Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1885-11-07
NATURAL GAS GEOLOGY.
Professor Ashburner on the Supply and
Origin.

Pitsbgrg Post.
Prot. Ashburner, the geologist in charge
! of the survey Of this State, has had printed
q chapter on the forthcoming report on
natural gas, which is of interest. Some
days ago we printed valuable data from the
same authority on petroleum.
The Professor finds that natural gas was
discovered and utilized in Fredonis as
early as 1921, and the village was illumin,
Rted by it when General Lafayette passed
through it in 1924. In 1858 another well,
drilled in the same place to the depth of
1900 feet, supplied 200 burners. The aver
age monthly supply of the Fredonis we'll in
/ 1880 was llO, 900 cubic feet The further de-
velopuent Of natural gas in drilling oil
wells is sdverted to. He estimates in Sep
tembe; last that in Pittsburg alone there
was supplied with natural gas 500 dwell
ings, So glass factories, 81 rolling mills
and IS other industrial establishments,
and 10000 tons of coal were thereby dis
placed daily. But in the sixty days since
the first of September this consumption of
gas and displacement of coal have been
largely increased. The report quotes Col
onel 7. P. Roberts that the value Of coal
displaced by natural gas in Pitsburg IN
1882 was So, 900; in 1888, $1,000 goo; in
1884, Sl,lOOOOO. Probably 1885 would
double or reole these figures.
The oil and gas regions of Pennsylvania,
Prot Ashburner says, are one in geological
sense, and this conclusion, which he fortI-
6es BY EVestigstion, is an important one.
We quote:
"The general conditions upon which the
occurrence Of natural gas seems to depend,
from q consideration OF the facts at present
at our command, are (s) the porosity and
homosenousness of the sandstone which
serves as q reservoir TO hold the gas; o.
the extent to which the strata above or b
low the gss-ssnd are cracked; (c) the dip
of the gas sand and the position OF the an
ticliues and synclines; (d) the relative pro-
portion of water, oil and gas contained in
the gsssand, and (e) the pressure under
which the gas exists before being tapped by
wells Other conditions may still be dis
covered which will have as important 9
bearing upon the problem as these which |
have stated.
The origin of natural gas, although we
are in possession Of much data, is still
shrouded in too much uncertainty 10 per
nit of complete explanation, The Protes-
sor, however, says:
ut would appear that the gas is closely
related to petroleum, and that their origin
is due largely to the same cause.-The de-
of animal and vegetable life.
II is believed that the gss is not indigenous
to the sand rock from which it is obtained,
but comes from the decomposition of life
forms which we're entrspped in underlying
strata. If this be so, the amount OF gas
contained in any one sand depends, first,
upon the extent to which the rocks are
cracked between the horizons of such Or
zsnic remains and the gas sand reservoir
in order to permit the gas to flow into the
sand; and, second, upon the extent to
which the rocks are cracked above the gas
sand, which would permit the gas to es-
cape into the atmosphere aud totally dis
appear.
The first necessary condition for the
presence of gas, however, is dependent
lpon the existence OF porous rock to
,erys as a reservoir to hold it. A number
# wells have been drilled which have
ound gas butt the drillers' records are
% be credited, have not pierced ssnd,beds;
a these cases the gas has been unques.
ionSbly obtained from crack in the strata
which serves as conduit to convey the
,as from its sSnd bed reservoir to the well
"Ths facts relating to the geology of
lstural gas now in the possession of any
me geologist are not sufficiently numerous
II connected TO permit the acceptance of
my ultimate theory; and it is only possiblsi
or the present to deducs special geotec'
onie conditions under which natural gas
las 80 far been exploited. Some of these
conditions are so varying aud apparently
that It Is only possible to ar.
i've at g general law, controlling the oc.