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Show Oil Drilling Underway, At South Garfield Location The drilling of an oil well on the Mammoth Creek road east of Dry Valley and about nine miles south of Panguitch Lake was begun this past week. May Petroleum, Inc. is supervising the operation and the Loffland Brother's Co., rig is drilling what they term as Panguitch Well No. 1. This is a wild cat or exploritory type well to determine if oil and gas exist in this area. Geological studies indicate the possibility is very great, but oil drillers state there are usually about 12 dry wells drilled for every productive well. If the company encounters production the well will be completed in such a manner it will be able to produce oil and gas, if not, the well will be plugged and abandoned according to Red Walsh, Walsh Engineering, consultant and supervisor of the works for the company and Don Bettals, rig supervisor. The well will be approximately 13,500 feet deep, and will take a minimum of four months to drill. Nine men were brought in by May Petroleum and Bob Orton and his crew from Panguitch are in charge of getting the road and location ready for drilling. The drilling process is as follows: first a bit, which can be various sites. The largest being used in this particular drilling is 36 inches across to the minimum of eight and one half inches in diameter. The five inch drill pipe is rotated and turned by the rig itself. There is a pump inside the drill pipes with water and chemicals and materials to cool the bit and remove the cuttings from the hole being drilled back up to the surface Once the drilling is begun it runs 24 hours a day seven days a week. If anyone wants to visit the drilling site they are to be very, very careful and stay away from the drilling rig itself, said Mr. Walsh. He added if anyone would like an explanation of the drilling process they are to ask for himself, or Bob Bettale Mr. Walsh wants to stress to the people in response to the many inquires as to rather the roads would be harmed by the heavy loads being hauled in that they have the heaviest loads in already and there is no visible damage done to the roads. He also added, "We appreciate the consideration and cooperation the County Commissioners and especially Commissioner James Yardley and the District Forest Ranger, Rollo Brunson, Cedar City, have extended to making this operation possible. Mr Walsh said if this well produces, a revenue of 16 2 3-percent will go to the federal government as a royalty. During fiscal 1974 Garfield County benefited from taxes of the oil produced and the rolling stock in the amount of $187,264.06. There was at the end of the fiscal year of 1974, 25 pumping wells, eight injection wells and their equipment which accounted for tie tax |