The Bismarck Tribune Newspaper, September 4, 1930, Page 16

MANY SOUTH DAKOTA AND MONTANA FIRMS PROFIT BY NEW FUEL South Dakota State Cement Plant at Rapid City Put on Stronger Basis OTHER FUELS DISCARDED Schools, Sugar Factories, and Brick Pants Show Advan- tages of Gas Natural gas in Bismarck should add materially to the possibilities for industrial development here, accord- ing to officials of the Montana-Da- kota Power company. Natural gas as a fuel at a com- aratively low price, with its great ting value and readiness to sub- mit to temperature controlling de- vices, should help draw industrial ants here. Plane Montana-Dakota Power com- pany, and its associate companies, are attacting industries into the ter- ritory it is serving with natural gas and making it possible for the in- dustries that already were located in the territory to enlarge and im- prove their operations. An Satstand: ing example of the use of natura gas for industrial purposes is the state cement plant at Rapid City, owned and operated by the State of South Dakota, This plant, when us- ing coal for fuel, had a very limited market because of competition from the East and the South. The pro- duction of the plant was limited by the amount of cement required in the territory that the plant served Fr, before coming into competition from the East ang South. 2 Through the use of natural gas in the state cement plant in Rapid City, the quality of the product has been materially improved and the cost of luction has been greatly reduced. Bissose of having a superior product to sell and because their production cost has been reduced it is now pos- sible for the state cement plant to market its product in a much greater area than when using other kinds of fuel. As a result of this expanded market the state authorities are con- templating the enlargement of the plant by adding additional kilns which will increase the production 50 per cent. The control of temper- ature in the manufacture of cement is an important item and the use of natural gas has made it possible to more perfectly control the temper- ature than with other fud/s and thus improve the quality of the cement produced by the plant. Running Time Extended The normal run of the cement plant when using cowl as a fuel was between seven and eight months, During this running time the plant would manufacture as much cement as could be marketed in their limited market, Since the installation of na- tural gas the running time of the plant during 1929 was increased to 10% months and during 1930 probably will run in excess of 11 months. It is expected that the plant soon will be on a constant 12 month basis, including increased kiln capacity. : The Utah-Idaho Sugar Plant at Belle Fourche, S. D., has contracted for the use of natural gas to replace coal and it is the expectation of the company, through their experience with natural gas at other points, that the production cost will be re- duced and the quality of the sugar improved. The Homestake Gold Mine at Lead, S. D,, who themselves are in the coal mining business, are using natural gas for a large num- ber of their process operations. Even though this company has their own coal supply they find it advantage- ous to use natural gas for certain processes because of the more per- fect temperature control which is essential in the handling of gold ore. The War Departmnt is making a substantial saving through the use of natural gas over other fuels at the U. S. Cavalry Post, Fort Meade, near Sturgis, S. D. Figures in the quartermaster’s of- fice indicate a substantial saving in fuel costs as well as greatly im- proved heating conditions in the bar- racks and homes of the officers. The temperature is controlled automatic- ally, thereby eliminating the over- heating and under-heating that oc- cur during operation of the coal fired boilers. ._ _Mining School ‘Sold’ The State School of Mines at Rap- id City has converted all its heat- ing equipment to the use of gas af- ter making an exhaustive test of gas in comparison with other available fuels. The state of South Dakota also is using gas to advantage in the state normal school at Spearfish. The U. S. government in the Black Hills is using gas for their Indian school at Rapid City and the gov- ernment buildings located at Rapid. City, Lead, Deadwood and Belle ‘ourche, The large copper smelter of the Anaconda Copper Mining company; at Great’ Falls, Mont., uses. natural gas exclusively, which is purchased from the Montana Cities Gas com- pany, an associate company of the Montana-Dakota “Power company. The use of natural gas for the smel- tering of copper has proved highly successful and it is very probable that other plants of the Anaconda Copper Mining company will be equipped to use natural gas in the very near future. A new industry has commenced operation at Miles City, Mont., using natural gas entirely for its fuel re- quirements. This is the plant of the Custer Packing company, which packs horse meat for exportation and manufactures dog biscuits, fertilizer, and numerous other products as by- products. The brick plants at Havre, Mont., and Belle Fourche, S. D., find natural gas an ideal fuel for the manufacture of brick because of the evenness of the temperature control which is es- “Low Priced Natural sential in the proper burning of brick to bring out the color tensile strength of the britk. Numerous ‘other in- dustries such as creameriés, laun- dries‘and gypsum plants, are finding natural gas an ideal fuel. Used for Refining The refining of oil with natural gas has become general throughout Mon- tana wherever, cate gas is avail- able. The Conrad Refining company at Conrad, Mont., uses natural gas exclusively for fuel, which is pur- chased from the Pondera Utilities company, an_ associate company of the Montana-Dakota Power company. This plant formerly used crude oil| for fuel but has found the use of gas more economical than crude oil and has much improved sthe process of refining because of the ease of tem- perature control. The crt:de oil for the Conrad plant comes principally from the Pondera field located mid- way between Conrad and Choteau, Mont, Industrial plants that are looking for advantageous locations will be attracted to communities served by a natural gas company, where natural gas as fuel at a low price is available for all heating purposes. NEW GAS EQUIPMENT URGED FOR SCHOOLS Manufacturers Claim Much Fuel and Labor are Lost With Old Apparatus It was pointed out at the annual cortvention of the .Mid-West Gas association. held .at St. Paul in April that the equipment in the home economics departménts of many col- leges and schools was out-of-date, and a particular effort will be made during the coming year to secure the installation of devices which will give instruction in the most effective use of gas for cooking. Gas men went on record as ad- vocating, mote.economic use of gas for’ fuel in order to encourage its use more extensively, ‘They held that the customer who wastes gas either through ignorance of its usef™ments -n: or through the use of appliances not calculated to do the work effectively, is an undesirable customer. He is not getting his money’s worth and is dissatisfied. ‘The, American Gas Association has established a laboratory for test- ing the equipment turned out but manufacturers and members of the association expect that soon no ap- pliances will be sold except those that meet the requirements of the men who sell gas. They deemed it highly necessary that students’ in the home economics departments of the schools who are. going -into ‘homes of their own by the’ thousands every year, should -be acquainted with the use of modern equipment. To this end they will endeavor to supplant old devices with new ones in the colleges and schools of the states in the Mid-West, divi- sion, {oS i mae BAKER GAS WELLS 70 HAVE NATURAL FUBL SUPPLY FOR 50 YEARS Natural Gas Was First Discov- ered at Montana Site 13 Years Ago The natural gas supply for the towns of western North Dakota will come from what is known as the Glendive - Baker structure. This structure is shown on the geologi survey as extending from a point a few miles south of Glendive to a joint about 30 miles south of Baker. ‘he structure has been drilled and proven from a point about nine miles south of Glendive to a point about 10 miles south of Baker. The structure consists of a series of domes start- ing with the Ash Creek dome just south of Glendive, the Cabin Creek dome, the Baker dome, Hidden Water dome, Little Beaver dome and Gallop Creek dome. Judging from the ex- tent of this structure as it has al- ready been proven, it is recognized as one of the largest existing natural gas fields in the United States. Years at Baker Gas was first discovered on this structure at Baker, Mont., about 13 years ago by drillers who were drill- ing for water in the city of Baker. Since its discovery 13 years ago, the gas has been used by the residents of Baker for all cooking and heating requirements as well as for the man- ufacture’of carbon black. ‘The large carbon black plant was*located at Baker immediately after gas was dis- covered and has been operat al- most continuously for 13-years. jis plant, while running, consumes ap- proximately foursmillion feet of gas aday. All of the towns on the N. P, main line, now supplied, will not use over twice as much gas as is used by this one carbon black plant alone. After the discovery of gas at Baker, several other gas wells: were drilled but no use was made of the gas of any barb ig eh the develop- ade during thé last three years by the Minnesota Northern Power company. . The. Minnesota Northern Power company bought! several existing wells on the Cabin Creek dome about four years ago) and started’an active development Ppeeress, After bringing in several large wells on Cabin Creek dome, a 40-mile 8-inch pife line was built! into Glendive, Mont., in the summer of 1926. The following summer of 1927, a 72-mile pipe line was built west out of Cabin Greek to-serve Terry and Miles City, Mont. A 14- mile pipe line was bujlt east from the Hidden Water dome to serve Mar- marth, N. D, The 1928 development. consists of.a 175-mile main line south from:the field to-serve the principal towns @n the Black Hills of South Dakota. , 10 Wells. Developed Power company had -developed 10 wells on the Cabin Creek dome with in open flaw capacity of over 100 million cubie “feet. Drilling -opera? tions were begun on the Cabin Creek dome last fall and one rig working on the Hidden Water dome. Two large wells have been brought in on the Cabin Creek and two wells on Hidden Water dome, making a total to date of -12 wells on the .Cabin Creek and four on @lidden Water. In addition to the wells now. com- pleted on Cabin Creek, Hidden Water and the Baker domes, several large wells have been brought in on the Ash Creek dome by the Johns-Hagen company of Glendive. The entire output of the Johns-Hagen wells is owned under contract, by the Min-, nesota Ni ern Power company. The Glendive-Baker structute con- sands. Most of the existing wells are in first sand at a depth of approximately 900 feet. These wells develop a prenuss of ap- proximately 210 pounds. Baker and one well on the’ Little Beaver have been drilled into the second sands at a depth of approxi- mately 1400 feet, developing a pres- sure of 350 pounds. There are sev- eral other gas sands at lower levels which have not as yet been explored. Output Exceeds Demand The Montana-Dakota Power com- pany, associate oe of the Min- nesota Northern Power company, which has developed the Cabin k and Hidden Water domes, is tls the towns of Glendive, Terry Miles City, Mont., and Marmarth, Beach, Belfield, Dickinson, Mandan and Bismarck, N. D.. The Black Hills , another associate linnesota Northern and the Montana- » serves the ills of South Da- kota. The present requirements of Glendive, Terry, Miles City and Mar- Feet of gas pee dave ‘The, total te gas A re-' quirements be the Black Hills are estimated at approximately eight million feet: ‘The present low capacity ‘of the existing wells on the Cabin Creek, Ash Creek, Hidden Water and Baker domes will exceed 150 million cubic feet;.so it is r= ent that the field has been devel far ahead of the present. ‘available market. % While it is not possible to estimate what quantities of gas will be dis- at the ‘lower: sands on the Glendive-Baker feng, it is conserv- atively estimated that the present development assures a supply of gas for the existing market-for at least MERIDJAN USES NATURAL GAS Meridian, Miss., sig Pale » | Pll from .the Monroe an ee “fields in Louisiana, over 200 miles away, was turned in- to the Meridian mains recently, re- piseing the manufactured gas which been used for nearly a half cen- tury.. A large crew of trained serv- ice men, augmenting the force of the Mississippi Service company, be- fen immediately the task of adapt- all gas: burning appliances to. sists of several At the end. of the drilling. season, in p27, the 4 i WARM ROOMS TO DRESS IN! - No need to get up in a cold house to start your heating plant. beatae : A Minncapolis-Honeywell Regulator will automa. tically bring the temperature up to any degree you set, before you awake in the morning:- Then through- out the day it will automatically hold that tempera- ture steadily for you, without any-attention whatever. At bed-time it will automatically reduce the tempera- ture to an. economical, comfortable, sleeping-time degree, and hold it steadily there until early morning. It prevents overheating, the cause of “colds” and fatigue, and a source of danger to your heating plant. You can leave your house’ all'day or all evening knowing that during your absence the temperature will be maintained dependably, “steadily and safely MINNEAPOLIS HEAT REGULATOR HONEYWELL MINNEAPOL:S-HONEYWELL REGULATORS ARE SOLD AND INSTALLED BY by the One well at | - \ EEE FOUR ADVANTAGES OF GAS = Clean - No smoke, no soot, no ashes, . Dependable Always at your service, oo in any quan- tity. Perfect Control Exact temperatures, held constant by auto- matic control. Economical — Low cost of operation; saves time, labor and® inconvenience. \ The E EXTEND OUR BEST WISHES to the new office ‘of the Montana-Dakota Power Com- e pany. May it enjoy many years of prospe: and bring many years of service to this community. And our sincere congratulations to the people of Bismarck. _ For, to them has come a new era of comfort and convenience, Natural Gas is at their service—ready to cook their food and to heat their homes, It is plentiful; it is cheap; it presents to homes and industries ‘advantages never before experienced. Think of preparing your’ meals on a range which does the cooking, roasting and baking, scientifically—assuring perfect peas every ane eke less shee with less attention. nd, even in the -midst of scorching weather—in a kite which does not. become overheated. i “ee Think of summer warmth in your home during the coldest months of winter by merely touching a match to your gas heater. No.coal or ashes to carry. No soot, no smoke. And absolute safety—always. Get All the Details—Now! Estate Gas Ranges, Estate Gas Heatrolas will be among’ the major.appliances on display inthe new salesrooms of the Mon- tana-Dakota Power Company. They represent the ultimate contribution to modern living by a company which is recognized as a leader in'the gas appliance field. Ask to see the 1980 models, and ask for a demonstration when you call to get full details on what Natural Gas will mean to your home. Estate Stove Company HAMILTON OHIO -NATURALGAS. Comes to Town and with it come Home Comfort AddedConvenience . More Leisure _ Better Health ~ ‘For those fortunate qges who avail themselves of all the advantages of good gas heat, by installing Columbus Gas Furnaces, the standard Gas Furnace of the country for the past fifteen years. - SOLD BY, -Montana-Dakota Power Co. ° é Bismarck, North Dakota “ASK FOR ILLUSTRATED LITERATURE” MONTANA-DAKOTA POWER CO. BISMARCK, NORTH DAKOTA