San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1924-03-02
CALLAHAN Gas
CRATER STILL .
MAKING HEADS
Terrific Pressure Continues
to Agitate Water in
Hole.
DRILLING IN RIVER
Coyle-Concord Oil Com
pany Is Putting Well
in Nueces Bed.
DRILLING IN RIVER


days after it blew in. The important
facts about this big gasser are: 1t
came in at 100000 900 feet. The fol-
lowing day the derrick went down; the
Undetermined rotary went into the
hole, which had been spudded in with
a nine-seven-eighths bit. The depth at
which the gasser was struck was GA
feet. Five acres of land was covered
with sand and mud, that broke down
the adjoining Mesquite trees as the
hole widened. The water increased in
volume and caused q lake to form
that is approximately 80 feet square.
AT five minute intervals, the gas heads
occur each lasting about two minutes
and causing the water TO be shot up
from thirty to forty feet into the air.
1t sends regular waves up against the
banks with a noise similar to that of
the waves breaking on the seashore.
This sea picture simile is still further
carried out because of the floating
timbers and sills and planks from the
derrick floor that are continuously
washed up to the banks of the crater
and then recede. These timbers have
been worn round by the continuous fric-
ton. 1t is estimated that between L.
900 and $4,000 people have journeyed
from many Texas points to see the
gasses.
No Damage TO Field.
Officials of the oil and gas depart
ment and the Bureau of Economic
Geology of Austin, have spent days
at the crater and expressed their be-
lief that the gas comes from crevice
that may be 1000 or more feet deep.
The owners, ID. S. Hoad and John
Scharbauer, the former oil operator
and driller of experience, and the lat
ter president of the First National
Bank of Fort Worth. have abandoned
all hope of saving the well and are
content TO let it play itself out. The
experts agree that the loss of all this
gas will have no effect upon the other
wells in the field and offsets are be-
ing drilled on all sides within five
hundred feet of the crater. 1t is i'm
possible to estimate what volume OF
gas is causing the five minute heads,
or when this gas flow will cease.
After being closed down for week
due TO a rise in the Frio river. the
Coyle-Concord Oil company resumed
operations last Saturday. They found
bed rock at eight and one-half feet
below the river bed on which they
have placed ten by twelve stills twenty
feet high. and on these they are erect
ing a sixty-five foot derrick which
will be completed this week. The
slush pit will be in a box on the river
bank and a runaway is erected from
the south bank of the river to the der
rick. They will spud in with an eleven
inch bit and set ten-inch surface cas-
ing. They expect TO pick up the pay
at 700 feet. Water is three and one
half feet deep around the derrick.
A Driller at Twenty.
The South Texas company is rigging
up pulling machine to pipe four
wells, three of which are on the Cox
lease and one on the Harry Callahan
lease. They are spudding in today on
Harry Callahan No. .. Allen Davis,
who drilled in the Cox No. 3, is the
youngest driller in the field, having
just passed his twentieth birthday. He
drilled this well from the grass roots
to the pay 726 feet in four and one
half days. One day was then used for
and three for drying and
then a 120-barrel well was flowing
in the tank. This illustrates how
speedily and cheaply Callahan wells
can be drilled. Mr.. Davis was born
at Fowlerton and has been in the oil
business since his fifteenth year. He
has drilled on wildcats in East Texas
and in the Miranda field. Superinten-
dent Kepley, on behalf Of the South
Texas company, presented him with a
handsome bonus for his record break
ing stunt.
Another Stitz Well In.
The San Bait Petroleum company
brought in a 115-barrel well on their
No. 8, Stitz test, Wednesday morning.
They are 554 feet on their No. 4. a
derrick is being started for their No.
) and they have made location for
their No. 6. Two more wells will be
drilled on this lease. This company |
has subleased 40 acres of their 400 |
acre lease on the Matula-F Fisher Mach |
art land two miles south of the Cal
liham field, to Walsh-Philps, well |
known oil operators of San Antonio.
They are rigging up for a deep test.
The same operators have leased part
of the J. Il. Mahoney land midway |
between Callahan and Three Rivers.
They are erecting derrick for a
deep test.
The Three Rivers Oil company has
let a contract to ]. i. Eason of San
Antonio for two 1000-barrel storage
tanks. They are spudding in on their
No. 3 on the Stitz Lake test and have
derrick up on their No. 4. Carl Broth
ers Of San Antonio will drill the last
mentioned test.
Hoad- Scharbauer-B Bowers well Is
setting six-inch casing at 637 feet
after getting a strong gas showing.
They will drill in Saturday. Their
Fisher No. 8. have drilled plug out
Of casing at 300 feet.
SeInd Crater Offset.
The Southern Natural Gas COM
pany well which is 1000 feet from the
crater have set so feet of surface cas-
ing. This is the second offset from the
crater.
The George E. Smith test No. .. on
he Fisher, offsetting the Crater well,
IS shut down pending litigation.
The Cisco Pipe Line and Oil com
1any's No. 1, test on the ii. Il. CALI
ham tract is down TSj feet.
The Fred Allen No. l, continues the
lest well in the field, flowing steadily
80 barrels per day. This company is
Town 30 feet on their No. .. i
Art Inglis is down $50 feet on his
'irst test on the west side Of the Frlo
-ive;.