The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-08-23
THE GAS AND OIL FIELDS.
Observations of an Indiana Scientist on
an Investigating Tour in Ohio.
A Slight Probability that Gas and Oil May Be
Found in Some Of the Northern Coun-
ties of the State of Indiana.

retured from an investie atng tour through the
Ohio gas aud oil fields The earth formation In
many places in Indiana is the same as in those
districts in Ohio where gas and oil have been
found, and the observations of this eminent geol-
ogist are, therefore. Of interest in this State.
THE gas and oil wells of northwestern Ohio
said Professor Collett ''begin in the Devonian
rocks just below the sub carboniferous. The
wells at Fremont are from 600 to 900 feet deep,
as q rule obtaining gas at 600 feet
They bore through 100 feet Of Devonian lime
stone. ITO to l8O of upper Siurian limestone. and
thence through gray, blue and black shales to
thin silicious limestone, in which the gas Is
found. The blue and black shaeS contain
very considerable amount of bituminous and
vegetable matter, which, when distilled by the
internal heat Of the earth, would produce gas
and oil. The gas at Fremont is not in large
volume, but the wells, eight or ten in number
produce three or four million feet which is piped
about town, and used for light, cooking, warm
ing, and fuel generally. The gas at this point is
nearly inodorous. yet with sufficient odor for its
presence to be detected. This indicates long
passing and purifying process through the strata
of rocks. Gas is very abundant northeast and
northwest of Fremont.
"Findlay, about thirty three miles southwest,
has phenomenal outpouring of gas. It's
odor is very penetrating and offensive. 1t is SO
abundant that it is used for all purposes of light
ing and heating. for driving all the steam engines
in the town, and with surplus sufficient for the
manufacture Of iron, glass and other purposes
where heat is required. No more than tenth
of the gas that flows is used now. For illustra-
ton, few nights last week were made as light
as day by flaming lamps with blazes from one to
three feet long, and with wells with banners of
light of volume from fifteen to twenty feet long,
and fifteen to eighteen inches in diameter.
1.-THE wells vary in volume from 100000 cubic
feet per day up to 100000 cubic feetper day.
A single we'll of the largest size would furnish
enough gas to light all the cities in Indiana. In
Wood county, from eight TO twenty miles north
east from Findlay well has been bored by the
city OF Toledo, and it is proposed to pipe the gas
to that place. The we'll produces over II 300 600
cubic feet per day. The hundreds of thousands
above the millions would alone be sufficient to
supply city like Indianapolis They have also
oil wells producing each from five to twenty bar
rels a day. 1t had horribly bad odor.
II saw an oil we'll shot Cases Of nitro
glycerine-three cases, each three feet long and
three inches in diameter nine feet IN length in
all-were put down. A bar of steel shot down
| upon JQ6ms ana 6XDlOO6Q Lueu. n Gull SOuuQ
like striking board with ones knuckles was
about all the noise the explosion made. In fifty
seconds the whistling of gas was heard, and
| then there poured black volume of oil, six
inches ia diameter rising in the air to height
| of l40 or loo feet In three minutes the shoot
/ ing over, and it soon found go be
| twenty barrel pumping we'll
Here also are the aluminium works of Mr.
| thinner, who takes clay and adds an intermix
/ ture of small quantities of zinc and nickel,
1 DOriZ0S rh0 miXtuf0 collects in a receiver and
| has the rare and valuable metal, aluminium,
| within 10 per cent of pure Aluminium is not
| heavier than liyeoak wood. being the lightest
metal used in the arts. This metal is immensely
valuable when made into an alloy with
copper, iron, steel, etc Possessing great
strength and light weight, this metal will be
used an alloy in implements of war, table cut
ery, and in time. when cheaper, in all manner of
machinery and tools. This is the only place in
| the United States where aluminium is econom-
ically produced. This metal formerly cost from
| So to $40 pound, but with Detroit capital,
| which commands millions, Mr. thinner proposes
! to make it for 81 pound, and the alloys from
| Is to 20 cents pound. The soldier of the fu-
ture, instead of carrying, as our boys did. sixty
| pounds of Announcements. will be equipped at
| less than forty pounds. Field guns which for
mery required six horses. will, when made Of
this alloy, be drawn at full speed with two
horses.
"About forty miles southwest of Finday is the
thriyir own of Lima. Here is great oil ba-
Slu souJ bnF6G uuuQreU WollS nave De6u put
down, commencing at the base of the Devonian
rocks and passing through 800 feet of Devonian
and Upper Siluran limestone, then through 500
feet of grey shales of Lower Siluran and 200
feet of blue and black bitumnous states. They
there strike silicious limestone twenty feet
thick, where they reach the oil rock, and after
ten feet the oil is found. The wells produce
from eight barrels all the way up to 600 barrels
apiece per day, averaging about eighty or ninety
barrels. There are about twenty wells that each
prodnca m than a hr1n rad har a dav
considerable quantity Of gas flows with the oil
enough to drive all the steam engines and heat
ing stoves in the citvbut this is lost sight of in
the rich yields of oil. and the gas is unused
This oil is not merely odorous-it stinks. 1t is
used in state for lubricating purposes and
as fuel for driving steam engines.
''The Standard Oil Company of Cleveland,
has pipe lines laid from producing wells
and present storage capacity of 100 600 barrels
of OIL The company proposes to have storage
capacity of nearly five hundred thousand bar
rels of petroleum, and will at once erect an ex-
tensive refinery for Illuminating oil and other
coal-oil products. The derrcks are scattered
all over Lima, and for large areas around it will
average at least one derrick to the At
Finday the wells are in depth from $50 to
1920 feet. averaging LILO; at Lima 1850 to
to 1900, averaging 200. At all these points. if
a well is bored down to salt water. the overflow
of salt water Tor for some other reason) prevents
the flow of gas oil, and the well is abandoned
1t is considered easier and cheaper to bore new
well than to pipe the water out At both Lima
and Findley from 10 to Is per cent of the wells
give no product, and are termed dry or 'dus-
ters.' These wells find water below the up
per Silurian limestone. hence they are cased to
the top of the gray shale below the limestone
and 'bagged' to prevent the inflow of surface
water.
II was informed that, before the first test we'll
was put down, there were no surface indications
of either oil or gas Similar rocks in southern
Indiana and Kentucky have no indication of ma
tarial from which oil or pas c0u1d ha adj
Consequently, the Eastern and home biologists
would give promise OF gas or OIL A set of
brave citizens put down test well at Finday
and found a small quantity Of gas, which led to
the development of the northern Ohio gas field,
greater in area than that of Pennsylvania.
There is plenty of undeveloped territory but
gas there is cheap and petroleum sells at from
50 to SO cents per barrel in bulk