Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1919-06-22
EVIDENCES OF OIL
FOUND IN BRITAIN
Much Being Expended in Expert
mentation in District About
Derbyshire.
UNDER GOVERNMENT CONTROL
While Wells Have Given Petro-
leum Indications There Is No
Flow Yet.
UNDER GOVERNMENT CONTROL

CHESTERFIELD. ENGLAND. June
2l.--A great experiment which, IL sue
cessful. Will lead to great industry.
was begun in Derbyshire last October
and has been going on night and day
ever since. biologists have wrangled
unfortunately over the chances Of a
true oil field existing under the soil
OF Britain, with the bulk OF expert
opinion somewhat hcatedly adverse.
That controversy and the immense in
dustrial possibilities embedded in it
are now being brought to the decisive
test OF the drill.
Lord Cowdray announced that he
was prepared TO risk 100000 (S2,506-
oocp on. the venture. and he was san
he told the House Of Lords. "a Rookie
Teller fortune" There is nothing in
The results Of the drilling during the
past seven months 10 show that he
would not have got IT. But in June
l"l7. when the oil shortage became
so acute, Lord Cowdray placed his dis
coveries. his plans and all the inforinu-
ton he possessed at the disposal Of
the government. and offered the free
services of his firm with :, view TO inn
mediate drilling.
Government Controls.
Lord Cowdray insisted from the
first that the government must con-
troll and conserve the industry from
the earliest stages If HOPELESS and ir-
rcmcdiablc waste We're to be prevented.
and his authority and tcnacity carried
the day The present position is that
the government is finding $1,000, 1000
for the drilling. that Pearson <: Son
are acting. without compensation. as
It's agents and msnagers. that bill has
been passed cnact!ng that no one shall
get or bore for petroleum without "A
government license. and that all con-
and the determination OF property
rights and interests in the oil produced
and the future conduct Of the industry,
have been postponed until the presence
OF OIL III commercial quantities is
on this basis Pearson & Son began
drilling near Chesterfield last October
They We're fortunate enough to be
able to borrow from the United States
Bureau OF Mines as their general SUI
oil expert OF the very first rank and
"a tower of strength in other ways be-
sides physique. He has, under him
ceive the standard American wages of
ii5 ts225) and upward month, and I,
sprink!inE Of Englshmen who have
had experience in Mexico and Rus
! STA.
There are seven wells in the Chester
!. which was spudded on February ..
the. present depth OF the Is 4 -inch hole
is LOCO feet \ l2i5-inch casing vii!
casing, as far as can now be forcscen.
10 200 feet. Slight evidences OF oil
have been found in some of the sand.
Of 5000 feet in an So Inch hole. y
show OF oil with little gas and much
water was met with at about 1900 feet
and again at 1000 feet. 1t is expected
that the limestone where IL is hopcd
TO strike oil viii be reached by boring
down IA further 500 fect-a matter OF n
few weeks only. At Heath No. l.
where u small amount of gas was en-
countercd at $50 feet, the hole, at
present some 1000 feet deep. may have
10 be carried TO 1000 feet before the
issue can be determined.
Show of Oil Discovered.
Pennington No. !. on the other hand
is much nearer a decision. It's present
depth is $500 feet. and 1t is not an
ticipatcd that il will have 10 be bored
beyond ZOO feet. Gas made itself felt
at LOO feet. with Il minimum pressure
Of 500 pounds to the square inch, and
there Was oil enough TO sec and smell
on the bit at slightly over HOO feet.
II would seem TO hc ncck-and-ncck
race between iiardsoft and Rirming-
ton to he the first 10 tap whatever oil
may exist. At Renishaw No the
onenS are even more favorable
Such is tho present position. TO
what does IL point and how is il to
be Interpreted: First unless all gcol-
oSy and all previous experience arc at
fault. the existence OF oil III the Derby
shire area may be said 10 be proved.
Secondly, and with equal confidence
it may be said that this oil has moth
ing to do With the coal beds is not
the product Of the distillation of coal
but comes from true sand OF liquid