The silver state. [volume] (Winnemucca, Nev.) 1909-1925, 1920-02-14
PLAN To SINK TWELVE WELLS FOR OIL ON
BLACK ROCK DESERT AND At SULPHUR

well for water on its right-of-way
and around 500 feet encountered a
black, thick substance resembling as
phaltum, which proved to be a heavy
oil, and paraffin wax. Several hundred
pounds of this substance was removed
from the we'll in drilling. At further
depth clay seams and shale passed
through were impregnated with or
ocerite, natural paraffin, from small
size to an inch diameter Below clay
seam, at approximately 700 feet, was
found a considerable showing Of para
fin base oil, testing 1872 Baume.
Further drilling disclosed strata
carrying ozocerite-natural paraffin--
some of it colorless, some of 1t yellow
to yellowish green, imbedded in the
shale and clay A very favorable and
unusual showing.
At approximately $40 feet under a
clay bed, the most important showing
of oil from this well was reported as
accompanied by heavy gas pres
sure and bailing from the well OF as
much as twelve barrels at one time
of greenish colored. light volatile oil.
testing as high as thirty-two degrees
Baume.
This appears to be a very import
ant discovery in proving as depth is
gained, the lighter volatile properties
of the oil are retained and have not
escaped. as indicated by the showing
of heavier oil at 700 feet and the
showing of paraffin wax at 500 feet
and that it is reasonable to assume
a well drilled few hundred feet
deeper will tap the source of this
high-grade paraffin oil. The value of
such a discovery can hardlybe over
estimated. The showing of oil at $40
feet was cut off by lowering the casing
and the we'll was completed as a
water well at a depth of go feet.
Soon thereafter the Black Rock
Desert was located with oil placer
claims for many miles in extent
Miners, prospectors and others unfa-
miliar with the oil business and the
difficulties of drilling, organized a
company and started to drill a well,
having in charge a driller said to
have been incompetent. and as a re-
suit the company went broke when the
well reached a depth of about 500
feet. This well was drilled about 100
feet from the Western Pacific well and
is cased with 1914 and 10-inch casing
The 10-inch casing can be removed.
the hole underreamed and the pipe
more, as the formation is a soft shale,
gravel and clay, in horizontal strata,
as indicated by the Western Pacific
well. 1t might be well, however, to
use the present well as a water well
and start the drilling of a new well
nearby. as the cost of rehabilitating
the old well and the removal of about
200 feet of Pinch pipe therefrom
would occasion some expense and an
other source of water supply for drill
ing would have to be secured.
An important feature of this To-
cation is the fact that the Western
Pacific railway runs through this land
and has station thereon, which af-
fords facilities for transportation of
freight and materials at saving of
$4,000 to $4,000 under the cost of op-
Grating and drilling of we'll remotely
located from transportation.
OIL Indications
Favorable geological conditions for
the discovery of oil are found in
abundance in this desert in addition
to the actual discovery of oil at shall
low depth in the water well on the
right-of-way of the Western Pacific at
Sulphur. The hills and valleys af-