Plentywood herald. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1908-current, 1927-10-14

and Black VIII BE Color Of Montana
Auto License Plates for Next Year.
(By Our Helena Correspondent
OIL II gas conservation work be-
ing done by the Montana Railroad
commission In its oil n gas-well divi-
sion Is illustrated by the growth OF oil
development In Montana. A report of
the board follows:
1,45O Holes Drilled
Since the discovery OF oil in the Kelvin
Sunburst field in Toole county. March.
is22. there have been approximately
l.460 holes drilled In that field. At n
average depth OF $500 feet this repre-
sents 2.l75,ooo feet OF hole drilled in
five years.
The development Of a large production
OF natural gas in eastern Montana has
widened the scope Of the supervision re-
quired and this season has seen tests
drilled IN many widely separated parts
Of tho state.
There has been considerable activity
In Carbon county. outside OF Elk basin
field. which has been producing oil for
several years.
In central Montana the south md Of
the 6weetgrass arch area has received
considerable attention. In the Bannatyne
district. Pondera and Teton counties.
there are now IS rigs up and several
wells are being drilled on the Conrad
and Brady structures.
Under the existing laws all Of these
wells have to be supervised by tho board
OF railroad commissioners to see that
the conservation laws of the state are
being observed n no serious damage
done in producing sands by incompetent
or careless operators. This work Is done
for the protection OF the natural re-
sources of tho state and also to protect
the careful experienced operator from
having his wells ruined by the incompe-
tent operator OF adjoining land.
In 1926 Montana produced 1880, 585
barrels OF crude oil, considerable OF this
was from ~state-owned lands, from which
the state received a substantial royalty.
Green and black license plates will
give way to orange and black in 1928,
according to an announcement made by
State Purchasing Agent J.. E. Murphy,
Already so tons OF steel have been or
deyed Tor the plates which will be manu-
featured in the state prison at Deer
Lodge. where machinery will be in readi-
ness. Black letters 3M inches high and
1M inches wide will be placed on an
orange background.
The new plates will measure 1914
inches long and 5h inches wide at the
breviated and placed In the upper left
hand corner as on the 1927 plates. Mon
tana will be carried in full on the bottom
Of the plate with 20 On the same line to
the right.
A die is being made by Superior Die,
Tool and Machinery company. OF Ohio,
which can be used in the manufacture
OF 900 900 plates without a change, &C
cording to Mr.. Murphy. The name Mon
tana" will be 11-16 OF an inch high as
will the name Of the year.
Montana cement plants annually turn
out products OF the value of 1865 900. &C.
cording to an estimate made by the state
publicity department.
Deposits of lime and shale rock are
found throughout the mountainous dis
tricts but not all such deposits are avail
able for the manufacture OF Portland CO.
ment. There are two Montana factories
which produce this commodity. They
are located in Gallatin and Fergus coun-
ties, at Trident and Hanover, and utilize
shale deposits at the plant site for then
entire output. Three hundred men are
employed by the two plants.
The state board OF land commissioner
has accepted the bids of the AFRO OIL and
Refining company OF Lewistown and the
Bluebird OH and Refining company OF
Butte for. the states royalty oil. Nine bids
were submitted with premiums varying
SAp W. W "a O hRAACA ofCA
the posted field price.
The Bluebird company, with q bid OF
80 cents premium over the posted field
price. was given a three year contract on
the Ca Creek production with a guaran-
tee to take all OF the states royalty oil
without limitations. This states royalty
oil Is approximately 125 barrels a month
in this field.
With a bid of 12h cents a barrel pre-
MUM over the posted field price, the
AFRO Oil and Refining company was given
a one year contract on the states royalty
Oil in the Kevin-Sunburst field, esti-
mated at 10000 barrels a month The
conditions Of the AFRO company's bid was
to take all the states royalty oil up tic
n including 1000 barrels per day. The
company placed q bond OF $500 0 al
surety.
The State Soldiers home at Columbia
Falls will be the recipient of the greater
part of $1,000 and an annual income OF
approximately $500 as the result OF q
study OF the land grant made by con-