The Sumpter miner. [volume] (Sumpter, Or.) 1899-1905, 1902-09-24
PRODUCTION OF
NATURAL GAS
There Were 1927 Wells at
the Close Of the Year 1901.

continued to increase, although the
pressure, except in the new fields Of
West Virginia, has continued to decline.
necessitating the expense Of compression
IN order to market an increased produc-
ton from the declining fields, which ex.
pense must continue to increase as the
pressure declines and the distance to the
source Of supply increases.
The value Of natural gas consumed in
the United States in 1901 was $27 ,O67,.
500, which, at fifteen cents per 1000
cubic feet, Is equivalent to lSO, ,45O, ,OOO,.
OOO cubic feet. II 1t were possible to
store this gas in u cube, the density
throughout being equal, its sides woukl
be $3.50 feet in length, or 25O feet greater
than the sides Of II cubic mile. lf2O,OOO
cubic feet Of natural gas be taken ~
equal TO one ton Of coal, Sass, 100 tons Of
coal, valued at $3.50 per ton, would be
required to yield the sum Of money for
which the natural gas sold.
The value Of the production for 1901
was greater than that Of 1900 by ~, ,36s,.
S26, or over fourteen per cent. 1t also
exceeded that Of 1899 by 1922 1927. 1t
may also he interesting to note that the
value Of the ~, ,3s9, l0i barrels OF petro.
leum produced in the United States
during 1901 was $68, III ,33S, and that the
value of the natural gas amounted to
lO.7 per cent Of the value of the petro.
leum for the same year, and that, fur
ther, when the fuel value OF the coal and
wood displaced by natural gas In l0O0-
which amounts to $32 .++5. l5t,-is consid.
cred, this estimated displacing value Of
natural gas is nearly ~ per cent Of the
entire value OF the crude petroleum pro-
duced In the same year.
There were 1927 wells producing
natural gas ut the close Of 1901, Of which
number ~ were not turned into the gas
mains, and 2Oss producing wells were
drilled in the same year; there were .53
dry holes. or non.pro,iucers, and 1884
were abandoned. In 1900 there were
1898 producing we'll, Of which number
- were shut in; 1850 wells were drilled
in the same year; $50 were were dry
holes and 89l were abandoned. There
were very nearly 400 miles Of pipe laid
during 1901, the mains varying from two
inches up to twenty inches. This
brought the total up to q ,s+s miles Of
natural gas mains Of from two inches to
thirty.six inches diameter in use at the
close Of 1901.
During the year 1901 there was an un.
usual amount Of consolidation Of the
older companies, and there were organ.
ixrd also number OF new companies
with large capital, viii, view chiefly Of
utilizing the great areas Of high-pressure
gas territory in Lewis. Harrison, Marion
and Wetxel counties Of West Virginia by
the construction Of larger and longer
pipe lines, No as to market this increased
production in western Pennsylvania and
Ohio. This involves the outlay Of many
millions Of capital.
As source Of power natural gas
stands at the head Of the list for econ
omy among the fuels. both AZ to ex pense
OF installation and expense Of operation.
1t has been supplying the power for
very large number OF factories and oper.
ations in the gas belt, and lately It has
been extensively applied in creating the
power by which the natural gas itself 10
compressed from low to high pres.
sure when the original pressure has
failed and the pipes are insufficient to
deliver the necessary quantity Of gas At
the we'll pressure, A number Of these