186 Unversity Geological Survey of Kansas. 
as much gas has escaped as would be found in the ground by 
drilling. If now we find a porous stratum which is gas-bearing 
overlaid by an impervious bed of rock, such as fine-grained 
shale, quite possibly the ground-water in such a sandstone will 
exist under artesian conditions and may exert a pressure con- 
siderably more than would be exerted by a column of water 
equal in height to the depth of the well. This, of course, would 
be determined should a well be drilled into a water-pocket. 
But if the wells drilled hit gas-pools, the gas would be found to 
exist under a pressure greater than the depth of the well would 
imply. 
Coming now to the matter of exhaustion of gas-wells, it 
seems that it may be possible, as suggested to the writer in 
conversation by Dr. George I. Adams, that the real explana- 
tion here of the gradual decrease of pressure may be due to the 
slow movement of water within the sandrock. Suppose we 
have a well drilled into a gas bubble in the sandrock, which 
bubble is entirely surrounded by water on all its borders. 
Should the well be used lavishly gas would travel from differ- 
ent places in the pool to the foot of the well and escape more 
rapidly than the water could close in on the ever-decreasing 
bubble of gas, and in this way the gas pressure would be de- 
creased gradually as the well became exhausted. If, however, 
the well should be closed for a period of weeks or months, ac- 
cording to this explanation we would expect it to regain its 
pressure and ultimately reach the normal pressure when the 
well was first drilled. Observations in the Kansas gas-field in 
a measure, although not with entire satisfaction, accord with 
this explanation. It has been noted over and over again in 
the Iola field and in many others that a gas-well which has 
been used rapidly for some months will have its pressure run 
down, and will recuperate or regain the pressure by a period of 
idleness. It may be said, in fact, that this is the rule with 
Kansas gas-wells. However, it is observed in some instances 
that wells may be completely exhausted and casing drawn 
without their ever becoming rejuvenated by idleness. One of 
the best illustrations of this kind is a well near the little town 
of Benedict. In 1895 Guffey & Gailey drilled a well here in the 
hope of finding oil. Instead, they found a very streng gas- 
well. After a period of idleness a pipe-line was laid to Cha- 
nute, and for more than two years this one well supplied the 
entire city of Chanute. In the course of time its pressure 
