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Big Gamble
Taken For
Black Gold
By FLOYD L. WYNNE
Four miles south of Lakeview,
several hundred feet from the
highway, . a 156-foot oil derrick
splits the sky and 25 men labor
in a venture that could change
the entire future of this sheep
and cattle country.
Masterminding the operation
are two men whose combined ex-i
perience in the oil business span
a 60-year period.
The roar of the pumps com
pletely muffle whatever noise may
be emanating from a slowly turn
ing bit that bites deeper and
deeper into the volcanic earth, al
readysome 7,850 feet below the
SUrlace ami gnawing bii 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
whether 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
nui pose that will keep him drill
jug until he's told to stop, but
with that love of excitement that
comes only in a world of sur
prises., ,
His "partner" in this Lake Coun
ty venture is much the opposite
in many respects. Kay Anderson,
I anoiher veteran of 30 years in the
J oil fields, is smaller, quieter, but
just as tenacious in his fight for
u
r i wiied asked about their working
i arrancement, Anderson said, "It's
i a case of a Wyoman and a
Texan getting together in Ore-
Son" . ,
j. Actually, Anderson Is "tool push-
I cr" for the Sun Drilling Com-
'. jjany which is drilling the well
i 1 on a daily contract basis for the
Humble Oil Company.
Anderson pointed out that his
' firm is responsible or the drill-
ing of the well, and that Dabney
I is responsible for trie "hole."
The two' work (together like aj
i well coordinated pair and consult
closely on all operations of the
. well.
Neither man knows how deep
they'll be permitted to. go In
search of the liquid gold, and
' neither knows what the prospects
are of its being successful. .
Regarding the odds of the gum
He, Dabney pointed out that the,
i national average of wildcat well:
' being successful is 25 to 1 against
' , them. Ho added that the national
. average of all typos 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
I NMi-ineh bit continued to bore
i away al the bottom end of that
, 7,850 foot length of pipe. ;
Chemically impregnated wuter
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 labora
tory" by Dabney.
"Tlicy won't, everi let mo in
there," he said, casting a big
thumb toward the lighted trailer
' located just a few feet from Uie
drilling operation.
Located about 500 miles from
i the nearest oil producing well, and
: about 350 miles from the nearest
: gas producing well, this opera
tion represents about a $12,000
monthly payroll that is iiowing
into the city of Lakeview.
Neither man could pin down a
definite cost of the operation, but
Dabney indicated that a 10,000
foot well in this area would cost:
about $250,000. The complete costl
the machinery involved In the
drilling is estimated at $800,000.
Power for the operation is )ro
vided hy five V-12 Caterpillar en-
Jines which also throw on neat
to keep the men more comfort-
ble at the operation site.
: As vou stand and watch that
constantly turning bit, knowing
j mat It Is biting nocper ano aceiiei
into areas never before penetrat
ed at this particular site, and lis-
1 tal to the gurgling sound of Hie
murky grey water swirling
i iround the base of the opera
lion, you begin to sense some of
lb "excitement" of the unexpect
, d that-obviously fills the life of
' both Dalmev and Anderson.
Dabney put it neatly when he
tsiiiied out that "I've drilled
"; wny a producing well, but when
! foil know that you can arm
: H to 10.000 or 14,000 feet and
- ill produce oil, It gets monoto-
0118."
J There's talk of going at least
10.000 feet, perhaps deeper. "Jr.
I foil decision of how deep to go
m with Humble Oil company
I nd it eimincers. Dabney and An-
I to-wa will push the well as deep
they want.
i' ti
it
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4 M ' it
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THIS OIL DERRICK rises 156 feet into the sky about four miles south of Lakeview.
Drilling operations continue and have reached a depth of 7,850 feet. The Sun Drilling
Company is conducting the drilling on a contract basis for the Humble Oil Company.
'We can go down 25,000 feet
if they want us to," Anderson
stated.
At the rate of progress now, it
would lake 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 life answer, one
could sense, that should the well
prove successful, the future des
tiny of this! wide -open hi id of
Jakes and livestock would undergo
a big transformation.
SS Tax Rates
Are Still 3,
Employers Told
Social Security tax rales for old
age benefits aro still three per
cent, A. G. Erick'jon, district dir
ector of the Internal Rovenue Serv
ice, today reminded Oregon em
ployers. Frlckson said he was Issuing
this reminder in " response to a
large number of calls he has re
ceived about an insert mulled
with the Employer's Quarterly
Federal Tax Return, Form 041.
"The insert culled attention to
an increase in the federal unem
ployment tux from three per cent
to 3.1 per cent applicable to
wuges paid on and after Jan. 1
lWil," Erickson said.
He explained that this particu
lur tax (FUTA) Is paid 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 the tax.
Erickson said the Social Secur
ity tux remains (lie same, three
i ff L.:!' y VI 1?-, 1
- J V' U . K
f t'.:ti3 nit; T0A
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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 State Commission
SALEM (AD The Oregon Sen
ate confirmed 24-.1 Fridi'y the ap
pointment of E. R. Lemon to the
slate Scholarship Commission.
Votes against confirmation were
cast by three Democrats R. F.
Chapman, Coos Bay; William A.
Grenfcll Jr., Portland; and Boyd
Ovcrhulsc, Madras.
The matter has been conlrover-
per cent withheld from the em- ;s,iaI 'r ,.mun' "T!l's ,bt'"se o(
pioyo s wages, nnu inrce per
cent paid by the employer, or a
total of six per cent. These rales
apply lo the fust $4,800 of wages.
lie said these taxes are report
cd quarterly on Form 941.
He also said the social security
rate for tho self-employed re
mains at four and one-half per
cent. i
Fire Kills
Five Tots
GrenfeU's opposition to , Lemon.
The Senate Interim Committee on
Executive Appointments first
voted against confirmation, and
ADC Chiefs
Take Review
PHOENIX, AiU. (AP - About
70 high ranking officers of the Air
Defense Command are conduct
ing a detailed review of the na
tion's $a billion defense setup dur
ing a three-day meeting here.
The system Is expected lo he in
r..ll : .1.:.. I i
ucci ineu u i suns Mum uvc . .. . . . , . r. i
. . . i a u oi the ADC headquarters at Co -
tots 3 months to 4 years old . , , , j .
TEXAHKANA. Tex. (AP) -
Thursday night.
The victims all were grandchil
dren of Mr. and Mrs, Willie San
ders, a Negro couple with whom
three daughters made their home.
One of Die survivors, Benny
Earl Sanders, 9, said one of the
orado Springs, Colo., told a news
conference.
It includes the latest in elec
tronic eyes and ears to warn of
children i-SiouU-d as the blaze asj,he Bo"-' missile, he said.
enemy attack. 00 squadrons of
late model lets from Hie Airlfirm
Force and National Guard, andispile Grenlells objections
then reversed itself.
Grenfell made a half - hour
speech Friday in which he said
lcmon, a retired dean at Oregon
Slale College, was "a very arro
gant man, autocratic, and has a
hard-nosed attitude
A half-dozen senators, led by
Sen. Monroe Swcctland, D-Mil
wnukie, cluiirnan of the Senate
r.uucation committee, vigorously
defended Lemon.
Sweetlnnd said l.cmon had been
the determining factor in making
the commission, created by the
1959 legislature, a success. The
commission has considered schol
arship applications for the state
university and colleges from 3,400
applicants, hut had funds for onlv
770 of them, Sweetlnnd said.
Dean Lemon. is positive, firm
and a tough official of our stale."
Sweetlnnd said. "He brings a life.
time of experience to the com
mission.
Sen. Anthony Yturri, Ontario,
Senate Republican leader, said
'Grenfell has submitted to evi
dence that Dean Lemon is arro
gant. Dean Lemon is a patient,
reasonable and understanding per
son with great depth."
Yturri said Grenfell was basing
his position on rumor and hear
say. The Senate Education Commit
tee had voted 41 Thursday to con-
lemon's appointment, de-
''"'yiiMj,.- , tCn n i if if inrnir' niimir- itii'fil tliWM.WM
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.
Lights Won't Go Right
For Even City Policeman
An officer working the police:
desk" becomes accustomed to a
variety of complaints, but Officer
Fred Olin was taken abacK Fri
day morning when a woman!
called to say she couldn t mane
all the lights on Main Street.
"Think nothing of it, Olin aa-
On The Record
BIRTHS
BOYS
REED Born to Mr. and Mrs. Oilfnrri
John Reed Jr. Jan. 26 in Klamath Val
ley Hospital, a boy weighing 7 lbs-. 7 ozs
ANDERSON ftorn to Mr. and Mrs. Jo
seph W. Anderson Jan. 25 In Klamath
Valley Hospital, a boy weighing 6 lbs.,
CAMPBELL Born to Mr. and Mrs.i
Glen Campbell Jan. 25 In Kldmalh Val-i
ley Hospital, a boy weighing 8 lbs., 47j
ozs.
GIRLS
MADDOX Bom to Mr. and Mrs'
George Maddox Jan. 26 In Klamath Val
ley Hospital, a girl weighing 6 lbs., it ozs.1
KEELER Born to Mr. and Mrs. Tom
Keeler Jan. 25 In Klamath Valley Hos
pital, a girl weighing 7 Ihs., 5Vi ozs.
VOGEL Born to Mr. and Mrs. Donald
Vogel Jan. 25 In Klamath Valley Hospi
tal, a girl weighing 6 lbs., 9Vs ozs.
Boys 36 Girls 39
Would Take
U.S. Post
SALT LAKE CITY (API-Dr.
Sterling M. McMurrin, academic
vice president of the University
of Utah, said Thursday ne win
accept the post of U.S. commis
sioner of education if it is offered
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
ence 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.
vised. 'Tve never made them all
yet."
In more serious business Fri
day morning, officers investigat- ,
ed a traffic accident at Mitchell '
and Radcliffe streets and cited
Mis. 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 Wantland Street. Mrs. Hand .
received a cut lip.
Another collision occurred Thurs
day afternoon at the coiner of
Eleventh and Walnut streets, when
cars driven by James E. Lawrie,
16, 1111 Washburn Way, and
James N. Hendricks, 29, Marys-
ville, Calif., came together at the
intersection. There were no inju
ries 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?
CR TU 2-522
NORTH AMERICAN
VAN LINES
discovered: "I'm on (ire the quilt
is burning!
Firemen said the bedding some
how come In contact with an open
healer in a room where six chil
dren had been put lo bed.
Atkinson, the ranking olfiier
among the 24 generals attending,
said it will cost t billion a year
lo operate.
The sessions, which end Satur
day, are closed (o newsmen.
People Read
SPOT ADS
you are
;MO PAGE G-A . HEKALB ANH NEWS, Klamath Falls, Ore. Sunday, January 29, 1061
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