The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1889-11-26
TlIE NATrRAL GAS SuprLY.

Company
G, r. Dausou IN Pittsburgh Disvaich'
Mr.. Joseph D. Weeks, who has pre-
pared several papers upon natural gas
for the United States Geological Survey,
and has given tho subject Of source OF
supply, the amount aud DURATION much
careful study, says it is simply folly to
pretend that the gas is illimitabo or that
it will last forever. At the present rate
of production he estimates that the dis
tricts in the Pittsburgh field will need to
fall back on coal in three to four years
more. Through the practice oil ccono-
mics 1t may last IL few years longer
Prof. Orion, State GcOlogist Of Ohio,
saws that high pressure wells come from
reservoirs, and rapidly exhaust large
sections Of territory.
Prof. |. G. White, who has been
quoted before in these articles, says That
the gas that is burned Is not replaced in
tho reservoirs from which 1t Is drawn.
BIT suppose it to DO granted that the
weight OF tho testimony inclincs to show
that the gus fields from which Pitts
burgh draws It's supply will gradually
fail, the next question is: With what
rapidity? Any diminution Of supply
was not noticeable for some four or live
years after the reservoirs were first tap.
ned. Confidence in the lastingquNIitics
Of tho fields wuS largel y established be-
cause one or two wellB had been pouring
out gas for a long period with no ap-
parent diminuiion in rock pressure, How
pressure, or volume. 1t was not fully
realized then that one well in Il large
territory might flow for years, but
that many wells in the same territory
would be OF correspOndingly short life rs
each new outlet was made in the reser.
voir. The first great MurrysylIe well
might still be producing gas IN the en0r'
nous quantities that 1t did when first
drilled, II other wells, and many OF them,
had not been put down in the same gas
sand. When gas waa struck in II no one
thought OF measuring the rock pressure
and flow. Indeed, there was no method
then known Of doing either. Since then
two or three methods have been put into
use for such purposes; the Nncmometer
for wells yielding not over ,OO0,OOO cubic
feet Of gus per day, and modification OF
Pilots tubes for larger wells. The rock
pressure is obtained by shutting in Il
well until it reaches the normal pressure.
Before the Murraysville field was filled
with holes all the wells had normal
rock pressure OF about 800 pounds, aud
the Aow pressure Indicated u daily pro-
duclion OF about lj,OO0,O00 cubic feet Tor
each well. That would give for the fifty.
eight wells in that field on November |,
1856, S70,00O,OO0 cubic feet per day, or
about 81, 800. 100000 cubic feet per gear.
Instead OF liity.eiGht wells inthc Muir
raysvillc district, there are now about
$50, the Philadelphia Company alone
having about 100 wells in the old aud
new Murraysville fields. The average
rock pressure in the old field, ashaS been
shown, is now about 100 pounds instead
OF 800 pounds.
A Philadelphia Company official, in
an interview in the Dispatch on last
Thursday, estimated that they were
now furnishing 4jO,0OO,00O cubic feet OF
gas per day from the MurrysviIlc, Grape
vile and Washington fields, that would
amount to lGl, $50, 100000 feet per year,
now, rs against G0,0OO,000,0O0 feet III
1886, ar nearly three times the amount
OF 1856, which has to he secured from
III wells in the Murrysvillc field near
~ four times as many rs there were in
1856, with the number Of wells in the
Washington county fields not stated.
These figures themselves would prove
u gradual, yet marked diminution Of
supply.
liza well at 500 pounds rock pressure
yields 100000 cubic feet per day, il
might naturally be inferred that II well
at 100 pounds pressure would give only
one.htth as much, or only 3,000,0OO
cubic feet, therefore the 2G0 wells now
in tho Murrysvile district, with an
average rock pressure Of 100 pounds,
would yield 9O,0O0,O0O feet less per day
than did the liIy.Cight wells thee years
ago.
But this would be incorrect and mis-.
leading, as the production Of Il well is
not always the same with the same rock
pressure, and the decrease in flow is not
In direct ratio with the decrease in rock
pressure. II Is beyond question that
more gas can he obtained IRON 80 wells
at 100 pressure than from 10 at 500
pounds. But ii will require much
larger pipO to carry the same quantity of
gas at 100 pounds thOn ii would at 800.
II IL reasonable TO suppose, and II Is
nndeniAbly correct, that the reservoir
will not be exhausted nearly 80 rapidly
when the rock pressure und flow pres.
surO decrease, that IL, that the cxlaus.
ton Is arrested, and proceeded more
slowly.
Another important factor in prolonr.
Ing the period during which Pittsburgh
will have natural gaS Ia the practice Of
economy 10 It's use. Although there IL
not 10 much waste now rs there was
three years ago, still probably Ono.hali
of tho gas drawn from the mains By
manufactures Ia lost through imperfect
methods Of using II, and careless hand.
ling by employees. Although tho waste
IA not now 10 great IA II was three or
four years rgO, II Ia still very grCat. at
Ia OstIMated," says Joseph D. Weeks Ia
Tho official natural gas report before
alluded 10, "LhAt In tho past four years
Pittsburgh haH consumed and wasted
enough gas In On0 why and another, 10
have lasted ten times M long III had
been judlclOuBly produced and burned"
Under tho syslem Of iutniOlilng gas
for domestic aOrVlCO by contract Instead
Of by meter there Inns been large and
hnrtful waste. Many families use all
the gas they can gOt In their houses In.
stead Of M much M they need, Then
the methods Of combustion aFO impOr.
iOCl. Tho crate fires suitable for coal
are not always suited 10 burn gaH eco.
nOinlCally. ono gas company official
said that The crate fires should DO abOl.
ishOd altogether aud stoves substituted,
aH by that means all tho heat would 10
radiAtOd into the room, instead Oi three.
fourth Of II going up tito chimney IA II
does In q CRATE lrG,
hut BLoVeA ara dlBngrOcablO 10 many
persons, and arc not likely 10 10 gUnuf.
ally adopted, An open CRATE, hOwOyBF,
can DO 90 arranged III 10 throw out four
lima m iniinli hnhL WlllI lpta llnh half