The Hardin tribune-herald. [volume] (Hardin, Mont.) 1925-1973, 1941-04-17
OIL WRITER
PREDICTS SCOUT
ING IN THIS AREA

AL CIllS Wr1CIQS I1elQ scouts o.
at least two major oil compan-
les, are studying the Hardin, st
Xavier and GarryoWen areas Of
Big Horn county for the purpose
of determining just what the
possibilities of commercial re-
covery of oil and gas at deer
depths are in this part of south
eastern Montana.
Wells previously drilled in Big
Horn county, appear to have
been non-productive of oil, oW-
ing to large amounts of sub
surface waters being encount-
cred during drilling operations,
and no previous provisions were
made by the drlllerS to counter
act hydraulic conditions of this
nature by cementing off and
using free drilling below the &C.
menting off depth.
1t has been recently learned
by the writer, that the Carter
Oh Company, a subsidiary of
the Standard Oil Company of
New Jersey, has men in Big
Horn county scouting the areas
around Hardin, Pryor and St.
Xavier. Regarding the Pryor
area, it is reasonable to assume
that the petroleum industry
would be interested in that area
of Big Horn county, owing to
the perfect structural condi-
tions of the Pryor anticline,
which is an upward arch of the
beds of the land surface of this
part of Montana, and this struc-
ture which runs southwark be-
tween West Pryor mountain and
Crown Butte, offers evidence of
having oil and gas traps con-
cealed in its Stratafolds.
1t is understood through con-
fidential petroleum reports
reaching the writer from reli-
able sources, that a seismograph
test, using the reflection system
of geophysics, will be made in
the Pryor area during the mid
die of May, 1941. AS a test of
this nature is of vast interest
to the layman, the writer will
discuss an actual geophysical
test in another issue of the
Tribune = Herald dealing with
the workings of the seismo-
graph, torsion balance and mag
netometer.
In the case of the Hardin we'll
drilled some years ago, it is be-
lieved by Investigating petrol
cum biologists and petroleum
engineers who have examined
the area, that had proper &C.
ment!ng been done and the wa
ter blocked off, that this well
would have produced crude Oil
in commercial amounts.
Deeper Drilling Necessary
In Hardin Area
AS a witness to the claims
now made by petroleum experts
as to the possibilities of oil and
gas production from Big Horn,
Rosebud, Treasure and other
counties of southeastern Mon
including Yellowstone,
from deep drilling, the Garter
Oil Company is preparing to
spud in to drill to a total depth
of 10000 feet in a deep test of
the Cedar Creek gas field on
the Baker Glendive anticline of
Fallon county, eastern Montana.
Geological conditions of the Fal-
Ion county area differ little
from those existing beneath Big
Horn county and the Hardin
area, so if the Carter Oil Com
pany and it's co-workers, the
Montana-Dakota Utilities Com
pany, believe that chances of
production are good at the
depth of 10000 feet, it is as
sumed that such theories are
also held for all of southeastern
Montana from the Pryor anti
cline of Big Horn county east to
the Montana = South Dakota
state line. !
New Leasing Expected In
Big Horn County
AS soon as reports of scouts
now active here are given to
the %superiors of the majors or
Independents that they are rep
resenting, it is certain that large
tracts of acreage will be picked
up in the Hardin, Pryor, and
other areas to supplement such
acreage now held as offsets to
potential production. This addi-
tional money in the form of
lease, will greatly increase the
circulation of money among the
rural residents.
During the past two years the
field petroleum industry con-