2 KANSAS UNIVERSITY QUARTERLY. 



Neosho, the Fall, the Caney and the Verdigris rivers. Successful 

 borings have been made in the following towns: — Paola, Osawatomie, 

 Louisburg, lola, Humboldt, Thayer, Cherryvale, Mound Valley, Ft. 

 Scott, Fulton, Coffeyville, Independence, Peru, Sedan, and Neodesha. 

 Small developments may have been made in other places, for it is 

 known that in some localities farmers have bored shallow wells which 

 yield a sufficient supply of gas for domestic and heating purposes. 



The method of boring the wells is that which has been used so 

 extensively in the eastern oil lields. The outfit is as inexpensive as 

 possible, and the material which is forced out of the boring by water 

 is usually quite finely divided, yet coarse enough so that it can be 

 readily identified. The casing of the well is often eight inches for 

 the first 300 or 400 feet, then for the next 300 feet it is about six 

 inches, while at the bottom of the well it is diminished to ^y^ inches. 

 After passing through the various layers of limestone and shale, 

 frequently an "oil sand," as it is called, is struck some distance 

 above the true oil-bearing layer. The oil-sand, which is really the 

 porous reck alluded to below as the reservoir of the oil, is of various 

 thickness but often from ten to twenty feet. If the conditions are 

 favorable, yet the yield of the well in oil is not very large, and there 

 is no strong flow of gas, it is ofen considered advisable to "shoot" 

 the well. This is the term used to indicate the explosion of a charge 

 of nitroglycerine in the oil-bearing rock, to produce a greater cavity 

 near the bottom of the hole, so that the oil may flow more freely 

 from the shattered rock For this purpose the well is carefully cleaned 

 out and its depth noted, so as to get the charge in the right place. 

 The man who makes it his business to "shoot" wells for a company, 

 brings with him overland in a wagon from his factory, the requisite 

 amount of nitroglycerine, from 10 to 60 quarts, in tin cans. When 

 all is ready, he pours the explosive into a long cylindrical can which is 

 suspended over the well. In the top of this can is fixed an exploder, 

 and after the charge has been carefully lowered to the proper depth, 

 some fortunate bystander is allowed to drop the "go-devil" onto the 

 cap. This is simply a piece of two inch gas pipe, which sliding down 

 several hundred feet, strikes a very heavy blow and explodes the 

 charge. At the surface the force of the explosion is at first not very 

 apparent, but soon a column of water, gas and oil shoots from the 

 well, and gradually mounts higher till it is often many feet above 

 the top of the derrick. This is often accompanied with a terrific 

 noise and, in the case of a "gusher," the stream continues to flow 

 for some time. Later, if the well is a producer of oil, the oil rises 

 and begins to flow over the top of the well. Arrangements are then 

 made to pump the well, or if there is no storage tank at hand, it is 

 simply capped till such receptacles shallbe provided. 



