Seward daily gateway., 1924-04-05
WATER TEST MADE;
 + SATISFACTORY
 WILL START DRILLS
DRILLS NOW DOWN FOURTEEN HUNDRED FEET-OPERA-
 TIONS START SOON

KANATAK, April 1-The Standard
 Oil Company's Lee No. One is now one
 year old. It was spudded in in March
 1923. It celebrated it's anniversary by standing cementcd, awaiting a water shut off test, at an approximate depth of 14O0 feet. This test will be made about April 3rd when, if successful, the drilling will be continued. Twelve and one half inch casing was set and this is the first time that casing has been used in this we'll The forma- tion encountered did not require the use of casing during the drilling op- erations, and as the formation is said not to have changed there is no chance of immediately bringing in of an oil well. Before any oil sands are pene- trated another set of castings will have to be set and the water again cement ed off, The cement is allowed to set about two weeks before a shut-off test is made. The size of the hole will be reduced so better progress should be made especially if softer formation is encountered. The crooked hole at the beginning was quite set back to the progress made during the year.
 The U. s. Geological Surveys re- port states that the thickness of the shale, etc, underlying the Naknek for nation on the Pearl Creek Dome can only be determined by drill; and that it may be 1900 feet thick. If this report is substantiated by the drill, you may compute your own time, for the bringin gin of oil on the Lee No. One, by the rate of progress now being made.
 The passing winter has been the most severe experienced during the present history of the field. Below zero temperatures and blizzard wealth CT prevailed during the last half of January and continued until the mid dle of February without a break. Since then Nanatal has had the usual Al askan Coast weather; rain along the coast Nitb snow back m the hills. The natives state that the snow fall has been lr lruaually heavy th'G winter. The snow Inc remains at about an eleva tion of 150 feet at Kanatak.
 The dog mushing weathe: has been unusua;iy good. Mai and the emer- gency supplies, when tha cats failed, were .,uleu ort to the drill camps by the cative do., teams i': 7 and oats for the Associated O,l Co $ horses was transported by these teams at a cost of seventy-five dollars ton.
 About twenty different dog teams of various sizes and descriptions, were driven over from al lportions of the Bristol Bay district. Most of these teams brought fur which was disposed of to the local merchants or shipped to outside points through the local post office Many of these teams return ed with supplies which helped the bus mess situation in Kanatak. Ben Han sen of Ugashik droev over the best looking dog team that has ever been seen in Kanatak, while Jack Lowe, merchant and fur buyer of Dillingham; delivered the largest quantity of furs to the post office. It reuqired about ten mail sacks to handle this shipment. The fur catch was reported to above the average in the Bristol Bay district this season. The Bristol Bay mail dogs made good time on the regular runs tho the driver was late in starting.
 No mail was forwarded from Kan atak from the November run to the February run of the Starr. The Latou- che, which replaced the Starr in Janu- ary, failed to stop on her return from the westward, on account of weather conditions 50 while mail was received none was forwarded from Kanatak. The mail service has now been restor- ed as the Starr is making her regular runs.