West Virginia University - Monticola Yearbook (Morgantown, WV)

Page 8 text:

Dedication Because of the importance of oil and natural gas to West Vir- ginia industry and because of the State ' s contributions to the world in this field, we hereby dedicate this, the 1939 MONTICOLA, to the OIL AND NATURAL GAS INDUSTRY OF WEST VIRGINIA. VmCs The first Gas Well in West Virginia, Burning Springs, Wirt County. It is still producing gas, but must be pumped to keep off water.

Page 7 text:

1939 Monticola IN THE SHADOW OF WEST VIRGINIA ' S INVALUABLE POS- SESSIONS, OIL AND NATURAL gp..-GAS, STANDS WEST VIRGINIA UNIVERSITY, PROUD TO HAVE PART IN AN INDUSTRY SO VITAL IN THE PROGRESS OF MODERN CIVILIZATION.

Page 9 text:

A gas compressing station. At tiiese stations the gas is compressed, gasoline and water vapor removed and the dry gas then transmitted to points of consumption. lir - A f li i i A Gasoline Refiner At ' mtr e icimeries, the natural gas-gasoline, or petroleum, are sepa- rated into their component parts. From these — gasoline, liquified petroleum gases and numer- ous other products are obtained. The Oil and Natural Gas Industry has be a real factor in the development and prosperi of West Virginia. Oil discovered on Burning Sjorincfs Creek ir Wirt County and on the Hughes River in Ritchi County about 1860 was marketed at that time for medicinal purposes, although gas had beer discovered earlier in Kanawha County in dril ing for salt brine. The real beginning of the Ir dustry was in 1889, when a well drilled on thej Burt Farm near Mannington, produced a large quantity of oil There had been a few gas Wells drilled priof to this, but they were abandoiSed on account o the expense of finding a market, (although one- or two towns in the northern part of West Vir ginia were supplied with gas piped from Penri- sylvania. The Burt Well started the wheels o| development that in a few years spreacU many of the counties of the State. In the drilling for oil, gas wells with enormous volume were discovered. At first gas was conj sidered a liability as there was no market for it Some producers would prefer a dry hole to gas well. The number of gas wells, however, bs came greater and it was necessary to find mar-, kets, and these markets were great distances . from West Virginia and required millions of dol lars capital. The supplying of gas these grec distances was an innovation and to carry this ' out required men who had both optimism ah(! vision. Some of the early oil companies orgc ized gas companies to supply towns adjacent to the oil and gas fields in West Virginia. At that time there was neither paved high- way, automobiles, trucks, nor tractors. The We Virginia roads were dirt roads, narrow, ove£ hills and across streams, and there were but te- bridges. Horses and oxen were used on roac that were, for the most part, impassable, except, to the men in the oil field. Pipe lines were laid m all directions to connect these gas wells to large transmission lines. Compressing statioisa were built, duplicate bnes were constructed to .- take care of emergencies, as the supply had to be continuous to consumers many of whom, were more or less timid in using gas for do- mestic purposes. Improvements of :every kind were rapidly de- veloped. New macshinery and better pipe and fittings were reqijired so that manufacturing plants were organized to produce oil fiejd equipment. Local men became interested and, soon the oil and gas man became a fixture ir his communit y. Drilling for gas by both the cori anies and individuals developed a pro- duction in West Virginia which led all States and the farmer (whose farm in many cases hoc n losing money) became a receiver (hey frorrfc-pi source he had not known