The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1906-01-06
WEST YLRGINIASO Oil
And GAS WEALTH
INTERESTING STATISTICS BY
q. MepERMoTT-AN ENoR.
NOUS BUSINESS.

The Manufacturers Record Of De
eemBer % contains an exhaustive
interview with Col. j. H. McDermott,
II Morgantown, on the oil and gas
wealth Of the State. The chief part
d the article follows:
The first real development Of oil
and gas in West Virginia was that
which followed operations and test
wen drilled by E. NJ. Hukll, right
on the Mason and Dixon line, at a
point near Mt. Morris, in Greene
county, pennsylvania, in the latter
pant Of 1888, and the beginning Of
1889. This development was under.
taken In what is known as the Big
Iniun sands. and the operations after
1889 were taken up by a great num-
Der Of individuals and companies,
more especially the South Penn Oil
Company, one Of the oil producing
branches Of the Standard Oil Com.
paly proper. This development ex.
tended TO Monongalia county, West
Virginia, and southwest to Dod,
bridge county in an almost con.
inuous belt. Parallel oil belts and
pools as far almost as the Ohio river
were afterwards found and develop.
ed. At times the production Of the
different sands Of Monongalia, Ma
ZION, Wetzel, Tyler, Doddridge, AMI
amounted to as much as 10000
barrels daily Of white sand oil, the
most valuable for all purposes Of
any oil in the world. To-day the
counties Of Wetzel and Richie, as
KeII as Wlrt, are producing a con-
siderable amount Of high grade oil.
Immediately following the first
OH development a large amount Of
gas territory was developed on the
east side Of the oil pools in Monon.
salias Marion, Harrison, and Lewis
cornties, adjoining and parallel with
the oil belts, and the principal towns
in these counties were materially
built up by this gas. The gas COM
pauies Of Pittsburg finished gas de-
yelopments in these counties and
opened developments to the east, and
at this time so per cent. Of the gas
fnekused in Pittsburg and towns along
ha Ohio river is being taken from
these West Virginia fields. Gas is
also furnished to Cleveland from West
Virginia.
The life Of oil production, as well
as the gas, is undetermined after
il years. People we'll acquainted
with the situation declare that the
supply in sight, based on present con
sumption, should last from Is to 20
years.
The counties lying southwest OF
Lewis, that is to say, Upshur, Gil
mer, Calhoun, Roane, Kanawha, and
Boone, have been developed very
little, but all Of the drlllings have
proved that the formations extend
south as far as Kentucky, and in
N IN tho counties named gas and
oil in paying quantities have been
found.
A gas field Of considerable area
has been developed in Roane coun'
ty, adjoining the Kanawna county
line, In What is called the Big San
dy district Just west Of the town o
Clendennln, on Elk river. The indI
cations Justify the belief that q con
siderable field Of oil will be found
west Of this gas field. 1t is very
probable that oil and gas pools o.
belts will be found between Levi!
county, West Virginia, and Martir
county, Kentucky.
The gas fields already developed
IN the counties Of Roane and Kama
VIVA insure a 25 years supply fol
west Virginia towns in the southern
end Of the State, more especially t
Charleston, which Is situated at
distance Of only 20 miles from TIL
present fields, with indications tina
the extension q the gas fields to tn
southwest may reach into the yeF'
city Limits. any rate, two lsar1gBI
pipe lines RON the present gas ftel,
Charleston insure cheap tuel 8
ior y long term q yeas
Single ven Roane and kP
aw6a counts gaa delds nentienel
i've hdIyiaial pFodncdons ampa
ia y IS much lsI0poSo9p cubi
MT oaRh qto hottrat and II this TIM