Morgan County Democrat. (McConnelsville, Ohio) 1886-1943, 1936-06-11
MEETING OF ROTARY CLUB
JUNE 9Th


club, Friday night, June 5. Mr..
Phillips recalled in very interest
ing and Informative way much OF
the historical facts relating to the
| natural gas industry. Few of us
stop to consider the early origin and
formation of gas, the geology asso-
ciated with its suspension, and the
constant exhaustion of such re-
sources. He pointed out the exten-
sive Developments necessary to in
sure an adequate and constant gas
service under all climatic changes,
! temperatures and conditions, and OF
| the equipment necessary to MAINTAIN
pressure and service in the distribu-
ton of such a production. He told
| very interestingly of the romance OF
| the Ohio Fuel Gas company, which
made its initial bow in our adjacent
village of Corning. Corning was the
! first community through their COM
pany to benefit from the advantages
! of natural gas, and it was here that
the experiment in its use was first
instituted. This development and
experiment has been carried on for
years in an effort to provide the
most efficient combustion and eco
nomical consumption of the gas
product. Today they have large lab
oratories constantly studying and
applying the resources of their study
and research to practical domestic
use. Likewise this same study is
found going on in universities and
utility commissions through their
engineering departments. He spoke
as one well experienced in the
knowledge of prospecting for gas
and Of the uncertainties Of drilling
operations, stating very emphatical-
ly the hazards associated with the
investment of capital in unknown
fields. The average life of gas
we'll, he said, had been established
through universities and utility
commissions study as not longer
than seven years, and no geologist
could state the location of gas or
oil pools without confirming them
by drilling, and that such drilling
might either show production or
prove to be a cluster" OF special
interest was his statement that no
tools or instruments had yet been
devised or made which could detect
tthe pressure of oil or gas pools eX-
! cept by drilling through the various
geologic structures to them.
The Ohio Fuel Gas company, serv-
ing the state OF Ohio, owns between
three and four thousand productive
gas wells, buys a great deal of gas
from independent producers and has
two eight inch and two l6 inch lines
irlt Jf G1lI \
West Virginia, as we'll as almost a
thousand miles of Il inch gas line
from Ohio to the gas fields in Amar-
lila, Texas, and except for the field
i'll Texas supplying gas this past
winter, they would have been able
to supply only one-third of their
customers in the state of Ohio
through the cold and severe wealth
er during January OF this year The
company also maintains many large
compressor stations throughout the
state of Ohio which are necessary
for the distribution of gas, due to
the pressure of the supply from gas
wells being too low to facilitate it's
use at the burner.
In the rendering OF service by the
gas company to it's customers, there
arise many situations which necessi-
tate expert handling to insure con-
tinuous service and pressure. Only
! recently break was found in the
! line which crosses the Muskingum
river. At the point where the break
occurred, the river is IS feet deep
to its bed and the gas line lies four
feet under the river bed. No work
could be done on it except by expert
| divers who came from Pittsburgh,
bringing special equipment and
boats from the Ohio river district
| to aid in the repair of the line. Dur
ing this time, McConnelsville re-
ceived gas from three producing
wells on the east side of the river,
and had it been extremely cold
weather there would not have been
enough gas to serve the customers.
Mr.. Phillips in no way discussed
in controversial manner any To-
cal situation, but called attention to
the necessity Of rates being based
upon the practical application of the
cost of the service rendered. He
stated he was fully convinced a
study of the facts and figures relat-
ing to the production and distribu-
ton, dependability and continuity of |
service was the only fair way to ad-
judicate differences of opinion. He |
stated it was his sincere hope, |
thought would be given to the ne
cessity of basic charge for service, |
and that certain fixed charges such |
as taxes, etc, had to be provided |
for before the costs of production |
were considered. Mr.. Phillips clos
ed his excellent talk in most force
full way, expressing the hope that |
as men, it is the desire of their
company to continue as in the past
several years to supply the two mu
with their gas product.
Mr.. Phillips had been asked two
questions before speaking to the
Rotary club, and apologized to those
present for bringing up such mat
ters,. and assured them he would
not do so except for the inquiries
which had been made. One question
pertained to the time the utility |
commission would consider the Nal
a-McConnelsville gas case which in
his reply he explained the utility
considers these matters
in the course of their duties and
that he and his company had no
power to set these hearing dates.
The other question related to the
proceedings. Mr.. Phil
lips stated the village, through
legal course, could condemn and
take over the properties of the Ohio
Fuel Gas company, but that they
could not compel the company to
furnish or supply the gas necessary
for their use. This statement was
nredicated unnn a decision rendered IL