The Vinita daily chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1902-1913, 1912-10-12
IMMENSE VALUE
OF NATURAL GAS
More Than 500 Billion Cubic Feet Pro
duced in 1s1f--Four Million DOL
lar Increase over 1910.

Seventy-four million dollars was the
value of the natural gas produced in
this country for 1911. While there
was a decrease in quantity from the
output of 1910, the figures for the two
years being SOS, ,155, 100000 and $685.
353,241, 900 cubic feet, the value of the
production in 1911 was nearly four
million dollars greater than that Of
1910, gam of 4.76 per cent. The in
crease in demand for natural gas from
consumers of all kinds, according to
David T. Day, of the United States
Geological Survey, in a report on the
production of natural gas in 191l, just
published by the Survey, makes the
supply 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 naturaigas lines, and especially in
power plants for pumping the gas. But
the safety of such large Investments
decreases in proportion as the unsatis-
fed demand become sindsctive of a
falling supply.
In Ohio and Indiana the yield has
diminished so rapidly as tn stop the
investment of the \irther capital nee
essary to increase production. One inn
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 a board of
public utilities to create commits
sion headed by Erasmus Haworth.
state geologist OF Kansas, to inYestl
gate the probable duratio nof the sup
ply of gas to Kansas City. In his re-
port Mr. Haworth expresses the opin-
ion that supply OF natural gas suth-
cient for the needs Of the city is not
possible for longer than three or four
years.
Pennsylvania Greatest Consumer
Pennsylvania was the greatest cun-
sumner of natural gas in 1911, with an
output of 154, Az, 900 cubic feet j;
Ohio was second, with 1878. .02ss900
cubic feet; West Virginia was third,
with B0,S6S $500 cubic feet, and Kan
sas fourth, with 1851 ,143,000 Cubic
fn,t -f1sy, Tyo,nes,r- ;,,o1.,1.sc nc g
piped from Kansas and consumed in
Missouri, also gas piped from Okla
homa into Kansas and Missouri. In
1911 Pennsylvania used 103, ,227, ,5SQ.000
cubic feet for manufacturing and
1O,221.153,000 cubic feet for other i'm
dustrial purposes--power, etc. West
Virginia used 5O.ls0,0a6,OOO cubic feet
for manufacturing and 1865, ,27S, 900
cubic feet for other industrial pur-
poses. Kansas used 4G,57O, All 900 and
1902, 35J.00O cubic feet for manufae-
turing and other industrial purposes,
respectively.
Twenty-Eight Thousand Wells.
On December 81, 1911, there were
10,S09 productive wells in Pennsyl
yania, 4,755 in West Virginia, 4,717 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 profitable in
dustry Of increasing Importance. The
industry did not progress as rapidly in
1911 as was expeetea Undoubtedly
it will eventually become settled and
flourishing business, for millions Of
cubic 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-
line from natural gas, but many plants
were operated intermittently and no
records were kept of the output State
ments from such producers could only