| DEEP WELL DRILLING WENT ON HOLD
By Bob Weaver 2001
Ground has been broken for Calhoun's first real deep well. The site is at
the head of Bull
River close to White Pine Road, near the Ray Yoak and Coleman Burrows
property.
Originally is was referred to as "the old Spoon place," owned more
recently by Elias
Yoak.
Trio Petroleum, owned by Ike Morris of Glenville, is reportedly
in a joint venture
with the Cabot Corporation on the multi-million dollar hole, which
will be drilled
directly below one of Calhoun's highest points, Kight Knob.
At least 22 deep well permits have been issued for Calhoun. Grading
began this week
on the Yoak heirs property, within eyesight of the secondary road.
Sources said the
well could slant under other royalty interests in the area.
Geological surveys are being done one more time along most of the
counties primary
and secondary roads, noted by small blaze orange flags and miles of
cable. Much of
the county was studied last year for deep well pockets by mobile
"thumpers" which
send signals deep into the earth. The Clerk's office in Grantsville
has been filled with
title researchers for months. Calhoun was the site for the original
deep well in the
area, the hole put down between Mount Zion and Pine Creek in the early
1970's, the companies declaring it a dry hole, widely disputed by locals. It was plugged.
Exactly what big producing wells will mean to Calhoun is unclear,
particularly as it
relates to helping the struggling counties tax base.
Producers of Roane Counties deep wells say Columbia is reporting
8,000,000 (million)
cubic feet of production a day, which translates to $88,000 in daily
sales at $11 per
thousand. Four of Columbia's wells are producing in Roane. They have
been
phenomenal producers.
(That production ended in the largest civil lawsuit in the state of West Virginia, the royalty owners saying they were cheated. They won.)
Top soil moved to side, Coleman Burrows (left)
County's first deep well site
Deep well site close to Bull River - White Pine Road
County is being studied, one more time
"Thumper" sends signals through earth defining locations for
drilling
Source: WV Geological Survey
Map from the Charleston Gazette
Here is a list of deep well permits in Calhoun County:
ALVIN ENGLEKE (7/7/2000) Royalty rights to 56 acres in Lee District,
Beech Fork; well operator, David and
Garnet Barr.
J. J. STARCHER HEIRS (9/29/2000) Royalty rights to 25 acres in Lee
District, Daniels Run; well operator,
Ardent Resources.
IMOGENE HAYMAKER/OTHERS (9/29/2000) Royalty rights to 84 acres in Lee
District, Arnoldsburg area; well
operator, Ardent Resources.
BERNARD HAYS GROUP (9/5/2000) Royalty rights to 398 acres (surface
John S. Stump) in Lee District,
Arnoldsburg; well operator, McIntosh Partners.
MORRIS OIL AND GAS (9/11/2000) Royalty rights to 58 acres (surface
Roberto Lupez) in Sherman District; well
operator Ardent Resources.
CAROLYN DOELLING (9/25/00) Royalty rights to 32 acres (surface Rickey
Sampson) Sherman District; well
operator Trio Petroleum, Glenville.
MARY A. WALLEYE (9/25/00) Royalty rights to 50 acres (surface Ralph
Cunningham); well operator, Trio
Petroleum, Glenville.
DENZIL G. WARD (9/19/2000) Royalty rights to 88 acres on Laurel,
Sherman District; well operator, Trio
Petroleum, Glenville.
MICHAEL WHIPKEY (9/22/2000) Royalty rights on 32 acres (surface Craig
Church) Tributary of Laurel,
Sherman District; well operator Trio Petroleum, Glenville.
W. BARL JOHNSON (8/24/2000) Royalty on 84 acres (surface James Morris)
in Sherman District; well operator,
Trio Petroleum, Glenville.
CABOT OIL AND GAS (8/30/2000) Royalty on 249 acres (surface R. J. M.
Trust, Richard Morris) Sherman
District; well operator Trio Petroleum, Glenville.
CABOT OIL AND GAS (8/26/2000) Royalty on 249 acres (surface Eva Marie
Ball) in Sherman District; well
operator Trio Petroleum, Glenville.
FRED WEBB (9/25/2000) Royalty on 78 acres (surface Orville Ray Yoak)
in Sherman; well operator Trio
Petroleum, Glenville.
IMOGENE HAYMAKER AND OTHERS (9/6/2000) Royalty on 235 acres in Lee
District, Arnoldsburg; well
operator McIntosh Partners.
WALTER E. SMITH (9/22/2000) Royalty on 25 acres in Sherman District;
well operator Walter E. Smith.
MARIE BALL/BETHLEHEM BAPTIST CHURCH (8/30/00) Royalty on 101 acres
(surface John Ball) on Bull
River/Sherman District; well operator, Ardent Resources.
GEORGE JOHNSON (8/31/2000) Royalty on 101 acres on Bull River/Sherman
District (surface H & R Pipeline);
well operator, Ardent Resources.
LOVIE LAUGHLIN (8/21/2000) Royalty on 85 acres (surface Lee McKown)
Tributary of Road Road, Lee
District.
R. PLANT HEIRS (9/6/2000) Royalty on 53 acres (surface Jim Morris) in
Sherman District; well operator Creston
Oil Company.
GORDON/EVADEEN KESLER (8/17/2000) Royalty on 40 acres on Big Run,
Sherman District; well operator Trio
Petroleum.
LEWIS SMITH HEIRS (7/14/2000) Royalty on 49 acres on Road Run of Beech
Fork (Thomas McLaughlin
surface); well operator Ardent Resources.
LYNN GILBERT (5/9/2000) Royalty on 42 acres on Sauls Run of Road Road;
well operator Columbia Natural
Resources.
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