SINKING OIL WELLS

Dominion, Volume 20, Issue 46, 18 November 1926, Page 17

SINKING OIL WELLS

2 > NEW PROCESS DISCOVERED. Sinking mine shafts into oil-bearing rocks instead of merely drilling wells is the method proposed for the more complete recovery of the precious liquid mineral by Leo Ranney, a New Vork engineer. A number of important oil companies have become interested in his process, and filer! tests on a large scale are a probable development for the near future. The present method of sinking wens, Mr. Ranney explains, simply makes holes into the oil-bearing sandstone, and nt best only about one-fifth of tho onflows is pumped to the surface. The rest is trapped in the cavities of the porous rock. By going down to oil-boaring stratum it is possible to tap it m a largo number of places, and thus greatly ent down the distance necessary for the oil to flow through the sandstone before it finds an outlet. Mr. Rannev’s oil-mining system con. fomplates cuffing funnels not in the oil rock itself, but in the hard stone cither above or below it. usually below. From these tunnels small holes would be bored into the oil stratum at close intervals. _ , Through these holes pipe-nipples wonlo ho inserted, and then connected to pip a linos leading to tho shaft, whore tho oil would be allowed to collect in a tank or pool, to be pumped to the surface. The flow of tho oil into tho collecting P'P P system could bo hastened bv the use of compressed air or other means.