The Kennewick courier-reporter. [volume] (Kennewick, Wash.) 1914-1938, 1929-06-06
NATURAL GAS
TO BE PIPED
FROM WELLS
Trainload of Pipe to Arrive
July L; Northwestern Ma
tural Gas Co. to Develop
Field Commercially

The long talked of and looked
for development of the Benton
county gas fields is about to be-
come reality. Official announce
ment has just been made that a
trainload of pipe is being loaded
and will be delivered at the wells
before July /, and that it will be
laid as speedily as possible. The
company expects to be able to be-
gin delivering gas to private con-
sumers by the first of the year.
The wells in the Rattlesnake
fields belonging to the WalIa Walla
Gas, Oil and Pipe Line Co. have
been leased to the Northwestern
Natural Gas Co. This company has
headquarters in Kansas and is pre-
pared, officials say, to spend half
a million dollars in the develop
ment of the field. The lease with
the Walla Walla company includes
the sale of all gas at the wells,
for which the Northwestern COM
pany pays in cash and in drilling
and other development work.
The Northwestern Co. has sec
ured franchises for the distribution
Of the gas in Prosser, Grandview,
Sunnyside, Kennewick and Pasco.
Rights-of-way have been obtained
for their lines as far as the city
limits of Yakima, and, it is under
stood, to Walla Walla.
The first branch of the pipe line
will be run to Prosser, then con-
tinued on to Grandview and Sum
nyside. Following that develop
ment, r. A. Combs, general mama
ger Of the company, announces
that the two towns here will have
an opportunity to use the product
from the gas fields.
The Northwestern company has
had a large drilling rig at work
for some time and has reached a
sufficient depth in a large bore well
to indicate that the gas structure
will be struck in about ten days
more of drilling. With the two
smaller producing wells now in op-
Grafton, this is expected to give
sufficient quantity of gas to sup
ply the upper valley towns. Other
wells will be bored and brought
into production by the time the
pipe line has reached other distri-
button centers.
The original well was bored in
that district for water to supply
a large sheep ranch. The gas pre-
vented striking water well and
for years it flowed unchecked and
apparently undiminished in volume.
Then the Walla Walla Gas, Oil and
Pipe Line Co. secured control Of
the property and for years, under
the supervision Of H. J. James,
work was continued proving the
field. Five wells in all were brot
in, but three of the holes were too
small to make them commercially
valuable.
However, the field was proven
and during the past year the Kan
sas company was interested in the
distribution of the gas as COM
merciaI enterprise. This company,
as part of its development pro-
gram, plans to sink other wells and
to greatly increase the amount Of
the flow. Should sufficient quaint
ity be obtained, the pipe fines will
be run to Seattle, Tacoma and
other industrial centers.
Little or no publicity has been
given out regarding the activity
Of the Northwestern company since
active work was resumed at the
field. However, drilling has been
proceeding for the past few months
and the work has now reached a
stage where results seem to just
ify further development. Also the
field has attracted the attention
of other oil interests. Within the
past month oil and gas men from
Oklahoma, Texas and California
have investigated the field. So fav-
orable have been their reports that
it is announced that several drill
ing rigs will soon be brought 20
this section TO make further tests.
Foster, an oil promoter from Cal
ifornia, has been in Kennewick for
the past two weeks. and has an
nounced that he is interesting out
side capital to make further IN
vestirations and that half dozen
or more rigs are shortly to begin
operations here.
Mr.. Combs of the Northwestern
company, who has made Kenne-
wick his headquarters for the past
three months, today announced
that he had secured the services Of
Melvin H. Dressed, all-American
football star of u. S. c., who has
arrived to be field manager for
this district Mr. Dressed will make