The Wallace miner. [volume] (Wallace, Idaho) 1907-current, 1920-09-09
OIL IN SOUTH IDAHO
INTEREST IS GROWING
cAsslA COUNTY SCENE OF MOST
AcTIVITY-APPLY FOR PROS
PEcTlNG PERMITS.

ire m the QfillluB operations Oh tue
west Pearl Oil & Gas company near
Goose creek, together with remarkable
geological formations. have caused the
southern portion of Cassia county to
become the Mecca for oil men, geol-
ogists and investors within the past
two weeks. Leases on privately own
ed property from the east side of the
Raft river basin to the mountain range
west of Oakley and extending with in
terruptions from within a few miles
OF this city to the Idaho-Utah state
line have been procured by corpora
lions and individuals Moreover it is
stated that a veritable avalanche Of
applications for oil and gas prospect
ing permits under the new federal
leasing law has been pouring into the
district land Office at HALEY since the
law went into effect last February.
While many of those who are visit
ing the field are novices in the oil
business. IL is also known that the
country is being carefully reconnoiter-
ed by men who speak the language of
oil fields and who are noncommittal
on the subject of their business CON
nections. II is well established that
among the visitors i'm the district with
i'm the past three weeks have been rep
resentatives of California, Ohio and
Pennsylvania oil companies and the
agents of oil operators and capitalists
of salt Lake CITY
Last week a representative of the
Crystal Oil company of Pennsylvania
looked over the situation in the Raft
river region i'm the vicinity of Almo.
Apparently pleased with the prospects,
he began the work of procuring leases
from the landowners with a view of
beginning drilling operations before
the end of the year. Albert Hoff the
owner of a ranch near Almo is one OF
those who entered into contract with
the company.
The week also brought further en-
thusiasm to the residents of the Oak
ley district by reason of the visit to
that place of H. d. Heist. a well-known
civil engineer of salt Lake City After
examining the formation of the valley
ne procured subsurface leases on large
tracts of farm land west and north of
Oakley. He was assisted in his work
by w. r. Jack and e. r. Copelin, prom
inent citizen of Oakley. The location
of the land covered by the leases seems
to indicate that Mr.. Heist is of the
opinion that oil will be found in the
valley. rather than in the country
nearer the mountains and the fact that
tho leases are on the One-eighth roy
atty basis indicates that he believes
oil will he found in this region. AL
though the personnel of the company
has not been made known, il is said
that the concern is backed by large
capital.
The West Pearl oil &, Gas company
which is the pioneer operating COM
pany of this county, is said to have
struck several strata of oil sand ana
a small flow of oil in its test well at
Goose creek, about twelve miles south
of Oakley The Pearl company is
Pennsylvania corporation and is not
making public the result of its dis
coveries. The amount of the oil flow
encountered i'm its operations is there
fore a matter of conjecture on the part
of all except the management and the
drillers, but il is admitted that oil has
been carried to the surface 10y the ar
tesian water, which has been found i'm
such quantities as to cause much
trouble for the drillers. This company
has another outfit on the way from
the east which. il is said. win be set
up on the company's holdings in the
Trapper creek region.
a.. %
15lb Inch casing last week the Oasis
oil company was enabled to resume
drilling operations after a shutdown OF
about a week The well, which is i'm
the Raft river country southeast of
Almo. is still in the spudding stage,
but the drillers expect to put the walk
ing beam in operation in the near flu
ture. The Oasis company is a local
concern. composed entirely of Idaho
people. For this reason its operations
are being watched with keen interest :
10y residents of this part of the state /
many of whom are taking advantage /
of the standing invitation to visit its
property.
It's field equipment consists of a new
standard rig, eighty-four feet high. 1
mounted on a concrete base; work |
shop garage, kitchen, dining room and /
three bunkhouses. The rig is equip /
ped with all the latest approved APP |
piances. including a modern furnace /
and a mechanically operated battering .
ram for sharpening the tools. A dy- .
namo has been installed TO generate
electricity for lighting the derrick and /
buildings.
The remarkable natural phenomena /
in the Raft river basin are among the
causes that led to the present drilling
operations in that district. Among
these are the traces of oil that have
long been observed by the residents on
the surface of pools of water and
bubbles of gas rising through the wa
ter in wells and springs. 1t is said
that this gas can be collected in con-
tanners as it comes from the surface
of the water. an dthat it produces a