Montana oil and mining journal. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1931-1953, 1939-11-11
BOYCE WELL
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have flowing wells. Within a year
his prophecy saw fulfillment as
such wells as the Baker and How
ing gushers came in, followed later
on by even larger wells in the East
Sunburst district.
The Journal gave this account OF
the events of the completion OF the
Boyce No. 1:
At 4:SO the drill suddenly drop
ped through a hard formation into
| a cavey sandy shale and there was
sudden puff of wet gas. Drilling
continued in this formation with no
change. L. C. Stevenson. Pres. OF
the Sunburst Oil & Gas. w. G. Davis
and others left the well at o'clock
greatly discouraged. They were i'm
PEELED to return in the evening. ex-
pecting to reach 1875 IT. and then
abandon the hole that night
GAS SHOOTS GRAVEL
It had grown dark when the drill
tapped a gravel bed from which
roared a flow Of gas that sprayed
oil For several minutes there was
a yertible hail storm and the drill
lers were driven away from the
hole. A cave occurred and the gas
flow stopped. The bailer was
lowered and it came up filled
tightly with gravel-so tightly that
II had to be upended to dump It,
With it. came a small quantity OF
oil.
Gloom was transformed into JOY,
and the tools were again lowered. 4
The screw was not finished when /
l.. C. Stevenson, who sat beside.
the hole shouted:
Here she comes"
There was a rumbling from the
depths that grew louder as It APP
nroached the surface and a black 1
column mounted with a crescendo /
roar to the top of the derrick. The
driIlers and bystanders tumbled out !
of the drill house and waited for the.
flow to subside, but it grew heavier.
The drillers returned and succeed
ed in raising the tools. which were
hanging in the hole.
First estimates were 5000 bar
reIs of oil and water, for the flow
continued throughout the night,
pounding the crown block without
ceasing
MAS SEOOkAA A4AAOAA
"It was the wierdest night
ever spent" said w. G. Davis,
Sec. of the Sunburst Oil G. Gas Co.,
in relating the experience. Talk
about being out on the hurricane
deck during a storm: this was
worse. The place was actually
spooky, in the inky darkness, after
we flooded the fires and the lights
went out The gas was go thick
that 1t was dangerous to work a.
round there with the one lantern
we had The roar OF the flow was
he only sound in the chilly night. ]
"The men made run for the s
and succeeded in get
ing them away from the derrick. !
Then with the light of the cars we
ried to find where the oil was
.unning in the oat field. Stevenson
ar found 1t and incidentally got
nired to the axle and we all waded
.round in the black stuff to help
,ush him out. We took shovels
md with the light of the lantern h
started building dikes about 3
Iuarter mile from the derrick and
We succeeded in saving so bbls. OF 3
III by placing a piece of casing s
,elow the level of the oil, to carry II
IF the water.
"The following morning the gush-
+ began to subside and began
oming in heads every minutes.
here is so much gas that the water =
ONES almost in a spray and looks y
Ike more than is actually flowing h
{ is by far the largest gasser in t
he field, flowing rich gas that y
anne up like steam before the OIL
nd water broke through" q
p