84 ANNUAL REPORT 
It appears that a low fold extends across the county, running from 
Spencerville due east to Lima; thence northeast to Beaver Dam, and con- 
tinuing in that general direction enters Hancock county. The fold is 
nowhere sharp; in fact, following from well to well gives the impression 
that the rock lies practically flat. 
Around Beaver Dam it has been the custom to drill from 50 to 100 
feet in the Trenton, but the oil and gas are usually found at depths not ex- 
ceeding 35 feet. It is a general rule that the top of the rock in question 
is free from the desired products. The territory in this part of the county 
is quite spotted, due apparently to changes in the texture of the rock. 
The wells are shot with from 120 to 240 quarts of nitro-glycerine. Casing 
is inserted when the shales above the Clinton limestone are reached; in 
the language of the driller, the casing extends into the second break. 
In the vicinity of Lima the drift is quite spotted, and sometimes very 
deep. The suddenness of the changes in depth shows that the underlying 
limestones have been deeply notched before the drift was deposited. This 
work was done by running water, and these unusual depths of drift are in 
preglacial valleys or gorges. One of these apparently starts a mile east 
of Lima, and extending southwest enters Auglaize county near Criders- 
ville. The other heads near Elida and running slightly east of south unites 
with the first one near the county line. The greatest depth of drift re- 
ported in any of these old valleys is 394 feet, while outside of the valley 
the depth is usually less than 100 feet, and commonly does not exceed one- 
half of that. 
What has been said with reference to the territory around Beaver 
Dam applies equally well to other parts of the county, for the geological 
relations are decidedly monotonous. Practically everywhere in the county 
some salt- water is pumped with the oil, but the quantity varies from place 
to place. Occasionally it is necessary to keep the pumps working day and 
night to keep the salt-water under control, a condition most common in 
the territory recently developed. 
Production of the Wells——Large wells have been secured in this 
county, but the greatest have not equaled those found in Wood. The first 
large well was drilled near Lima in the fall of 1887, and produced nearly 
1,000 barrels of oil the first 24 hours. Six months later, when it had 
yielded 60,000 barrels, the production was still 150 barrels per day. A 
little later a well was drilled on the Ridenour farm in section 18 of Perry 
township which produced 2,760 barrels of oil during the first 24 hours.t 
This is the largest initial production in the county of which the writer has 
learned. In the northeastern part of the county the best wells started 
at about 500 barrels, but the number of these was small. On the west 
side of the county the best well reported yielded 600 barrels the first 24 
hours.t. No figure can be given for the average production, but it seems 
1Geol. Sur. of Ohio, Vol. VI, p. 178-9. 
