Springfield globe-republic. (Springfield, Ohio) 1884-1887, 1885-12-02
NATURAL GAS.
Talk With an Experienced Well Digger
on the subject
Toledo Commercial Telegram.

Toledo Commercial Telegram.
Mr.. c. III. McVey. contractor for boring
gas wells. called al the Commercial Tele-
gram Office and talked freely with the re-
porter concerning gas prospects here. lie
has had much experience in boring both gas
and oil wells. He says the gas is always
found in a porous rock-a rock which
is something like a sponge, with fine holes
running through it in all directions. Oil is
found in what they call loose oil rock.
When the drill strikes the lime rock il is
like bed of Stacked lime. These two classes
of rock may be found close together, one
running out and the other beginning. Mr..
McNey thinks that Findlay is at the center of
this gas district. and that as You get
away from there the supply of gas
will diminish. He bases this belief
upon the fact that at Findlay the
porous or gas bearing rock is eight to
nine feet in thickness. while at Bowling
Green il five 10 six feet, and at the rolling
mill on the East Side but about two feet
thick. Al Findlay. well will yield 80
900. 900 feet of gas per day: at Bowling
Green. the Weld is $50, 900: while in Toledo
he does not believe the average will exceed
100. 600 He thinks the best results may
he obtained i'll the westerly part of the city.
at Air Line Junction. which is very nearly
on a direct line from Findlay through Bowl
ing Green.
These conclusions are natural enough.
considering the experience of Mr.. McNey
in boring wells at the three points, and Yet
he may he entirely wrong. The reporter
saw the well al StrykeT, Williams county,
some years ago and is satisfied that As
much gas escaped from that we'll without
shooting" rs flows from any of the Find
Law wells after they have been shot" OF
COURSE. appearances may have been decep-
tive. hut il Is yet too soon to accept the the
DRY of Mr.. McNey a. correct.
He states another fact worthy of notice
10 wit: that in boring wells they never en-
counter seams. or creViceS in the rock be
low depth of about 200 feet. When the
drill strikes q creyice. the course Is gener-
ally changed. and they can tell At once that
they are in a crevice. Still, taking their
theory, and there is an unS0lved mystery.
They claim that natural gas is a product Of
coal oil: but, without creyice in the
rock, how is il communicated 10 the
porous rock through which the gas escapes?
II the supply is only that which exists in
the porous rock. then it would soon be eX-
hauSted This is but a channel of escape.
and there must be communication between
the body of gas. wherever that may be- and
this porous rock.
Viewing it in any light, there is yet much
mystery attached to this new and wonder
ful agency and men can only accept results
and act upon them. The question, As pre-
sented to the business man now. is simply a
mathematical problem. Suppose that
a well produces 100000 cubic feet of
gas every twenty-f0ur hours. will that
amount OF gas. used as fuel. produce enough
heat to make it profitable TO bore well? A
manufacturer knows how much coal it takes
in bushels and dollars and cents-to fur
nish the requisite amount of heat. Now.
will the gas from one well furnish the heat
required? II it will. then will it be
profitable to invest. say $4,000. in a well
and the necessary pipes to make it avalla-
BILE? Will the saving of the pay OF a ire
man and the cost of coal be sufficient to
bore a well?
This is the question as it must be consid-
cred by those who use a large quantity Of
fuel. In some cases as with the rolling
mill. several wells would be required, but
if profitable in the case of one well, il must
he equally profitable with any number
of wells required TO furnish supply Of
fuel A gas company to supply private
houses may get better prices for gas; that
is. men may be willing to pay something
for the luxury of getting rid of coal. ashes
and dirt: but with the large consumers 1t is
simply a question of dollars and cents, and
Just as soon as the question of supply has
been satisfactorily determined. he can read
ily tell what he should do.