fenneman.]  BOULDER    OIL    FIELD,    COLORADO.  391 
Benton.  The  axis  of  that  fold  would  seem  to  pass  a  little  west  of  the 
Maxwell  well. 
Production  of  gas. — A  well  originally  called  the  Buffalo,  about  1  mile 
east  of  Boulder,  struck  gas  in  considerable  quantity.  The  gas  has  been 
piped  to  Boulder  for  delivery  to  the  local  gas  company.  Tests  made 
by  the  company  were  interpreted  as  showing  that  the  well  would  yield 
4,000  feet  per  hour.  The  quality  is  reported  as  poor,  and  there  has 
been  no  long-continued  use  of  it.  The  Maxwell  well  showed  consid- 
erable pressure  after  long  confinement,  but  this  quickly  fell  off  when 
the  gas  was  allowed  to  flow.  It  has  never  been  utilized,  and  there  is 
no  estimate  of  the  capacity  of  the  well. 
Production  of  the  field. — The  number  of  productive  wells  drilled  in 
1903  is  four.  All  of  these  are  within  the  area  which  was  known  as 
producing  territory  in  1902,  and  all  are  near  the  north  end  of  the  line 
of  older  wells.  The  Stewart  well,  not  a  producer,  is  10  miles  north  of 
Boulder,  just  beyond  the  northern  limit  of  the  map.  It  is  noteworthy 
for  the  valuable  stratigraphic  evidence  which  it  afforded  and  for  its 
yield  of  flowing  water  from  the  lowest  sandstone  of  the  Morrison. 
The  total  number  of  pumps  working  more  or  less  regularly  at  the 
opening  of  the  year  was  thirteen.  During  the  year  five  of  these  were 
discontinued  and  five  pumps  were  installed  at  new  wells.  This  appar- 
ently slow  rate  of  development  is  not  due  to  lack  of  output  (see 
below).  Plans  for  the  immediate  future  point  to  a  more  rapid  devel- 
opment. 
The  shipments  of  1902  were  11,000  barrels  (of  12  gallons  each). 
Those  of  1903  were  39,000  barrels.  To  this  latter  figure  should  be 
added  a  small  margin  for  that  which  was  refined  at  the  local  refinery. 
The  quantity  handled  by  the  latter  during  the  previous  year  was  insig- 
nificant. Some  wells  have  shown  a  marked  decrease,  though  probably 
no  more  rapid  than  is  common  in  other  fields.  In  but  one  instance 
has  the  pumping  of  a  new  well  decidedly  lessened  the  flow  of  an  older 
producer. 
Almost  the  whole  product  continues  to  be  bought  by  the  United 
Oil  Company,  which  refines  the  oil  at  Florence,  Colo.  The  small 
remainder  is  taken  at  the  local  refinery.  The  present  price  paid  by 
the  United  Oil  Company  is  $1.10  per  barrel  at  the  mouth  of  the  well. 
