124 OIL FIELDS OF TEXAS-LOUISIANA COASTAL PLAIN, [bull. 212. 
WELL RECORDS. 
Oil prospectors were attracted to High Island by the similarity of 
its surface conditions to those at Spindletop, especially the sulphur 
and gas springs, and some drilling has already been done. 
Four companies owning land or having leases on the island com- 
bined their interests and put down a well in common. This is called 
the Big Four No. 1, located near the Smith mineral springs. When 
the well had reached a depth of 610 feet, the bit with a section of the 
drill rod was lost, and the well was abandoned. A new well, Big Four 
No. 2, was located in the immediate vicinity. 
The first well gave the following section; 
Log of Big Four well <il High Island, Chambers County, Tex. 
[Elevation, 4ufeet.] 
Character of strata. 
Yellow clay 
Sand 
Blue clay 
Clay, sand, and shells. Fresh water at 180 
feet . 
Conglomerate rock 
Sulphur and clay 
Hard siliceous rock 
Quicksand and salt water 
Siliceous rock 
Brown clay 
Siliceous rock 
Clay..__. 
Siliceous rock .... 
Clay 
Siliceous rock 
Clay .. 
Siliceous rock 
Oil sand _• 
Thickness. From 
Feet. 
20 
20 
60 
80 
4 
23 
4 
50 
5 
44 
4 
55 
4 
36 
3 
91 
2 
4 
Feet. 

20 
40 
100 
180 
184 
207 
211 
261 
266 
810 
314 
369 
373 
409 
412 
503 
505 
To— 
Feet. 
20 
40 
100 
180 
184 
207 
211 
261 
266 
310 
314 
369 
373 
409 
412 
503 
505 
509 
Between 509 and 610 feet in depth, where the well was abandoned, 
is a series of sands and limestones, with much gypsum. The lime- 
stone is reported to contain manj^ cavities lined with calcite crystals. 
The Big Four well No. 2 at last reports had been drilled to a depth 
of over 1,000 feet, and after passing the sands and limestones found 
in Well No. 1, between 500 and GOO feet, continued in limestone or 
dolomite and gypsum to the bottom. A small quantity of oil was 
