White Pine news. [volume] (East Ely, Nev.) 1920-1923, 1921-02-20
MAKING FAST PROGRESS
IN O|LWELLS At |LL|PAH

The drills have been steadily pound
ing away in the Illipah oil field for
the last week, and while the forma-
/ ton in which both drills have been
working is of a character such as to
make the work slow, excellent re-
, suits have been obtained.
, Tools and equipment are in excellent
] shape and there has not been a single
| hitch in the operations. Weather con-
| ditions naturally are not favorable, and
while in one instance a blizzard drove
the boys to cover for a few hours. they
did not stop any longer than n might
expect them to for a short rest. even
If weather conditions were in their
favor.
When reports come in from the wells
now they are a general nature and to
the effect that everything is going fine,
and when the depth attained since the
last report is announced it is usually
in some such language as I'VE are
just so many feet nearer the oil"
For many weeks past the matter OF
depth reached by the drills has been
perhaps of greatest interest. because
it is conceded on all sides that the oil
is there. and speculation is directed
only TO how deep the well will be when
il takes its place among the producers
of the country and returns to those in
terested and who have given time.
money and energy TO bring about
an era Of prosperity in this district
such as will surpass any that has gone
before, the reward to which they are
entitled and which they now appear
about to receive.
Secretary J. Il. Amenda OF the Hi
pah Petroleum company left for Phoebe
and Tonopah yesterday on business
connected with his company. Before
leaving the city when seen by a rep
resentative of the News he said:
"Our we'll has reached a depth OF
$50 feet. Just stop and figure for your
self and see that it IS getting down
some distance. The drill Is now in a
Gaping. which is q fossil lime streak
ed with white iron and hard clay satu-
rated with oil, which a x II flexible
and therefore extremely hard for the
drill to penetrate. Notwithstanding
this act we have during the last week
sunk the we'll an additional thirty feet.
This may not seem a great distance.
but again stop and consider that IL
will take but a short time at the same
rate of speed to reach the depth where
all now concede the oil must be. Work
is slow, of course, but the formation
and all indications are of such an en-
eouraging nature that it is a pleasure
to keep pounding away instead of what
might otherwise be considered a
tedious task. We have been in this
same formation for a distance of TWEEN
ty-two feet. and il is our opinion that
1t will require drilling about twenty
eight feet farther to get through into
the sand. In other words, such cap
pings in the proven fields of the coun-
try have been found to be about fifty
feet thick, and as our formation is
identical with the other fields referred
to is Is ON that we base our opinion.
We could o ask for better indications
and with our tools and equipment in
perfect shape it would seem to be now
only a question of a short time when
we will reach the goal for which We
have worked with all our might and
which will bring handsome returns, not
only to those interested in the Petro-
leum company, but wealth and pros
perity to the entire community"
At the Offices of the Consolidated
Illipah Oil company it was learned
that their well is now down 575 feet
and the drill is still in the gumbo.
This indicates that since the report
given out a week ago the we'll has
been sunk an additional depth of TWEEN
ty-ive feet. Drilling In gumbo might
be compared almost 10 hitting rubber
| with a hammer. and when hat feature
is considered it will readily be seen
that no time has been lost and the
men at the well have accomplished ex-
cellent results. The gumbo Is another
indication of such a favorable nature
as TO bring encouragement to the men
behind the work. In this connection
a letter was received during the week
by Secretary +. L Campbell Of the
| Consolidated Illipah company from
Grover Stoltz. who is now in Lost Hills.
Cal. The Lost Hills field is among the
greatest of oil producers and by way
of comparison with the Illipah field Mr..
Stoltz says:
II arrived here last night and won't
be able to get out to the fields before
tomorrow, but | have talked to sew.
eral drillers who were in town and
from all | can find out the Illipah and
Lost Hills formations are almost iden-
teal, especially in regard to the blue
gumbo. Two drillers told me that as
q rule here as soon as they got through
the gumbo they generally run into the
OIL sands, and sometimes they hit a
brown or gray lime Gaping and then
into the oil sand.
i have an invitation from Ed
Stearns, superintendent of the Uniyer-
sal Oil company, to come out to the
nelds tomorrow and he will show me
the logs OF as many or the wells as |
want n also give me any other in
formation that may be of use.
II Shell company is drilling be-
tween here and Wasco, and from what
| am told think they are using the
o'kell drill. IL so will stop and see
how II onarataov