The Ward County independent. [volume] (Minot, Ward County, N.D.) 1902-1965, 1918-07-18
fortunate in it's purchase.


rods are in readiness. A hole ID feet
deep has been dug where the first big
deep well will be sunk. The immense
drilling stem weighing 5000 pounds
is in place and the boilers have been
set. Everything is in readiness to
start operations next week, and the
work ought to progress rapidly. The
belt connects with 30-35 h. D. engine
and a so h. p. boiler has been install
led.
Everything that has been installed
Is OF the very best. In drilling, 2 Ia
inch manila rope will be used and
when down 1900 feet one inch wire
cable will be substituted. There are
wrenchs. on the ground that two men
cannot lift and hooks weighing sew
eral hundred pounds.
AS an illustration Of the value of
the material on hand, the casing on
the ground is worth today 1923 900 and
could be sold for $4,000. "It's paid
for and is going down into the
ground" Mr.. Blum stated.
Mr.. Mable, an experienced driller
from Pittsburgh, Pa, has arrived to
take charge of the drilling and he ev-
The company is installing it's own
electric light plant and soon the Blum
farm will be brilliantly illuminated.
The coal house is large enough for
three cars of Ignite which will be
used for the power.
The boarding house is a busy place.
1t is in charge Of Mr.. and Mrs. Jos.
johnson. JOS. Johnson is brother
of H. S. johnson, and he is acting at
present as night Waterman.
G. E. Blum, son of A. F. Blum, is
giving most of his time to the work
and appears very optimistic.
Natural gas is showing up strong
ly. Oil has been found under bed rock
at from 200 to 238 feet. Dips are be-
ing established and proofs have al
ready been secured that the Blum
Dome is a reality.
The stock sold at dollar a share
in the beginning, but the price has
risen to a dollar and half. If oil is
found in quantities as has been the
case in many of the wells in the south
of course there is practically no limit
as to the value that might be reached.
The quality Of oil found is the very
best. Mr.. Johnson skinned off a
quantity of the oil as it came out of
one of the wells and placing it in a
Ford, ran the car eight miles before
the oil became exhausted Oil taken
from the we'll was placed in an |. H.
c. engine at the M. H. Chapel farm,
running it very successfully.
Visitors at the wells are always
welcome and much interest in them
has been manifested. One day $50
people visited the we'll, their names all
being carefully recorded.
VIM. r. Jewell, one of the best
known biologists in the United States
and for many years in the government
service, is one of the best known oil
experts in the world and upon his
judgment some Of the greatest oil
wells in this country have been pro-
duced All the oil men in the United
States, Canada and Mexico have entire
confidence in Mr.. Jewell, who says
among other favorable things, the fol-
lowing about the Des Western
Oil Field.
"This examination that the neces-
sary structure exists and that within
at least a depth of seven hundred feet
the Laramie is underlain by the Pr
ere, which by a similar thickness ov-
erlays the Niobara. The Niobara is
known to be productive of oil and gas.
Without doubt the gas from the wells
at Lansford and Lorraine has its origin
in Niobara.
It is of interest to note that two
shallow test wells drilled on the Blum
ranch, on the Northwest Quarter Of
Sec. 9-155-85, show quantities Of oil
were encountered at depth of two
hundred and forty feet. This oil is of
about so gravity (Baume), is Of light
color and has the appearance of hav-
ing undergone natural filtration and
Qualification during the long period of
migration from the formation in which
it originated The writer makes no
attempt to account for it's occurrences
at this depth in the Laramie, nor has
it's occurrence prejudiced him in MAX
ing this favorable report. 1t is even
possible that in drilling at another
location this same oil might be found
in large quantity.
Recommendation. "a,
1t is herewith recommended to the
Des Laos Western Oil Companythat
they drill one or more wells for OIL or
gas or both upon the above described
dome. There being no abrupt dips to
the formation and the dome being OF
fairly large extent the writer is Of
the opinion that it will make little diff
ference where drilling is conducted so
that the location is not too far down
the tanks of the dome. Any location
should be good in the vicinity of the
Blum ranch and north and northeast
of the ranch to Burlington and Tasker
Preparations should be made to
dill twenty-five hundred or three
thousand feet and by all means a
Standard Drilling Rig should be en-
ployed. :,
VIM. r. JEWELL"
Malta Montana