Hungry Horse news., 1955-02-04
Natural Gas Again

Natural OQS AGAIN
We wonder if the ,Flathead has any better
chance for natural gas today than it did four years
ago.
In 1851 we had hopes of getting natural gas
from proven field We were so bold as to even
anticipate pipeline in two or three years. Inere
is proven, large natural gas field within about
100 air miles of this valley 1t is the Pncher Creek
wells Just north of Waterton Lakes National Park,
not supplying anybody.
Montana Power Co. organized the Glacier Gas
20 q subsidiary and there was the proposed route
of a gas line from Pincher Creek over low Crows
Nest PASS and down the Flathead rivers North
Fork There would be connection near Mlssoula
with line west from Butte, and continuation to
Spokane.
Montana Power Co. still does not have sufficient
natural gas reserves in its Montana and wyoming
fields.
There were negotiations in 1851 with the Al
berta government that resulted in permission to I'M
port natural gas from the Pakowki lake field, and
there were hearings in Washington with coal IN
terests opposing licensed importation of gas. An
other step was to be gas from Pincher Creek
Top story of the page in the Aug. 81, 1851
Hungry Horse News stated: COLUMBIA Falls May
or Herman Benzien and H. H. Davall, president OF
the chamber of commerce Thursday expressed sup
mort for the proposed Montana Power Co. 24-lnch
gas line from the Pincher Creek fields. Route OF
the proposed pipe line will be down the Flatheads
North Fork ;" Kalspen and Whlteflsn gave
support as we'll
ings was Montana Power Co. gaining limited ex-
mort license from Alberta for natural gas from the
Pakowki lake field, and approval OF importing gas
from the federal power commission. 1heie was
nrovision on the Alberta export licenses natural
defense only, and that stopped eA'ehsioii u ~"
line to Missoula.
Montana Power Co. is now seeking gas I'M
portation from Alberta without the clause tnat II
has to be used for industrial purposes only that IS
wills
J. E. Corette president of Montana POWER 20.
at the annual Cut Bank Chamber of Commerce din
ner JAM 81 said in part quoting the Cut BANK flo-
neer Press story "the natural gas Held mere mas
been his company's principal supply source for the
mast % years. Studies show the Cut Bank 1lelo
would be exhausted in about nine years without the
help of the Canadian gas" Even with Canadlan
gas the present Cut Bank field has only 10 years
to CO. ,;p,
for the Flathead came alive again Jan. II, at the
ssspudding- in' ceremony OF Union Oh 20. at the
Morning Gun well between East Glacier Park ana
Browning
Orr hone for natural gas now is wildcat well
in a new field, and the realization that Montana
Power Co. could use more gas for its existing sys-
tenn and proposed extension to Mssoula.
The jan 18 Spokesman-Review story OF the
aspudding-in" ceremony written by the reporter
thew sent from Spokane contained this paragraph
aAnd there could be belated Christmas present
for Spokane and the Inland Empire Taylor (presl-
dent of Union Oil co., told OpOkeSliidii-ieoVAc "
representative that if the well produced gas M
hoped it would be possible to pipe it to Spokane
and other spots in the Inland Empire and Seattle
and Portland"
Seeing this paragraph, the Hungry Horse New
wrote Jack Corette, president of Montana rowe
Co. His reply arrived last Friday, but too late 10
last weeks paper
Here briefly and to the point IS the sltuatlo
as ably described in the Corette letter which is en-
titled: Ere: Natural Gas for the Flathead Area
81 will do my best to answer the question L
your letter of January %.
"Glacier Gas Company does still exist for TN
purpose of taking natural gas to the F1athead are
and on to the Inland Empire area whenever
adequate source of gas is available for that purpos
"The prospect of bringing gas from Plncne
Creek down the North Fork by Glacier Gas Com
nany or anyone else appears to be very remote be
cause of the desire of the Alberta and Canada
officials to hold the Pincher Creek gas as the mai
supply for the Canadian Line from Albert
to Eastern Canada.
montana Power is very interested IN brlnglr
natural gas to the Flathead whenever an adequa
source of gas is available. If Union Oil Company
operations in the East Glacier Browning area shou
develop an adequate gas reserve, Montana row
Company would be very interested IN buying g
from Union and building line to the Flatnes
area if satisfactory arrangements can be MADE WI
Union Oil Company. do not know whether Unlf
Oil would be interested in going into the tran
mission business itself" And that ends the Coret
letter.
The Flathead would certainly benefit from ha
ing natural gas and undoubtedly the whole val
would help in any way it could just as 1t did