Use of Electricity for Oil-field Operations in Wyoming

Abstract

Considering the great advance in the development and application ofelectricity, it is not strange that eventually a big field for its use has beenfound in oil-field operations. So far as is known, the first electric drive inoil-field operations was in the Russian field of Baku in 1900. The firstapplication in this country was made by the South Penn Oil Co. near Folsom, West Va. in 1903. In 1916, electric power was first used in the Burma fields of India fordrilling and pumping. Between 1916 and 1922, The Empire Gas &Fuel Co. madethe first large electrical installation in the Mid-Continent fields. Butalthough the first application was made 27 years ago, it is only within thelast 10 years that oil companies have begun to look upon its use with muchfavor. Within the last few years, there has been a steady increase in the useof electricity in the oil fields. The first application of electricity for oil-field operations in Wyoming wasin the Lander field in 1919; the second was in 1924 in Salt Creek; and thethird, and last to date, was made by the Continental Oil Co. in the Big Muddyfield during 1926. Lander Field The electrification of oil-field operations in Wyoming was initiated by J.W.Steele, superintendent of the Producers &Refiners Oil Corp., in the Landerfield in 1919. At that time, 32 wells were being pumped from five band-wheelpowers, with oil engines as the prime movers. Eight barrels of fuel oil wereused for power per day and at the price of 90 c. per bbl. the fuel bill was $36 per day. It was decided to try a 15 to 35-hp. oil-field motor on one of thesepowers. Electric power was generated with steam at the old Wind River refinerystation. This test was so successful that in 1920 all five powers were equippedwith 15 to 35-hp. oil-field motors, the power being obtained from the SinksCanyon hydroelectric station. Four of these powers pumped wells at an averagedepth of 1450 ft., and the fifth pumped wells at an average of 2100 ft. In1920, the average production per day from the 32 wells was 325 bbl.