Plentywood herald. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1908-current, 1929-05-23

The drill Of the u. S. Petroleum
company well. working about six and
0ne-half miles northeast of Great
Falls, found oil at 1850 feet in a
white lime formation last week.
Colonel" Mettler, manager, stated
that the oil rose 800 feet in the cas-
ing within q short time.
With about 100 feet of water at the
bottom OF the hole, this would leave
about 700 feet of crude. The oil was
described as distinctively alive" of
good quality and the rise was con
sldered due to Mr.. Mettler's report that
the hit had only penetrated the pay
sand about four inches. He said that
prior to the strike the bit had worked
in a hard formation. resembling quartz,
but that when the drill broke through
this rock, oil Immediately began to rise,
Within a few hours the drillers report
ed 300 feet OF oil in the hole.
The initial bailing test partly COW
cred the stump with heavy black crude.
Running of the bailer the next day
brought out much better crude. A test
Of this showed that 1t was Of 1877 grav-
ity, about the same as that found in the
POndera field. The test showed q per
cent gasoline content, 5 per cent kero-
sene, Is per cent gas oil with an asphalt
base predominating. There was a trace
of paraffin.
Location of the we'll was made by Mr.,
Mettler. who accepted the handicap of
several geological reports indicating the
structure was open on at least one side.
However, commercial production in this
well would blow up" this open struc-
ture theory and center attention on the
possibilities Of the southern end of the
Sweet Grass arch. The we'll is spotted
near the east end of the Black Horse
lake structure, on a dome overlooking
the 1000 acres the company has under
lease. The immediate dome on which
the well is located is comprised of about
700 acres, all of which is leased by the
u. S. Petroleum company.
Completion Of the we'll probably will
be effected soon. A S 3-16-inch casing
has been carried down to about 96O
feet and there is nearly 200 feet of
open hole. However, this open hole
is in a lime formation that is considered
sound. Mr.. Mettler said he planned to
run Az inch casing to the cap rock and
he then will drill in. In the meantime.
tanks and tubing will be procured and
preparations generally made for a test
Until the test is made there is nc
accurate way OF estimating the value OF
lne well. Oh men expressed the Opln-
ion that a similar showing in the Pom
dera field would indicate from 80 to &C
barrels daily production. But this is
conjecture as there is no indication as
to how thick the pay sand may be. The
log Of the we'll shows that the forma-
tons are typical of the north Montana
fields. There seems to be nc rule OF
order for the formations, which are de-
Scrihed as broken lime. IT is this con-
dition that has made the Kevin-Sun-
burst field known as a producer OF
freaks" This factor also has made
the wildcat well business in this terri
tory either a big paying proposition OF
a medium for the speedy loss Of much
money. If the U. S. Petroleum vel
proves a good producer, 1t will disprove
many theories and give the Sweet Grass
arch another entry in the ledger which
must be credited to the tenacity Of the
~WildcatterS.