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9-596: In 1912, the discovery well, the Wheeler No. 1 Oil Well came in near Drumright for wildcatter Thomas Baker Slick, Sr. Peak production was in May 1917 at 310,000 barrels per day, accounting for two thirds of the refinable crude oil production in the western hemisphere during that time, and provided twenty percent of the petroleum sold in the United States in 1915-1916. At the peak, 3,090 wells were producing, making

18-665: Is close to Shamrock, Oklahoma , and is the southernmost structure. Each structure has a corresponding syncline . The primary production horizons include the Layton Sand, the Wheeler Sand and the Bartlesville Sand. The Drumright Gasoline Plant No. 2 is listed on the National Register of Historic Places . Wheeler No. 1 Oil Well The Wheeler No. 1 Oil Well was the first well drilled in

27-695: Is defined by four small anticlines , the Dropright Dome , the Drumright Dome, the Shamrock Dome and the Mount Pleasant Dome. The Dropright Dome, named after the former town of Dropright, is the northernmost formation, about 5 miles (8.0 km) in length. The Drumright Dome is named for the town of Drumright, which lies on the west side of the dome. The Mount Pleasant Dome is named for a church on its slope. The Shamrock Dome

36-538: The Drumright-Cushing Oil Field of northeast Oklahoma , near Drumright . The success of the well, drilled in 1912 by Thomas Baker Slick, Sr. , led to the development of the Cushing field and gave impetus to the early development of Oklahoma oilfields. The Drumright-Cushing field would go on to produce 310,000 barrels of oil a day at its peak in May 1917. The well made Slick's name as "King of

45-525: The Wheeler layer at 2,300 feet (700 m), and the Bartlesville layer at 2,700 feet (820 m). A 2-inch (5.1 cm) pipeline connects the well to an oil-water separating unit about 2,500 feet (760 m) away, then to storage tanks. The well is located in a small clearing about 1,000 feet (300 m) west of Drumright. The well was still producing in 2012. The Wheeler No. 1 well was placed on

54-568: The Wildcatters". The well was financed by Charles B. Shaffer of Chicago, who hired Slick to drill wells at the Frank Wheeler farm using cable tool drilling techniques , which could not prevent gushers or blowouts . Three unsuccessful wells preceded the strike, which initially produced 400 barrels of high-grade oil a day from a depth of between 2,319 feet (707 m) and 2,347 feet (715 m). Because no mechanism existed to control

63-479: The field the most significant production field in Oklahoma. The Drumright Dome, near Drumright, Oklahoma , was the first area to be exploited, followed by the Shamrock Dome. The field stimulated the construction of up to fifty refineries and ten natural gasoline ("casinghead gasoline") plants in the area. Production declined quickly after 1920, dropping to 6,209 barrels per day in 1955. The Cushing-Drumright Field

72-467: The flow, the oil was diverted into pits for collection and storage. The source of the oil was a sand zone in the Drumright Dome, a syncline . Slick attempted to keep the strike secret, hiring armed guards, but eventually revealed the well's success in April 1912. A dugout built for the guards remains on the site, together with a commemorative plaque. In time, the well's pressure subsided, requiring that

81-475: The oil be pumped out of the well. The first pump was a two-cylinder gasoline-powered pump, later replaced by an electric drive. With the reduction in pressure the well was modified for secondary recovery , using an early form of hydraulic fracturing called "sand fracturing." As of 1980 it produced about a barrel a day, pumping four hours a day. Oil came from three layers: the Layton layer at 170 feet (52 m),

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