Midlothian's 100 Objects - D'Arcy Farm oil wells

Midlothian once boasted its own oil wells on D'Arcy Farm, Mayfield. Pictured is a view of the pumping plant at No. 1 Well in 1946.

Oil wells on D'Arcy Farm, Midlothian. Photo: British Geological Survey/ NERC/Scran

Few oil wells flow from natural pressures. Most require secondary means of removing the oil.

The plant shown is the most common of several methods. A walking beam is operated like a seesaw, raising and lowering a plunger-type pump set near the bottom of the well.

The sucker rods are the rods between the walking beam and the pump seen on the right. Note the counterweight on the left end of the beam.

Photo: British Geological Survey/ NERC/Scran

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