The Meeker herald., 1918-02-09
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Oil Shale in Rio Blanco County

The oil and oil shale possibilities
OF Rio Blanco county are now at
tracing much attention. The follow
ing we'll written article Is from the
pen OF Mr.. w. d. Simms, mayor of
Meeker. and appeared in the Janu-
ary number of the Denver L. Rio
Grande Red Book
Nature was indiscriminate In de-
posting oil fields throughout Rio
Blanco County. The oil shale beds
found within our borders, comprise
approximately $4,000 acres and con-
servatively estimated to contain 25,
600, 100000 barrels of oil, or seven
times more oil than the entire proven
oil fields of the United States have
produced since the discovery of oil
In 1869.
Careful tests by the most brilliant
minds In the geological field prove
that every ton Of the oil shale is cap
able Of producing from fifty to one
hundred gallons Of oil, one or more
gallons of gasoline, quantities Of sui
phate Of ammoniac, valuable as fer
tilixer, and some ninety other by
products of commercial Importance
are locked up In these shales, all OF
which await the hand OF capital to
be released Ahd raise the infant in
dustry Of our state to first place, far
scrpassing the gold mining industry
In Its palmy days. 1t has every pos
sibility Of equaling the combined
wealth of all the other mineral i'll
dustries Of Colorado.
The fact that oil shale fields pro-
ducing q much less quantity OF petrol
cum products have been profitably
worked In Scotland since before the
discovery Of oil in the Uuited States
proves beyond doubt that these beds
can also be developed to produce even
greater profit than those of the old
country.
The demand for petroleum products
Ia now becoming much greater than
the oil wells can supply. An actual
shortage exists, and the shale beds
will In the very near future be oper-
ated at enormous profits. This is an
important fact and must not he over
looked. Everyone will make big
money in this industry. but the first
ones on the ground will get the best
picking.
Three fifths of the oil shale beds Of
Colorado are within the boundaries
of Rio Blanco County, so the pick
ing is good here.
The oil possibilities of our county
are by no means entirely confined to
the shale proposition. In the Range
iy oil fields, in the western portion of
the county, development has actually
demonstrated that wells usually at u
depth of 800 feet produce an average
of five barrels per day which is "A tri-
fie more than the average Pennsyl-
vania well produces.
This shallow well production alone
could be made a good dividend payer
but the production of any one well
upon it's reaching the main oil sand,
estimated to be 1000 feet deep, will
no doubt be enormous. Operators
have been bending every energy
to complete deep we'll but
so far have lacked sufficient
funds to complete the prospect, but
this deficiency cannot detract from
the opportunity.
There is oil of high grade In the
shallow wells, and experts are OF the
opinion that the geological conditions
are unsurpassed, and the prospect of
finding high grade oil in large guam
titles in deep wells is very exception
al.
The Rangely field is as yet virgin
territory; there are marvellous oppor-
tunities in store for the early inves-
tor there.
Recent activities in the eastern
portion of the county have resulted
in an Eastern company taking a
lease on 10000 acres in the district
Immediately surrounding Meeker
and also 5000 acres in what is known
as the White River field twenty miles
west. where these parties are now
installing machinery preparatory to
drilling near the place where well
was sunk 1889 which proved heavy
"gasser." BY accident it caught fire
and the entire drilling equipment
was destroyed. Operations were then
suspended. The gas. however, is still
escaping from the well, which de-
monstrates the field rs a valuable
gas proposition. AS an oil proposition
it is very promising prospect.
The various oil prospects of our
county present a most fascinating at
A.a.4ia,, hut LIZ In 1e, h., IanI,ral 1hnt