THE PETROLEUM INDUSTRY OF CANADA 



passed iu reaching the oil-bearing strata. The following 

 is the log of a typical well in the Petrolia region : 



Surface clay loo feet 



Top rock 50 feet 



Soapstoue 134 feet 



Middle lime 15 feet 



Lower soapstoue 44 feet 



Depth to lower lime 343 feet 



Lower lime 145 feet 



Total depth 478 feet 



One hundred and ten feet of 4^ inch casing used. Shot 

 15 quarts of nitro-glycerine. 



On the completion of a well it is cased to carefully 

 shut off surface and other water. A charge of nitro- 

 glycerine is exploded at the bottom of the well to open up 

 the pores of the rock and clean out the debris caused by 

 drilling. 



A pump is introduced and connections made with a 

 vibrating rod attached to a jerker constructed to pump a 

 number of wells, in some cases from 20 to 80 wells or more 

 being run from one .set of machinery. 



Small pipes are laid to each well to conduct the oil to 

 the central tank for delivery to the pipe line companies, 

 who draw the oil from the receiving tanks and store it in 

 their store-house tanks or transmit to the refiner. 



The oil is nearly all conveyed to its place of final 

 disposal through underground pipes, by steam power 

 generated with the fuel formed from the refuse from the 

 material handled. 



One of the necessities, from the want of which the 

 early oil operators suffered, w^as tanks in which to store 

 their oil pending the season of the 3^ear in which the bulk 

 of it would be required. Naturally the Canadians erected, 

 in the first place, great wooden tanks which jncredsed in 



