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The only acid doctor doing a brisk business in the eastern U. S. is James G. Vandergrift, 30, grandson of old "Captain" J. J. Vandergrift, a onetime river boatman who accumulated a large fortune in oil, land and steel, had a Pennsylvania town named for him. Energetic young James Vandergrift is the son-in-law of William T. Mossman, Jones & Laughlin Steel Corp. executive who made news copy in the last Presidential campaign because he is an uncle of Alfred Mossman Landon. Young James went to Ohio State, studied chemistry and geology, taught swimming, worked in the oil fields of Texas, California, Pennsylvania. New York, South America. In Michigan he saw some experiments with acid, decided to move east and hang out his own shingle as a well doctor.
First attempts in sandstone failed. When experiments in limestone began to look promising, Vandergrift decided to confine his practice to the limestone formations of West Virginia, moved to Spencer, arriving there in 1934 with a few gallons of acid, a few dollars, no orders, much confidence. Now he has dozens of admiring customers, including subsidiaries of Standard Oil of New Jersey, South Penn Oil Co.. Columbia Gas & Electric. Carnegie Steel, Chesebrough Manufacturing Co. Some Vandergrift results:
A well in Roane County was yielding a dribble of twelve barrels per month. Acid treatment boosted production to 628 bbl. per month. The company gained $12,000 for a treatment costing $400.
Another well in Roane County was giving 52 bbl. per year. After Vandergrifting, it leaped to 2,336 bbl. per year.
In Clay County, 1,450 gal. of acid was driven into a well and rammed home with 165 bbl. of crude. The acid fanned out in a 90° arc, increased the yield of six adjoining wells in addition to the one treated. In ten months production was up by 10,000 bbl.
Mr. Vandergrift has had even better luck with gas wells than with oil. It is not unusual for a Vandergrifted gas formation to increase its yield by 1,000% to 7,000%. Few weeks ago a gas well in Boone County jumped after treatment from 800,000 cu. ft. daily to 3,600,000 cu. ft. Last month Vandergrift branched out into Ohio and Kentucky, did the biggest month's business since he started. Because he knows his trade from the ground down and is willing to go out on a case at any hour, in any season, over any sort of roads, James Vandergrift has the eastern field to himself. Dow Chemical Co. is having comparable success with acid treatment in Oklahoma, Chemical Process Co. in Texas.