added to the producing territory. The southern part of the township of Plympton has also given good results, although in these two localities the oil deposit is not quite so uniform as in the old districts of Petrolia and Enniskillen. It was thought last summer that the township of Brooke gave evidence of a good deposit, and quite a number of wells were drilled there; but the supply did not prove to be permanent and most of the wells have been abandoned. In the township of Zone, near Thamesville, the same experience was realized; several wells yielded liberally when first drilled, but the flow did not last. Bothwell is getting its producing limits as an oil field defined, and during the year its yield was little more than 6,000 barrels monthly. Euphemia and Dawn have each a small field, the area of which is being expanded by exploration. In the old territory, which runs from the southern part of the township of Sarnia in a southeasterly direction through Enniskillen by way of Petrolia, wells may be struck at nearly every attempt. Small detached areas in this region not previously explored give good returns, one of the best being near Oil Springs. It takes time, experience and risk of loss to discover these treasures of Nature's storehouse, but it is not improbable that anywhere throughout the counties of Lambton,' Kent and Essex a discovery of oil may be made.

A new locality that has recently been attracting attention as an oil field is in the

lake Erie. The record shows that the drift is composed of 130 feet of blue clay holding many boulders of granite and some limestone, followed by 52 feet of hardpan and gravel. The drilling was continued to a depth of 687 feet, being 505 feet in the rock. A bed of oil-bearing rock 10 feet in thickness was cut through at 332-342 feet, and a second one of the same thickness at 400-410 feet from the surface. From the first of these beds 500 barrels of oil was pumped, and after packing this source of yield the second bed gave one barrel per hour for a test of twenty hours. A small flow of gas

was struck at 550 feet, and the rock from 650 to 687 feet yielded a greenish bitter water that flowed over the top of the casing. Cuttings from this well have been examined by Dr. Coleman, who has made the following report on them-the depth of samples being reckoned from the surface of the rock :

60 ft. Pale yellowish brown limestone, with a fragment or two of dolomite.

111 ft. Pale gray and also white fragments, limestone with some shaly matter.

130 ft. Shaly limestone, yellowish brown. 140-145 ft. Grayish white limestone. 162 ft. Brownish gray, somewhat porous dolomitic limestone, with some sandy particles. 165 ft. Brown limestone with a little sand. 175 ft. Brownish gray limestone. 346 ft. Limestone with some shaly matter, yellowish brown with white particles.

362 ft. Dolomite, grayish white, with what appear to be portions of fossils.

452 ft. Dolomite, bluish gray and also white fragments.

501 ft. Dolomite with gypsum, bluish white. No. 2 well was drilled on lot 15 in the ninth concession, about 1000 feet north of No. 1. It was put down to a depth of 410 feet, and gave a little showing of gas but no oil. No. 3 was located on the southern part of lot 14 in the tenth, where the surface is about 60 feet below the level of No. 1. The thickness of drift was 140 feet, and the well was drilled to 347 feet. A small show of oil was obtained at 135 to 140 feet in the rock, and about 10 feet of fair cuttings at the bottom. It was pumped ten hours, and then plugged and abandoned. A company known as the Elginfield Company was then Company organized to continue operations,

Elginfield

and No. 4 well was commenced 300 feet southeast of No. 1, on the same level. The drift had a depth of 190 feet and the rock formations were the same as in No. 1. The oil deposit on the surface of the rock gave two barrels per day. At 410 feet a great flow of salt water was struck and the well was abandoned. No. 5 was located on lot 15 in the tenth, 200 feet northwest from No. 1. The drift was 179 feet, and from the bottom of it 500 barrels of oil was pumped. Cuttings of oil rock were obtained from the depths of 150 and 205 feet in the rock, but they were dry. This well was drilled to 415 feet. No. 6 was bored on lot 13 in the eleventh concession, about 30 feet from the west line of the lot. Here the thickness of the drift was found to be 287 feet, consisting of 130 feet clay, 157 feet gravel and sand. Gas was found in the upper bed of gravel, underneath the clay. After drilling through 30 feet of shale and 155 feet of limestone a small flow of oil was struck, which yielded one barrel per day. No. 7 is on the same lot as No. 6, about 500 feet east of it and on the same level. The drift is 260 feet deep, and at 140 feet yielded a strong flow of gas in the gravel. The next eight wells of the Company, all bored last year, are on lot 14 in th tenth concession. Upon the level the drift has a uniform thickness of 205 feet, but some of the wells are located on the site of a hill and there the depth of drift is not so great. Oil was struck in each of the wells at 150 to 160 feet in the rock, the oil cuttings measuring 16 feet, and the average yield of oil is two barrels per day. On the west side of the same lot two wells were drilled during the latter part of the year, on the same general level. The depth of drift was 240 feet, and of limestone to oil-bearing rock 155 feet. The thickness of the oil bed was found to be 20 feet, and while the wells started at 15 to 20 barrels per day they have declined to four barrels.

Henry Hollingshead & Son of Dutton are operating on the west side of lot 15 in the tenth concession, and on the west Hollingshead half of 13 in the same concession. They began boring in September, 1898, in a gully about 40 feet below the level of the ground on the first named lot.

and Son.

No. 1 well was drilled through 131 feet of drift, composed of 80 to 90 feet of clay, and the rest sand and gravel, and then through 160 feet of limestone. Oil was struck at 152 feet in the limestone and the well started at three barrels per 12 hours. In No. 2, which is 400 feet northwest of No. 1, the depth of drift was 129 feet. Oil cuttings were got at 160 feet in the rock, about one foot in thickness. The drilling was continued to a depth of 358 feet, when salt water was struck which flowed to the surface the full capacity of the pipe. This was shut off with difficulty and a pump was put in, but the yield of oil was only one barrel per 12 hours. No. 3 well is 300 feet northwest of No. 2, in the same gully. The drift was 129 feet, and oil was struck at 160 feet in the rock. The drill was continued for 20 feet through alternate bands of oil-rock and dry limestone, when the hole was shot and brackish water broke in under strong pressure. The well has been plugged to the surface. No. 4 is on the west side of lot 13 in the tenth, about 300 feet from the west line and just south of the Talbot road. The surface has a depth of 270 feet, and the drill has gone 178 feet into the limestone. At 161 feet in the r ck oil cuttings began to show and they continued for 17 feet. This well was finished on 27 January of the present year, and it has yielded five barrels per 12 hours.

2.

At the end of January six wells on the Smith farm and two on the Back us farm were worked by the Elginfield company

Production

of the Field. and were yielding 12 barrels per day of 10 hours. All the pumps were driven by one engine with 25 h.p. boiler, and power was also supplied to two pumps of the Hollingshead wells. The total quantity of crude shipped to Petrolia refineries in 1898 was 28 carloads, averaging 105 barrels per car, and selling at $1.40 per barrel. Teaming from the wells to Dutton station costs 15 cents and freight from Dutton to Petrolia six cents per barre'.

The cost of drilling a well with casing and pump complete ranges from $600 to $700 for a well of 430 to 450 feet deep, and the time occupied is about 250 hours.

The natural gas statistics differ but slightly

The number of companies which own natural gas wells is now 15, and nearly all the wells are in the counties of Welland, Haldimand and Essex. There are a number of small wells in Elgin, where the source of supply is in the drift, but their returns are not included in the statistics of the table.

The Carbide

Merritton.

Calcium Carbide..

For the thirteen months ending December 31, 1897, the product of the Willson Carbide Works Company at Merritton was Works at 574 tons of calcium carbide, valued at $34,410, the average number of workmen employed being 30 and the amount of wages paid for labor $12,544.62. Last year the product of the works increased to 1,040 tons, valued at $55,976, the average number of men employed was 35 and the amount of wages paid for labor was $16,397.95. The only interruption to operations during the year was caused by a cyclone which swept over the town and destroyed a number of buildings, among them being one

of the power-houses of the Company. The damage to the power-house was quickly repaired, however, and meantime the mill and furnace were run at a reduced capacity.

The demand for calcium carbide continues to be very satisfactory, more indeed than the Merritton factory has been able to supply. But although this is the case the selling price at the works has been reduced by $6 per ton. Further reductions will no doubt be made when larger works are erected and more experience is gained in processes of manufacture. Important advances are likely to be made during the present year as a result of recent methods and tests.

Salt and Gypsum.

The number of salt works in operation last year was the same as in 1897, namely, six in Statistics of Huron, one in Bruce, one in Midseven years. dlesex, two in Lambton and one in Essex. The statistics of the industry for the past seven years are given in the following table:

and No. 4 well was commenced 300 feet southeast of No. 1, on the same level. The drift had a depth of 190 feet and the rock formations were the same as in No. 1. The oil deposit on the surface of the rock gave two barrels per day. At 410 feet a great flow of salt water was struck and the well was abandoned. No. 5 was located on lot 15 in the tenth, 200 feet northwest from No. 1. The drift was 179 feet, and from the bottom of it 500 barrels of oil was pumped. Cuttings of oil rock were obtained from the depths of 150 and 205 feet in the rock, but they were dry. This well was drilled to 415 feet. No. 6 was bored on lot 13 in the eleventh concession, about 30 feet from the west line of the lot. Here the thickness of the drift was found to be 287 feet, consisting of 130 feet clay, 157 feet gravel and sand. Gas was found in the upper bed of gravel, underneath the clay. After drilling through 30 feet of shale and 155 feet of limestone a small flow of oil was struck, which yielded one barrel per day. No. 7 is on the same lot as No. 6, about 500 feet east of it and on the same level. The drift is 260 feet deep, and at 140 feet yielded a strong flow of gas in the gravel. The next eight wells of the Company, all bored last year, are on lot 14 in th tenth concession. Upon the level the drift has a uniform thickness of 205 feet, but some of the wells are located on the side of a hill and there the depth of drift is not so great. Oil was struck in each of the wells at 150 to 160 feet in the rock, the oil cuttings measuring 16 feet, and the average yield of oil is two barrels per day. On the west side of the same lot two wells were drilled during the latter part of the year, on the same general level. The depth of drift was 240 feet, and of limestone to oil-bearing rock 155 feet. The thickness of the oil bed was found to be 20 feet, and while the wells started at 15 to 20 barrels per day they have declined to four barrels.

Henry Hollingshead & Son of Dutton are operating on the west side of lot 15 in the tenth concession, and on the west Hollingshead half of 13 in the same concession. They began boring in September, 1898, in a gully about 40 feet below the level of the ground on the first named lot.

and Son.

No. 1 well was drilled through 131 feet of drift, composed of 80 to 90 feet of clay, and the rest sand and gravel, and then through 160 feet of limestone. Oil was struck at 152 feet in the limestone and the well started at three barrels per 12 hours. In No. 2, which is 400 feet northwest of No. 1, the depth of drift was 129 feet. Oil cuttings were got at 160 feet in the rock, about one foot in thickness. The drilling was continued to a depth of 358 feet, when salt water was struck which flowed to the surface the full capacity of the pipe. This was shut off with difficulty and a pump was put in, but the yield of oil was only one barrel per 12 hours. No. 3 well is 300 feet northwest of No. 2, in the same gully. The drift was 129 feet, and oil was struck at 160 feet in the rock. The drill was continued for 20 feet through alternate bands of oil-rock and dry limestone, when the hole was shot and brackish water broke in under strong pressure. The well has been plugged to the surface. No. 4 is on the west side of lot 13 in the tenth, about 300 feet from the west line and just south of the Talbot road. The surface has a depth of 270 feet, and the drill has gone 178 feet into the limestone. At 161 feet in the rock oil cuttings began to show and they continued for 17 feet. This well was finished on 27 January of the present year, and it has yielded five barrels per 12 hours.

Production

At the end of January six wells on the Smith farm and two on the Back us farm were worked by the Elginfield company of the Field, and were yielding 12 barrels per day of 10 hours. All the pumps were driven by one engine with 25 h.p. boiler, and power was also supplied to two pumps of the Hollingshead wells. The total quantity of crude shipped to Petrolia refineries in 1898 was 28 carloads, averaging 105 barrels per car, and selling at $1.40 per barrel. Teaming from the wells to Dutton station costs 15 cents and freight from Dutton to Petrolia six cents per barre'.

The cost of drilling a well with casing and pump complete ranges from $600 to $700 for a well of 430 to 450 feet deep, and the time occupied is about 250 hours.

The natural gas statistics differ but slightly

The number of companies which own natural gas wells is now 15, and nearly all the wells are in the counties of Welland, Haldimand and Essex. There are a number

of small wells in Elgin, where the source of supply is in the drift, but their returns are not included in the statistics of the table.

The Carbide Works at Merritton.

Calcium Carbide..

For the thirteen months ending December 31, 1897, the product of the Willson Carbide Works Company at Merritton was 574 tons of calcium carbide, valued at $34,410, the average number of workmen employed being 30 and the amount of wages paid for labor $12,544.62. Last year the product of the works increased to 1,040 tons, valued at $55,976, the average number of men employed was 35 and the amount of wages paid for labor was $16,397.95. The only interruption to operations during the year was caused by a cyclone which swept over the town and destroyed a number of buildings, among them being one

42,338 31,457

of the power-houses of the Company. The damage to the power-house was quickly repaired, however, and meantime the mill and furnace were run at a reduced capacity.

The demand for calcium carbide continues to be very satisfactory, more indeed than the Merritton factory has been able to supply. But although this is the case the selling price at the works has been reduced by $6 per ton. Further reductions will no doubt be made when larger works are erected and more experience is gained in processes of manufacture. Important advances are likely to be made during the present year as a result of recent methods and tests.