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About Herald and news. (Klamath Falls, Or.) 1942-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 29, 1961)
IT Big Gamble Taken For Black Gold By FLOYD L. WYNNE Four miles south of Lakeview several hundred feet from the highway, a 156-f jot oil derrick splits the sky and 25 men labor in s venture that could change the entire future of this sheep! and cattle country. Masterminding the operation are two men whose combined ex perience in the oil business span a 60-year period. The roar of the pumps com. pletely muffle whatever noise may be emanating Irom a slowly turn ing bit that bites deeper and deeper into the volcanic earth, al ready some 7,850 feet below the surface and gnawing an average of 100 feet per day into the bowels of the earth. It's a "raw wildcatter" in the parlance of George Dabney, field superintendent for the Humble Oil Company. Frankly admitting that it's a big gamble, Dabney is just as quick to admit that he doesn't have the slightest idea in the world wliether it will or will not pay off. "Dry Hole" Dabney, as he terms himself, is a throwback to the days of the early oil wild' callers, a man with the bulldog purpose that will keep him dr ill ing unul ne 5 told to slop, out - with that love of excitement that Mnmes only in a world of sur prises. . j?i His "partner" in this Lake Coun. ly venture Is much the opposite in many respects. Kay Anderson, another veteran of 30 years in the oil fields, is smaller, quieter, but J JUSl as luiiaiiuus in ilia iiiib iui When asked about their working arrangement, Anderson said, "It's a case of a Wyoman and a Texan getting together in Ore ( gon" . t Aclually, Anderson is "tool push- er" for the Sun Drilling Com- panr which is drilling the well on a daily contract basis for the Humblo Ou Company. Anderson pointed out that his firm is responsible for: the drill ing of tho well, and that Dabney is rcsDonsiulc for .tno Hole. ft The two' work together like a well coordinated pair and consult closely on all operations of the well. Neither mun knows how deep they'll be permitted to go in search of tho liquid gold, and neither knows what the prospects are of its being successful. . Regarding the odds of the gam ble, Dabney pointed out that the national average of wildcat wells being successful is 25 to 1 against .them. Ho added Uiat the national average of all types of wells drilled is down to about 0 to 1, ox ' plaining that you'll drill nine dry holes while hitting one good one. ! As we toured the operation, that lWi-inch bit continued to bore , away at the bottom end of that 7,Ki) foot, length of pipe. Chemically impregnated water continues to flow down and around that bit, carrying drilling parti cles back up to the surface, where they are constantly being tested in a trailer, dubbed the labors torv" by Dabney. "They won't- oven let mo In (here," he said, casting a big thumb toward the lighted trailer located just a few feet from the drilling operation. Located about 500 miles from : the nearest oil producing well, and about 350 miles from the nearest saj producing well, this opera tion represents about a $12.0C0 monthly payroll that is flowing mto the city of lakeview. Neither man could pin down a definite cost of the operation, but . Dabney indicated that a 10,000-1 foot well in this area would cost about $250,000. The complete costl of the machinery involved in the drilling Is estimated at 800.ooo. Power for the operation is pro vided by five V-12 Caterpillar en gines which also throw off heat l keep the men more comfort able at the operation fits. As you stand and watch that constantly turning bit, knowing that it is biting deeper and deeper, to areas never before penetrat ed at this Darticular site, and lis- tm to the gurgling sound of the aurkv grey 'water swirling round the base of the opera- twi. you begin to sense some ofj Ike "excitement" of the unexpect ed that obviously fills the life of: both riahnev and Anderson. Dabney put it neatly when he pointed out that "I've drilled many a producing well, but when fou know that you can drill a ll to 10,000 or 14,000 feet and. ill produce oil, it gets monoio lllun" There' talk of going at least fl feet, perhaps deeper. The M decision of how deep to go lies with Humble Oil Company; and iu pneinecrs. Dabney and n. noa will push the well as deep r.-. ...... ..f. .-.... flt ir,,r t I'-'i,, n )f rf-TiYitrri-iriir iiwiiititiiiiiii THIS OIL DERRICK rises 156 feet into the sky about Drilling operations continue and huve reached a depth Company is conducting the 'We can go down 25,000 feet they want us to, Anderson stated. At the rate of progress now, it would take about another 20 to 25 days to reach, the 10,000-foot level. What happens if they hit it? Asked this question, Dabney said, "It wouldn't convert this area Into a boom town," he admit ted, "because today, the expan sion of this type of thing is or derly and carefully done." However, behind his answer, one could sense that should the well prove successful, the future des tiny of this; wide oiicn land ol lakes and livestock would undergo a big transformation. SS Tax Rates Are Still 3, Employers Told Social Security tax rules for old- age bcnclils are sua three per cent, A. G. Erickson, district dir ector of the Internal Revenue Serv ice, today reminded Oregon em ployers. Erickson said ho was issuing this reminder in' response to a large number of calls he has re ceived about an insert mailed Willi the Employer's Quarterly Federal Tax Return, Form 041. "The insert called attention to an increase in the federal unem ployment tax from three per cent to 3.1 per cent applicable tn wages paid on and after Jan. 1 IBtil," Erickson said. He explained that thus particu lar tax (FUTA) is piud entirely by the employer and reported to. the Internal Revenue Service on Form 040. Employer's Annual Fed eral Unemployment Tax Return. Employers of four or more in dividuals on at least one day of each of 20 weeks are those liable for tlwr tax. Erickson said the Social Secur ity tax remains the same, three .mm ntnl HrlllilinM Tenm lliA Am. Illume a nii-a. iiiiu inirc ki l ..A II cent paid by the employer, or a total of six per cent. Tlieso rates apply to the tirst $4,800 of wages. Ho said these taxes are report ed quarterly on Form 941. Ho also said the social security rnto for the self employed re mains at four and one-half per cent. ' Fire Kills Five Tots TEXARKANA. Tex. (API H1 ,, . , Flames sweeping IhitMigh a house occupied by 12 persons killed five lots 3 months to 4 years old; Thursday night. Tho victims all were grandchil dren of Mr. and Mrs. Willie San- ihr ri.-uiohlers made their home Ou nl IhK .li-vivnri bin .-.! c...i... o ...a . Ik. children shouted as the bla was,'1 discovered: "I'm on fire the quilt is burning!" Firemen said the bedding tome- Ikiw came in contact wilh an open heater In a room where six end- i kij I' .! , . , l i- drilling on a contract basis for IT MM i ! v" sn f fmir . ve-if I if II , i v uj -zap to 4m& "'J tawvliskl:(, ACTUAL DRILLING OPERATIONS are shown here at the base of the towering oil drilling derrick. In fore ground is the drilling core that drops to a depth of 7,850 feet into the earth. The ten and five-eighths inch drill bit can work for about 18 hours before it must be re placed. In background, center, is George Dabney, field superintendent for Humble Oil, consulting with one of the drillers. Senate Confirms Lemon For Sfate Commission SALEM (API The Oregon Sen ate confirmed 24-3 Friday the ap pointment of E. B. Lemon to the slate Scholarship Commission. Votes against confirmation were cast by three Democrats R. F. Chapman. Coos Bay: William A. Grenfell Jr., Portland; and Boyd Overhulse, Madras. The mailer has been controver sial for many months because of VIHMIIl-ll 3 opKisilion to Lemon. The Senate Interim Committee on Executive Appointments first voted neninst conlirmation, and ADC Chiefs Take Review PHOENIX. Ariz. lAP) About: 70 high ranking olficers of the Airitimc of experience to the com Ilefcn.se Command are conduct ing a detailed review of the na tion's SS billion defense setup dur ing a three-day meeting here. The system is expected to be in nau.n,;nn ,1.;. ...... I i urn tfin'i iimuii una vv.ii , i.i. vivii. J()spi;h nmmmA(.t of the ADC headquarters at Col- orado Spring: Colo., told a news conference. It includes the latest in elec tronic eves and ears to warn of emmy "l k- 110 nuodrons of """ I Ji i from Hie force ana national Guard, Bomnro m,ss,le- he sa"1 Atkinson, the ranking officer among the 24 generals attending. aia " cost w nunon a year 10 operate. The sessions, which end Salur- a 1 four miles south of Lakeview. of 7,850 feet. The Sun Drilling the Humble Oil Company. r W i - M then reversed itself. Grcnfell made a half - hour sceoh Friday in which he said l,omon, a retired dean at Oregon State College, was "a very arro gant man, autocratic, and has a hard-nosed attitude." A half-dozen senators, led by Sen. Monroe Sweclland, D-Mil- waukic. chairman of the Senate Education Committee, vigorously defended Lemon. Swectlnnd said Lemon had been the determining factor in making the commission, created by the ISI59 legislature. success. The commission has considered schol arship applications for the stale university and colleges from 3.400 applicants, but had funds for only 770 of them, Swectland said. Dean Lemon. is positive, firm and a tough official of our stale." Swectland said. "He brings a life- mission." Sen. Anthony Yturri. Ontario. Senate Republican leader, said Grenfell has submitted to evi dence that Dean Lemon is arro gant. Denn Lemon is a patient, reasonable and understanding per son with great depth." Yturri said Grenfell was basing iiis position on rumor and hear say. The Senate Education Commit tee had voted 4-1 Thursday to con- lJr.... ii jnC5w SOF-PLY Fl"1 1 1 tP 1 Hfrfc " PAPER yJM l ivi imp kj ZA 7nC III i hn-J lr-rr-4 1 hmf &rrrrm Air j firm lemon's appointment, de andispite Grenfcll's objections. People Read SPOT ADS you are t. .'"IfcinfejiijijiiiM nri-lr. ii i r -' ' - ' -.J THESE TWO MEN join forces in the surging drive into the depths of the earth near Lakeview in the quest for oil. Left is Ray Anderson, "tool pusher" for Sun Drilling Company which does the drilling on a contract basis, and at' right is George Dabney, field superintendent for Humble Oil Company, the firm financing the exploration. BIRTHS BOYS REED Born to Mr. and Mrs. DdHord John Reed Jr. Jan. 76 In Klamath Val ley Hospital, a boy weighing 7 lbs., 7 ozs. iut koun Born io Mr. and Mrs. Jo seph W. Anderson Jan. 25 in Klamalhi va.ley Hospital, a boy weighing 6 lbs., PAGE 6-A HERALD AND lmt J t JLJK"t H J ; fl H 1 I f i 1 M ltt mmx ' .rir:r"j"r ti r i ts a v j w 111.4 nim I:1AL if I J? !K M0RE? il 1 M RETRACTABLE WzK M lim BALL point I4K I Ji PENS 1 HEi 9 iMS ' TH,CK FOAM RUBBER "S J HiSlaWll I i ba-mn WELDED RIGHT ON! I TOSI . 1 W NO HUG PAD NEEDED! BROADLOOMED 1 ill V (3yfc OM ACTUAL VISCOSE CARPET FIBERS! M ffl MMA Color-Toned for Easy Owning! ' WWW 15l Xymk four ; On The Record 5 ozs. CAMPBELL Born to Mr. and Mrs. Glen Campbell Jan. 25 in Klamath Va'l - ley Hospital, a boy weighing 8 lbs., 4V. OiS. GIRLS MADDOX Born to Mr. and Mrs. George Maddox Jan. 26 In Klamath Val- NEWS, Klamath Falls, Ore. bounty Futunt I ley Hospital, a girl weighing 6 lbs.. 11 ozs. I KEELER Born to Mr. and Mrs. Tom t Keeler Jan. 25 In Klamath Valley Hos- pital, a girt weighing 7 lbs., 5'i ozs. VOGEL Born to Mr. and Mrs. Donald Vogel Jan. 25 In Klamath Valley Hospi tal, a girl weighing 6 lbs., 9,i ozs. Boys 36 Girls 3? Sunday, January 29, 1961 Lights Won't For Even City Policeman An officer working the policevised. desk" becomes accustomed to a yet." varietv of comDlaints. but Otticer Fred Olin was taken aoacit rri day morning when a woman called to say she couldn't makel all the lights on Main Street. "Think nothing of it, Olin ad- Would Take U.S. Post SALT LAKE CITY (AP'-Dr. Sterling M. McMurrin. academic j vice president of the University! of Utah, said Thursday he will I accept the post of U.S. commis - sioner of education if it is otlerea to him. Dr. McMurrin said he has been recommended for the commis sioner's post by Welfare Secre tary Abraham Ribicoff. McMur rin returned to Salt Lake City Thursday night after a confer-. once with Ribicoff in Washington, D.C. He said he hopes to get a leave of absence from the university if President Kennedy names him to the post. McMurrin, 47, was a philosophy professor before moving into ad ministrative work at Utah. Go Right ve never made them all in more serious business Fri day morning, officers investigate , ed a traffic accident at Mitchell and Radcliffe streets and cited Mrs. Billy Joe Hand, 26, 2614 Radcliffe Street, for failure to yield right of way to a vehicle. She was cited after her car col lided with a pickup truck driven by William Fremont Nendel, 26, 2507 Wanlland Street. Mrs. Hand received a cut lip. Another collision occurred Thurs day afternoon at the coiner of Eleventh and Walnut streets, when care driven by James fc. Lawrie, 16, 1111 Washburn Way, and James N. Hendricks, 29, Marys- jvillc. Calif., came together at the intersection, mere were no inju- Ines or citations. Other police reports: Mrs. Norman Doty, 1905 Arthur Street, said the left rear window of her car and the radio antenna were broken Wednesday night in the parking lot behind the Holi day Bowl. MOVING? c.n TU 1-SU2 NORTH AMERICAN VAN LINES dren had been put to bed. My, are closed to neusmen. I tosy want.
