218 University Geological Survey of Kansas. 
area remains the most remarkable in the Midcontinental field. 
It seems that we have here a long, slender north-and-south pool 
lying parallel with the ninety-sixth meridian, which is the 
boundary between the Cherokee and the Osage lands, lying 
principally in the Osage, with a few good wells east of the 
boundary-line and a few from five to ten miles to the west. In 
a north-and-south direction the pool extends nearly to Tulsa, 
with only occasional dry wells interspersed. A number of 
these wells started at 1000 barrels per day, and they held up 
their capacity as well, or better, than any other wells in the 
area. Farther west in the Osage drilling has been done irregu- . 
larly with quite indifferent success. Some wells are good oil- 
wells, others good gas-wells, and quite a number of them dry. 
But little drilling was done in Kansas during 1906. Early in 
the year there was some development in the vicinity of Paola, 
Osawatomie and Rantoul; also a small amount in the Hoffman 
field, Chautauqua county, five miles west of Peru, and an oc- 
casional well elsewhere here and there over the entire Kansas 
territory. But in general all the drilling done in Kansas was 
in searching for gas, as will be explained later. 
Markets.—The Prairie Oil and Gas Company is the principal 
purchaser of oil, and, therefore, fixes the price. The lesser 
concerns consume but little, and, although occasionally they 
bid a little above the market price, they have little, if any, in- 
fluence on the market. In fact, some of them can hardly obtain 
as large a quantity as they desire. There is a sentiment abroad 
that if a producer once sells to an independent concern the 
Prairie Oil and Gas Company will not take his supply or any 
fraction of it. It is probable this has not been put to a test, 
but the wide-spread belief that such would be the case has kept 
a number of people selling to the Prairie and declining bids 
from others. 
At the beginning of the year the price paid was fifty-two 
cents per barrel for oil with a specific gravity of 32° B. or 
lighter. During the summer this price gradually dropped un- 
til the low mark of thirty-nine cents was reached in August, at 
which point it has remained. For oils heavier than 32° B., in 
most cases, a reduction of five cents was made for each half de- 
gree. 
Gas.—The Midcontinental field has witnessed the most ac- 
tivity in developing and marketing gas. The Kansas Natural 
Gas Company got its pipe-line laid to Kansas City, Kan., To- 
