The Glasgow courier. [volume] (Glasgow, Mont.) 1913-current, 1921-09-16
BRIEF OF MON
TANA OIL STORY

Just twenty-one months ago, on the
9th of August, Montana came into the
llmelight as a producer of oil. On No
vember 6, 1919, the Van Duzen Oil
Company brought in the discovery
well at a depth of ITS feet on the
Devils Basin structure, which is To-
Gated about 20 miles north of Round
up. The oil was of a paraffin base
about % Baume gravity, containing,
roughly, $40 lubricants, 800 gaso-
line and kerosene and is today pro-
ducing 113 barrels daily. This we'll
vas located by Gordon Campbell, a
geologist who is known as the father
of the oil industry in Montana. APP
proximately three months later, after
the Devils Basin field had attracted
attention, the Frantz Corporation
drilling in the Cat Creek structure
brought in a second well for the state,
at a depth of 1915 feet with SO barrels
production. Since that time, many
wells have been brought in, until to-
day Montana boasts of four separate
producing fields with more than so
producing wells, with an average daily
production higher than any other oil
field in the country.
What Is The Prospect For Montana?
The recent activity accompanying
the discovery of oil in Montana natur-
ally leads to the question of what are
it's future prospects towards CONNER
:1,n Ali. yoct vvnolfh onI Nhot
are it's prospects in comparison with
the states of Texas, Oklahoma, Kan
sas, Louisiana, and Kentucky.
The answer is found in an address
by Mr.. M. D. Benson of New York,
President of the Tidewater Oil Com
pany, who electrified a gathering Of
700 of the biggest petroleum men in
the world at a session of the Amerl-
can Petroleum Institute held in Wash
ington recently, when he declared that
the Montana and Wyoming Oil fields
are likely to have agreater production
than the Mid Continent Field, includ-
ing the above named states, which
have been and are now the backbone
of the oil industry. Mr. Benson made
these remarks after producers from
all sections of the world and oil ex-
perts had been painting a gloomy in
dustry. These men declared that the
| fields in Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas,
Louisiana, would be drained dry in
another ten years. Benson said that
Montana and Wyoming are just as
promising now as Oklahoma was 10
wears ago. He said that these West
ern fields being further from the great
markets, both of materials and pro-
ducts will probably make for slower
development. He saw a benefit, how
ever, to the producer in these fields,
as oil prices would be higher as they
become more thoroughly developed.
He told how Pennsylvania crude had
been the base from which prices had
been made in 1895 and the base was
Csc a barrel in Oklahoma. In 1919 this
base was $2.75 a barrel and he said
that Montana would be the base in the
future at a price which no n could
predict now, but certainly would be
higher than could be imagined. Mr..
Benson's address was the topic of
much discussion, and Montana pros
poets are being discussed from one
end of the country to the other, with
the result that leases and locations
are being eagerly sought, and devel-
opments at the present time are being
carried on on a very extensive scale.
Mr.. John J. Crowden of San Fran
cisco, a representative of one OF the
| Standard Oil subsidiaries says thai the
| United States will eventually look to
| Montana for 1870 of the entire supply
of gasoline used. He says what the
| state needs now is refineries because
| the ell is there and needs only drilling
to get it. 1t will only be a short time
until enough capital is interested to