THE ARTESIAN WELLS OF BRITISH GUIANA. 



By E. C. Buck, M.Inst.C.E., F.G.S., Etc. 



It is possibly not generally realised that for the successful exploita- 

 tion of oil, gas, and water wells, the geologist and the engineer must 

 work hand in hand. The geologist determines the well sites and 

 estimates the probable depth at which what is sought may be found. 

 This is speaking in a general way, because no geologist living can pre- 

 dict with certainty what is going to be met with at, say some 1000' below 

 the surface, but from his data carefully collected, he can assume that 

 certain strata will be met with at certain depths. The drilling of a well 

 requires very expert mechanical knowledge. Very often certain condi- 

 tions occur in the drilling of a well, that the ordinary tools provided will 

 not tackle in any way. The engineer and the driller have then to 

 design and make a special piece of plant to overcome the difficulty. 

 Sometimes accidents occur, where a tool, wire line, rope, or other piece of 

 the plant is broken off and left in the well, and it must be quite evident 

 that unless this is removed or " side tracked " the drilling operations 

 cannot be continued. Sometimes the casing becomes flattened by enor- 

 mous earth pressure ; this requires very expert handling to avoid the loss 

 of the well. Many other difficulties too numerous to mention may and do 

 occur from time to time, and call for special treatment and remedy. It is 

 fortunate if the engineering and geological knowledge is combined in one 

 man, but as a general rule, the engineer has only a nodding acquaintance 

 with geology, while the geologist often knows even less of engineering. 



In British Guiana, many small wells were put down prior to 1913 

 but without exception these only tapped the sands underlying the coastal 

 plain at shallow depth. The first true artesian well was drilled in 1913 on 

 the old race course at D'Urban Park, the underlying rock being reached 

 at 558'. 



This well gave and is still giving, a plentiful supply of the very 

 purest artesian water, but a very full account of this well and also the 

 others drilled in the Colony up to the end of 1918, is given in the Ses- 

 sional paper issued by His Excellency the Governor dealing with " The 

 choking of some of the deep artesian wells of British Guiana," written by 

 Professor Harrison, C.M.G., F.G.S., and the present writer. I have no in- 

 tention of wearying the reader with an account of each well drilled. Suffice 

 it to say, the results that have been obtained are exceptionally good and 

 warrant the further exploitation of the boundless wealth wrapped up in 

 the subterranean water supplies of the Colony. Up to the end of 

 November last, out of the 25 wells drilled twenty proved to be flowing 

 artesian wells. Two of the failures being in dry spots, two others being 

 purely experimental wells to ascertain the geological formation in the 

 North West district to test the possibility of petroleum deposits there, 

 while in one well the water rose to the surface and the well would pro- 



