Texas Almanac and State Industrial Guide for 1910 with Map Page: 68
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f8 THE TEXAS ALMANAC.
faulty drilling and casing, others ceased soon after completion to be pro-
ductive, and finally many others had to be abandoned owing to the in-
flow of salt water in large quantities. The Sour Lake pool lies 20 miles
northwest of Beaumont. Three or four shallow wells had developed a
heavy, dark petroleum 4 or 5 years before the development dt Spindletop.
During 1901 the Guffey Petroleum Company drilled a well in this locali-
ty which gave spasmodic flows of petroleum, accompanied by gas and
water. Actual development began in 1903. Since then there have been
taken from this pool up to the close of 1907 22,672,107 barrels of oil. The
gravity ranges from 14 to 22 degrees Baume. Saratoga district is lo-
cated 10 miles northeast of Sour Lake and has been a comparatively small
producer. Its -production in 1903 was estimated to be 160,000 barrels
that for 1904 was 739,239 barrels, but in 1907 the production was 2,130,
928 barrels. The oil produced in this pool is heavy, ranging from 14 to
20 degrees Baume. Batson pool is located 8 miles west of Saratoga, and
was remarkable for its sudden development and rapid decline. During
1903 there were but 4,518 barrels produced from this pool, as it had just
been discovered, but in 1904 it produced 10,904,737 barrels, falling off re-
markably at the close of the year, In 1907 it produced 2,164,457 barrels.
The falling off was due principally to the flooding of a large portion of
the productive area by salt water. The gravity of the oil produced at
Batson is lighter and superior to the general average produced in these
coastal fields. It ranges from 23 to 24.5 degrees Baume, although some
oil as light as .8 degrees Baume was produced. Matagorda pool was
opened during 1904, and is located on an elevation-produced by the
bulging of the strata underneath-known as Big Hill, 3 miles from the
town of Matagorda. During 1904 it produced 151,936 barrels of petro-
leum of a dark-green color and of 19 to 20 degrees Baume gravity. At
the close of 1904 there were about 30 wells producing, a number of wells
having been abandoned on account of salt water. Many of the wells
were peculiar in their behavior, and at times produced large quantities
of oil mixed with salt water. Eventually they produced nothing but salt
water. The production is insignificant at the present time. Humble
pool is an important oil field located 16 miles north of Houston. The
Beatty well was the first to be completed in this field in 1904, but no oil
was marketed until January, 1905. During this year it developed into
one of the most prolific pools in Texas, shipping a total of 15,594,310 bar-
rels of oil. The daily production increased rapidly- from the first de-
velopment of the pool until in March when it reached a production of
90,000 barrels a day. At this time there was a slight setback owing to
the appearance of salt water in a portion of the field. The production
has gradually fallen since this time. During 1907 it produced 2,929,640
barrels. During July, 1905, the field was visited by a disastrous fire,
which destroyed over 2,000,000 barrels of oil. At Kiser Hill, near Colum-
bia, Brazoria County, petroleum of good lubricating qualities has been
developed. The field has never become an important producer. In the
vicinity of Dayton, Liberty County, is an area having an elevation of
from 20 to 30 feet above the surrounding plain. This is Dayton Hill,
which had been long considered as a favorable location for oil and gas.
During May, 1905, this area was successfully tested. During 1907 this
field shipped 108,038 barrels of oil. This field produces two grades of
oil, one 23.5 degrees gravity, and one 17.5 degrees Baume scale. The
heavier oil is present in greater quantity. At the end of West Bay, 27
miles southwest of Galveston, is the Hoskins Ranch. Here are located
two mounds, the "arger of which contains about 1,000 acres, and the
smaller about 300. Four -r five test wells were drilled upon the west
side of the big mound prior to 1905, with favorable indications, but no
actual production. In November, 1905, a well was drilled near one of the
former tests that became a producer of considerable size. The oil is of
21 degrees Baume gravity. A number of other producing wells have
been completed since. In 1907 oil was discovered in a well in Piedras
Pintas, Duval County. A number of wells have been completed since,
and are now producing oil, some of which is shipped. The latest discov-
eries in the way of oil fields in Texas are the Goose Creek and the Mark-
ham pools. Goose Creek is located in the southeast corner of Harris
County on a tributary by that name leading into Buffalo Bayou. A
number of producing wells have been developed here within the past
three years. Near Markham in Matagorda County a number of produc-
ing wells have been developed within the last year. Some of this oil is
shipped and sold in crude form for fuel purposes. A considerable quan-
tity is refined and distilled in the refineries at Beaumont, Port Arthur
and Sabine Pass, and kerosenes, gasolines, lubricating oil, napthas, par-
affins, etc. are manufactured and exported. Pipe lines have been built
trom nearly all of the fields to the exporting and refining points.
Natural Gas.-Natural gas is nearly always associated with petro-
leum. Sometimes, however, gas horizons are met in oil fields in Texas
not in association with the oil. Natural gas is an ideal fuel, and com-
munities favored with such supplies readily become the sites of great
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Texas Almanac and State Industrial Guide for 1910 with Map, book, January 1910; (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth123780/m1/70/: accessed April 26, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Texas State Historical Association.