OCR Text |
Show t S' sC-. !V i v UTAH UM) . "!TY OF LiJRARIsS Sit .. fte-siA-- - f. .: - S 1370 MAR ip&IAlS ORDER T c csoiRjraaocs) VOLUME 2 NUMBER 25 Cents per Copy MARCH 2, 1970 1 Solons see early oil shale program WASHINGTON A Hollis Dole, assistant secretary workable national planning of the reality than ever before, according to two Western resources. They requested the meeting as a result of their concern over the development of the vast oil shale lands of their respective states and the role the Interior Dept, program for oil shale research and development is closer to congressmen. Rep. Sherman P. Lloyd, and Rep. met last h, ohn Wed, week with Interior for mineral expects to play in such Rep. Lloyd reported they had an informal and briefing on the status of an oil off-the-reco-rd shale policy paper under discussion within the department. He would not reveal details of the policy paper, but did quote from a letter sent to Rep. Wold development. (Continued on Page 5) Land Review panel hints at prospecting curbs Concern over environmental quality may result in curbs on prospecting, according to K Byron Mock, vice chairman of Public Land Law the Review Commission. The Salt Lake City attorney spoke before the Intermountain Association of Geologists at a 19-mem- luncheon meeting last week in Salt Lake City. Mr. Mock was close-mouthe- d about the contents of commissions wide-rangin- report, due to the g be presented sometime in July. But, he said, one thing is for certain circumstances have changed considerably since 1964 when the act creating the commission was passed. The strong concern over environment may even equal the civil rights issue in magnitude, and this certainly is going to have some effect on whatever (Continued on Phge 5) Bill to stabilize oil WASHINGTON--Se- n. Wallace F. Bennett, has in joined sponsoring legislation to write into law the present Mandatory Oil Import Program for crude oil and natural gas liquids. The bill would establish a legislative limit on these imports into the United States east of the Rockies of 12.2 per cent of oil production in that area. The 12.2 per cent limitation is the same that is in effect under the present program. However, this limitation must be firmly established if the program is to be meaningful and effective h, STANDING ATOP DRILL HOLE PIPE at Classics offset well near Saratoga, Wyo., is consulting engineer Gene Lansford. Classic is betting Lansford's air drilling method will prove effective on the Pan American Petroleum farmout. and if it i to have the stability to win the confidence of the petroleum industry, Sen. Bennett said. The present mandatory program has been seriously weakened by the creation of loopholes in it and is threatened by additional ones. As a result, there is a danger that the industry might not remain strong enough in the years ahead He continued, to meet this nations ever-increasi- import industry, a stabilization in the volume of oil imported is a practical means of making a solid contribution toward alleviating our nation's serious balance of payments deficit, the Utahn added. legislation would not change tJ)e present program in regard to ie Western States. The present program consumption and generally has served the function ng security requirements. addition to obvious benefits accruing to the United States through a strong domestic In of encouraging development of in our nation, he petroleum production region of the explained. Classic Mining out to prove drilling theory By Chuck Hayward area, hes helped to bring wells elsewhere in Wyomings Carbon Classic SARATOGA, Wyo. Mining Corp. is gambling a County, But more importantly, the bundle on the knowhow and g engineer also has experience of its consulting the use of air in engineer in an ambitious drilling experience with fact a that Classic is few miles north of drilling program will prove to make the betting. here. The company has hit one and difference. Every one of the five dry missed one in its wildcat drilling holes that were drilled here back program on a farmout from Pan American Petroleum. But the in the 20s had good oil shows, location is surrounded by five according to old records, says But despite that, Lansford. dry holes from a 1920s drilling none of them became producing program, and local residents arc wells. attitude. taking a Lansfords theory is that the Consulting engineer Gene Lansford has experience in the wells were improperly soft-talkin- wait-and-s- ee drilled using mud, which was the only thing known at the time, to pump debris up away from the drill head. The mud, he believes served to clog up the cracks in the fractured Niobrara shale at the zones of production. Air was used to drill the successful Gassic well in the area set. It has been completed for production rate of 100 barrels of which flowed well at an Air will be used to finish the well into the Niobrara shale . indicated potential rate of 480 barrels of oil per day. The well was swabbed through perforations from 3,850 to 4,150 feet, with total depth of 5,002 feet. The well had a 1,500 foot oil fill in 24 hours before casing was oil per day which is being stored in tanks at the site. The current well by the Salt Lake City-base- minerals d extraction firm is directly across the road from the successful wildcat. producing zones. Completion of drilling was expected by last weekend. Air drilling is more expensive and more erratic more dangerous conventional drilling. therefor than But in some areas and certain strata it is the only effective method of sinking a well. Gassic is gambling that the claims here in Carbon County, Wyoming are just such properties. But the company isnt putting all its eggs in this basket by a long shot. Although the compariy is already planning ahead toward five more wells in the same area, only a fraction of the costs will be bom by Gassic. Management has been selling off shares in its drilling efforts. Strengthened by the fact that (Continued on Page 2) yf, |