The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-06-20
TRUTH ABOUT THE GAS SUPPLY.

The Chicago Times-Herald, abiding to
the report of State Geologist Blatchley, as
sumes 'the failure Of the natural gas fields
at no distant day." Toward the latter part
of the same paragraph it declares that lit
would not be surprising if, within year
or two, the supply would be so much d.
minished that the general use of gas would
have to be abandoned. Convinced by
these statements, the writer concludes that
gas is about thing of the past, saying that
1.-The gas fields of Indiana were discovered in
1897 and now, after ten years, they too
dixie those of other States), will become a
thing of the past" This is the year 1897,
but if the Chicago Times-Herald will send
an intelligent correspondent through the
gas belt he will come to the conclusion that
at the expiration Of ten years there is still
a large volume of gas in the Indiana belt.
Indeed, if the Times Herald had carefully
read the report of the geologist of Indiana
it would not have arrived at the conclusion
that the days Of gas are in the past tense.
On Page II of his report +. Blatchley
says:
The area producing gas still continues APP
proximately at 25O0 square miles, which is
larger than is possessed by any other State
in the Union. The wells in the outer zone
of this area, which embraces a strip of
about fifteen miles in width around the en-
tire field show much decreased flow and
in many instances have become worthless
through the influx of salt water and pc
troleum. In another year or two much of
this outer zone will have ceased to flow,
and the natural gas area Will have been
diminished to two-thirds it's present size.
The middle zone, probably twenty miles
in width, yields much of the gas which is
piped to cities outside the field. majority
of the wells in this zone have begun to
show signs of water, but up to the present
time has not been sufficient in quantity to
cause much decrease in the supply of gas.
During 1886 the average pressure decreased
about twenty pounds Gin total of 200 to
The third zone, or heart of the field, en-
braces about 400 square miles in Madison,
Delaware and Grant counties. 1t contains
some of the best producing wells in the
. State, and, as yet, shows but Few signs OF
water or other influences tending to dimin-
ish the gas supply. The rock pressure,
however shows a decrease of about fifteen
pounds over that of 1885.
So much for the report of the geologist
Mr.. J. c. Leach, supervisor of natural gas,
in his part of the report discusses the con-
dition and prospects of the field at length.
Speaking of the supply in the middle zone
from which the cities are supplied, he says:
Some of the most productive wells are
found here and, notwiths landing the fact
that nearly all of the large pipe lines pass
through this territory it lacks much of be-
ing fully developed. Hundreds of acres of
land yet await the drill. 1t was
thought by those who have been watching
the progress of this field that the decrease
in pressure during the past year would be
greater than the year previous. While the
mast history of the field warranted the fore
cast the present conditions do not fulfill 1t.
The decreas Sc in pressure in this part of the
field during the past year is not greater
than it was during the previous year, and
in some instances it is less.
Thus it appears that the report from
which the Chicago Times Herald claims to
have derived the basis of its predictions re-
.garding the Indiana gas supply shows con-
ditions the reverse. It is not possible that we
shall always enjoy the plenteous supply OF
natural gas we now have, but it is not prob
able that some day this year or next year.
or the year after, we will be shocked to find
that there is no gas to turn on. In fact,
if anything like care is exercised in the use
of this rare gift of nature, we shall be
burning natural gas for years to come. 1t
depends much upon the manner in which it
is used.