The Miller press. [volume] (Miller, S.D.) 190?-current, 1921-03-03
MADE
BY OIL COMPANY
Story Of Structural Formation and
Future Plans Of Organization

lions existing in Stanley county and
surrounding territory have for years
past brought many people, knowing of
these conditions, to advocate an effort
for the organization of a company such
as the South Dakota Development and
Refining Company, having as its prin-
ciple object, the prospecting with one
or more test wells for oil and natural
gas at the most favorable location in
any of this territory which has been
producing natural gas for many years
past.
During the past year this company
has succeeded in financing itself and
arriving at a point where the officers
and directors believe that the main
\ objective is in sight. The company
has leased 2S, 900 acres of land located
about one-half within 20 miles of Fort
Pierre and the other half in the neigh
borhood of Standing Buttes, about 80
miles northwest of Fort Pierre. and
the sale of it's capital stock TO the
amount of nearly $50, 900, and as a last
undertaking employed two biologists
of high standing to examine such por-
lions of Hughes and Stanley counties
as seemed to promise the best evidence
of a structure, likely to be oil bearing.
Fred A. Davies, geologist OF the firm
of Stewart and Wright, of Lewiston.
Montana, made a very careful investi-
cation spending nearly a months time
at the same, and while the officers and
directors of the company hoped that
he would recommend the drilling of a
test we'll in the vicinity Of Pierre or
Fort Pierre, il was found supon re-
| ceiving his written report that he rec
commended a location west OF Standing
Buttes, and the same was to the effect
that in his judgment al anticline ex-
tended from the Missouri river In town
ship seven, range 30. east, known as
the point, west to the Standing Buttes
and that a probable structure existed
in the vicinity of the Buttes and lying
west OF the same. That from all the
indication he could find this location
was the most promising OF n ne
could find in either of the counties
above mentioned Mr.. Davies report
was flied with the company In August,
1920. with a more detailed report in
September.
Later on, early in December, 1920,
Mr.. l.. G. Cree Of Lusk, wyoming, an
expert Oil man, contractor and geolo-
gist. having spent a life in the busi-
ness, visited Stanley county and after
seeing the Standing Buttes district,
and particularly in township seven,
north of range twenty-seven east, pro-
nounced the indications favorable for
an oil structure and later on after a
more thorough examination Dotn Oh
that district and other parts OF STANLEY
county stated positively that he FOUND
o completed structure with the usual
indications that caused him to recon-
mend the location in section nine,
township seven i'm range twenty-seven
as a favorable one for the test well n
such as in his judgment warranted the
directors of the company expending
the necessary money to drill a well,
Mr.. Cree also informed the officers
of the company that he considered the
location on section nine, referred 10
herein as much more favorable than
where he is the present time drilling
a we'll west of the Mule Creek field In
eastern Wyoming. Furthermore. that
IL the selection made for a test well
proved a satisfactory one, n produc-
ton is obtained that in his Judgment.
large gas wells would also be obtained
further to the east on the same struc-
ture or the same anticline.
Under the above recommendations
the directors feel ii their duty to .seiect
the cation for the test well as above
stated and especially because a small
flow of petroleum was obtained In the
I NJ Ceyer we'll which had a strong
gasoline odor when that we'll was
first drilled in October, 1913 and which
flow of oil continued for some months
and also because of the unusual now
Of gas and pressure shown at the ar
tesian we'll at Lacy, S. d., on the Il. Z
Klopping ranch.
The Hopping we'll was drilled 10 .
depth of 1906 feet and the Geyer WEI
is 1908 feet deep. Judging from tne
din of the formations along h soutf
side of the structure above referred te
n seems probable that the arteslar
wells of I. M. Geyer and Il. e. klop
ming are near the lower side Oh TN
structure and if drilled deeper migh
obtaip oil in commercial quantities
The indications, however, AS state'
, hove are such as TO make the direc
tors have much confidence in the sue
~cessfuI outcome of the undertaken
and feel that the same is not altogeth
| err as of wildcat al many such under
takings in other fields.
!, The natural gas from the artesial
: well belonging to the city OF Foi
pierre at this place and from the we
: ON the f C. Hopping m at Lac
have recently been analysed by cnem
lists of the Bessemer Gas Engine 0
nany OF Grove City, Pa. with the re
sult that the hydrocarbons, whic
represent the gasoline content sno'
from the Fort Pierre gas s.S1 per Gel
and from the well at Lacy lo.l pt
cent which is In. favor OF the locaaio
of tho we'll to the northwest OF Fo,
pierre and also shows according
X the best authority on such subjec'
IS that the natural gas comes from
ie much lower depth than the. artesia
water. that the same passes tnroue
II formations that largely reduce U
,e Gasoline content and that in all pro