WorldWide Drilling Resource

The Oil Well Next Door by Amy White, Associate Editor, WorldWide Drilling Resource ® “You drill for oil in Florida?” is a typical response at oil and gas events when people learn WWDR is based in the Sunshine State. The answer is yes, Floridians do drill for oil, and have done so for a very long time. In fact, about ten miles from our office, a long-forgotten oil well proves Florida’s enduring history of searching for black gold. Along a nature trail at Falling Waters State Park in Chipley, Florida, one of the state’s first commercial oil drilling sites can be found. In 1919, after years of rumors about oil buried deep beneath the pines, independent oil prospectors drilled several wells in eastern Washington and western Jackson Counties. A sign commemorating the local site says: A man by the name of Jose Mantanza sparked the interest of oil wildcatters with legends of a rock-enclosed substance that would burn. Other such speculation was given by wildcat stock promoters that claimed some of the rocks had been formed from oil-bearing sand. So, in the midst of a beautiful piece of earth, wildcatters began to erect a drilling sight on an apparent earth fault. A tall, wooden derrick and a steam-driven rig were used for the drilling operation. The derrick was built eight miles away at Hard Labor Creek, and brought to the site by an ox-drawn cart. The drillers had little luck finding oil. When 3900 feet was reached, a blow of gas was released from the drill site. Area residents were temporarily excited by a false report of a gusher. The oil well continued to be drilled to a final depth of 4912 feet. When it was all said and done, no oil in commercial quantities was found, and the well was capped off in1921. Time would prove exploration drilling at the Falling Waters site was not so far-fetched. Decades later, a large field of commercial crude was discovered about 100 miles away near the community of Jay. The Jay oilfield is still pumping today from approximately 93 active wells. Though drilling attempts at Falling Waters failed to produce commercial quantities of oil, exploration efforts did eventually lead to a great treasure for Washington County. Long after drilling ended in the area, a cow fell into one of the old sludge pits. Extensive newspaper coverage about “potential dangers” of the site, along with a strong nudge by civic-minded citizens, resulted in a decision by the property’s owner to deed the ground to Washington County. This land became the core of today’s Falling Waters State Park. Along with the historic oil well site, visitors will find one of Florida’s most significant geological features in the park. Down a trail lined with fern-covered sinkholes, a boardwalk leads to the state’s highest waterfall, formed where a hilltop stream flows over the rim of a stunning sinkhole. A wooden stairway leads into the mouth of the 100-foot-deep, 20-foot-wide cylindrical sink where sightseers can gaze up to see the waterfall cascade 73 feet down a limestone wall before disappearing into a cave at the bottom of the sinkhole. Next time you think about Florida, remember it has more to offer than just sunshine and sand. If you’re ever in our neck of the woods, a shady canopy of longleaf pines await at Fal l ing Waters State Park. Don’t forget to stop by the old oil well site so you can tell everyone, “Yes, they drill for oil in Florida!” View of the oil derrick at Falling Waters during the early 20th century provided by the Florida Archive. LEFT: The waterfall at full speed courtesy of floridastateparks.org BELOW: WWDR photo looking into the sinkhole at the fall’s bottom. Due to dry weather, the waterfall was at a trickle on our visit. All that remains of the historical oil drilling site in Washington County is this capped well shaft. WWDR photo. Down this trail lies one of Florida’s first commercial oil wells. WWDR photo. 63 WorldWide Drilling Resource ® JANUARY 2016