The circle banner. [volume] (Circle, Mont.) 1914-1939, 1924-03-14
|STORYOF MONTANA
OIL DEVELOPMENT
G. w. GROSS, STATE OIL FIELD
AUDITOR, TELLS OF PER-
SISTENT EFFORT
Prior to 1919 About 80 Holes Were
Drilled Off Structure; First Com
mercial Gas Well Drilled Near
Glendive.

Pioneering in oil drilling in
Montana from 1890 to 1.-THE real
discovery of oil in November, 1919,
by the Van Dusen company yir-
| tually without the aid of any re-
liable geological work, and with a
'smore or less hit or miss policy"
is detailed by @. w. Gross, field
auditor to the board of equaliza-
| ton. There seems to be well de-
| fined belief that reports of the
United States Geological survey
materially helped in the bringing
of the oil industry to the state, but
this was the result of later years
work and data supplied Immediate
ly preceding the first discovery of
oil and was probably not a factor
in the persistent hunt for the pre-
cious fluid prior to 1914 and ex-
tending back to the days when
Grover Cleveland was president.
The report of the state official
follows in part:
''The early history of oil prospect
ing in Montana is marked by an alb
sence of reliable geological work and
a more or less hit or miss policy of
wild-catting. 1t is estimated that
prior to 1919 some 80 scattered at
tempts were made to locate oil and
according to biologists, none of these
wells we're on a recognized structure.
There are the usual number of stor-
les about prospectors noticing oil in
various springs where they stopped
to water their horses and such, but
I am inclined to doubt all these tales
as our oil is located from 400 to
1900 feet below the surface and 1
know of no surface indications other
than those based on geological for
nations that hint at the possibility of
oil below.
Gas ShowingS
"a small we'll drilled in 1890 by
the Municipal Gas company of Chin
ook in 27-33-19, Blaine county, hit
salt water and very small amount
of gas was noted, this, however, was
merely a slight indication of future
possibilities. From 1898 to 1911
several wells were drilled in Carbon
county but none of them showed any
more than a trace of oil. During the
summer of 1901 the Henry well on
the Big Elk dome, S.W., S.W., S.W.,
27-7 in Wheatland county, was drill
ed to slight showing of gas at 400
feet and then abandoned.
'In 1902 well was drilled to al
depth of 1926 feet in the Hailstone
Basin, 1921, in Saltwater county,
which showed slight traces of both
oil and gas. These showings, how
ever, were negligible and no further
work was done.
"Only one attempt is recorded for
1903 and that was in the Kintla Lake
ield west of the Continental divide in
Glacier county. The Kintla Oil COM
,any put down two 1800-foot wells
md both were abandoned as they |
howed a mere trace of gas.
From 1906 to 1910 little or moth
ng was done. The earlier wells hau |
hown the possibility of gas and oil,
tut the showings were slight and it
vas not easy to enlist the capital to
AIRY on any large amount of wild
atting.
"In 1910 private well put down
90 feet on the Woods ranch in g.
OF west, Lewis and Clark county,
bowed a small flow of gas. This
ras private water we'll and nothing
'as done with the small amount of
as.
"The summer of 1912 showed a