The evening herald. [volume] (Albuquerque, New Mexico) 1914-1922, 1921-05-12

Muitc " conuot Dc asserted con
c%lusively that OIL IN commercial
Mexico until such OIL IL actually
found, II Is mistaken conservatism 10
Jump TO he conclusion that Il docs
not eNist here-simply because II has
not yet been found"
This was the statement today OF
Capt ". {. Reid, who has just re-
turned from Roswell. where he has
had an opportunity to learn AT first
hand % the progress being made In
the drilling Of a number Of oil wells
IN the T'ccos Valley district. Men In
charge OF these operations are hope
ful that one or more Of these wells
VIII develop commercial oil.
Both Of the wells Of the National
Exploration company are now near
ing b depth for which they started
Captain Reid said. and the well near
buchanan In at q depth Of $500 feet.
on what ~ReOlogista say N one Of the
best defined and largest structures In
the state. The discovery OF oil In
this well would mean a great deal to
the state. IND particularly TO Aibu.
queFaue n Clovis which would be
The market points Tor the producing
district should one be developed.
should Keep Intcrest Alive.
hhA wv lAANA 4 ANlfNN W. HnNlAI
consider IL the importance Of keep
Ing New McxioO's favorable geology
before the nation. regardless OF the
results OF the drilling now under way.
II would be foolish 20 aaser: hat We
have oil until Il In developed. hut
with the geology before US. aud tho
reports Of responsible geologlsts upon
II. u Is much moro foolish 20 give
up hopc-and TO abandon effort.
The wells now drilling are the re-
suit OF the agitation. the widespread
leasing OF state lands and lands In
private ownership. and the nation
wide exploitation OF New Mexico that
occurred two years ago. I believe
that u Is h duty of communities
like Albuquerque to keep the geolo-
gical facts before oil men OF the
country until every favorable gtruc-
ture In every district recommended
BY responsible ~geOlogists. has been
tested. Something Of this kind was
suggested while I was In Roswell. A
a ;csult carefully prepared state
ments Of conditions and prospects
and geology Of the whole Pecos val
ley district 20 being prepared for
publication and d~rtribution. This Is
not boosting Il 10 plain business.
Reviews Drilling Undertaken.
Il believe" said Capt. Reid. that
the best geological reports other than
the Pccoa valley are upon structures
that have been iound IN northern
Rocorro county, It a place known as
puertccito. The United States Geo
logical survey hs> recently made a
report upon thls field which II vers
favorable. Recently a representative
~ u OF the largest oil ~ indicates Of
the United States called on me and
asked me 20 help In securing addi-
tional acreage Of land IN that vicinity
from the railway company. lie stated
that as 500 as this acreage was OBJ
tained. that he would bring a stan
Hard RIG into the field and make a
thorough test. 10 n Thought that the
Pennsylvania formation will be en-
countercd at PucrtCCito at about p
900 feet. Tncre are several very well
defined structures in that district.
and I know OF ct least six favorable
reports upon the district by eminent
biologists.
II understand that ,hcv are still
going on with the work Of testing the
Tuiarosa basin. although ! am not
personally familiar with any " the
operations there.
Found on / N 1905.
People Of the state seem TO have
forgotten that the best showing of oil
ever made any place IN New Mexico
was made in the Ggnfiold well. about
- miles east OF Roswell and Just
across the Pecos river In 1905. Tho
e violence Of this ~ upon the ground
today. as the sand all about the well
shows a saturatioD with oil I cont
remember tho depth at which this oil
was encountered. although I was a di-
rector Of the company that did the
drilling but I think II was at over
LOO feet. Al any rate. We were
looking for a big we'll n as thO oil
did not nov ovcr the top ot d cas-
ing We went on doWn 10 a depth as ]
remember Il Of 1900 feet. encounter
ing another slight showing Of oil. by
that time our funds were exhausted
and our enthusiasm somewhat damp
ened, and We concluded to shoot
the well. We certainly did that. be-
cause we were never afterwards able
10 get anything out. and the well was
| completely ruined.
1T was the recollection OF the fins
showing made In the Garfield and
Hagerman wells east OF the Pccos
river that CAUSE me In the very earl
lest days Of the late oil excitement ~
New Mexico to apply at h state
land office for a lease OF stat. lands