Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-12-18
LOTS OF GAS BELOW.
An Expert Believes That Deeper
Drilling Will Discover a
LARGE SUPPLY OF NATURAL FUEL.
New and Productive Territory Opened W
in Armstrong County.
TIE TREND OF GAs-BEARING STRAIT

w eStern pennsylvania MI. McCoilouSn
takes an optimistic view of the prospects
for large and long-continued supply of the
natural fuel He believes that liberal
probing with the drill will be amply re-
warded.
In discussing the probabilities of discover
ing new gas-producing territory he said:
"The gas we'll recently struck by The
Equitable Natural Gas Company, near New
Texas in Allegheny county, is located on
slope of the southwestern extension OF
what is known as the Apollo anticlinaL
This rock-wave takes its course northeast
and southwest between the Pinhook and
Murraysville axes. about midway and par
aIlel to them.
The Flow OF the Gas.
'If straight-edge be laid on a map of
Western Pennsylvania, at a point little
east of lower New Texas, in Allegheny
county, and line be drawn northeast to
the mouth of Cherry run at Crooked
creek, short distance below Cochran's
Mills in Armstrong county, the line will
describe the location and trend of this axis.
The Kiskiminetas river cuts across and
flows over it, about "A miles below the
town of Apollo The general bearing of
the folding is North 40 East. Between
the Kiskiminetas river and Crooked Creek
there is DETECTION which changes its dl-
rection somewhat.
"Going southwest from Armstrong county
it enters Westmoreland county near the di-
vidiug line between Allegheny and Wash
ington townships. and E. NJ. HukilPs Syl-
vas and George wells, struck few years
ago north of Pine run, owed their high pres
sure to this uplitt The Pine run gas field
is located on a flank of this axis. Its wells
got their large flow III a lower member
of the Venango group OF sands-either
in the fourth or fifth sands-and their
high pressure was due to the influence
of this strata-wave. Still further to the
southwest, in the vicinity of McGlaughlins-
town, in Westmoreland county, the West
Penn Gas Company and the Pittsburg
Plate Glass Company, struck some tair
wells, year ago, on this anticlinal
A New Gas Area Opened.
'tA skip of six or seven miles further to
the southwest along this same folding, and
d new gas area is opened by the late strike
of the Equitable Company From Pine
Run to New Texas, the country is buried
under the lower barren measures, so that
it is next to impossible to trace the axis by
any exposure of well-identifed horizon;
and the only guide as to the presence, loca-
tion and direction of the arch, is the few
drill-holes through that section.
''The ineompleteness and unreliability9o of
well records generally make this method of
determining the rise and dip of the sand
strata more uncertain than where there are
good exposures of Goals or limestones, of
sure identity, obe taken as key strata. AT
the same time it is conceded that the drill
-, bo lae 0f CITY uroI
geology.
''The new gas field just opened by the
Equitable Company is another witness to
the fact that that anticlinal, known by the
local name of Apollo is the bearer of gas
areas upon its arched back and sloping
sides. All anticlinals are not gas bearing.
Some are. Many are not. The Equitable's
new gas field is not on new anticlinaL
Established by the Drill.
although it is true that the axis has not
been laid down on a map by the State Geo
logical Survey, yet its presence south of
Pucketta Creek has been suspected for
some time by persons who have given both
study and examination to the structural
formation of that section. 1t has remained
for the Equitable Company, however, to
establish the fact of its existence and per-
sistence. The EQuitable's new field is sig
nificaut, in that it raises still higher the
probability of there being other undiscov-
cred stores of gas-packed away in sandy
reservoirs-along the arch and tanks of that
anticlinal. To the northeast, beyond the
Kiskiminetas river, the Apollo anticlinal
like the Pinhook-increases in elevation
to within about three miles of Crooked
creek. Its pronounced anticlinal character
vanishes q short distance to the northward,
beyond the latter stream. The termini of
the Pinhook, the Apollo and the Murrys-
Vile axes, are not far north of the valley
of Crooked creek.
Strata Lifted Out of Place.
"The unusual thickness of the sand
deposits, and the solidity and weight of the
whole stratfcation of that section of Arm
strong county, so etfectually resisted the
uplifting force of the crust undulations at
the time of the mountain upheaval to the
eastward, in Clearfeld and Cambria counties,
that along Crooked Greek, the proud rock
waves were literally stayed, ard the
anticlinal swells came to an end. The whole
qualification along that creek was thus
lifted out of place; and there is transverse
section of country across the ends of the
three anticlinals named, that is elevated
out OF the horizontal to such an extent
as to make a great cross cut uplltt, to the
westward, as far as the Allegheny river
For geological reasons. Armstrong
county is destined to be the great gas-pro-
ducing county of Western Pennsylvania in
the near future. There are several foldings
that stretch across it from end to end, be-
sides the three that die upon its bosom. To
the anticlinal rise of these various arches
must be added the monoclinal rise (the rise
of the whole strata) from the southwest to-
wards the northeast, at an average rate of
Is feet to the mile.
Flows to the Heights.
"Gas pressure always being toward the
highest point, it follows that its ascent will
be along the trend of these arches, from the
counties to the southwest toward the
northeast end. Hence, we will find the
highest pressure and largest volume of gas
in wells drilled into these northeast depos-
its. This has been recently demonstrated
to be literally true.
''The we'll at Walkers Mills, on Crooked
Creek, on the eastern slope OF the Pinhook
anticlinal, belonging to the Pittsburg Plate
Glass Company, drilled several months ago,
has supplied, i'll heat units, the equivalent
of /, 600 tons OF coal every "a hours, and has
been showing the gas % miles while it
did it.
"There is no we'll the equal of 1t in the
State but there are more to follow in Arm
strong county.
''The geologic conditions for producing
gas of high pressure and large volume
tocalize in Armstrong county. I can see
no grounds-iG looking over all the gas
fields-for pessimistc prophecy as to the
future of the natural gas supply.
Possibilities of Deeper Drilling.
EtuoDeful nnzeihilitiae binoa uno, daa,,ar