Bisbee daily review. [volume] (Bisbee, Ariz.) 1901-1971, 1920-03-07
TELLS WONDERS
OF OIL FIELDS
IN LOUISIANA
Tremendous Development in
Southern State Follows
Big Gushers

Development in Louisiana incident
al to the recent discoveries Of oil
fields in that state is on n scale far
beyond the realization of those who
have not been actual witnesses of it,
according 70 Mrs. ~ Neale. who is in
Bisbee in the interests of large prop
critics in the new territory The
town of Shreveport is a case in point.
Six months ago the population of
Shreveport was roughly estimated at
about $4,000 people. Today conserva-
tive estimates place the population
at more than $4,000.
In May Of this year Shreveport
boosted five banks with an aggre-
gate resource of $26.474,121.92. The
last statement of the banks OF
Shreveport submitted to the comp
troller of the treaaury showed depos-
its OF $43,12S,6S757. Since this re-
port, made November %, another
bank has entered the field. the Ex-
change National Bank. headed by
Wade Hampton. formerly of Oklaho-
ma City.
Oil in paying quantities was found
in the original Caddo pool in 1903,
and steady progress was made in the
development of field which today
still is producing more than 5000
barrels of light oil daily.
Subsequent discoveries in DeSoto
and Red River parishes added to the
production of the north Louisiana
pools. the old DeSoto field alone havA
ing more than 1900 delTicks. Just
before the war in Europe broke out,
the Pine Islands field was discover
ed, producing heavy crude. testing
about &c degrees Beaume gravity.
This oil was classed by the rush Of
the war emergency as fuel oil and
aided materially in making possible
the comment OF Lord Balfour: we
floated to victory on n sea of oil"
The real boom in north Louisiana
however, began with the discovery
OF the Homer pool in Claiborne parish
about forty miles on an air line from
Shreveport. This field yielded its
first we'll on the Shaw tract in section
80. four miles west OF the historic
little town of Homer, on January Goth
of this year.
The Consolidated Progressive Oil
company of New York was the dis
coverers of the field, although vari-
Gus other operators had explored the
secure production.
The Shaw well came in flowing at
a rate of $500 barrels per day. The
news spread with the rapidity OF an
oil fire and soon was heralded
throughout the country with the re-
suit that solid trainloads of oil pros
pectors came to Shreveport to enter
the new potential field.
There was a dual attraction in the
Claiborne field. First the shallow
stratum at which the oil was found.
1.425 feet, and secondly. the quality
of the oil. which tested above IL gray.
ity.
Further impetus was given to the
field with the discovery of another
stratum OF oil sand. The Standard
Oil company conceived the idea of
drilling deeper than had been at
tempted before, going to a depth of
more than 2,100 feet.
The result was on August Sth the
giant Cakes well of the Standard
company, making more than 10000
barrels of oil per day. Others &C.
.cepted the cue of the Standard COM
pany and wells which had been aban-
doned at shallow depths were being
drilled once more.
Today there are about a dozen
wells in the Claiborne field, with ar
initial production of from $4,000 to
$4,000 barrels each Owing to the
lack of adequate transportation ia
.cilities. both rail and pipe line, the
great majority of the Claiborne par
ish wells remain shut in.
What the field will do with all
faucets" turned on remains to be
seen. but the the potential production
of all wells in the Claiborne district
today is about 100000 barrels.