The Kennewick courier-reporter. [volume] (Kennewick, Wash.) 1914-1938, 1918-07-18
TO HARNESS GAS
WELLS i'm THE
NEAR FUTURE
James Says Actual Benefits are
to Come Ahead of the Strik-
ing of the Oil
PIPE LINE COMPANY is BUSY
Walla Walla Company Intends TO Sell
Gas for Distribution in this
Territory

According to II. ID. James, general
manager of the Walla WalIa Oil, Gas
G. Pipe. Line company, the Rattlesnake
gas and oil field even in It's present
state of development, is going TO mean
much to Kennewick and other central
and eastern Washington towns.
While Mr.. James has pot the least
doubt but that oil in big quantities
will be struck in the field there is no
good reason why the present developed
resources of the field should await the
big oil strikes. High quality natural
gas is already available in sufficient
quantities to supply the present needs
of the state and harnessing the pres
ent wells is not to be delayd until
other wells have been drilled. Accord
ing to Mr.. James the bringing in of
the second well which has flow Of
more than three and half million
cubic feet Of gas daily has absolutely
proved the field for gas and there is
no reason why development should be
halted to await further discovery.
The Walla Walla company, says Mr..
James, has contracted to sell the gas
from the two wells TO Q large pipe line
corporation which is making a COM
plete survey Of the towns and cities
which may be conveniently reached
with pipe line. The pipe line COM
pany has sent its experts into the
field. They have measured the flow
of the two wells and carefully analyz-
ed the gas Thejrgworkers have made
an accurate count of every house in
Kennewick and sPasco and are now
busy in making a similar survey of
other towns. is Fl
"Few people realize what those gas
wells really mean," said Mr.. James.
at means economical heat and light
for a score Of towns, to say nothing
Of the manufacturing possibilities. 1t
means that every irrigation pumping
plant in the Columbia and Yakima val
leys can be operated at greatly re-
ducede costs by substituting gas for
electric power. It means that thous-
ands of acres Of now arid lands can be
irrigated by pumping water from the
Yakima and Columbia rivers or from
wells. 1t means cheap power for man
ufacturing purposes Tt means the be-
ginning of new manufacturing era
for this part of the country.
''The company with which we are
dealing have made very careful in
vestigation and know exactly what
they are doing. They know how much
we can furnish them, know what. it
will cost to pipe it to market and
what market there is for it after il
has been piped They know, for In
stance, that the gas can be delivered
ia Yakima or Walla Walla and sold at
one-half the price of artificial gas
and return them very satisfactory
profit. Actual tests have shown that
this natural gas is fifty per cent more
efficient than artificial gas. You can
see what this means to the consumer.
1t means saving of one hundred per
cent in that he will pay just one-half
the old price for an article of so per
cent greater value.
"0ur company does not intend to
engage in the gas selling business.
We are going to sell our gas to the
pipe line company at the well and de-
vote our energies to further develop
ment Of the field. We intend to bring
in several other drilling outfits and
within the very near future we ex-
pect to be at work on the first 'oip
well in the field"