Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1900-03-21
A DIMINISHING FUEL
CONTRACTION OF The NATURAL GAS
RESERVOIRS in THIS COUNTRY.

| ShrInkage in the Different States - Com
plete Exhaustion of the Supply Proba-
BILE in the Near Future-A Matter of
Great Economic Importance.
| For several years it has been gen.
orally known by ypersons interested in
the natural gas, industry that the sup
ply of this fuel in the United States
was slowly but surely failing, and in
many instances the entire exhaustion
of the gastelds could be predicted for
very near future. In nearly every
place where there are wells there has
been decline in the pressure, and
during the year 1897 there were COM
paratively few new wells drilled.
| That the failure of the natural-gas
supply is d matter of some economic
importance is we'll shown by state
ment of few facts connected with
the industry. In 1897 the amount re-
ceived for natural gas OF the cash
value of gas oonsumed amounted to
| $12, 754, $40, .and it is computed that
the solid fuel, such as coal and wood,
which it displaced, would have
amounted to $l4,175,247 10 convey
this gas there were in use on Dec. 81,
1897, in the United States, 1904
miles of pipes, while there were also
pipes from Canada bringing natural
gas to this country. The distribution
of this amount of pipe among the diff
ferent states shows very we'll the COM
parative use of the fuel. The leading
states in this respect are Pennsyl-
vana with; 1854 miles of pipe, Indi-
ana with 1899 miles, Ohio with 1893
miles, West Virginia with S93 miles
and New York with Ala miles.
The companies concerned in the
production of natural gas have taken
numerous measures to keep up the
supply, both by extending their lines
to new wells and by the use of me-
chanical devices. In many localities,
however, the cL If work has been to
prolong the life of the wells and to
keep them free from water. AS the
pressure diminishes the wells become
filed with water and their usefulness
is entirely destroyed.
1t is q matter of great regret that
the. supply of natural gas is on the
wane, as in many places there are an
increased number of uses to which it
may be put. The use of incandes-
cent rmantles with natural gas has in
creased, and it is said that this method
furnishes the cheapest and most satis-
factory method of illumination. There
has also been a growing use of natu-
raj gas engines, particularly for pump
ing oil wells, since they can be worked
much more advantageously than
steam. This is the case where num-
ber of oil wells occur together, for it
is found that the loss of steam due to
condensation in long steampipe is
an important factor in the economy
of such plant The gas engines are
| also used to, operate air compressors,
fandsthen the we'll or other machinery
can be operated by compressed air.
In the manufacture of lampblack
natural gas is also extensively used,
and, as is we'll known, several of the
iron aud steel mills in and about
Pittsburg have pipe lines of their
own extending to the gas fields. In
the use of natural gas for domestic
fires there has been considerable de-
crease, but,as far as is possible the
manufacturing concerns SO equipped
continue to burn the natural fuel.
| In Pennsylvania. where the use of
natural gas has been most extensive,
the value of the product has decreased
| from S19, 2S2.375 in 1883, when it
reached maximum, to ST, 242, 543 in
| 1897. In this state there are numer-
GUS indications of the exhaustion of
several fields more or less rapidly,
according to the demand and capacity
of the gas pool. The fall in pressure,
which is sure sign OF the exhaustion
OF. the, wells, has brought about the
adoption of numerous changes in the
manner Of distribution aud much
greater care is exercised in the sale
aud use of the product. So much has
beeu accomplished in this, direction,
largely by the use of meters, that it is
estimated that one cubic foot is now
used where formerly three or four
were consumed to accomplish the
same effect. AS the pressure falls it
takes longer time, of course, TO oks
tain q given quantity of gas, and to
keep up the supply more wells must
be drilled. ?lf'i Ta ~
In Ohio the samecondition ofaffairs
exists aud the decline has been steady
and general except in the Lancaster
field, which was extended as far south
as Good Hope in Hooking county. In
Fairfield county, within a few years.
new wells have been discovered and
the gas from them goes to Columbus,
Lancaster. Chillicotbe and ATHENS.
This field was considered most prom
ising and is being extended south.
In Indiana the value of the gas
produced has remained almost sta
tionary for three years. 1t is found
in the Trenton limestone at depths of
less than 1000 feet. A fall of pressure
has also been experienced throughout
this state -
In West Virginia The consumption
of natural gas has increased and at
the end of the year 1897 there were
$50 producing wells in the state, OF
which AZ had been drilled during the
year. The depth of the wells in West
Virginia varies from 1900 to $500
feet, and the cost of drilling amounts
to from 81 to $3.50 per foot. The
pressure varies in the different wells
100 to HOO pounds to the square inch.
New York, Illinois, Kansas and Mis-
souri, all produce smaller amounts of
natural gas, but the production is not
to be compared with that of the estates
already discussed. In Canada, how
ever, there has been e considerable
increase in the amount, and large
quantities have been piped to the
United States. 1c-,f
Taking all the various statistics into