The evening times., 1899-06-26
NATURAL GAS FAILING
The Supply May Be Exhausted in
Three Years.
Prediction of the Indiana Stnte In
spectOr-EGorts 10 Prevent Waste.
Wells Closed by Order of the OIL
cfaIs-Opcrators Prepare to Reap u
Harvest Under the New Conditions.

Indianapolis, Ind, June 26.-The state
geologist, Mr.. Blatchley, announces that in
his forthcoming report the gas inspector
Mr.. Leach, will predict that . as supply
in the famous Indiana gas be- aill be ex-
hausted within three years. Mr.. Leach has
made careful tests of the gas belt. and the
general result OF his Investigation is that
the rock pressure has decreased eighteen
pounds since a year ago. Nine years ago
the rock pressure was 325 pounds: now it is
$50 pounds. The average decrease is eight
cen pounds year, and salt water over
comes the gas in the Indiana gas belt at a
pressure Of 130 pounds. 1t is on this data
that Mr.. Leach comes to the conclusion
that within three years the wells in the
Indiana gas belt will be dead.
For three years. said Mr.. Blatchley,
in speaking on this subject. .it has been so
evident that the supply of natural gas is
fast being exhausted that We have been
making an extensive and thorough study
of the coal deposits of Indiana, and We
know Just what the supply of coal in the
State amounts to. Many factories have
moved into the State because of the gas.
and now that the supply of gas fuel is CIV
ing out we desire to show these factories
that other fuel in abundance exists in indi-
ana, and so keep them here. AT the pres
ent rate Of consumption there is enough
coal in Indiana 10 last for 1,6G0 years.
so far as the gas is concerned, 1t Is
not necessary to make a much greater
study of it than has already been nlade.
The thing to do Row is to save what We
have and prevent waste. The last lesisia-
ture gave us increased powers in That di-
rection. and We have closed three wells
near Marion where gas was being wasted.
The pressure at which the salt water over
comes the gas varies in the different States
1t overcomes the gas 1T about 800 poundS
in Ohio and the wells there are about 2,Coo
feet deep.
so far as is known. the only portion of
the gas field in Indiana which has not been
developed is an area Of about l25 miles
which lies in the corner of Grant, Black
ford, Madison, and Delaware counties, ami
all pipe lines are now being headed for
that small area. Even there the rock
pressure is only about fifteen TO twenty
tons greater than it is in the other parts
OF the field. The gas will difuse in all the
space available. AS socn as the Trenton
rock is tapped the well will draw from the
entire field. One well in the entire e,0O0
square miles Of porous Trenton rock in
Indiana would in time exhaust all the gas
in the field.
1T is impossible to estimate how much
gas there is. except from the decrease in
pressure. There is no doubt that the gas
now being used has been stored up for
thousands of years, and 10 more is being
made The gas is formed from the oil.
Both gas and oil are the results of organ
isms stored up in past ages, and when the
gas is exhausted oil follows. This is be-
cause of the difference in the specific
gravity. Water. being heaviest, is last.
The place where gas Is struck may be
miles from the bed Of oil where it origi-
Mates but because OF the porous rock it
dinuses oyel a wide area
Chicago is supplied with gas from the
Indiana field. and the Chicago Pipe Line
Company carries the fuel $50 miles. Chi
cago has never lacked fer gas in the win
ter. but fer the last three years the Indi-
ana companies and the great Dieterich
syndicate have been freezing their patrons
during the cold weather. The Chicago
company seems to have faith in the lasting
quality OF the gas. Mr.. Blatchley notwith
standing. for it is putting a vast amount
of money into improvements. new n
inch pipe lire is being laid. and it Will
cost not less than $500, coo. for ten-inch
pipe is now costing 81 foot Another
piping station must be built. The one
that now forces the gas through to Chicago
cost $4,000 1t is reported that if gas
gives out oil will be forced to Chicago
through the big main. The company has
leases on thousands of acres of land and
il never abandons well without carefully
plugging it.
Altogether the Chicago company will
spend something over sl.00O.000 in i'm
provements. The Ohio company. which
supplies thirty-two towns and cities in
that State, will spend s500.000 in repairs.
One answer to the question. Why are these
spending so much money when
the gas is known to be failing? is the re-
port that the Manhattan Oil Company is
back CT the Chicago company and the
are back of the Ohio company.
1t is pointed out that these two compa-
nies, reaching Chicago and Toledo. would
be formidable rivals to the Standard Oil
Company.
AS Mr.. Blatchley says, oil follows gas
out Of the wells. and the spectators that
operate in the Indiana gas belt are fully
cognizant of this fact. They are leasing
land by the thousands of acres, and they
are willing to wait until the gas fails, for
then their money will come back to them
many fold. The last legislature enacted
! law to bar the oil spectators. who are |
Impatient. and who waste gas for the sake !
Of the oil. The scheme was TO let the |
gas flow into the air, il acting an ele |
rator for the oil. Millions of feet of gas |
were being wasted in this way before the |
new law was enacted. The richness of the |
Indiana oil field. 1t is expected. will make |
Il the battlefield of the big companies |
within few years. Even now the Stand |
ard is gradually deserting Ohio for Indi-
but a good deal faster
han appears on the surface.