The Kennewick courier-reporter. [volume] (Kennewick, Wash.) 1914-1938, 1918-02-07
Big GAS GUSHER
Is STRUCK in
RATTLESNAKES
New Well is Reported to be Flow
ing Three Million Cubic
Feet a Day
STRIKE PROVES THE FIELD
Great Activity is Expected to Follow
oil is Certain, Say the
Operators

The theory that the natural
gas well in the Rattlesnake hills
which has been flowing for six
years was fed thru a leak or from
an isolated pocket, was quickly
dissipated last week by the op-
ening up of another big well
about 20 miles from this city.
According to reports given out
by Manager Henry ID. James, Of
the Walla Walla Oil, Gas and
Pipe Line company, the new well
is flowing at the rate Of three
million cubic feet of gas a day,
a flow ten times stronger than
the old well which has measur-
ed capaciy Of 100000 cubic feet
a day. 1t is said that when the
flow was struck the gas pres
sure was so great that rocks were
hurled up to the top Of the der
rick.
The gas was struck at a depth
of 715 feet or about the same
depth as the old well. The strike
was made by the Wrightsman
company, which has 160 acres
leased from the Walla Walla
company. The drilling was start
ed by the Walla Walla company,
who later leased their outfit to-
|gether with the land to Wrights-
man, who was the last operator
to enter the field.
According to men Of eXper-
fence the new well absolutely
proves the field for gas and
shows that instead of a leak or a
small pocket there is a large body
of gas underlying the field. Nu-
merous analyses have showed
the gas to be the product of high
grade oil of a parafin base. Geolo-
gists say that the new strike vir-
tually proves the field for oil as
well as gas, as no such flow Of
gas could be found unless the oil
is near. They all agree that the
oil is there and it is only a ques-
tion of how far it is below the
surface.
Even tho the oil were never
struck it is claimed the gas alone
will be followed by great COM
mercial development in the coun-
ty. The flow Of the big well alone
is sufficient to supply the needs
of the entire state. Seattle uses
about 100000 cubic feet day,
Spokane 100000 and Tacoma
about the same. The combined
consumption of these three cities
is less than half the flow of the
well. 1t is expected also that the
gas will furnish cheap power for
manufacturing purposes and for
pumping irrigation water.
The strike caused not little
among those inter-
ested in the field and some
months of great activity are pre-
The Walla Walla COM
pany has advanced the price of
its stock from so cents to $22 a
share. The Puget Sound e. Co
lumbia River Oil company, Of
which E. M. Sly and w. r. Craw-
ford, Of this city are president
and secretary, has doubled the
price of their stock, which is now
selling at SO cents a share. The
Spokane & Benton Oil company's
stock has likewise taken decid-
ed jump. The Wrightsman COM
pany, which is managed by C. J.
Calvert, an Oklahoma oil man,
was fully financed before opera
lions were begun, and no stock
IS being offered for sale.
The state land commissioner
At Olympia and the county audi
tors office are experiencing a
boom as a result of the strike.
the last week thousands
,f acres Of state lands have been
eased and the recording fees of
oil leases at the auditors office
nave been enough to pay the en-
ire operating expenses Of the
,ffice.