The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1899-12-01
some SHELTER TALK
The Committee of Joplin Ore Pro-
ducers Visits NeOdesha Which
Claims to be the Whole
Uhiun


which mention has been made In the
columns of the REGISTER, started on
lite tour of inspection last Thursday,
and began at Neodesha. The Joplin
Herald has correspondent with the
committee and he sent to his paper
leng by account of what was learned
at Neodesha
The Commercial club of that city
welcomed the committee and showed
off several of their big gas wells. Gas
was revelation to most OF the party
and they are more interested than
ever in locating their proposed 81 ,0OO,.
600 smelter in the gas region. The
following extract from the report,
showing what Neodesha offered and
the rather invidiou4 comparisons
made. Is taken from the Herald. of
November 70:
Gas has so many things to commend It rs q
fuel for smelling ores that it is probable that
the committee will recommend that where proper
inducements are offered a smelter shall be
built that will consume a very large percentage
of the product OF the zinc mines. II that place
is not to be Neodesha the places to be visited
Will have to offer some very substantial induce.
ments. No propositions have as yet been sub
mitted It is too early for that.
'Neodesha offers the gas that Is needed for
a million dollar smelter at three cents per 900
feet. The proposition comes from the city of
Neodesha and the Forest oil Co The city does
not offer a site for the smelter or any other in.
ducement spart from three cent gas, except
perhaps, right Of way for side tracks to the
works
at Mound Valley, one of the places to be
visited, 1t is understood other inducements ars
to be offered but 1t is known that there is only
single well at Mound Valley and that not one
that has much fame The only feeling now is
that the committee may be able to do better
elsewhere than here-and that is something yet
to be determined
Gas for fuel, transportation, site, water fire
clay for buildings, building rock and leases on
TOO acres Of oil lands This much at Seodesha
is already under control of Joplin men, as
already mentioned in the Hcraid, namely, W.
\. Hacker and Hugh Mcludoe strong feel
ing prevails, however to the effect that It is
still possible to build the new proposed smelter
at some point satisfactory to all parties con.
1erned In the mining districts. Gas experts
have said today that 1t is only a question OF a
few years until he gas at lola is exhausted. If
the gas is exhausted In lola at some time in the
future why should there not be time at
Neodesha where 1t will be exhausted also? In
conformation ofthis is the statement OF those
interested in Neodesha to the effect that the
gas here covers an area OF five by twelve miles
| Whereas that at lola is only three by five
miles It is also stated that the gas pressure
here is also 100 pounds greater to the square
inch than It is at lola where 1t is $40 pounds
he matter OF depth al which gas is found
is also in favor OF the continuity of
Neodesha for 1t is stated that gas here comes
from 800 feet while at lola 1t comes from 800 to
| 200 feet"
The foregoing will he read with in
terrst and surprise by Io'a people,
and it shows that the "experlsn in
| question have made very super
ticial study of the natural gas ques-
tion, and jumped very hastily ut
conclusions. On the authority of a
gentleman who has spent life time
in the gas business, and who is as
thoroughly familiar with the Kansas
field as any man living, the REGIS
TER begs leave to submit the fol-
lowing:
Granting that the Neodesha field
has 100 pounds greater pressure than
the lola field, it should be remem-
bered that rock pressure il not VOL
ume, and high rock pressure Is
valuable solely when it is desired to
pipe the gas to any distance. When
it 10 proposed to erect the works on
the ground where the gas is found
the question of rock pressure means
absolutely nothing. With its 100
pounds extra rock pressure there is
not well in the Neodesha field that
will flow over 1900, 600 cubic feet per
day. Granting the estimate that the
territory around Neodesha is by IL
miles in area, il must also be remem.
bered that two out OF thres holes
prove to be dry and useless. This
really reduces the producing territory
to about twenty square miles, instead
Of sixty as the figures would lead one
to believe.
The lola field, so far as developed,
is by 10 miles, and is one continuous
field, scarcely dry hole being found
in the entire area. With it's 100
pounds less rock pressure the wells
average three times the volume of the
Neodesha wells, running uniformly
from 9,OO0,OOO to 100000 cubic feet.
AS to the depth at which the gas is
found, lola gets no gas out of the
Cherokee shales at depth less than
8l5 feet, the deeper wells being 92O
feet. The lola territory, 10 by
miles means 40 square miles of con.
tinuOus territory.
In a spotted field the depth of the
gas sand is 'always credited as being