Lost and Abandoned Wells
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related to legislation and regulation and information on how you can help locate
orphan and abandoned wells! Click here to launch the presentation.
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The law relating to oil and gas:
Including oil and gas leases and contracts, production of oil and gas, both natural and artificial, and supplying heat and light thereby, whether by private corporations or municipalities, regulating gas companies, insurance, negligence, transportation, explosives, forms of oil and gas leases and contracts, etc., with all federal, state and Ontario statutes pertaining to natural gas and oil, (Page 1461,Plugging) 1918http://books.google.com/books?id=aWxPAQAAIAAJ&dq=Pennsylvania%2C%20oil%2C%20plug&pg=PA1461#v=onepage&q=Pennsylvania,%20oil,%20plug&f=false
United States. Bureau of Mines
U.S. Govt. Print. Office., 1913
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CHRONOLOGICAL DATA ON OIL AND GAS DEVELOPMENT
According to the PENNSYLVANIA GEOLOGICAL SURVEY FOURTH SERIES 1922
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BC 2200 From the following references it would appear that the knowledge of petroleum dates to early Biblical times.
Old Testament references Mortar used in the construction of the Tower of Babel was probably part petroleum.
Pitch with which Noah coated the Ark was perhaps a petroleum product.
B.C.500 Herodotus speaks of oil springs in the Island Zante.
A,D. Oil from the Isle of Sicily was burned in lamps about the beginning of the Christian era.
A.D.1627 Daillon a French missionary reports oil near Cuba in what is now a part of the State of New York It was called “antonontous” by the Indians.
1642 Charlevoix reports oil as a “stagnant water which would burn”
1753 Oil springs reported on Oil Creek Pa an account and map of which was published by Peter Kaln.
1760 Oil obtained from the distillation of coal.
1783 Gen Benjamin Lincoln reported to Rev Joseph Williard of Cambridge University that several gallons of Barbadoes tar could be collected by one man daily from springs near the head of Oil Creek Pa.
1789 Oil was used increasingly for medical purposes being mentioned in German literature.
1807 Oil for medical purposes selling along Oil Creek for one to two dollars a gallon.
1808 Oil obtained from salt wells in West Virginia along the Kanawha River.
1821 Natural gas used for lighting and heating at Fredonia NY.
1828 Oil used as a lubricant.
1829 A flowing oil well was struck while digging for salt in Cumberland Co Kentucky.
1833 Seneca oil from Seneca Lake Allegany Co New York was put on the market as an antidote for rheumatism burns sprains etc.
1840 Oil from salt wells near Taren tum Allegheny Co Pa reported to be a nuisance.
1846 Abraham Gasner is reported to have distilled oil from coal in the United States.
1849 Mr Kerr sold petroleum in one half pint bottles for 50 cents each for medical purposes.
1854 First deed conveying oil rights in Pennsylvania was made.
1855 Rock Oil Company was organized under the laws of the State of New York First oil company in Pennsylvania.
1859 About fifty companies engaged in the distillation of oil from coal or shales in the United States Selling prices 60 to 70 cents per gallon.
1859 Drakes well drilled in August 28th to a depth of 69 feet Well pumped about 25 bbls of oil daily Price of oil was $20.00 a barrel.
1861 First flowing well obtained on Oil Creek Pa Many gushers flowed 3000 to 4000 bbls a day Price of oil 10 a barrel.
1865 Developments extending as far as Greene County Pa.
1868 Developments in Butler Armstrong and Clarion counties.
1868 Small quantities of oil obtained in what is now the Bradford pool.
1872 Gas piped 5 ½ miles to Titusville.
1874 Natural gas first used in iron making.
1875 The famous Bradford pool under development.
1876 Much activity in the Bradford field Warren field discovered.
1878 Haymaker Well No 1 struck at Murrysville Westmoreland County.
1881 Bradford pool at its maximum 21 million bbls.
1883 Gas piped from Murrysville to Pittsburgh.
1884 Phillips well drilled in on Thorn Creek flowed 10,000 to 12,000 bbls of oil a day.
1885 First oil well in Washington County Gantz well at Washington struck oil Gas lines laid from Washington County to Pittsburgh.
1886 Developments in Washington and Greene counties.
1891 Famous McDonald field opened up One well produced 730 bbls an hour.
1892 Development at Herman Station in Butler County.
1894 Finleyville pool in Washington County and North Washington pool in Butler County discovered.
1895 Considerable attention paid to the Kaylor pool in Armstrong County.
1896 Bristoria field in Greene County discovered.
1897 Attention directed toward the Fonner pool in Greene County
1900 Brush Creek and Duff City pools in Allegheny County opened up Large gas well struck on the Cutler farm in Washington County
1901 Speechley sand oil pool discovered on the John Campbell farm in Butler County
1904 First time that the production of petroleum west of the Mississippi exceeded that cast of the Mississippi
1905 A 1000 bbl oil well was completed on the Waldron farm Butler County
1908 High grade oil did not change a single point throughout the vear $1.79
1911 A 900 bbl well was completed in Greene County The Gantz well drilled in 1885 was abandoned In Canonsburg Washington County a town lot proposition was being featured.
1913 Near Duff City Allegheny County a 250 bbl well was drilled in Several 30 to 40 bbl wells were completed in Allegheny Greene and Westmoreland counties
1915 The Evans City oil pool in Butler County come in with a boom It was a town lot proposition and one well produced over 1500 bbls of oil a day.
1917 The deepest well in the United States and second deepest in the world was completed at McDonald Washington County Pa by the Peoples Natural Gas Company Depth 7248 feet As a producer the well was a failure but it was an exceedingly valuable test The Czuchon well in Germany holds the world's record for depth 7349 feet 1918 A new record for deep wells was established when a well was completed on the MO Goff farm in Harrison County West Virginia by the Hope Natural Gas Company Depth 7386 feet Non productive.
1919 The world's record for deep drilling was again broken when the IH Lake well in Marion County West Virginia was drilled by the Hope Natural Gas Company to a depth of 7579 feet Non productive Late in this year the Mc Keesport gas pool was discovered This was a town lot proposition.
1920 Two wells in this State reached a depth of 6822 feet or more The Ligonier well drilled by the Peoples Natural Gas Company in Westmoreland County the other drilled by the TW Phillips Oil and Gas Company in Indiana County to a depth of 7002 feet The Ligonier well is the deepest producing well in the world.