Los Angeles herald., 1910-03-16

Il inch pipe line system from the
Coalinga, Kern River, Mckittrlck'
Sunset and Midway oil districts to
+idewa+er on the Pacific coast is one
of the most important developments III
4be history of California oil. The line
has lust been completed. the firt OH
having reached Avila, on the coast,
about ten days ago, when the event
was chronicled in The Herald.
The main line embraces a mileage OF
oO0 21 in addition to the gathering sys-
tens in the fields mentioned. ING
lines from the Sunset-MldWaY anu
Kern River districts merge at Mchllt-
rick and a single line continues to
point in the Antelope valley called the
function, where the line from CoallnSa
Joins it. From the Junction eight-lnch
pipe extends to Avila on the Paclnc
coast where wharfage facilities exist
for the loading of crude into tank
ships.
The distance from Coalinga to the
Junction is 4091 miles, two stations IN
tervening, Tar Canyon and Dudiey.
From Kern River station TO McNltt-
rick is 3S.40 miles, with pump stations
at Rio Bravo and Button Willow. The
DISTANCE from the Sunset district to
McKittrick, with Midway field inter
vening, is 22.9S miles. From Mcl>ltt-
rick. where the Kern River and Sunset
Midway lines merge, TO the Junction
is 27.16 miles, with a pump station AT
Middlewater. The trunk, line from the
function to Avila is 70.76 miles in
length, with four pump stations, An
telope, Shandon. Creston and santa
Margarita. There Is no station at san
Luis Obispo
Kern River, Rio Bravo and Button
IHrs1 70
three 15O-horsepower Scotch marine
type boilers and two 15-26-6-1S D. A.
Fairbanks Morse compound duplex
tandem pumps. At Midway and sun
set there are four 150-horsepower
Scotch marine boilers and two pumps
of the same type as at Kern River
station. McKittrick and MiddleWater
each has five 15O-horsepower Scotch
marine boilers and one pump Of the
same kind as at Kern River.
With Heavy Equipment
Coalinga station, Tar Canyon and
Dudley each has three 250-horsepoWer
Heine water-tube boilers and one %
42-S-36 Fairbanks Morse D. A. COM
pound duplex tandem pump. The
junction and stations on the trunk
line are equipped with three 250-horse-
power Heine water-tube boilers and
same type as at Coalnga station, aux
iiary to one Snow crank-and flywheel
pump, 26-42-61a36.
Kern River and Midway stations have
two and McKittricll, the Junction and
Coalnga four 55,000-barrel steel tanksy
All other stations have two 81, 500 bar
rel steel tanks each. Each station is
equipped with two oil heaters and all
tanks are provided with steam coils to
heat the oil before pumping.
The first order for pipe was placed
last May with the Youngstown Sheet
and Tube company of Youngstown,
Ohio, and the Wheeling Steel and Tube
company Of Steubenyille, Ohio, initial
shipments arriving at Coalinga on Au-
gust 9. Construction of the line was be-
gun from Coalinga week later a tong
crew starting toward the Junction,
continuing to point about fifteen
miles beyond en- the Avila end. or a
total distance of fifty-siX miles,
pipe was fanged up November II by
tong crew, which started from San
Luis Obspo September IS. averaging
fifty miles of country, by many re-
garded as the toughest through which
a pipe line has ever been laid in the
United States.
Ditchng Crew Precedes
A ditching crew preceded the tong
gang through the mountainous terri
tory and the pipe therefore had to be
laid over the ditch. But despite the
deep cuts, steep mountainsides, hills,
rocky gulches, rivers, many road and
creek crossings, an average of 100
joints of eight-inch per day, actual
working time, was made through the
territory. The highest number of
joints laid in a single day was 224
After Hanging up with the pipe out of
Coalinga, the crew which started from
San Luis Obispo doubled back to the
original starting point November 30
and completed the AVila
trunk line to the coast January TO-
Two tong crews thus finished the lay
ing OF 11l.67 miles of pipe, Coalinga to
AVia, in five months, not considering
the time lost in moving camps, waiting
on pipe, unfaVorable weather condi-
tions, fire bends, river, road and creek
crossings.
The laying Of pipe on the Kern river
or Bakersfield end began September 25
out OF McI<ittrick and was completed
through very rough country to the
Junction December 20, covering 2716
miles, the crew doing both the ditching
and laying. The lines from Kern river
and the Midway district to a
merger at McKittrick were laid in two
months, work beginning october %.
The McKittrick country is somewhat
hilly, and the tong crews and ditchers
had much the same experience as the
gangs working through the country
between AYila and the Junction.
Therefore, the laying of the 200 q
miles of main and trunk pipe line Of
the Producers system was completed
by two ditching and four tong crews
in five months without considering de
lays waiting on pipe, weather condi-
tions, and unusually long camp moves.
Gathering Lines Are Run
In addition to the work done on the
main and trunk lines in the time men
toned, gathering lines were run in
the Coalinga district, four $4,000 bar
rel steel tanks We're erected at Coal
inga, two 37,500- barrel tanks at Tar
canyon, two at Dudley two 55's at the
Junction, one 81 at Antelope, two 55's
at Kern, and two 37's at Midway, and
practically all the tank iron for the
tanks at the other stations was put
on the ground. The boilers, pumps and
other machinery fittings are on the
ground at most Of the stations. Coal
inga station is nearly completed, and
Tar canyon, the Junction and other
stations towards the coast are rugged
up sufficiently to handle crude. Pump
and bailer shipments did not begin to
arrive until November. Oil was re-
ceived from the Coalinga field in Oc-
tober, and pumping to Tar canyon was