The Kevin review., 1926-08-19
MANY DRY HOLES IN STATE
WEREN'T SUNK DEEP ENOUGH

Out of ITO exploration wells drilled
on improved oil structures in Mon
tana during the last five years, onlj
a negligible few have been sunk deel
enough for an adequate test or else
have been so located that they ha(
no significance, Ralph Arnold, in
ternationally known gologist. dcclar
ed in an interview after his arrisa
in Great Falls Thursday morning
fr,.m New York.
All outstanding erTect oI this stu
atm has been :. reluctance on tie
par III cap; a to enter ", IN d..s
fiells that are easily wo ; II 1
t, t, MIR Am. =. said; bue ulce r.en
interested in oil are convinced of the
reasons behind the long succession
of unproductive wells drilled on un-
proved ground adequate capital for
exploration work is offered from
numerous sources.
Mr.. Arnold left Great Falls for
New York two months ago to lay
his findings concerning Montana oil
structures before some of the larger
figures in the oil industry and he
stated on his return here Thursday
that he had interested sufficient
capital to carry out a large volume
of development work on structures
which he approves.
"The last authentic figures shown
me-" Mr.. Arnold said demonstrated
that 1877 dry holes have been drilled
on unapproye structures in Montana
and suppose the total is well above
ITO now. A large proportion of these
wells, while of course drilled in good
faith, could go on farther towards
proving or disproving a structure
than a post hole. The greater per
centage of them were not properly
located with reference to the struc-
tural indications. and many others
were not drilled to depth that
would establish the presence of oil if
it were there.
Similar in California
.Montana's experience in this re-
gard is no different from that Of
many other oil states. What has
been true in Montana was especially
true in California a number Of years
ago. An outstanding instance was
the Dominguez field in the latter
state. Three of the larger operating
drilled wells there with
out finding production. Further ex-
animation strongly indicated that
one of these wells was drilled off
structure, another was drilled thru
the production formation without the
operators knowing it, and the other
was not drilled deep enough.
II made an examination of the field
and became convinced that it had
not been adequately tested, but it
look me eight years to find an oper-
ating concern that would drill an
,ther we'll. When this we'll was
inally drilled and production dis
covered, it proved to be one of the
most financially successful ever com
,leted in California. Seven million
lollars was realized by the operators
rom the hole and the field now is |
me of the largest producers in the |
;tate. One of my associates in the |
)ominguez field was John Hays !
hammond, who personally received |
2, 100000 from his part in the oper-
tions.
"It is my opinion that number of
improved Montana structures have
ufficient promise to easily warrant
he drilling of test wells, and that
many of the fields where wells have
,een already drilled should be fur
her tested. Because Of the large
lumber of dry holes drilled on new
tructures, Montana was in fair
vay to be passed up by many of the
perating companies that are seeking
ew territory, but ample capital was
forthcoming when the
perators were convinced that the
tate offers good opportunities for
xploration work.
Mr.. Arnold on his former visit here
pproved three structures in the
treat Falls territory and since his
departure detail work has been un-
er way with geologists associated
With him. His return is for the pur-
ose of personally checking the geol-
gy on structures under consideration
nd this work he will finish before
e announces the territories in which
e is interested. Mr. Arnold came
0 Montana last June at the instance
+ Charles A. Mau of San Francisco,
yho had been interested in local oil
tructures by Great Falls men. Since
fr. Arnolds departure Mr.. Mau's as