The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1898-08-19
THE CHEAPEST FUEL.
The Kansas State Labor Commissioner
Complies the Following Inter.
esting Figures About
Kansas Oil and
Gas.
ALLEN COUNTY HEADS THE LIST.

furnishes fuel that costs only 81
horse power month in southeastern
Kansas, according to figures complied
by the labor bureau. Lee johnson,
state labor commissioner, made an
effort to secure complete details of the
oil and natural gas business, but the
reports are incomplete and he was
compelled to depend upon Prof.
Haworth's geological report, issued
some weeks ago, for information 81 to
the value Of the products, which lie
stated at 900 for oil and Sl55, 900
for gas. JohnsoD's report says:
The development of petroleum and
natural gas in Kansas has been at
tended with great difficulties and the
usual risks accompanying such enter
prises have, in measure, retarded it's
growth and development. Prospect
ing for oil aud gas began as early as
1860 in Miami and Linn counties,
when few wells were drilled and y
small quantity of oil and gas pro-
duced, Lack of encouragement and
the instability of political conditions
forced the promoters to abandon their
effort, and not again until 1871 and
1872 was prospecting done to any con-
siderable extent,
1.-The seat of the oil and gas district
shifted from the Miami fields to Allen
county in 1878, when natural gas was
found in large quantities and the
future prospects of the industry SEEM
ed to be definitely established. Oil
and gas have been found in Linn,
Bourbon, Allen, Neosho, Elk, Mont.
gomery and Chsutsuqua counties,
varying in depth from 400 to $50 feet
Estimated area of oil and gas fields
in Kansas is abou: $500 square miles,
located in the southeastern part of the
State.
The location of gas wells as re-
ported can he grouped rs follows:
Allen county has twenty-nine, Linn
county six, Montgomery county
twenty-one, in the Coffeyville field
estimated to be one-third of the
number in the county, Wilson has
twelve, Neosho two aud Miami county
two, making q total of seventy-two
reported. Reports received by this
bureau show that Allen county has
twenty-nine gas wells, with an
average depth of 800 feet. The esti-
mated output for well i'm twenty
four hours is, for the highest, II
million cubic feet; for the lowest, 2
million cubic feet; the average being
8 million cubic feet. The pressure
averages SO pounds to the square
inch.
Eight large manufacturing con-
Germs use gas as fuel A compsi ison
of heat units of gas with coal is stated
to be 10000 cubic feet Of gas equal to
one ton of the best bituminOus coal.
The estimated quantity Of gas in cubic
feet In the lola field on tap for con-
sumption, lie 100 million cubic feet
every twenty-fouT hours. The esti.
mated quantity of gas consumed in
Allen county each twenty.four hours
is 10 million cubic feet. Linn county
reports six gas wells, with an average
depth of 900 feet; Montg omery reports
twenty'one gas wells in the Coffey-
Vile fed, with an average depth of
800 feet. The county clerk estimates
that this is one-third of the total
number of wells in the county.
I'm this field twelve manufacturing
concerns use gas fuel. 1t is estimated
that the average cost with gas as fuel
is 81 horse power a month. Five
wells in four counties furnish city
lighting.
"The counties having oil wells"
the report continues, "sre reported as
follows: Allen two, Wilson sixty
three Neosho ten, Montgomery one.
Chautauqua two, total of seventy
eight. The companies controlling the
oil interest in Kansas seem to be the
Forest Oil company and the Palmer
Oil company"
The report for Wilson county on the
sixty-three oil wells shows an average
depth of S75 feet, The daily output is
given as 1917 barrels.
School Exhibit.