Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-09-22
ACCURATE METHOD
OF DR|LL|NGSOUGHT
Deviations Cause OF Heavy
Losses and Litigations
in Oil Industry.
BY H. n. SHELDON,
Professor Of Physics, N. Y. q.

Can you bore a straight hole? You
may think you can, but have you ever
tried 10 bore an oil well? It's not done
with a brace and bit And II you can
bore one that Is straight you are one IN
a million The oil industry would
doubtless be willing to hand over q
paltry few millions and place your name
as a memorial on all the period gas
stations.
Perhaps you can see no reason to
worry as to whether an oil well is q
straight hole or crooked one. Sug-
pest that to an old oil man and note
the interesting reaction. Some OF ms
money may be included in the $780,
799 600 that was sunk in dry holes last
year.
Land Formation a Guide.
Before starting an oil well we must
have some reason to believe that We
are likely to find oil when we nave
drilled. If a geologist undertakes 70
steer us in the proper direction, ne VIII
base his Judgment largely on land form
alton and soil outcroppings. A dome
shaped land formation in an OIL region
is a pretty safe guess. The oil has a
tendency to collect under the rock
In a typical formation there will be
found first gas, then oil and below TINS
water. If the formation Is one IN when
the earth strata is on an incline. ouC-
groupings Of oil-oearing Snaie ma, ,sy., Tv
found. Preliminary drilling usually
pives all the additional information re-
9uired to plan the development OF the
project. ,,.,., .,,.
Guards to capital in the recently de-
yeIoped geophysical methods. These
are of various types. IN one metnou
the rate of travel Of sound through tns
earth Is measured. In another metEou
sensitive balance is used which meas
ures the attractive force OF gravity.
This instrument is so sensitive that IL
is shielded in a tent and IS not ap.
nroached until its Photographic record
Is complete.
Cost of Drilling High.
When everything has been done TO
determine the possibility OF an oil strlKe'
ths nett thing is to drill. In many re-
spects this may at present pc con-
sidered the weakest link and the mosc
expense link in the chain. A l'ouu-Ioo o
snd a 2ooo-foot we'll from $4,000 to
S15o 600. A few weeks may be required
n drill a 1,50O-foot well, and year
or more for a 5,O00-foot well. In tne
largest producing wells depths OF 5,OoO
to 1000 feet are common. In Cal!lornia
wells 6, 90 feet in depth have been orllleu:
These cost enormous sums. Last year
9o3 wells were driiled IN aoo oa..A9 tnta1 o.
an average cost of $4,000 toVal Oh
Most oil drilling is done by contract;
The contractor agrees to drill well o!
a given depth. When he has drnleo
that we'll, his work Is done. Hls coii-
tract has been fulfilled. Naturally, ~
is to his interest to drill TO tne speG..
the mast it has not worried him greatly
II the hole strayed from the stralgnt
and narrow. The result has been tnaI
oil wells have wandered along PAIN
that might do credit to lazy ABSENT
minded cow out for stroll.
Protection for Investors.
There was a time when this did nov
matter greatly. Property was not oVer.
devsIoned, If the first hole did not
strike oil a second would. They were
not deep, did not cost much TO drlll ano
were in the best possible on country;
Recently. however. =. e4 3ho isst drop in
even the poorest oil sections. If the
oil is missed by the drill 1t is serious
matter for the investors. Investlgatlon
has proved that some holes were on
by as much as as degrees. There mas
been frequent litigation over one COM
nanT t7ODlDR q We'll IlldG Woo @AoAAS-J
oror-,',, of a neighboring concern In
one case two wells begun 500 feet apart
ran together at q depth Of 5000 fee&
LIQUID Used in Survey.
Because of this condition interest
became conferred on remedy a
method of surveying the holes was oe-
veloped. 1t is done by lowering oottIe
of acid into the hole. The amount OF
tin is indicated by mark on the bottle
where the acid has eaten off dissolvable
material. AS a result Of these surveys
it has been decided to accept as straight
any hole which does not deviate more
than 5 degrees. TLanv methods were
tried to keep within these limits. IN
spite of the greater cost drilling at
slower speeds and less pressure was
tried. Even with the greater care holes
still deviated as much as 10 degrees.
Recently there have been reports OF
the use of a drill which emits the mud
lubricant axially and thus prevents or
at least does not aggravate this side
slip. Holes drilled with this new device
are said to fall we'll within the limits
set for straight holes. 1t Is the inven-
ton OF Charles e. Reed, long known as
a designer of oil drilling equipment, but
until recently practically retired.