| OCR Text |
Show this probably being due to the finding of oil and gas in large quantities in the same territory. Eight mines were abandoned, 6 of which were small, and 4 mines were opened, leaving a total of 90 mines in operation. The average number of men and boys over 16 years of age employed during the year was 1,060 above ground and 5,271 below ground. The total value of coal produced for the year was $5,721,359.01, the average selling price per ton being $2.0745. There was no coke produced during the year, while in 1908 there was produced 7,368 tons. In accordance with the Indian appropriation act approved June 30, 1906 (34 Stat. L., 325), an exhaustive investigation of the char-acter, extent, and value of the coal deposits of the segregated wal lands has been made. The drilling operations were commenced during the fiscal year ending June 30, 1908, and were completed in June, 1909, 37 holes being drilled, the depth varying from 113 feet to 1,510 feet. A full report thereon has been made by the mining trustees, Tables 27 and 28 show leases in effect, production of coal and asphalt, and royalties paid since these operations were placed uqder the direction of the Secretary of the Interior. At the close of the fiscal year there were 7,812 producing oil wells, 600 gas wells, including those utilized and unutilized, and in the neighborhood of 1,000 dry or nonproductive wells, all drilled at an approximate cost of $20,000,000. It is believed that the Mid-Continent Field, largely composed of lands in Oklahoma, leads other fields of the United States in oil pro-duction this year, reports indicating that over 48,000,000 barrels of. oil were marketed during the year, a large portion of which was pro-duced from the Glenn Pool in the Creek Nation. This field was not discovered until November, 1905, and attracted no particular atten-tion until March, 1906. There are approximately 1,700 producing wells within the proven territory of the Glenn Pool, which is only about 4 miles square. This field produced up to the end of the fiscal year approximately 53,000,000 barrels of oil, the highest daily pro-duction- 117,000 barrels-being reached in June, 1907. It has been reported that the production of this pool in one year has been more than the entire State of Ohio in its largest year, 1896, more than has been produced by Pennsylvania since 1892, and that there is not a dry hole within its proven boundary. It is estimated that there are about 21,000,000 barrels of crude oil now in steel storage in Oklahoma. Almost all of the production has been under fifteen-year leases made with Creek Indians, owners of the land, with the approval of the Secretary of the Interior, the Indian royalty being from 10 per cent to 123 per cent. |
