Feb., 1901] 
Bownocker — The Corning Fields. 
57 
destroying the life of the well. Had the wells been cased through the 
“Little Salt Sand” time and money would have been saved, and the 
production of the field would have been larger. 
The western side of the field is quite free from salt water. It is 
on that side that the principal gas territory lies. On the easern side 
of the field the conditions are more variable. In Trimble township, 
Athens county, the wells are free from water, while in Monroe town- 
ship, Perry county, salt water is found in the northeast corner, and 
in Morgan county it is so abundant that operating is prevented. 
From this it appears that the western side of the Corning field is free 
from salt water, and that it is absent also on the eastern side at the 
southern margin of the territory, but that it increases rapidly to the 
northeast. 
While the production of the wells after being shot has varied 
greatly, yet they have not furnished the great extremes that many 
other fields have. Few, if any of the wells, have started better than 
125 barrels per day, and it has been estimated that the average for 
the entire field has been 20 barrels. 
The wells have sufficient gas pressure to flow them during the 
earlier part of their lives, but later as the pressure diminishes they 
have to be pumped. Since the eastern side of the field has salt 
water the wells there have to be pumped earlier than those on the 
western side. 
The Gas Wells.— The principal gas territory is that along 
Muddy Fork in Sections 22 and 29 Trimble township, Athens county, 
the best wells being found in the western half of the latter section on 
the lands of the Hocking Coal and Railroad company. The largest 
well in this field started at 3,000,000 cubic feet per day with a rock 
pressure of 400 pounds. It was drilled in the fall of 1897, and one year 
later was producing 2,000,000 cubic feet per day, and still another 
year later 1,500,000 cubic feet. Of the other wells in this territory 
two started at 2,000,000 feet each, two at 1,000,000 feet each, and three 
at 500,000 feet each. The decline in the smaller wells was not as 
rapid as in the larger ones since the demands made on them were not 
as heavy. Thus far no dry boles have been found in this territory. 
The reliance of the community is on this field where 5,000 acres are 
leased in one block. 
Another district that has yielded considerable gas is that at 
Oakfield about 3 miles north of Corning. These wells started at 
2,000,000, 1,500,000, 500,000, and 250,000 cubic feet per day respectively. 
Two of the smaller of these have been abandoned after having pro- 
duced for two years. The largest of these wells, now four years old, 
is producing 500,000 cubic feet per day, and the second largest, now 
three years old, is producing the same amount. The wells in this 
field produce considerable oil and by some are rated as oil wells 
rather than gas ones. 
