The Kennewick courier-reporter. [volume] (Kennewick, Wash.) 1914-1938, 1927-11-10
Concern Takes Over OPP
Grafton of w. w. G. &
o. Co. Properties .
LINES. BOTH UP
AND DOWN VALLEY
Factories to Follow Pip
ing-Use the Gas for
Orchard Heating !

The immediate piping Of the
natural gas from the Benton coun-
ty fields and the erection Of at
least one factory is in prospect,
according to a report made public
today by J. w. Vickers, who spent
several hours last evening in COM
pany with Geo. w. O'Conner, rep
resentative Of the company which
has taken over the management Of
the fields from the Walla Walla
company.
Mr.. O'Conner has been in Yak
ina and Sunnyside this week MAX
ing arrangements for the hand
ling Of the gas in that part of
the valley, and he stopped off in
Kennewick yesterday to make
some inquiries here. In his talk
with Mr.. Vickers, Mr.. O'Conner
stated that his company had taken
a lease on the Walla Walla hold
ings in the gas field, the lease be-
ing signed some time ago by Mrs.
H. ID. James, who has been the
active head of the Walla Walla
company for the past few months.
1t is understood that the COM
pany now in charge will proceed
with the development of the field
and will drill at least one well
deep enough to ascertain if there
is oil in commercial quantities in
the field. Other gas wells will be
driven at various locations to prove
up on the state leases. and the
work will be in charge of Mr.. Hall
who has worked for years in that
field.
Mr.. O'Conner's company is not
particularly interested in the re-
tail distribution Of the gas and
proposes to pipe it to some point
within the city limits only, the
distribution being taken care Of
by others-possibly the munich
pality. One feature which captured
Mr.. O'Conner's fancy was the use
of the gas for orchard heating. He
stated that at the rate his COM
pany would make, ten-acre or
chard, with one hundred large
heaters to the acre, could be heat
ed for a solid month, day and
night, for fifteen hundred dollars.
This would figure about two cents
per heater per hour. They also
agree to help finance the piping
of the orchards for this protec-
tion. The pipes for the gas heaters
could then be used with a station
ary spray outfit after the frost
danger had passed. He made the
further provision that there would
be no service change Of any sort
for the orchard heating. that If
there was no necessity for its use
there would be no charge made
for the service.
Mr.. O'Conner stated that a COM
pany which manufactures natural
gas burners and fixtures of var
ious sorts, has planned to locate
at some point in this valley. Ow-
ing TO the railroad and river trans
portation at Kennewiclx. this point
has received the preference so far.
Other prospective users of the ma
tural gas are in touch with the
pipe line company, and factories
OF one sort or another will come
to this section of the state accord
ing to Mr.. O'Conner. A glass fac
tory, pottery works and other
large users Of natural gas are ga
thering information relative TO
their necessities.
Mr.. C'Conner told Mr.. Vickers
that his company would install a
compressor to boost the gas thru
an eight inch line to Prosser. From
there to Yakima the pipe would be
twelve inches. For the present the
plans include piping up the valley
to Yakima, and down the valley TO
Kennewick and Pasco. Later the
company plans to extend their
lines to Spokane and Walla WalIa.
Mr.. o'Conner states that his
company is fully financed and that
there is no stock for sale. He win
return to Kennewick next week
with a view to asking the citv
council or the commercial club to
make survey of the local field to
ascertain what the probable con-
sumption would be in this terri
tory, and to determine the best
method of securing franchise for
the distributing concern.