The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1918-03-14
BY WILLIAM r. JEWELL,
Geologist and Oil Engineer.


Geologist and Oil Engineer
In these days of war while all the
world is demanding conservation and
greater production, one OF the most i'm
portant subjects is that dealing with
the oil industry. Increased demands
for fuel, gasoline and lubricants have
indeed stimulated oil men in the de-
velopment Of petroleum. but at the
same time have cut deeply into oil
storage and the consumption con
tinues to exceed the production. Al
ready the railroads are beginning to
discontinue the use Of oil for fuel.
While it may be unlikely that there
Will be serious deficiency Of crude
or refined oil, it is nevertheless i'm
portant to provide against any such
dire contingency by bending every
scientific and practical effort to in
crease production.
Increased production Of oil can be
brought about in three ways, namely:
u to remedy defects in producing
wells which tend to retard capacity
production, t2l to deepen wells which
have never been drilled to the deeper
sands and which is equivalent to CD
exploring new territory What could
be written on these three ways OF
Increasing production would easily fill
several large.size volumes. 1t is my
purpose in this article to call atten-
ton to a few of the most salient
factors in the hope that what I write
may be of value in bringing about a
better working knowledge Of the oil
business.
There are a number of conditions
which retard capacity production in oil
wells. among which are: Wells i'm
properly shot water not shut off; in
tersuces of sand and perforations of
casing clogged with paraiIine or as
phaltum; sands mudded up; wells I'm
properly cleaned with packed sands ef-
fectuanv retarding the natural flow
of oil from the sand to the hole. These
defects. although well known in the
|
oil production world mad best be dag.
nosed by a competent petroleum engi
neer specializing in that line Of busl
| ness. who will successfully apply tc
any Of these conditions a proper
remedy at a comparatively small cost
Among these remedies are; Reshoot
/ inP the well; excluding the water by
| cementing or by the use OF packer
steaming by means Of hot oil or steam
under pressure; swabbing, cleaning
and agitaung. 1t frequently happens
! that the production Of well suffers
not only by reason Of any one of these
conditions, but through more than one
and probably all, and so it becomes
necessary to apply a combination o
remedies. Wells, which for years have
been but Indifferent producers, have
repeatedly been made to double, ever
treble their production through th'
proper application of such methods.
To Identify the Formation.
The geology of the Mid.Continen
lltlh dllu BAl AlNhAelAA ~ AAlAN VI 'NtN'Ae'eN
Oklahoma, Illinois and Kentucky, 4
so simple that it is possible with bu
small percentage Of error, for tn
geologist to determine the depths L
the various sands which are known t.
produce OIL To do so it is merel,
necessary for him to identify the for
nation at the surface by means of th'
fossils in it, Since it is possible tt
know the depths to these deeper sands
1t is remarkable that so many well
are now producing their oil from
lean sand, while by deepening, in SOM
case, not more than fifty feet mucl
richer sand could be had. The fea
Of encountering water has been a con
siderable factor in preventing tn
deepening of wells, but with the moo
ern equipment and methods for eN
GLIDING water, such fears are grounc
less and should have no influence il
fixing the depth of well.
Much has recently been written O