Montana oil and mining journal. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1931-1953, 1942-09-19

but Alvin Weber belonged 70 different
school of driIIers because he was ENCOUR-
AGED. He had evidence enough to believe
that he would find more oil BELOW the
showing Of oil and water. So he cased off
the water and drilled deeper. Upon drilling
to a depth of 3,625 feet to the top of the
Detroit River formation, this well GabeI
No. 1, was completed for 30 barrels a day in
October I94O No offsets were drilled because
the small production was insufficient to pay
out on such deep drilling.
"By now convinced that better production
was to be found in the area, and again
sisted by Pure, Weber spudded his third well
in early 1941. This well, Emma FatVm No.
l. was three-quarters Of mile north of the
second well The third well ran TWELVE
FEET higher structuraIIy than the small
producer and produced so barrels a day
from the Dundee limestone in March 194I
Evidence by now was sufficient and after
observing the performance Of the Fatum
wen for month"; Pure began a direct test
offset well on the r. e. Gingrich farm. This
well known as the Gingrich No. 1, was to
become the REAL discovery well in the Reed
City field. When the drill reached the Dun
dee, production was comparable to that OF
the Fatum No /, about so barrels day.
Remembering that GabeI No. was prOduc
ing from the top OF the DetriOt River for
nation, Pure decided to drill deeper 10 in
vestigate more completely that horizon be-
fore producing the Dundee oil. At 3,629-32
feet or exactly one hundred feet below the
top of the Dundee, the first Detroit River
pay was encountered and at 3,64O-43 feet
three feet Of oil producing hOrizOn) the
second "big" pay was discovered in May
1871. The well flowed so barrels the first
hOur-and a new oil field was in the initial
stage Of development. The Weber wells we're
deepened to the more productive strata and
both made prolific producers"
All this is quoted because we wish to di-
rect attention to the second and third de-
velOpments Of importance TO our members.
First Of these is the finding Of oil ON the
Twin Rivers nose northwest of Cut Bank
oil and gas field. Twin Rivers would not be
productive il operators were content to quit
with a dry hole at the Cut Bank sand hOri-
zOn-nOrmaI horizon In Cut Bank field.
Drilling continued TO the top of the Madi-
son lime which was supposed TO be non
productive in Cut Bank area. 1t was wild
gamble to go to that depth except for the
fact that operators in Alberta had drilled
from so to $50 feet INTO the Madison lime
and had found some oil; not enough oil TO
justify drilling to that depth, perhaps, but
enough 10 SHOW tuC FhCSCAACE VI OAA -
lime i'm the Twin Rivers fold The first well
on the American side of this fold had
showing of oil and gas at the top of lime.
II was not drilled deeper. 1t was allowed TO
stand while second we'll some distance
away, was started. This second well had
similar showing but this time drilling con-
tinued down into the forbidden no-Oil-man's
land below the top of the Madison lime
Sixty feet in, this well encountered oil
with indications of commercial production
under modern methods Of acidizatiOn.
To investors this well has no interest since
IL is in a large lease block of Indian lands,
closely held by the Cut Bank group of which
Ed Reagan is trustee. That these people have
a property worth millions of dollars goes
without saying, but it means nothing to
anyone else. There are no royalties to be
purchased; no purchasabIe interests in any
of the production But the most valuable
thing is available: THE INFORMATION
AFFORDED BY THIS DISCOVERY.
We believe that production viii be found