The weekly chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Craig County, Okla.) 1905-1913, 1912-10-18
IMMENSE VALUE
OF NATURAL GAS
More Than 500 Billion Cubic Feet Pro.
duced In fs11-Four Million DOL
lar Increase Over 1910.

Seyenty-four million dollars was the
Ivaiue Of the natural gas produced in
this country for 1911. While there
WAS q decrease in quantity from the
Ioutput OF 1910, the figures for the two
years being sos. 9.155, 100000 and $685.
1858, ,241 900 cubic feet, the value of the
production in 1911 was nearly four
million dollars greater than that of
1870, a gain of 4.76 per cent. The in
Icrease in demand for natural gas from
CONSUMERS of all kinds, according to
theological Survey, in report on the
lproduction of natural gas In 1911, just
published by the Survey, makes the
Isupply of gas a matter OF growing SER
iousness. Beyond question the natural
gas that can be furnished in many of
the fields of the United States is sim
ply function of the capital invested
in natural-gas lines, and especially in
lpower plants for pumping the gas But
the safety of such large investments
decreases in proportion as the unsatis-
fed demand become sindactiye of
falling supply.
In Ohio and Indiana the yield has
diminished so rapidly as to stop the
investment of the %lrther capital nee
essary to increase production. One i'm
portant feature bearing on the pro-
duction Of natural gas during 1911 was
the excessive demand for it in Kan
sas City, Mo. This caused board of
lpublic utilities to create commits
sion headed by Erasmus Haworth,
state geologist OF Kansas, to inyesti-
gate the probable duratio nof the sup
ply of gas to Kansas City. In his re-
port Mr.. Haworth expresses the opin-
ion that a supply of natural gas suffi-
cient for the needs of the city is not
possible for longer than three or four
years.
Pennsylvania Greatest Consumer.
Pennsylvania was the greatest con-
= sumner of natural gas in 1911, with an
output of 154,475,37 900 cubic feet;
Ohio was second with 112,123029, 900
cubic feet; West Virginia was third.
with sc, ,S6S, ,645, 900 cubic feet, and Kan
sas fourth, with 77,S61.143,0O0 cubic
feet. The Kansas figure, includes gas
lpiped from Kansas and consumed in
NT;ocauri aIco oac ainad from, CNlzla
homa into Kansas and Missouri In
1911 Pennsylvania used 103, ,227 $50, 900
cubic feet for manufacturing aud
10,221, 1885, 900 cubic feet for other in
dustrial purposes power, etc. West
Virginia used 50,13O O46, 600 cubic feet
for manufacturing and 16,S6S, ,27S,0 900
poses. Kansas used 46,570. .417,0OO and
3,6O2, 1856, 900 cubic feet for manufac-
turing and other industrial purposes.
respectively.
Twenty-Eight Thousand Wells.
On December 81, 1911, there were
10,S09 productive wells in Pennsyl-
vania, 4,755 in West Virginia 4717 in
Ohio, 1888 in Indiana and 1904 in
Kansas. The total number of produe
tive wells in the United States on that
date was 2S,42S
During the last three years the sepa-
ration of the more volatile grades of
gasoline from natural gas issuing from
oil wells has become a profitable in
dustry of increasing Importance, The
Industry did not progress as rapidly in
I1911 as was expected. Undoubtedly
lit will eventually become settled and
flourishing business. for millions of
lcubie feet of gas that is now wasted
on leases might be converted into
gasoline, should he demand and price
warrant it, The United States Geolog-
ical Survey last year attempted TO
compile figures of production of gaso-
Nine from natural gas, but many plants
were operated intermittently and no
records were kept of the output, State
ments from such producers could only
be estimated. However crude the
method of manufacture, a report of
the quantity of gasoline produced
shows an output in 1911 of 7,425,SS9
gallons, with an estimated value of
$53t7O4
A copy of the report may be OBJ
tanned free on application to the Di-
rector of the Geological Survey, Wash ,
ington, d. c.
Crouch Horses Win Again.
u Crnmch has rnfl1rnnd frnm the |