The pioneer-review. [volume] (Philip, Haakon County, S.D.) 1920-current, 1921-07-28
ACTIVITIES IN THE
LOCAL OIL FIELD

Without very much excitement
oil prospecting goes on apace il
this locality. At the present NOM
ent there eight or ten wells goLle
down within a hundred miles Fo1
Philip. That is close enough tic
promise Immediately local Develop
ment at almost any time. Certain
ly if any one of the test holes
bring in a well, every promising
region in Haakon County will be
tested within the next few years
Wells are under way at Scenic,
on Elk Creek, and another three
miles northwest of Rapid City
And the well in Stanley county is
getting down to considerable dep
tn. Everyone is on tip-toe of the
expectation and every ear is prick
ed up to hear the first gusher
break forth and gush We all real-
ize that almost anything. can hap,
pen almost any day.
Drilling is under way at several
points near Deadwood and many
more properties are being examin-
ed by geologists with a view to
more extensive prospecting in this
line.
Among the projects which are at
present being drilled is that on the
Nelson ranch on Spring creek. Tie
American Oil Corporation has had
rig on this property for several
weeks and at present have drilled
320 feet and are in the red beds
now. They have drilled through 70
feet Of green shale, which made a
showing of oil. They then struck
the blue lime and drilled through
30 feet Of that formation. After
going through these formations
they struck the red beds and are
still drilling that formation. This
proved an extremely hard task and
the big rig can make but from IS
inches or'two feet a day. Geologist
Heake who located this dome ex-
poets to strike oil at depth If
from 720 to 800 feet in the Mime
lusa sands. They are putting down
six-inch hole and are optimistic
as to the results of the drilling
The American Oil Corporation
took over 1900 acres on of a total
of 1920 arces held on Spring creek
from the Montana-Midland COM
oany and it is upon this 1900 acres
that the we'll is being drilled.
Another rig is now going up on
the property just two miles south
of the American Oil Corporation
holdings and drilling will com
mence as soon as the rig is set up.
The St. Onge field which is nine
miles east of the Spring Creek
field is touted as the most likely
looking field yet discovered in
South Dakota. Norbeck & Nichol-
son have sunk several test wells in
this field and are now shipping a
big rig for the purpose Of putting
down 12-inch hole. After drill
ing in this field for several months
last year, work suddenly ceased
md the hole was capped. The
bringing in of this rig for the pur-
DOSE of drilling a larger hole is
taken by many as a sign that the
Norbeck & Nicholson outfit has
had good showing of oil and that
The field will soon show a produc-
ing we'll.
Certain it is that q firm Of the
integrity and standing of the Nor
beck e Nicholson company, is not
very apt to send good money after
BAD" 1t is extremely likely that in
The very near future the Black
Hills will be known as a producing
oil field. One notable feature of
the oil that has been produced in
and near the Black Hills is that
it is the highest grade oil yet tap
ped and the market value Of the
product is far above that Of any
other. Should oil be found in qua
ntities, therefore, this would be
the richest oil field in the country.