Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1919-12-15
ABOUT THE OIL
SITUATION IS GIVEN
BY ROSWELL C. OF c.

Roswell, N NJ, Dec. 14.-RosWell is
anxious that only facts be told about
the oil situation here, The chamber
of commerce has taken positive at.
titude urging that all facts he given
the world but that there he no mis-
representation in order that develop
ment may be on a substantial basis.
Following is the statement issued by
the chamber of commerce under date
of December L:
Because of the numerous Inquiries
regarding the oil situation in the vi
entity of Roswell the chamber of COM
merCe publishes the following under
date of December /, 1919. 1t should be
understood that the chamber of com
merce attempts only to give conserVa-
tive facts in order that the inquirer
may have reliable information on the
one hand, and on the other that TINS
community, already prosperous with
it's farms, its orchards, and its live
stock interests may not suffer from
any unjustified boom that might col
lapse.
There have been showings of oil in
the Pecos valley of New Mexico for u
number of years, and especially in the
territory contiguous to Roswell. For
the most part these showings have
been in artesian wells which We're
drilled for water and not for OIL There
There have been several SO-called test
wells in the past few years, and while
in most cases thew have shown some
oil, we are informed by reliable geolo-
gists these have not been properly To-
Gated.
In the latter part of 1918 the inter-
est was revived, and in January. 1919,
community company was formed.
Dorsey Hager ana A. Edmund Robi-
taille, biologists, We're engaged TO
make a complete geological survey.
tai, Suh a
covered a large part of Chavez county,
and parts Of De Baca, Lincoln, Roose-
welt and Eddy counties, required seven
months Several well defined struc-
lures were found,
During this survey q large number
of other biologists came into the field,
and the interest has increased stead
ily While the reports of these geolo-
gists are not available, the prelimi-
nary visits were almost invariably fol-
lowed by further activity.
In October the Roswell Oil Deyel-
opment company, the community COM
pauy organized last January, sold to
the National Exploration company
$50 600 acres of leases, retaining APP
proximately $4,000 acres The price
paid was $350.000 and the sale con-
tract carried with it an obligation on
the part of the purchasing company
to drill four wells, Drilling on one of
these, forty miles west of Roswell,
started in November, and the other
three will be started not later than
three, four and five months, respect
lively. The large amount of money in
Volyed is unusual in itself for a field
where there Is no oil we'll.
In addition to this it is reported that
other interests are to drill in the i'm
mediate future. South of Roswell
from thirty to seventy miles, there are
other test wells being drilled at the
| present time.
Summing up. it may be said there
is much activity on the. part OF the diff
| ferent companies, How soon it will
result in the field being tested cannot
! be foretold further than outline above
What the tests will show can not be
| known further than can be judged
from the facts outlined above.