Montana oil and mining journal. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1931-1953, 1939-06-03

LOCATION: Where a stake is driven
for a we'll to be drilled; the designated
spot where well is to be drilled
WILDCAT: A location, drilling well,
or producer outside a producing area.
GUSHER: An oil or gas well which
blows into the air.
WILD WE'LL: A gusher out of control.
POTENTIAL: The ability of a well to
produce oil or gas. The potential gauge
is the amount of oil or gas he well most
likely will produce in "a hours.
PITS AND CELLAR: Excavation pits
are used to hold water and drilling fluid;
the cellar is the walled-up space under
the derrick where connections are in
stalled
ROTARY: (a) Jargon for rotary tools
and equipment; (b) type of drilling tools
which bore into the earth.
GABLE TOOLS: (also called standard
tools) drilling equipment which cuts
hole by pounding.
sPUDDING: Breaking the earths sur
face to start hole.
KELLY: A square joint of pipe which
fits into the rotary table and is the
principal point of contact and power in
establishing the rotation of the drill
pipe and bit.
DRILLING IN: Penetrating the pro-
ducing horizon with the tools.
BRIDGE: An obstruction in the hole
or in the casing which shuts off every
thing from above or below It; usually
caused by excess pressure from below
RAILING; Removing the mud or drill
ling fluid from the hole with a special
Device called bailer.
SWAB: A device with a series of
rubber cups, run into the hole to lift the
fluid. or oil, in order to clear the hole
Similar to bailing but is used only when
there is oil or light drilling fluid in the
hole.
FISHING: Recovering or attempting
to recover obstacles in the hole This is
done with special equipment
PLUGGING BACK: Filling the bottom
Of the hole with concrete to a specified
depth. Termed "plug-back" jobs, and
employed to shut off water from lower
horizons.
PLUGGING: Filling and sealing the
hole from bottom to top.
BUSTER: dry hole; one that pro-
duces neither oil nor gas.
STRIPPER: (a) small oil we'll; (b)
one nearing exhaustion or depletion; (c)
under the Montana law, any we'll
which produces less than 10 barrels of
oil day
sEIsMOGRAPH: highly technical
apparatus which records sound waves
caused by setting off explosives the sound
waves are picked up by geophones and
relayed to recording devices from which
the depths of similar rock masses are
calculated. Somewhat similar devices
are the torsion balance and magnetic
meter
DOODLEBUG: Term applied to unor-
thodox methods of working geology:
usually applied to "oil-finders," users of
twigs. trick radio devices, magnets, etc,
for finding oil. Term is applied to both
the instrument and the user.
SAMPLES: Specimens of formations
recovered from the hole as it is drilled
Cuttings" and samples" are synony-
nous.
CORES: Samples of formations which
are recovered with special devices so
that the specimens are in large pieces
SCHLUMBERGER: An electrical de-
vice which denotes the presence of oil.
gas or water in a formation. The device
is lowered into the hole and records
made at specific depths
PRODUCER: (a) An individual en-
gagged in the production Of oil or gas;
Obj commercial oil or gas well -
ROYALTY. The landowners share of
oil and gas recovered from his land.
usually one-eighth
TOUR: (pronouncsd tower) The
working period for oil field employees.
Field men say going on tour" for start