Evening star., 1926-12-12
U. S. Bureau of Mines Specialist Sees
Plenty of Oil for the Family Flivver

drilled the hole ABB and gas pressure
caused oil and gas to flow. After
while the gas pressure wasn't sufH'
cient to keep UP the flow and they
pumped until ultimately even this
ceased producing.
Nevertheless, most Of the oil was
still left sticking to the sand
grains. Then the operator drilled
the we'll CD, which flowed for
a time; but most of the oil
was still down there in the sand. If
the gas pressure could be restored
more would flow. So the operator in
jectS gas into one well, restoring the
pressure and causing the oil to resume
flowing from the other. After a time
the flow will stop again; but still much
of the oil will be left. In some fields
it has been possible to obtain addi-
tional amounts of oil by introducing
water in some of the wells and forcing
the oil to others. The addition of a
chemical such as soda ash to the water
may assist in removing the oil from
the sand grains, but neither plain
!, water nor water containing chemicals
should be introduced into an oil sand
except as a last resort, for 1t is likely
that the water, which travels faster
through the sand, will get to the onen
wells ahead Of the oil, and when the
flow is resumed under pressure water
instead Of oil will come out.
1.-THE gas escaping from an oil we'll
carries with it a proportion of gaso-
line, which in the old days was lost.
Nowadays it is extracted from the gas
and saved, while the dry gas can be
forced back into the ground to main
tain pressure. The processes seem
simple, but in operation are far from
it, and they cost a good deal. They
have been developed during recent
years, and their operation produces
big aggregate saving.
X X # X
Zone of the menaces to most oil
pools Is the inflow of subterranean
water. Water flows through the oil
sands faster than oil. and by sur
rounding the bottom Of the well keeps
the oil out. How to shut off the
water and permit the oil to run out
is a problem with which the engineers
have long worked. They have made
great progress and so increased re-
coveries.
"In earlier times most oil producers
carefully guarded all information
about their wells and experiences, but
latterly there is cooperation in these
matters. Bureau of Mines engineers
are able to get the logs of wells,
showing geological formations and
general conditions, from the study of
which, in connection with increasing
general knowledge, a fund Of helpful
information can be placed at the serv-
ice of producers. Biologists and Pc
troleum engineers, once derided by the
practical oil men, are more and more
accepted as guides and mentors. OF
course, there is still q lot to learn.
but 1t is being, learned. and this new
knowledge Is constantly increasing
recoveries. These various methods
are already making possible recoveries
in some cases double those accom-.
plished under earlier procedures, and
these will go higher as methods are
perfected"
Asked about the various plans and
experiments for literally mining oil.
Mr.. Hill said that in Lorraine they
have dug shafts down to the oil sands,
and actually brought the sands out,
like coal from a mine. Washing the
oil from the sands assures substan-
TALLY complete recovery. But it Is
so expensive that we can hardly imag.
inc it as practical in this country.
Another mining process" the engi-
neer continued, ''is to sink a shaft to
the oil sands. and from its bottom
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