
has charge of the development in North.
natural gas pipelines and distributing
plants at Mineral Wells, Texas. and at
| Duncan and NARROW, Okla. II was with
a view to developing a supply for Min.
eral Wells that the well was started.
but since its completion the importance
Of its findings are such as to assure
an eventual market and large trunk
lines. and extensive drilling operations.
Under the usual practice of drilling
the well should have been abandoned
at l,20O feet depth. but through the
special efforts Of Mr.. Yingling. who car.
ried out his instructions to the letter.
one Of the record wells Of our country
| has been opened.
Not only has a greater depth been
reached in this well than has ever been
accomplished before in the mld.conti.
nent field, but many of the older geo.
logical conclusions as to the territory
We're proven incorrect. and a far great.
er scope Of productive territory dis.
closed than had heretofore been con.
sidered to exist as possibly productive
zones
Great effort was made 10 carry the
6-inch casing 10 a great depth. and II
was finally set at about 2.4O0 feet. From
this point the well was drilled to
maximum OF 400 feet. having 200
feet of open hole az the time the sand
was encountered Extreme care and
caution were necessary In the drilling
Of such deep well with such small
size casing and with such large amount
OF open hole, liable To cave at any
time
At $500 feet depth a showing Of gas
was found, while at 5000 feet depth
several hundred thousand feet OF gas
was encountered. and at 4.lO0 feet
depth the main gas sand was tapped
and II was seen that we were likely
TO have pay sand at this point.
Owing TO the extremely high pressure
at which gas az this depth occurs nor.
mally difficult problems were az once
encountered, both as TO the securing
Of casing and fittings to carry such
high pressure as $500 pounds to the
square inch-whch would be the nor.
NAL rock pressure OF well OF this
depth-and the methods OF packing and
closing in the well to prevent bursting
OF the casing.
II was observed that with the gas
coming from the well was a spraying OF
light liquid which later. upon test I'm
the company's laboratories. proved 10 be
kerosene OF as gravity, and I'm all re
spects within the normal Kerosene speci
fications as TO over point and end point
On closing in the well It was found
that this Kerosene accumulated In the
hole to depth Of approximately 1000
feet, and that the rock pressure OF. the
well over and above this kerosene. was
about 1900 pounds. The combined
pressure at the sand being Approximate.
ly 1900 pounds, which is normal made
this well the highest rock pressure well
yet encountered in the natural gas prac.
tice.
After several months OF under ream
ing and fighting caves. and fishing
troubles the well was brought TO a con.
dition where we felt safe IN drilling into
the sand TO determine the extent OF its
production, The well was drilled a few
feet at a time. and observations Of the
quality OF gas escaping made until ulti
mately the drill had penetrated Il 70
10 feet. Then the gas came In such
quantity that after the drill was once
removed from the hole, Il was impossE
BILE to lower the drill into the hole. the
gas blowing the tools from the hole.
AT this time the well was making
100000 cubic feet Of gas and spray.
Ing from 25 to 30 barrels OF kerosene
daily The heat value OF the gas. after
separting the kerosene. was i,l67 heat
units which makes II distinctive IN this
respect from the northern Texas gases
generally.
Not only does this well contain both