The Lusk Herald

Wyoming Oil.

The following extracts are taken from Territorial Geologist Ricketts' annual report. We regret that space will not permit of a full description of the various oil districts. Those interested should procure the report mentioned. Mr. Ricketts says:

The occurrence of petroleum in Wyoming has been known for nearly a quarter of a century, and 20 years have elapsed since it was first collected, in a small way it was true, and sold on the market. According to Prof. Aughey, oil was first discovered in 1864 at a point on Little Wind river, evidently at the oil spring just below Fort Washakie. But it seems probable that the spring at Oil Mountain in township 33 n. r., 82 w. was discovered several years before this, and as early as 1863, Seminoie collected the oil and sold it for axle grease to the immigrants who passed over the old Mormon trail which crosses the Poison Spider a few miles from the spring. I do not know the date of discovery of the oil spring, near the mouth of Sulphur creek in Uinta county, but in 1867 the oil was collected at this point and sold by Judge C. M. White who owned the spring, and who had pits dug and the oil collected during the years 1867-8-9. In 1868 Mr. J G. Fiero dug a shaft 50 feet in depth and collected the oil which seeped into it at the point now known as the Carter oil wells, located between nine and ten miles from the former springs and he collected oil for two years. The oil from both these places had a gravity of about 28 Baume, and were alike in changing from an olive to a black color on exposure to the air. But little "hardened oil" is to be seen on Sulphur creek, however, while at the Carter wells there is a bed of it, of small area but several feet in thickness This oil was sold for lubricating purposes to the Union Pacific railway, then in course of construction, to the contractors at work on the grade and to various coal mines including the Carbon mines. In all, over $5,000 worth was sold at prices ranging from 40 cents to one dollar a gallon.

These early discoveries excited but little attention, however, and no active prospecting for oil was prosecuted systematically for years. But as the territory was gradually opened up for settlement and became better known, many new oil springs were discovered and, at first regarded only as curiosities, remained unclaimed. At last, when the springs were recognized as indicators of reservoirs of oil stored in the rocks below, people began to take up the land around them and an active intelligent search for other springs and oil indications was inaugurated. As a result many new localities were found where there were springs and croppings of rock showing the presence of oil in them, Thousands of locations (I speak advisedly) have since been made on what was considered land apt to produce petroleum and now there are oil claims located in all or nearly all of the eight counties of the territory. Owing to the fact that all or nearly all of these locations are located at great distances from the railroads very little actual development has been done in the way of boring for oil, but notwithstanding three wells, all sunk near one spring, have proved productive and, more than this, would be considered good flowing wells in any oil district. Besides these wells some sixteen or eighteen others have been started at other points, namely seven in Uinta county, one on Powder river, four along the northern foothills of the Rattlesnake mountains and a number in Crook county. Most of these wells, excepting the Crook county wells with which I am not familiar, have proved unproductive and for the excellent reason that they have never reached the main oil bearing stratum for which they were started when the drilling was begun. As a consequence they cannot be regarded as of value one way or the other on the question of the power of the rocks beneath to yield petroleum. During the present season three more wells have to my knowledge, been started, one at Twin creek, near the Oregon Short Line, one at the head of Sioux Fork of Powder river and the third about three and a half miles northwest of the Goose Egg ranch on the Platte river. These wells will be duly described further on.

DISTRIBUTION OF THE OIL DISTRICTS.

I know of no oil springs, thus far, developed in either Albany, Laramie or Sweetwater counties, but in all the other counties of the territory oil is known to exist. It is found in Uinta within ten to fifteen miles of Evanston, as already mentioned, and also at frequent springs on and about Twin creek, on the Oregon Short Line. I have understood that there are oil indications in the Eocene rocks along the Union Pacific railway in Sweetwater county. In Carbon county there are many springs along the base of the north side of the Rattlesnake mountains, and in the extreme northern part of the county, on Salt creek and Powder river. In Fremont county the most promising field lies between the Rattlesnake Mountains and the Big Wind river along a line drawn through the Shoshone oil wells, and through points about three miles east of Lander and Washakie. Promising oil prospects also occur along the base of the Rattlesnake mountains, and adjoining the fields similarly situated in Carbon county. I also understand that there are oil springs, at present but little known, that lie on the Stinking Water, or near it. In Johnson county oil is known to occur on the Nowood river, opposite the mouth of Paint Rock creek; and also, I believe, at a point along the southeastern foothill of the Big Horn mountains. In Crook county oil occurs over quite a large area near the central portion of the county. The most prominent localities are on the Bell Fourche river, or near it, and 30 to 35 miles west of Sundance. There are also a number of springs at other points, both north and south of the above localities.

CONCLUSIONS.

Nearly all of the oil districts of Wyoming at present known have been described, where they have been visited by the writer, mentioned where he has thus far been unable to visit them. In conclusion there need be made only a few remarks, equally applying to all the oil fields.

It will be seen that as far as the writer has been able to determine, 19 wells have been drilled for oil in Wyoming up to the present date. Of these, five produce from five to several hundred barrels in 24 hours. Four are in the course of construction, but have not yet reached the Dakota rocks. Four have started below the level of the rocks that are known to contain oil in the vicinity. And the remaining six have been started above the level of the chief oil bearing strata but have never reached it.

In other words all of the fourteen wells, that have been drilled or are drilling, that have not struck oil in quantity amounting to five barrels or more, have never reached what evidently is the chief oil bearing rock, either from the fact that they have never gone deep enough or that they have started too low down, and the oil bearing rock exposed in the vicinity is not beneath them.

Of course it is not to be supposed because the five productive wells are the only ones that have reached the chief oil bearing strata that all wells reaching such strata will prove productive but the fact remains that the showing is a fine one and should be generally made known.