Pueblo chieftain. (Pueblo, Colo.) 1889-current, 1921-10-03
END ASSESSMENT
WORK ON SAALE
Ventura Company Gets Ready
for Campaign In St.
Beque Field
to The chiefta.n.

Special to The Chicfta!n.
De Beque. Oct. Wv. 8. Skinner
agent for the Ventura Consolidate
Oiihelds company announced F'riday
that the program of assessment WORK
on the oil shalc holdings OF his com.
pany in the DC Beque district had
been completed. and that SATURDAY. lie
and the members of his staff wee
departing for California. where tho
company Is engaged in production ani
refining OF ground petroleum In &c
Ventura district. with refinery At
fillmore. Plans for work TO be doh,
next year will be considered and dc
cided upon during the winter. Mr.
Skinner stated. and an carry start viii
be made in the spring.
The holdings OF The Ventura COM
pany consist OF 1850 acres of oil sh'sic
Clear creeks. about 20 miles north
from town. together with three
ranches embracing about HOO acres
along Brush creek, with water rights
adjudicatod thereto. Title to the
Hishmore ranch. where the field head
quarters OF the company are cstah-
lished. and to the Pharcs ranch have
been secured. and steps are being
taken to clear the title OF the Boyd
ranch OF some minor tcchnicalities,
This years work by the company
consisted principally of prospecting the
holes. and construction of a Ions
trail that will be widencd into 4 wag
on and auto road In another year.
Starting at an elevation of $500 feet.
a total depth OF 1850 feet was drilled
with n diamond drill. Mr.. Skinner an
nounced and cores representing tue
typical structure of the oil shs "
strata from the surface to that depth
were obtained. Tho cores have been
sent to the refinery laboratory of thu
+ ~
be tested for the purpose OF gaining
knowledge regarding the productive
possibilities OF each stratum. Mr.. skin
ner expressed tho opinion that tho
ovcrhurdcn and sandstoncs that car
the shsle deposits are made up large
~ of volcanic material. The lower
drill hole penetrated $50 feet into the
blue shale that docs not appear to Re
valuable for oil production. The bot
ter grades OF shalc are found near .hc
highest elevations, and some of tn, N
have been crodcd from the vicini y
where the drilling was started. but
are found farther north on the prop
erty. where the elevation Of the sur
face IS greater.
The trail was constructed from
Bridge. guich and 4, 1000 feet Ions,
i've feet wide. and with a 10 per cent
grade to the tor. II Is the intention
to widen the trail next year to make
a wagon and auto road to the top
Of the shnic deposits owned. in order
10 facilitate development of the hol.i-
ings on a large scale. as many OF the
claims are back some distance and
have no cscarpment. Tho work done
this year was for the purpose of max
ing application In the near future for
United States patents to several of
the groups embraced in tho holdings.
and subsequent operations Will h~
planned with the view of obtaining
title from tho government to the re-
mainder Of the large area.
This season the largest number ~
men employed at one time was IS. and
a total of $50 GO was disburscd to en-
pioycs In wages. while payments on
shalc lands and ranches made this
year amounted to 1901 co.
With respect 10 the future develop
ment OF the property. when mining or
shsle and production OF oil on larr"
scale lie artiripat ted. the opinion has
been expressed by Mr.. Skinner th't
the big distiliing and refining plant
will be located along the Colorado
river near Dc Bcuue. when q railroad
will be constructed up Roam and
Brush creek valleys to transport the
shsic in large tonnage. in manner
similar TO tho practice AZ porphyry
copper mines. in several western
states.
Tho city of pitt.burg. II Il said