A Gas Well Which Wasted $200,000 



By Harry Knowlson 



B' 



I LOWING WILD"' with a deafen- 

 ing roar for over a week and 

 wasting upwards of two hundred 

 thousand dollars of natural gas is the 

 record of the largest gas well ever drilled 

 in Pennsylvania. The Spiegel well — for 

 it was named after the owner of the land 

 — is in Versailles Township, near East 

 ]\IcKeesport. Pa., that is, in the "Pitts- 

 burgh district," a section rich in "pay 

 sand," which has produced several not- 

 able gas wells. 



This remarkable gas well goes down 

 into Mother Earth as straight as an ar- 



row for two thousand feet. In that re- 

 gion geologists say there is a layer of 

 sand permeated with natural gas. Once 

 an opening is made in the earth's crust, 

 the gas rushes upward with terrific force. 

 Between six hundred million and eight 

 hundred million cubic feet of natural gas 

 were lost before the well could be cap- 

 ped and the flow controlled. Almost im- 

 mediately after workmen struck the "pay 

 sand," the gas rushed forth with such 

 destructive force that it demolished the 

 wooden derrick used in connection with 

 the drilling. Several laborers narrowly 



The workmen who 

 bored this well sent 

 their drills down two 

 thousand feet through 

 ledge after ledge of 

 earth and rock to tap 

 the fissure pocket full 

 of gas. When the 

 pocket was opened, the 

 gas, confined under 

 those two thousand 

 feet of earth and rock, 

 burst out to the sur- 

 face, demolishing the 

 derrick and nearly kill- 

 ing the workmen. Over 

 six hundred million 

 cubic feet of gas es- 

 caped before the cap 

 was put on and its 

 stop-cocks closed. The 

 cap was of heavy steel, 

 with six valves, all of 

 which were of course 

 left open until the cap 

 was in place, when 

 they were closed. The 

 loss of gas before the 

 process was complete 

 was estimated at 

 $200,000. Great care 

 had to be exercised 

 during the week that 

 the gas escaped un- 

 checked. No lighted 

 matches or other 

 flames were permitted 

 within a great distance 

 of the well. The family 

 living near by were 

 obliged to forego cook- 

 ing and had to go to 

 bed without light 



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