The Ward County independent. [volume] (Minot, Ward County, N.D.) 1902-1965, 1908-10-01

from the well.
Gas is never found except where
there is gas sand" This is a pee
uliar looking sand, dark blue and
very pretty. The gas thru some
chemical formation is formed down
in the earth, no one knows how
far, and forces its way thru crevices,
until it finds the layer Of gas sand,
and there it remains until released.
Undoub tedly gas is being formed in
the earth all of the time, new gas
to take the place Of the old, which
Nature has of keeping up her sup
ply, but her generosity should not be
taken advantage Of It has been
found by experience that it does not
pay to exhaust the supply Of the
gas wells. The rule is to use about
half what the wells produce. Gas
wells may be ruined by draining the
supply.
Another point worth knowing
about gas wells. Water running on
to the layerI of gas sand will destroy
the best gas district in the world.
Therefore, drillers in gas trends
have to use the. utmost care in case
that water is encountered. A failure
to plug the we'll at the critical time,
might do untold injury to a gas
district. In Kansas, the members
of the legislature realizing this fact
full we'll, have passed stringent law
which compels all we'll drillers to
properly plug deep water wells in
gas district.
Upon inquiry, it has been learned
that gas was discovered in small
quantities in this country, some
years ago, but the drillers not being
acquainted with its nature abandoned
the wells as worthless.
-Four years ago Alex Anderson, a
farmer living a few miles from Bot
tineau, found gas in his we'll, and
for some time he burned it in his
house. The we'll was not properly
cased, and the gas did a few pecu-
liar stunts, frightening Mrs. Ander-
son, until the well was abandoned
and the old fashioned methods re.
sunled
The history of gas in the United
States, shows that it is found at
depths from $50 feet to 1900 feet.
The history of gas in the United
States shows that the fields have
been increasing the annual output.
In the year 1882 scarcely any nat
ural gas was to be found in the
| United States. Since that time, the
output has increased in a remark.
able manner, until last year stats.
tics show that $52,O00,00O worth OF
gas was used in the United States.
! With few exceptions, the gas fields
have been getting better instead OF
growing weaker. Let us hope that
this will be the history of the Bot.
tineau county product.
! The total capacity of the wells in
| the district is now something over
| 100000 cubic feet a day. Mr..
Johnson believes that within year,
there will be 20 big1 producing
| wells.
Unless the wells are very close 70
one another, taking a supply from -
| one does not lessen the supply IN
another.
A mile and a half northwest OF the
| parker well, lives a young Irish farm
! ~, the name OF McHaney. MT
>ncHaney grew tired OF drinking
slough water and conceived the idea
Of drilling a nice well for himself
| not far from the barn. he ousne -
have known that something was go
| ing to happen, and it did too Wnen
| no had drilled to depth OF 80
feet He struck the gas sand' anu
while he failed utterly to get water
his fortune was made. He had strucs
one OF the best gas wells In IN.
district. ~
The Great Northern company nav
ing a lease on McHaney's farm 70
prospecting for gas immed'a'e..
! took charge of the well, proper!
ca,pped it and controlled the gas
| They drilled another well not Ia
! from this one, and struck gas az !
depth of 1876 feet. The company RAJ
a pipe into Mr.. McHaney's hous'
and now he. can sleep peacefully y
L -.1.s1o III, 70 cots TN