By By Lowell McGill
The flame continues to burn and production tubing has been set in place at Fountain Farm Well No. 2, but no official announcement has been made as to quantity and quality of oil-gas output.
The Advance has learned that an announcement is expected most any day. The announcement would come from either Venture Drilling, Alabama Gas and Oil Board or the Alabama Department of Corrections.
Flames began to appear from the well a few days ago after a completion rig was dismantled.
Venture told The Advance last week that Smackover formations have a somewhat higher percentage of becoming producers.
This is the third well Venture has undertaken. The fourth well, Mason Property well, is presently being drilled and is located about one mile east -just below the Butler Street/Wayside Grocery Road intersection. That well had reached a drilling depth near 12,000 feet Friday. The permit depth is 15,400 feet.
A new “Field” would, in all probability, have to be named if the State well is declared a producer. There are now 17 oil and gas fields in Escambia County. The two nearest Atmore are Big Escambia Creek Gas Field and Little Rock Gas Field.
In other oil news, this week Pruitt Production announced plans to drill a well in Monroe County, north of the Mason Property well. It will be located on Simpson Properties 1985’FSL &660’ FWL S16, T1S, and R2W. It has a permit depth of 13,500 feet. Pruitt plugged its Morris Property Well a few weeks ago. This well was also located just off Butler Street north of the present drilling sites. It is not known if additional drilling will take place on or near this site in the future.
Venture has one other producing well in Monroe County on Firetower Road.
More permits are expected to be issued in this area in the near future according to a report carried in a leading newspaper a few weeks ago. The State has already earmarked several hundred acres for potential drilling.
Oil was selling near $75 a barrel Thursday.