The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1885-01-12
ABOUT NATURAL GAS
IN WHEELING AND IT'S VICINITY.
Prof. white, OF the wo.t virginia unlver.
Aity. Says There is No Necessity Boring
Deeper Than 800 Fest-oplpion of
an Exper. and Eminent GeoioElst.


To te Editor of the Inteltiaetor.
siR:-I observe that your proposition il
/. the INTELLIoEScER OF the 9TH with regard
! to sinking the La Belle gas well to deptl
greater than 1900 feet is about to beal
, fruit. Speaking as one who has made the
natural gas question q special study,
would advise you to recall the suggestion
Of going deeper, for II geological science
can give any answer worthy OF credence,
the money expended in boring the La
Belle, or any other well in the vicinity OF
Wheeling, deeper than 1000 feet, will be
spent in IaiH, so far as obtaining supply
OF natural gas is concerned. Tho reason
for this statement Is based on the follow
ing facts: Large supplies Of natural gas,
Just like oil, must have reservoir to con-
tain the same. Such a reservoir is found
in a coarse, soft, pebbly sandstone which
holds the gas or oil, as the case may be,
just as sponge holds water. Unless such
a porous reservoir he present in the depths
OF the earth the gas supply will not last,
even II strong vein should be struck, as
witness the recent Jones & Laughlin well
in Pittsburgh.
Now the geolagist knows in fairly ac-
curate way the character OF the rocks
below depth Of 1900 feet at Wheeling
Just as well before as he will after the
drill has penetrated them, and any re.
spectacle geologist will tell you that below
this depth at Wheeling no coarse, porous
beds capable OF holding any considerable
supply of gas would he encountered Il the
drill should penetrate the earth even to
the depth OF a mile; in fact the rocks for
the next 1000 feet would be compact
states and shales without trace Of pebbly
sandstone, and hence any one who gives
the matter intelligent thought must see
that search through them Tor gas would
certainly prove fruitlcss.
During May Of last year tho writer ex.
amincd the territory In the vicinity OF
Wheeling in professional capacity for
some parties who were interested in pro-
curing natural gas. With great reluc-
lance, Twas obliged TO condemn the region
for gus territory within radius OF ten
miles from the city, which Is as far as my
examinations extended. The wells put
down since that opinion was given. have
so lar only confirmed its correctness, and
hence 1t would seem futile to waste any
more capital in drilling forgas near Wheel
ing, and hopelessly SO when depth OF
l,S00 feet has been passed.
1t looks as though Wheeling would have
to go away from home for natural gas, if
she gets any, and I'M this connections word
Of warning 10 those capitalists who think
ofiaying pipeline to Wellsburg may not
be aniss. There are grave doubts as to
whether the Wellsburg gas wells show a
pressure sufficiently strong to overcome
the friction ina pipe line eighteen miles
long, and deliver a sufficient quantity Of
gas in Wheeling to make the investment q
paying one. Certainly no well that shows
pressure of much less than 200 pounds
should be considered strong enough to
pipe its gas SO far. However, Il the
Wellsburg region can not be drawn on for
a supply OF natural gas, Wheeling can fall
back upon the Washington county wells,
for these arc being piped to Pittsburgh,
which is further away from them than
Wheeling.
The great importance Of this subject to
your city must be my excuse for this COM
munication. 1.C. WHITE.
Aiorqantotrn. w Ta.. Jan. 10.