The star-progress. (Opelousas, La.) 1917-1921, 1919-10-25
NEWS OF THE OIL FIELDS

According to a bulletin from the
United States geographical survey,
more than 2,1OO cities and towns in
the country are supplied with natural
gas which is furnished to domestic
consumers at rates that should arouse
the envy of those consumers of arti-
ficial gas who have to pay about 81
thousand cubic feet. The average
charge for natural gas has been
found to be 80 cents and the average
price charged to manufacturer less
than II cents. Up until quite recent
/ ly strangers to the oil fields Of Tex
as were shocked at the colossal waste
of natural gas at the wells. This
waste has now been shut off by the
railroad commission and gas viii soon
be generally used in Texas.
Three-dollar oil is predicted for the
near future by an enthusiastic Okla
hOma man who also adds that rs per
cent of the oil produced in Wichita
county, Texas, is being pumped
across the line into the Oklahoma re-
fineries. Oklahoma is unquestion-
ably rich in petroleum but Texas
seems to have showed her sister state
aside in publicity and has shown the
greater amount of development. This
is no slam on Oklahoma. Some day
investors win wake up and realize
there has been something overlooked
in the sister state of the Lone Star
territory.
Burkburnett has been having trou-
bic in punches. Pipe line shortage,
wells pinched down, cut in price of
oil, bad fire that at one time threat
ened greater damage than it did, and
then plenty Of waste. However, ev-
erything is turning out all right again
and that startling oil performer sim
ply can't be kept down. Speaking of
rain,, there has been a terrific down.
pour all over the oil territory and
West Texas has not escaped. It is
reported at the offices of the General
Oil Company that not only were
many of its operations in Glasscock
and Howard counties temporarily
halted by the rain but the storms
have greatly hindered all outside
work. This company is busy in sur
veying and laying out some of the
large new tracts of acreage just Sc
cured in Howard county, and the rain
bothered lot in accomplishing that
work, while all the operators in that
section were hampered by the down
pour one way or another. In accord
ance with its policy of advancement
all along the line, the company an
nounces rapid progress on its refin-
cry enlargement at Wichita, compile
ton Of all details for the actual re-
alization of its pipe line to Burk and
other features Of it's program for the
winter. The General Oil Company
has the most encouraging reports
from its drilling operations in north
west Burkburnett extension and with
the resumption Of drilling in the
Glasscock county field something of
interest will undoubtedly be coming
out of there before long. It is re-
lated by Field Director L. B. House
that two scouts for other companies
were recently weeded out from the
Icrew at the Mcdowell well they hav-
ing applied for jobs and being given
work. This is taken to indicate that
more attention is being paid to the
development in Glasscock county
than most people realize and its
coming in as a big producing field
would mean another stampede by the
oil men and their army Of followers
in all departments of the business.
More and more are the big COM
panies going into the outercircles
for acreage and it is said there are
two reasons for this first that they
desire to be able to protect them
selves at all times in case of some
new development that viii open up a
big producing field; and, second, to
have their money invested in proper
ty that will relieve them Of paying an
immense federal tax. It is not that
the companies object to paying the
government what it asks in taxes but
they don't feel like paying taxes on
Idle money. There are so many inde-
pendent and small operators work
/ ing out in the unknown" now that
the big companies have begun grab
bing up all the territory possible in
the potential fields and if one of
these little fellows should get some
thing, well, the big chaps have land
right there automatically increased IN
value and strong potentially. One oil
publication says: 1T is reported
that the holdings of the Empire Com
pany in Texas now total nearly mil
lion acres, which other companies,
I such as the Sun, Gulf, Humble and
- faot al e,f the leading subsidiaries