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t Metropolis Is Replt; troleum Fever Remcike•ulfeetUs,im-oil. in gundlast•opsloam*’ ofub-aretoa$vesm-ntoim-uldsi-liesickith,Sly.glece-ith 7a s ill-'ellF.elly'sids to i ith he tout okngin-re en si-ill at it n« os )il stto is orts lem )il ig ases 11.ty id 70 ig ;11 at retyr ien11l-nI-it«i-aTn10 and 15 miles soutft of the Shell discovery well.At least one other big concern was actively scouring the countryside in a vast semi-circle around the Btrike as. their agents sought to obtain oil and gas leases from Nye county ranchers in the area.Virtually all of these ranchers were reported sitting tight” apparently waiting to see what other offers might be received. Host local ranch owners indicated they would seek legal advice “before signing anything/* It was said that a joint meeting of Smokey Valley and other neighboring ranchers is contemplated so they can act in concert.Although nothing approaching a boom has yet hit Tonopah, business generally appeared to be picking up slightly as more visitors, directly or indirectly interested in the strike, arrived in town. There was also a noticeable optimism among townspeople who are gradually becoming accustomed to being on an outer rim of a potential oil development.Four More Wells SlatedFirst local resident to display asample of the petroleum which poured from the Shell hole duringa four-hour test period recentlywas C. C. Boak, who spent last Saturday at the site, The ebony, gummy material which does not flow even when the container is tilted upside down, has been described as 26 degrees API, or a medium fair grade of oil.It is said that Shell plans at least four more holes in the immediate vicinity of their original well, where oil was encountered between 6453vand 6533 feet. Extension of the present well to the second sands was .said to be continuing in the hope of striking another oil-bearing strata.The widespread interest engendered by the discovery of ell. in Nye county was evidenced by the continued publicity the find is receiving in the nation's press and radio. Early this week, the San Francisco office of Life Magazine called the Times Bonanza to ascertain what effect the strike has had localty. It was intimated that Life may do a feature in the event developments warrant.Bob Crandall in the same newspaper discusses a little more fully the possibilities of oil in the Tpno-pah area. Nothing rings the bell of imagination quite like the prospect of striking oil, he writes, “so it is not unusual that almost everyone hereabouts is speculating as to where it may be found next. Because geologists tell usthat many apparently favorableformations exist in this (The Tonopah) area, we can let our fancy roam unchecked.'*Old Tests RecalledAlthough well removed from thesite of the strike, some attentionis already being directed at Fish Lake Valley * (among other numerous spots) where in years past sporadic efforts to find oil were undertaken.C. C. Boak recalls the time back in the early 1920’s when Charles Taylor and associates put down a test hole on the McNett Ranch, going only 250 feet before being washed out by,an artesian water well. Undaunted they moved across the valley and sank to a depth of 2,000 feet where they were encouraged to some extent by finding evidence of gas. ✓ Then they took their equipment over to Coaldale, 40 miles northwest of Tonopah, where, according to Boak, they billed to a depth of one mile before giving up the venture.Earlier, about 1918 Boak estimates, a rancher named Kennedy was sinking a well on his property in an effort to secure water. Instead, he suddenly hit a pocket of gas that literally blew his rig to bits.What all this may mean issomething for the future to decide, but it does point up the happy possibility that oil or gas in commercial quantities may lie anywhere below the surface of land that has heretofore been considered valueless—or at least better adapted to more prosaic pursuits such as farming, Crandallconcluded.Mr. Boak is a highly respected, prominent citizen of Tonopah, having served th district in the state legislature for many sessions. Always his advice and counsel has been sought by younger# members on proposed legislation. He has lived in Tonopah much of his 80-plus years and has seen the ups and downs of the old mining oamp since Tonopah came into being back in 1901.Elko-Austin ActivityGoing back to Elko County and the Gulf projects there, reports are highly encouraging; Gulf announced early in the week that they had abandoned their well at Ibapah, which is located along the Utah-Nevada border about 50 miles northeast of Ely.The Wells progress in reporting the project said that when quizzed regarding the possibility of another drilling operation by Gulf in the Elko County sector, in the near future, the regional manager, Robert W. Chase, who has his headquarters in Salt Lake City, observed that it was “possible”, He stated that the Ibapah test of the company was plugged at 4445 f^t because tests produced nothing but water.Other matters of interest directly connected with the oil development come from Austin. In quoting the Nevada State Journal’s article recently about not counting out Austin in the oil picture, they have some fresh and encouraging activity already. The Reese River Reveille said that during the past week several parties of oil men have been in the vicinity of Austin making preliminary investigations and arranging for leases so they can begin intensive geophysical prospecting.One party is headed by E. P. Henson, of Miles City, Mont, He represents one of the major oil companies and is looking at la$d in Reese River Valley and Smokey Valley. They seem to feel that indications are encouraging as far as can be told from the surface. If they are able to get the leases they desire, a thorough geological and geophysical study will be made. He assured people that the company he represents is fully as well known as the Shell Oil Company which has brought in Nevada's first producer in Railroad Valley,From Eureka comes word thatthe well being drilled on the Bruf-fey Ranch has been closed down, and that a new site will be selected soon for another try. It is also reported that the Last Frontier Oil Company, with headquarters in Reno, expects to resume drilling operations on the Demele Ranch, northwest of that central Nevada town.Several large corporations have filed papers in 'the Secretary of State’s office during the past week for permission Ho operate in Nevada.
Newspaper Details
Nevada State Journal
Reno, Nevada, US
Sun, Mar 07, 1954
Page 34
Full Page
Clipped by
Anonymous
CO, USA 21 May 2020
Other Publications Near Reno, Nevada
Nevada State Journal
Reno Evening Gazette
Weekly Reno Gazette
Weekly Nevada State Journal
Reno Weekly Gazette and Stockman
