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Show I California Has Erratic Well Affords No End of Surprises Its Refractory Antics Uncurbed POSSIBLY one of the most erratic oil wells in the history of developments in Caliornia, if not in the entire country, is the No. 2 Lloyd of the State Consolidated Oil company, located some miles out from the citv of Ventura, which has afforded no end of aurpriaea In Ita action unbecoming unbecom-ing a atald and ateadr producer. It haa furnished; an unlimited and variegated variety of newspaper eenaettows and caused no end of 'expense and trouble to ita owners In an effort to curb Its refractory ant Ice. The well first came Into public notice In Octobet, 111, wjien tha drillers were suddenly made aware of disturbance by a blowout which forced their hasty exit from tha derrick. This waa shortly followed, by a caveln and the earth began sinking, an Immenae crater cra-ter opening up some 7ifty feet InTclr"" cumference, ita out aide limits ending In front of the engine houee. wnlch was left ' j high and dry on ita original location, while the 11 1 houee and derrick were entirely demottehed and precipitated Into the hole, landing a wreck thirty feet below the i former level. The well continued to flow no exit. It waa diacovered that a certain percentage of oil accompanied the flow, being water white In color and of a ape-ctfic ape-ctfic gravity of from 64 to W degrees. Arrftflgemente were Immediately perfected perfect-ed for saving this oil by Inserting pipes both at the top and "bottom of the pool and the engines were put Into artton, the pipe Inaerted in the top. drawing off the oil and thoae below draining the water, so that se vera I hwnrt red barrela of oil were saved and marketed. Iater, with the wreck cleared away, a new level was graded off, the location being be-ing on a side hill. An entrance waa ob talned by grading off the lower aide or the hill and a new derrick waa bollt over the old hole. HI nee then every effort haa been made to ahut off the water, the well producing In the meantime from ten to tjlfteen barrels of oil a day. This continued con-tinued until s general complaint waa registered by 'adjoining companies rhat possible nil and gag formation were being Injured thereby. In recent months every conceivable effort ef-fort that could he thought of has been made -to separate the oil sand from the water sand, and many had about arrived at the conclusion that the onlv succeaa-ful succeaa-ful method would involve the discontinuance discontinu-ance of the 11 as well aa the avater. but Mr. Ml ley. prealdent of the oomnanv, has neer relaxed in his efforts and stated only abort time ago that he believed he had matters pretty well under control; that h had hem using a mud proceaa. and had also deepened the old hole nearly 10A feet, or to be correct, from II 6 J to 22f0 feet. That he hal good reason for the statement state-ment la atteated to from the fact that one week ago the well broke In aciin, Ita Initial now proving that the water had been succeaafully ahut off and a new Oil aand found, from which It Is reported making 150 barrels a day. and the moat remarkable part of all la that the o41 teats 51 gravity, which is from two to -fmir I degrees higher than the oil previously found, and is con a Irt -red the highest grade , ever found In any well In the world. Another An-other feature la that thoae who contended that the oil and water would both have to be shut off were not far wrong, for Ihe new production cornea from an entirely entire-ly different formation which undorliea tht old one. Besides an Immense flow of gaa. estimated esti-mated ut more than fioo.ftoa cubic feet per day Is said to be coming from the- well. The well. It Is stated. Is not steady In Its How, coming by heads, at times producing pro-ducing at the rate of a barrel a minute, the now lasting possibly one-half hour each time. |