Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1905-12-12

What you say of the development
SO far in the Muscatine field, viz, that
there are five wells already opened to
a depth of ITO feet with flow OF gas
that is said to have rock pressure OIL
from 1919 to 80 pounds and capacity
for each we'll of from one to 2,00O,O09
feet would not interest capitalists who
have had experience with natural gas
investments. In order to assure any
! reasonable permanency and adequate
supply in this gas field, the test OF put
ting down a deep well must be made
and you will find that men who are
posted on natural gas matters would
not touch proposition of this kind
until such test is made. In speaking
of the permanency of gas wells, you
understand Of course. that this term
is used only relatively, as the average
life of deep wells of large volume and
three to four hundred pounds pres
sure in the United States SO far de-
veloped. has been about eight years.
In Indiana the average of gas wells
has been five years and in Ohio six
years. At Fort Scott, Kansas, some
years ago they thought they had found
an adequate supply of gas. They plped
the town and turned on the gas and
the supply gave out in week. Here
at Coffyville, the first gas was found
at depth of about four hundred feet,
but no permanent supply was dlscov-
cred until the wells were put down
$50 to 800 feet. The gas company at
Coffeyville in a comparatively short
time exhausted the field under the city
and it became necessary to seek new
sources of supply. Much of the sup
ply of Coffeyville is now brought In
from five to six miles. There are now
100 wells in this vicinity, twenty OF
which are in use. the others being
plugged up. The gas belt while fol-
lowing one general direction yet
'pinches out in places so that 1t ex-
lists in'streaks and lakes. The Corey
willie gas company has put down no
less than thirteen dry or non-produc'
ing wells in one year and there are
some forty dry, wells in this vicinity
now. Of the flowing wells here, some
Of them have as high as $50 pounds
rock pressure and this pressure must
be greatly reduced before admitting
the gas to the MAINS The city mains
carry from seventy to eighty pounds
of pressure"
Other parties with whom we talked
in Coffeyville, including two men who
had had experience in the Indiana nat
; ural gas fields, expressed in general
the same opinion as that outlined
} above and presented similar facts
with reference to the conditions Of
! natural gas developments. One of the
gentlemen from Indiana was seeking
~ fo, ole r1o MT CtQfnC
, that there was nothing in the situa
! ton at Muscatine so far as it had We
, been developed that would attract hin
to that point. His statement was:
eYou have nothing yet at Muscatint
) to. 60 on that would attract manu-
I facturers who desire to use natura
7 gas. There is possibility that yo,
7 may have gas there, but If the wells
! have only been put down to deptl
, Of 10 feet, you have not yet testet
, it sufficiently to know anything abou
= it that is of value to the manu-
;. facturer."
/. Interview With H. 3. Robertson.
e H. B. Robertson, who is at the heat
4 of the company that is promoting nat
y ural gas development near Muscatine
e years where he is now engaged IN tn
8 drug business He states that for tn
e past thirty-two years he has been ir
J. terested in the gas and oil business
y beginning when he was a boy in Penn
e sylvania; that he is now largely inter
l. ested in gas and oil properties i
h Kansas and Indian Territory, and !
a president of the Cherokee Inves
@ ment, Abstract and Guarantee comps
4 ny" promoters in oil, gas and miners
T. lands. with capital stock of 100000
n Mr.. Robertson states that he was frs
IS attracted to the Muscatine field b
W Mr.. Holt, who had visited Muscatin
e and knew Of the ,outcropping Of ma
ural gas there. Mr. Robertson reat
lily consented to an interview for pull
LEGATION and made the following stat
Is ments to the writer. He said:
ID eve have struck no disappoin
,l- ment since we have opened the Mu
in catine field. l went into it and p'
is my own money in it because of tt
at faith I had in the proposition. | a,
at going to stay by the citizens of Mu
H. catine and the commercial interes
Of that city and this fact will be re
,n ognized before we get through. W
a will not stop with less than twent
is five wells. The gas at Muscatine
"a. dryer and more non-sulphtrous gs
ID than at Coffeyville. For this rease
! a lit has no odor and the fact that 1T
-. non-sulphurous and dry greatly e
al. hances the quality and will enab
- - consumers to use the ordinary g;
"a e mantle twice as long as they can wi
~ the Coffeyville gas. We find the MI
s. catine gas in gravel, under forty-f'
~ feet of rock. We have an adequa
W supply today for domestic uses in tt
ne nc city Of Muscatine, from the FIVE wei
a. now flowing, which will have dai
az capacity of 100000 cubic fet
-. y. whereas 100000 cubic feet will su
~ ply Muscatine as it Is"
,re The writer then said:
or "Mr. Robertson, find manufact,
ur- ers in Coffeyville have their gas 81
if piled to them at as low as three cen
DIV per thousand
to Yes replied Mr.. Robertson, "a
l.