Great Falls tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1921-current, 1922-11-26

Oil in Montana, a dream of early set
tiers, became a reality in November,
1919; was an industry in 1920, and in
1922 is already an important resource.
of the state, with every indication thar
within a period Of little more than its
present age, it's development will be
one of the basic industries Of Montana.
Yet it was almost so years prior to
the time Oil from the Van Duzen well
in Musselslell county flowed over the
casing top and spilled out on Mon
drilled. Three years from that time,
Montana oil wells have produced al
most 3,00O,00 barrels Of crude for
commerce.; millions Of dollars have
been spent in development Of fields
and the projecting Of new ones; and
drilling activities are going on in COM
munities from the base of the Rocky
mountain in the western part of the
state to the eastern boundary line.
In the history OF the development
Of oil fields in Montana. 1922 will rank
as one of the most important in its
three years i'll the making. This year
saw the discovery Of oil on the Sweet
grass arch, followed by development
CT the Kevin-Sunburst field and the
prospecting Of the numerous small
structures on the arch which give
promise of production. 1t saw, too,
.ie Opening of the second sand pro-
duction in the Cat Greek field, an
event but little less in Importance than
the opening of that structure more
than two years before. Opening of
that horizon brought wells which in
their flush production marked the
largest gushers Of crude of such high
quality in the United States.
Northern Montana Holds Stage
In the southern part Of the state
the Lake Basin field near Billings
takes first place i'll the interests of
1922, and this area has been the cen
ter of prospecting in that region.
Northern Montana and the Sweet
grass arch has held the center of the
field for the oil operator. The large
area with correspondingly low acre
age prices. the nearness to railways
and the Canadian demand for crude
lave all been important factors in en-
couraging the independent operator
and the Standard Oil companies.
The first well in the effort TO find
oil In Montana WIGS drilled in 1890 in
Hill county, near Hayre. The hole
was carried TO $50 feet encountering
only gas. \ few years later, drilling
was undertaken by Il Helena syndicate
in the Kintla Lake district of what is
now Glacier National park. but with
out ruselts. II following years. drill
ing was done in Hill. Wheatland, Still
water and Yellowstone counties. In
1918, the first discovery of oil in Mon
tana was made in the Elk Basin field,
a Wyoming field that extended over
the state line. The same year, wells
were drilled in Musselshell county. In
1917. the Foster well was drilled III
the west end of the Crazy Woman's
Pocket in Musselshell county, resulting
in only showings Of oil and gas.
In November, 1919, the Van Duzen
well in the Devils Basin structure
near Roundup was brought in. Altho
commercial wells had been brought in
on the Montana side of the Elk Basin
structure Of Wyoming, this well is
looked upon as the discovery we'll in
Montana, for it brought into the state
the operators and companies winch Ia
ter DEVELOPED Cat Creek and are now
prospecting througoht the state.
Discovery Well in Cat Greek
The ~d;scoverer Of the Devils Basin
field. Gordon Campbell. vas also the
discoyercr of the Kevin-Sunhurst and IS
nox an operator in other northern
Morta1,a fields. Later developments III
the Devils Basin field failed to come
up to the expectations aroused by the
discovery well, and it now has foul
The last we'll WAS the Adams Land
company well, drilled into production
rhis summer. The coming in Of the
Van Duzen was followed by %feycrcd
activity in southern Montana, followed
by a turning of events northward rs the
greater events ~transpiring in the Cat
Greek field brought development thai
way. .
The Frantz corporation brought II
the discovery well in Cat Creek, nca.
Winnett, February IS, 1920. At 1,o1.
feet. in the second kootenai, a Wet
was brought in. the Oil being unusually
light and Of high gasoline content as
compared with the heavy oil of the Dew,
lis Basin. In May this company
brought in it's second we'll in the same
field, ard was followed in August by
the wen of the De~cker-Collins com
pany.