The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1912-08-15
BIC WASTE
IN GAS FIELDS
But PREDICTED SHORTAGE is A
PUZZLE TO THOSE WHO KNOW
CONDITIONS NEAR PoNCA.

CONDITIONS NEAR PoNcA.
Ponca City, Okla. Aug. 1.-THE
predicted shortage OF natural gas and
the difficulties encountered by Kan
sas and Missouri towns in getting an
adequate supply from Oklahoma are
puzzling to persons who visit the gas
fields in this state.
Apparently there should be no need
OF alarm if the present production
were conserved. Furthermore, the
natural gas resources in what may
now be regarded as undeyeloped
fields are so enormous as to be diff
cult of calculation. An important
truth about Oklahoma natural gas Is
that ii has been wantonly wasted,
millions upon millions of cubic feet
having disappeared into air merely
because oil producers did not care to
be annoyed by it in operating their
wells. Generally, oil and gas are
found in the same well.
Great Waste Of Gas.
Oklahoma has laws for the conser
yatiCn of natural gas, and an officia!
whose duty it is to prosecute persons
maliciously wasting gas. 1t is diff
cult, however, to enforce that law
Recently in the neighbOrhood of
Cleveland a well that was being sunk
for oil developed a gas flow of thirty
million cubic feet a day. The gas was
turned loose that it might escape un-
ill the pressure was so low S not
to interfere further with the search
for oil.
The development of the Kay county
the methods that have been employed
il eastern Oklahoma. 1t is new
lleiu anu lllt utdNltsI plouu'lioil ~
three or four miles southwest of Pom
ca City and near Blackwell. The
company that has developed the field
mas from twenty wells a measured
daily production of 200 million cubic
feet, OF which only slight quantity
is going to market. All the gas sands
in the wells are sealed with rubber
packers. at a cost of about 5000 for
each well No gas escapes. One Of
these wells has an output of 80 mil
lion feet day and two others 30
and 50 million feet. An S-million iect
well was brought in several days ago
near Blackwell.
Can Increase Output.
The development company, directed
by f.. w. Martin, an experienced oil
and gas man from pittsburg, Pa, has
heavy holdinges both at PonCa City
and at Blackwell. It's pipe line nom
the Ponca City field serves Newkirk
and ronkawa and another pipe line
runs to the ChilocCo Indian School
Within the last two or three weeks
The company contracted with the
Wichita Natural Gas Company 70
supply Arkansas City. Winfield and
Wellington, Kansas, the next ten
years, with not less than five million
feet day. In the coolest weather
the maximum consumption OF gas in
Ponca City, Newkirk and Tonkawa is
barely million feet a day, aDout /
| per cent of the companys present
output. The output can be easily in
creased to a much larger figure
\ glass factory, now Duilding a.
Pocd City, has contracted for daily
supply oi one million feet at three
cents thousand. For domestic pur-
poses the net price of eighteen cents
thousand is paid at Blackwell and
! twenty seven cents at Newkirk and
! ToukGwa.
Blackwell is preparing to vote n
oond issue of 100000 whereby it Will
! practically own its gas. This sum is
10 he expended in building pipe
/ line from the proven field near Black.
vel! the pipe line to he leased to the
| gas company at 81 a year in eX
change Tor scent gas.
Best Pressure at 1900 Feet.
The Dest gas in the Kay county
/ 'lold comes from the ZOO foot sand.
Natural gas was disc overed near
Pou,a CITY eight or nine years ago
at a depth of five hundred feet, and
| from these wells the town received a
moderate supply The wells gradual
! ~ declined and a further supply was