Evening star., 1955-01-15
Drilling IN Maryland
indicates Gas Storage
Well Is Feasible
By J. [. Michoel

Exploratory drilling in South
ern Maryland may promise de-
velopment Of a SIS million un-
derground storage chamber
which would affect future OPP
Grating costs OF the Washington
Gas Light Co. and benefit its
$4,000 customers in the District
area.
Company officials outlined the
plan yesterday without forecast
ing lower consumer bills, but
President Everett J. Boothby in
dicated the project, II success
full. would stabilize rates.
Savings on the company's pur-
chases of natural gas would
more than offset the cost Of the
development, Mr.. Boothby de-
clared. "and would effect sub
stantial economies.
Explanation Necessary.
s
Mr.. Boothby said a public ex-
planation was pertinent because
Of the necessity Of removing
misconceptions in the minds Of
persons who / think it's just q
matter of pumping gas into a
hole in the ground"
Subsurface gas storage is
much more than that, Howard
B. Noyes. senior vice president.
declared in clarifying technical
aspects of the plan.
Both officials emphasized that
underground gas storage does
not affect water supplies or use
of surface soil and presents no
hazards to alarm the country
side. J
The company is. sinking its
second deep shaft near Floral
Park in Prince Georges County.
a few miles west Of Route SOL,
after samples from a first well
which went down 1,700 feet near
T. B. gave promising indications.
Laboratory analyses Of core sam
Piles from the initial shaft are
incomplete but the company
held preliminary reports favor
able enough to justify q second
try.
Sandstone Deposits Sought.
Sought by company drillers
are sandstone deposits covered
by a dome or arch-shaped rock
such as shale. or stiff clay. either
of which would prevent escape
of gas pumped into underlying
porous stone from which water
would be displaced. II such
formations are found. gas could
be stored and withdrawn at will.
The cap so far drilled is Marl-
boro clay.
The company has options on
some $4,000 acres in the Rosary
ville-T. B. section which include
the standard one-eighth royalty
in case oil or natural gas is
found.
Cost to the company Of natural
gas pumped in from Texas and
other far-away points is based
on the amount consumed on the
years peak day. Company statis-
tics show that about eight times
as much gas is consumed on ex-
tremely cold days than on a nor
NAL day in summer. About half
the company's customers use gas
for home heating.
Pipelines capable of supplying
peak demands are used at only
a fraction Of capacity in hot
weather, but must be built and
maintained to meet top con-
sumption. The supplier,s price
would be lowered II stored gas
is cut into lines in high-demand
periods. Storage chambers also
would safeguard against short
ages due to pipeline breaks or
unexpected emergencies.
Is5 Storage Fields.
Use Of underground strata for
gas storage is not new. Mr.. Noyes
said 165 storage fields are oper-
ating in the United States, some
Of them depleted gas fields
which have been refiIled and
others like the type sought in
nearby Maryland. One OF the
latter, Mr.. Noyes said, is be-
meath the Nations gold supply
ct Fort Knox, another UNDER
lies q suburban area Of st. Louis.
About so shallow shafts were
drilled In Prince Georges before
the flrst deep well was sunk.
Mr.. Noyes said the first test
makes us reasonably sure of
sandstone and q dome 2 miles
wide and IL miles long west of
Route Sol in the r. b. area."
. conservatio,, nroor.n, f,v ~.