STATE GEOLOGIST. 65 
drilled in this county in 1902 was at the rate of two for each one aban- 
doned. It is reasonable to expect that the ratio of the latter group with 
reference to the former one will be largely increased during the next few 
years. 
Salt-Water.—No county in the entire Trenton limestone field has 
been underlain with a greater reservoir of salt-water than Wood. ‘This 
was a serious obstacle in the days of natural gas, causing the premature 
death of more than one well. At first the water was regarded as a formid- 
able obstacle to oil development, but it was soon found that the two could 
readily be separated, and that the principal increase in the cost of produc- 
tion was that arising from pumping the salt-water. Later it was found 
that after having been pumped regularly the reservoir of water decreased. 
It was further noted that these wells were very long producers of oil, and 
consequently they have come into favor. Many wells when completed, 
have not made a show of oil, but after having been pumped for weeks or 
months began producing oil. One has been reported as having been 
pumped 27 months before oil appeared, and later yielded 400 barrels per 
day. Many claim that the salt-water prevents the wells from paraffining. 
The quantity of water pumped from the Trenton in this county has 
been enormous. During 15 years thousands of pumps have been at work, 
many stopping for repairs only. As might be suspected the reservoir 
has been greatly reduced, and at the present time causes much less 
trouble. 
HANCOCK COUNTY. 
The Wood county oil fields are connected with those of Hancock 
by two independent branches. One of these lies on the west side of the 
county, the other on the east. 
The western branch enters the county through Allen and Portage 
townships and includes a large part of Liberty to the south, having a 
width there exceeding five miles. The area of this pool is about 43 
‘square miles. 
The eastern branch passes from Bloom township, Wood county, 
into Cass of Hancock, and extends entirely across this township and then 
enters Marion on the south. From this it extends into Big Lick, and 
finally into the northern part of Amanda. While this strip is long it is 
so narrow that the total area probably does not exceed 9 square miles. 
Besides these two pools there are several smaller ones found in dif- 
ferent parts of the country. The positions and areas of these are made 
clear from the following descriptions: 
Allen Township.—The producing territory extends south from Henry 
township, Wood county, into Allen of Hancock, entering section 2, and 
running nearly due south as a narrow strip about three-fourths of a mile 
in width, to near the south line of section 11. At this point the western 
boundary of this strip bends due west entering section 10 of Portage. 
58. G. 
