The Meeker herald. [volume] (Meeker, Colo.) 1885-current, 1918-02-02
Gasoline From Natural Gas on The
White River Dome

WnUc NINCT DCWC
The recent and rapid development
Of the newest ally Of the petroleum
and refining industris, the extraction
or precipitation Of gasoline from
natural gas. Is Of special interest to
the stock holders OF the Piceance Oil
and Gas Company and all others In
terested In the development Of the
White River oil field. Since 1910 this
industry has developed SO rapidly
that today several hundred plants
distributed throughout the oil and
gas fields Of the country are produce
Ing annually over half billion gal
Ions Of the highest grade gasoline
from gas wells and casing heads Of oil
wells.
The gases treated by this process
yield from one-half up to three or
four gallons Of gasoline to the 1000
cubic feet Of gas. The process is
comparatively simple and requires
the services Of but few skilled at
tendants. The initial cost OF In.
stallation 10 so small that under
favorable conditions q plant Of this
kind will return several times its
cost In single year.
For thirty years or more the terri
tory along White river between the
mouth Of Black gulch and the mouth
Of Picesnce creek, now spoken Of as
the White River dome, has been
known to be an immense gas field.
In 1908 Hoyt 8. Gale In reporting the
Rangsly oil field for the government
wrote, I'm connection with dis
cussion OF the occurrence of oil in
the'Rangcly field, 1t Is interesting to
note that some indications Of SIM
liar field have been noted on Blacks
gulch. 40 miles east Of Rangely in the
White River valley. Blacks gulch
opens into White river from the
north 70 miles below Meeker. 1t 10
near the crest of a minor anticlinal
fold the longer axis Of which crosses
White river In north-south direc-
ton near the mouth Of Piceance
creek at White River post Office.
This fold IL low dome Of rocks, ex-
posing the Wasatch strata Of the
surface, surrounded by escarpments
Of the Green river formation on all
sides. The dips are all light being
about 8 degrees toward the east, in
creasing to 10 degrees or SO south Of
the river and to about degrees to-
ward the west. Gas Is said to have
been found by Tom Scarritt, = cow
boy, by the accidental igniting of 8
small flow from . lighted match.
A small derrick was set up and
q hole drilled to depth OF
400 feet and abandoned. According
to reports . second we'll was sunk
about half . mile farther up the
gulch. Here at . depth Of 588 feet
gas was struck under such pressure
that the derrick was destroyed snd
the driller seriously injured. The gas
burned with blue flame and under
much pressure for six months, when
It stopped abruptly. The fact that
the tools have been left In the hole
leads to the superstition that 1t be-
came suddenly blocked"
Old timers around Meeker remem-
Der how these wells were drilled way
back in 1887. They know how the
one has continued to flow gas for the
past 80 years without any seeming
change In the quantity or pressure.
They also know how the other burned
for months with . flame from 30 to
100 feet high, lighting up the sky at
Meeker with Its reflection. Local
people will be Interested now In
knowing that recent efforts to release
the tools In this old we'll, while they
failed of their purpose, brought up
considerable gas leading to the be-
lief that the old we'll would still be
there with both volume and pressure
II the distractions we're removed.
Mr.. Horn and his associates have
recently had number Of shallow
wells drilled on the White River
dome to determine somewhat the
extent Of the gas bearing strata.
Their findings have led to the con-
clusion that at least 10000, 600 cubic
feet daily flow Of gas could easily be
obtained from shallow wells at q
comparatively small cost and they
evidently have something Of this
nature In mind In their plans Of the
development of the White river field.
The immediate effect Of putting this
plan into operation would be to place
the White river field In the class of
proven and producing properties
with large and certain income avail
able for dividends and for further de-
ual ..r,,anA Of thu aaId This xunnld ho