156 ANNUAL REPORT 
drilled on the Ohio Coal Company’s lands which started at too barrels. 
This was the first of the large Berea producers, and at once led to exten- 
sive operations. 
The Second Stage in the Development of the Field.—One of the 
results of the discovery of oil in the Berea was the testing of the 
territory outside of the valley. The demonstration that oil existed 
beneath the hills greatly extended the possibilities of the field. After the 
completion of the 1oo-barrel well referred to above, others were drilled in 
rapid succession, the tools moving in all directions until 1885, when the 
limits of the field had been determined. This extended almost as far north 
as Dexter City, as far south as Elba, two and one-half miles east of Macks- 
burg, while the western boundary was practically limited by Duck creek. 
The largest producers were secured on the George Dyer farm, one 
and one-quarter miles northeast of Macksburg in section 5 of Jefferson 
township, Noble county. Two wells on this place, drilled in 1885-6, are re- 
ported to have started each at 400 barrels, but the great body of Berea 
wells in the field started at from 15 to 60 barrels. All contained sufficient 
gas to flow the oil, thus diminishing the expense of operating them. 
As has been previously stated, one of the early difficulties was the 
transportation of the oil, and as the production of the field increased the 
problem became more serious. 
The completion of the Cleveland & Marietta railroad gave temporary 
relief, for in 1883 a pipe line was connected with it, the oil being trans- 
ported in tank cars. A year later a line was laid to the Muskingum river, 
near Lowell, and the oil loaded on boats. In 1885 the National Transit 
laid a three-inch line to Parkersburg, West Virginia, and from that time 
the transportation of the oil has been a comparatively easy problem. 
The Berea wells were drilled wet, the casing usually extending to 
about 65 feet below the 140-foot sand, but occasionally it went to the 300- 
foot. The object of the casing was merely to prevent caving, and not as at 
present to exclude water also. When drilled the salt-water was kept from 
the oil rock by placing a packer around the tubing a few feet above the 
sand. This could not subsequently be removed, since the salt-water above 
would at once enter the sand and cause a deposit of paraftine around the 
hole, thus shutting out the oil. Hence, when sand obstructed the holes 
in the bottom of the tubing, or the pores in the rock in any manner became 
closed, the production of the well ceased though the oil had not been ex- 
hausted. This was very unfortunate, since it has made necessary the 
re-drilling, at a great expense, of the entire Berea producing territory. 
The production of the field increased rapidly as well after well was 
drilled. In August, 1884, it was 4,600 barrels; in December, 1884, 10,000 
barrels; in March, 1885, 21,600 barrels; in July, 1885, 79,700 barrels. 
From that time there was a decrease, the output having been 66,175 in 
December, 1885, and 57,700 barrels in February, 1886. 
