Oil Artifacts

This is an old tank in the creek. (9/6/2008)

Side view of tank. (9/6/2008)

This is probably Wiley 18. The casing has been sealed at the top. Normally, the casing is cut off below the surface, sealed, and then covered over. (9/28/2008)

Another well location with the casing still above the ground. At first I thought is was Wiley 21, but records show that the well could not be found to plug. The next closest well is Wiley 23, but that was capped 5 feet below the surface. I don't know what well this is. (9/28/2008)

Near the bench is what looks like casing (under my camera case) beginning to show. There is also the wood and some concrete also beginning to show nearby. This could be an old well location, except it doesn't match any location (based on DOG GPS locations of the wells). (10/3/2008)

This is a view toward the east showing an old oil-related road that runs up the mountain. It has an animal trail on it. (9/28/2008)

Closer view of one of the roads. (9/28/2008)

Here I am on the trail coming down from Towsley Canyon looking south. There is an old oil well road running horzontally across the picture. There is also another road just below it that ends about halfway across the picture. Looking on the slope below where the road ends is something. (9/28/2008)

As you hike further on the trail, you get a better view of this thing. (9/6/2008)

I'm right under it, but I still don't know what it is. It is made of concrete and has on odd pattern on the top. It is about 10-ft long, 8-ft wide, and 3-ft high. (9/28/2008)

Looking down from above. (9/28/2008)

Another view. (9/28/2008)

A close-up of one of the two sides. Both have a pipe embedded in the concrete. There was once a water tank above here so I'm guessing this thing had something to do with that tank. It does not seem to have any connection to a drilling or pumping well. (9/28/2008)

This is an 18-inch diameter crown pulley or casing pulley which would be on an oil rig. This is the most interesting artifact that I found in Wiley Canyon. (10/05/2008)

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Looking northwest over the location of Wiley 13. (12/5/2009)

Brick structure and pipe about 10 feet above the level of the site. There is evidense of burning. (12/5/2009)

Closer view of bricks showing evidense of fire. I have no idea what was going on here. (12/5/2009)

This looks like a connector for wooden sucker rods at the Wiley 13 site. (12/5/2009)

Old cable at Wiley 13. (12/5/2009)

Below the location of well Wiley 27 was this stuff. Wiley 27 is the westernmost well in Wiley Canyon and was drilled in 1917. (10/05/2008)

At the location of Wiley 27 is this small structure of bricks, similar to the one at Wiley 13. It was obviously man-made, but what its function was is hard to tell. I poured some water over something that looks like it was burned to clean it off. This could of been the tail end of the brick structure created around a steam boiler. (10/05/2008)

Wooden tank hoop connector. (10/05/2008)

Oil well hardware. (10/05/2008)

More hardware. (10/05/2008)

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The object in the middle of the photo is a sucker rod used on pumping wells. I found a few of these. (10/5/2008)

Another spot where there were bricks and obvious burning on a slope by a well location. This site was pointed out to me by Robert Miller. That makes three of these on slopes next to wells. I don't really know how they were used. (12/5/2009)

This pipe acts as a bridge for an old road. However, Robert Miller also pointed out to me that it was actually the body of a boiler. (10/09/2008)

Another view of boiler/bridge. It is about 5 feet in diameter and 16 feet long.

These old tank hoops were found by Robert Miller. Thanks for sharing this with me. This photo is used with his permission and is not in the public domain.