章 32: Informing Mr. Fitzwilliam

A day later, in the morning.

Matthew stood by the derrick, watching as Dalton's men moved quickly, preparing for the next phase. The initial cheer of finding oil had been replaced by a determined urgency. They had hit the reservoir, but now the real work began: extracting the crude and turning this discovery into profit.

Dalton barked orders, his voice carrying over the camp. "Alright, boys! We've struck it, but we're far from done! We need to set up the extraction pumps and the storage tanks! Move like your lives depend on it—because they just might!"

The first task was to stabilize the borehole to prevent a collapse as they began extracting oil. Dalton's crew quickly got to work, reinforcing the walls of the well with steel casing pipes. Each section was carefully lowered into the hole.

The pipes would line the borehole, ensuring that the walls wouldn't cave in under pressure or allow groundwater to seep in and contaminate the crude.