Approved proposal to pull out all casing possible, and fill hole with mud, no plugging being necessary, on account of oil-bearing formations not having been penetrated.

Pan-American Petroleum Co.

SECTION 15.

Well No. 1, Pinkerton, new well. P2-52.

Wildcat well. Information not sufficient to indicate exact depth at which water should be shut off. Recommended cementing each string of casing landed above oil-bearing formations in order that such formations could be properly tested.

Dabney and Lloyd.

VENTURA FIELD.

T. 3 N., R. 23 W., S.B.B. & M.
SECTION 16.

Well No. 1, Traders, abandon.

P 2-16.

In order to protect gas-bearing formations encountered in drilling, oil formations penetrated not having proven commercially productive, recommendation was made that mud laden fluid be pumped into the well under pressure and forced back into the gas sands and that the mud be left in contact with the sand in the bottom of the well. The proposal to thereafter remove all casing possible from the well was approved.

Shell Company of California.

Well No. 1, Taylor, redrill. P 2-6.

SECTION 21.

The proposal to redrill the well in an attempt to produce the gas encountered in the bottom of the well was approved as satisfactory.

Well No. 1, Taylor, deepen. P 2-89.

The company entered a proposal to deepen the well through what was ostensibly the upper oil horizon with water not shut off. The proposal to deepen was approved with provision that in case oil-bearing formations were encountered during drilling operations, it would be necessary for the company to bridge above such showing and cement a water string for shut-off in order that such formations could be tested for productiveness.

Well No. 1, Taylor, supplementary to deepen. P 2-102.

The company then entered supplementary proposal to redrill the well at former shut-off point and endeavor to shut off water at approximately the same depth as formerly and attempt to produce the gas previously encountered. This proposal was approved.

Well No. 1, Taylor, shut off. T 2-70.

Test showed no water entering the well. Approval given to proceed with drilling. Well No. 1, Gosnell, deepen. P 2-20.

A proposal to change the shut-off depth and deepen the well on account of absence of oil indications was approved.

Well No. 1, Gosnell, supplementary to deepen. P2-31.

Having encountered a good showing of oil, the proposal to cement a water string above this showing was also approved.

Well No. 1, Gosnell, supplementary, recement.

P 2-41.

Water not shut off with first cement job. Circulation established. Approved proposal to recement.

A production test taken after cementing the 81′′ casing showed no water. Well No. 1, Gosnell, redrill. P 2-69.

A proposal to pull the liner from the bottom of the well and bail to let sand in was approved.

Well No. 1, Gosnell, deepen. P2-86.

Proposal to deepen was approved with provision that if the amount of water shown by previous production did not diminish upon subsequent tests, it might become necessary to repair the well.

Well No. 1, Gosnell, supplementary to deepen. P 2-87.

Approved method outlined of testing out oil sand encountered.

Well No. 1, Gosnell, supplementary to deepen. P 2-95.

Following a conference of oil operators in this field, approval was given to carry the water string down through the oil sands encountered and previously tested, water not being shut off, and to mud and cement this casing above deeper oil sands, if such should be encountered, in order to test the deeper sands. It was agreed that this well should be considered a prospect well and that upon testing out the territory, the water would be shut off according to recommendations to be made by this bureau.

Well No. 1, Gosnell, supplementary to deepen. P2-115.

Approved the further deepening of the well, oil formations to be mudded and cemented in an effort to protect them from water.

Well No. 1, Gosnell, supplementary to deepen. P 2-141.

Approved certain tests to determine productiveness of oil formations.

State Consolidated Oil Co.

SECTION 22.

Well No. 2, Lloyd, supplementary to redrill. P 2-80.

Supplementary proposal submitted with reference to depth of cementing the 124" and 15" casings in line with certain provisions contained in Departmental Order No. 4 in reference to this well, was approved.

Well No. 2, Lloyd, report of cementing. T 2-35.

The report gives a record of the cementing of the 121" casing. Well No. 2, Lloyd, suspension of Order No. 4. P 2-96.

Well making large amount of water and gas and some oil after drilling out bridge below 12" casing. Approved proposal for temporary suspension of Departmental Order No. 4 in order to allow well to produce, awaiting further developments in this area.

Well No. 2, Lloyd, suspension of Order No. 4. P2-112.

Approved further suspension of Departmental Order No. 4, contingent upon further developments. Well still producing.

Well No. 3, Lloyd, commence drilling. P2-53.

Approved proposed depth of water shut-off. Requested drilling reports after a depth of 2200′ had been reached.

Well No. 3, Lloyd, report of cementing. T 2-42.

The report gives a record of the cementing of the 10" casing.

Well No. 3, Lloyd, supplementary. P2-132.

A proposal to pump this well for a certain period for a production test was approved.

General Petroleum Corporation.

Well No. 1, Barnard, shut off. T2-59.

Production test showed that the well was making considerable water and very little oil.

Shell Company of California.

Well No. 1, Hartman, to plug. P 2-38.

Proposal to plug bottom of well approved.

Well No. 1, Hartman, redrill. P2-133.

Proposal to redrill this well, shutting off water above first showing of oil, as logged, was approved as satisfactory.

SECTION 23.

Shell Company of California.

Well No. 1, McGonigle, supplementary to drill. P 2-108.

A proposal of the company to waive bailing test in the 10" water string was approved and certain specifications made for the method of deepening the well in case oil-bearing formations should be encountered.

T. 3 N., R. 24 W., S.B.B. & M.

General Petroleum Corporation.

SECTION 22.

Well No. 1, Hobson, supplementary to deepen. P 2-40.

Method of deepening with water not shut off was approved, as no oil-bearing formations were reported as having been encountered.

New Mexico Oil Co.

T. 4 N., R. 23 W., S.B.B. & M.

SECTION 33.

Well No. 1, commence drilling. P2-68.

As this well was a wildcat well, data not sufficient to indicate the depth at which water should be shut off. Recommended that the company keep an accurate log of formations penetrated and shut off water, if encountered, before penetrating oilbearing formations.

Well No. 2, commence drilling. P2-83.

No water having been encountered in Well No. 1 in this vicinity and oil having been encountered at a very shallow depth, the proposal to drill this well in a similar manner as Well No. 1 was approved.

Well No. 3, commence drilling. P 2-93.

Approved method of drilling this well as proposed.

Well No. 4, commence drilling. P2-116.

Proposal to drill with open hole to shallow oil formations was approved, due to lack of water in other and adjoining wells.

Well No. 5, commerce drilling. P2-117.

Method of drilling into shallow oil horizon approved.

Well No. 6, commence drilling. P2-118.

Proposal to drill this well as outlined, no water shut-off necessary for top oil horizon, was satisfactory.

Well No. 7, commerce drilling. P2-143.

Approved proposal to drill with open hole into shallow oil formations, providing no water was encountered.

H. L. Hays.

Well No. 1, commence drilling. P2-144.

Wildcat well. No definite data available on which to base estimate for depth of water shut-off. Recommended that water be shut off above oil-bearing formations by bridging back above such formations, if encountered, and cementing a water string, in order that these formations might be properly tested. Requested drilling reports to be filed so that further recommendations could be made if necessary, but the company has failed to comply with this request.

MISCELLANEOUS.

T. 2 N., R. 21 W., S.B.B. & M.

St. Helens Petroleum Co., Ltd.

LEWIS RANCHO.

Well No. 1, Lewis, commence drilling. P 2-13.

The company could not intelligently estimate the depth at which water should be shut off as this was a wildcat well. Proposal to keep the department informed as to operations and shut off water above any oil formations encountered during drilling was satisfactory.

LANNING RANCH.

St. Helens Petroleum Co., Ltd.

Well No. 1, Lanning, commence drilling, P 2-60.

Conditions similar to Well No. 1, Lewis, of this company reported above. The proposal to keep this office informed in case oil or gas formations were encountered was approved.

Data not sufficient to estimate depth of water shut-off. Recommended that each string of casing landed be cemented as a precautionary measure.

CHAPTER V.

SANTA BARBARA, SAN LUIS OBISPO, MONTEREY AND SANTA CLARA COUNTIES

By H. W. BELL, Deputy Supervisor.

The bulk of the work of this department during the year closing June 30, 1918, has been centered about development operations in the Arroyo Grande, Casmalia, Cat Canyon and Santa Maria fields. With the exception of the Santa Maria field there were fewer wells reported for drilling this year than in the preceding year. In passing upon proposals to drill wells in developed areas in the Cat Canyon and Santa Maria fields, aside from completing certain peg models, only the usual routine engineering work was necessary, because studies of structural and subsurface conditions, in both these fields, had been practically completed at the end of the last fiscal year. The Casmalia field,

however, continues to present new problems in structure and water conditions.

During the year additional peg models of portions of the Cat Canyon, Casmalia and Santa Maria field were completed. These models now cover 7200 acres of proved oil land. This is an increase of 4950 acres over completions at the end of the last year. About 80 per cent of the proved and active portion of the Santa Maria-Lompoc district is now covered by peg models.

There were 31 wells reported for abandonment during the year as compared with 44 wells in the year previous. Although this indicates an apparent decline in abandonment operations it does not tell the whole story. During the previous year there was much activity among wrecking companies, and some operators, in abandoning wells in order to get casing and other material to use in drilling new wells. Long before the close of the present fiscal year available old wells for this purpose had been reduced to a minimum. Most of the present year's abandonment operations represent the wind-up on wildcat wells, started within the last two years. At least four of the wells, representing an estimated expense of $315,000, were drilled in areas in which structural and geological conditions were manifestly unfavorable and prospecting was unjustifiable from an engineering, hence, economic, point of view. In most cases, however, structural conditions and proximity to developed areas justified the expense.

At the time the Santa Maria office was opened and for a considerable period thereafter, not a single operating company in the district had an engineer in its employ for the special purpose of studying conditions with respect to indicating probable depths to shut off water and