Idaho semi-weekly world. [volume] (Idaho City, Idaho Territory) 1875-1908, 1891-05-29
IDAHO
NATURAL GAS DIMINISHING.
Some of the Interesting PecuIiarit.es q
the Invisible Fuel.

Some of the Interesting PecuIiaritses Of
the Invisible Fuel.
What is known as rock pressure is the
carrying power of the gas. 1t must
come from the wells under pressure
great enough to propel it through long
line of pipe The principal supply for
Pittsburg comes from distance of from
thirty TO forty miles, some of it as much
as sixty miles away,
1t might be supposed that simple
algebraic problem would give the amount
of flow through given sized pipe under
a known initial pressure and for known
distance. 1t would be easy enough to de-
termine the quantity of water delivered
under such circumstances, but it is not
at all possible to determine the amount
of gas.
In the first place, there is an astonish-
ing difference in volume in gas under
differing pressures and different temper
atures. A change of Is dogs in temper
AZURE of the gas will increase or decrease
the volume Of natural gas 50 per cent.
A difference in pressure of POO pounds
will make n difference of at least one
sixth in volume. Remarkable as it may
seem, no formulas have been made to
show the resistance of flow, SO that it ia
only possible to guess at it by isolated
cases.
What is known as the Acme natural
gas pipe line, ten inches in diameter,
which was one of the tightest and best
ones ever laid, started with gas at 500
pounds pressure from the wells and
brought it TO the low pressure lines at
the city limits at siXtv-live pounds press
ure-an enormous waste, a sixteen
inch line from Murraysville, reasonably
tight, left the well at 200 pounds press
ure, and thirty miles distant gave only
fifteen pounds pressure. Such figures
as these simply prove nothing. It is
known that the carrying capacity OF a
pipe ten inches in diameter is much more
than twice that OF a pipe only five inches
in diameter, when it is water that is car
ried-and the resistance is known under
certain pressures ut the initial point with
the pipe diseharging freely at the end
but water is not subject to the great
changes in volume that gas is
These unknown quantities have not
been made subject Of so much study
by the natural gas companies as they
would have been had there been more
time TO study them. The whole business
is done with a rush. It is a singular fact
but nevertheless fact. that 10 reliable
test has ever been made of the tempera-
ture Of gas as it comes from the sand
rocks, and then what it is when it enters
the pipe Several German scientists who
were over here recently seemed especial
ly anxious to get such tests.
1t was impossible to crafty them sim
ply for the reason that all the wells are
drilled by contract, and no contractor
would allow the six hours loss of time
which would result by the stoppage of
work each time such test was made,
in order to allow the sand to regain its
normal temperature after the heat made
by the friction of the drill had subsidized
No known method has been devised
for driving natural gas 1t must carry
itself or it does not goat all Taking the
two instances named out of many that
might be given, it follows that with
small pipes there must be a high rock
pressure from the wells, or the gas can
not be pped for a distance of thirty or
forty miles.
Another question equally important in
determining the problem of stability is
the character of the sand in which the
gas is found; whether it generates gas or
is simply a storage house which may, in
time, become exhausted, Gas is never
found in solid granite; it invariably comes
from loose, porous rock.
Sometimes this sand is actually pebbly,
as is found in some sections Of the Muir
raysville field In other cases it may have
the appearance Of greater density; but,
nevertheless, it wiz be found to be porous.
No gas sand that will produce a paying
well is of greater density than will admit
of one-sixth of its volume in gas The
gas is contained in the iuterstices of the
stone, possibly in liquid form, because
of the high pressure. Ii certainly is
greatly condensed at any rate. The Dor
ing of the hole allows il to escape; but it
escapes from store house, and when
it is all out there is and can be no imme-
date or early process OF regeneration or
restoration; IL is gone
always taking out of the meal tub
and always putting in will soon exhaust
the supply" Is an old saw which is ak
iomatic. As there Is 40 replacing of the
gas, as IL cannot now DO replaced, hay-
ing been generated and stored countless
years ago il follows that there must be
exhaustion Of fields in time How long2
Well, we shall all come very close to
knowing, later ON.
The dependence, then, for future sup,
plies must be on new territory, As the
cost Of pipeaee is now as so TO every 81
invested in drilling a well (Which in it.
self reaches as high in eases, as 81. 900,
the opening OF new territory must neces-
sarily become more and more expensive.
&C. I. Dawson in Pittsburg Dispatch.
TOW To- Neep Cool
Doctor, give me a suggestion as to
the best way 10 stand this hot weather.
We'll" replied "a prominent phvsi-
clan, there are rew simple things to
remember tell you how 20 do it, In
the first place / get plenty of sleep. | do
this by eating a light supper, without
coffee and with very little fluid Of any
sort and tut mnuthful of beefsteak
Ny days work ends with the day. and
after sunset / just sit around without