Great Falls tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1921-current, 1922-07-08
CREEK HAS
BEST HIGH TEST
WELLSM WORLD
Largest Producers of so to 81
Baume Crude, Says
c. J. Stone.

Something Of the Importance Of the
Development of production in the Sec
ond sane of the West Dome of the Cat
creek field is explained in a review OF
the situation and history of the tests
of the horizon, prepared by Charles J.
Stone. a Great Falls geologist. and
printed in this weeks issue of the Oil
Fields Bulletin. Mr.. Stone, previous
to locating in Great Falls, practiced
largely in the Cat creek field and was
in close touch with the situation.
His review reads:
Pays Cost Each Day
With no material interest other
than that Of a professional geologist,
it is. however, with as much pleasure
and satisfaction that tho writer re-
views the Developments that have led
up to the recent phenomenal produc-
ton from the second sands in the West
Dome field of Cat creek, as the opera
tor, stakeholder or royalty owner en-
joys when he checks the days run from
these wells. 1t is no small degree Of
satisfaction that these three classes Of
oil men have when they figure the re-
suits from wells flowing up in thou
sands of barrels. Such wells pay their
entire cost of drilling and e%quipping
once. twice and sometimes thrice each
day. After a few hours of operation
their entire output is velvet
Also it should be brought to the
attention Of the public that these flow
ing wells in the Cat creek field of
Montana are the largest producers OF
90 to 50 degree Baume crude that the
world has ever known.
Great Credit to State
at is one more deep cut notch to
the credit of Montana as an oil state
that nature 70 kindly bestowed upon
her.
The Cat creek anticline, otherwise
known as the Mosby structure, has
two prominent high domal develop
ments, the West Dome and the River
Dome. separated by a deep syncline.
The River Dome gave up the first oil
poration. February, 1920. This well
demonstrated that there were two oil
sands within less than LOO feet Of the
surface. The first sand was not com
mercially productive in this dome. but
the second sand furnished a small oil
we'll.
The second we'll was drilled By the
Frantz corporation was in the West
Dome field, located four miles west
Of the discovery we'll. While this well
was n wildcat in a way. production was
looked for in the second sand and at
the same horizon as in the discovery
well on the Musselshell river. Here
the first sand gave up a 2,O00-barrel
well. 1t was like a lightning stroke
from a clear sky and the news spread
quite as rapidly az a thunder clap
would have followed such a stroke.
Show Flank Of First Pool
Shortly after this development the
Decker-Collins we'll, located less than
half a mile to the south. drilled into
water in the first sand and established
the limits down the flank of the struc-
ture of the first sand pool. The sec
ond sand had been productive in the
River Dome, and the Decker-Collins
decided at once to continue to this hori-
zon. but a small oil well with water
developed. 1t was not commercial and
the well was drilled deeper to secure
a water supply. This was the first
sand oil pool in the West Dome. and
although il was an edge well and not
commercially productive, it proved that
the second sand pool was larger, or
farther down the flank of the
than the first sand pool, and
that the good profitable production In
the second sand lay just above.
I'm the opinion Of the writer, who
every development Of the dis
trict, the Decker-Collins we'll estab- /
Iished beyond doubt the fact of a
and profitable second sand pool.
Drilled Many Edge Wells
''The next well to be drilled to the
sand in the West Dome field
was the Montacal. 1t was an edge
well and the first results were UNI
satisfactory. The third well to be
lrilled TO this horizon was the Custer
oil & Gas we'll on the north side of
The structure. 1t had some oil but not
n a commercial quantity. The Ten
Spot we'll. on the southwest side of
he structure, was another edge well.
90 far down the structure to obtain
production in the second sand. al
hough some oil of A little lower
was developed in the third
<ootenai sand. Water was permitted
o stand on this oil sand a full year
ind effectually drove the oil away from !
he bore hole before it was decided
o again test the well for production.
{ ls needless to say that the oil was
lot there when the operation was re-
The Big Six. located at the ex-
western end of the field. was |
Irilled to the second sand and obtained
MY a good showing. This was the I
fifth well to be drilled into the second {
and, and all of them were edge wells b
ron the standpoint of structure. and
'oubtfully located for top pool oil. that
first or second sand production.
Drilled Into Water ]
The sixth we'll TO be drilled to the {
econd sand was or the Unit Petroleum '
oldings on the Miller tract. This well {
'as projected for a deep test aud the '
Management gave out that the asan- /
lty of oil in the first and second |
ands was not sufficient to be profit =
bic. There are some doubts regard /,
ng this, particularly as the quantity =
I oil found in the deeper sand. I
it was cased off and the well a
rilled Il little deeper into the large /.
alter SAND to the Kootenai. /.
by this time operators. brokers. |
romoters and even biologists talked q
luch of a barren second sand and the !
apid decline of the Cat Greek field. F.,
hey had completely forgotten that ;
positive existence Of a second sand !.
DOL had been established In the early :
Y