Cornerstones Corollary: Evolutions of Pipelines and Compressor Stations

The Ohio Fuel Gas Company was organized in 1902 as the Ohio Fuel Supply Company, following gas well drilling in central Ohio before the turn of the century. It was formed from the acquisition of smaller gas companies that had sprung up in multiple locations throughout central and southern Ohio. The great Sugar Grove field was followed by the Utica and Homer field. Ohio Fuel Gas was a pioneer, in 1904 building the largest compressor station in the world near Homer, Ohio. With its early headquarters in nearby Mount Vernon, Ohio, it is very likely that they influenced the C. & G. Cooper Company to manufacture early gas engine-compressors under license from the Snow Steam Pump Company.

The next big natural gas strike was in the Ashland-Lorain field. Of course, the largest production area was in and around Hancock County, where oil production was king and the natural gas was simply flared for many years. But, just after the turn of the century, gas pipelines were built to transport the commodity to Toledo, Ohio, where a booming glass production industry emerged, and to Cleveland, where steel production was prevalent. In 1926, Ohio Fuel Gas Company merged with the Columbia Gas & Electric Corporation, which later grew to become the extensive Columbia Gas System.

A c.1923 journal, neatly hand-printed in blue ink, documented the equipment and brief histories of most of the Ohio Fuel Gas pipeline compressor stations. The stations ranged from very small to very large. The oldest, Wheeler Compressor Station, was erected in 1901-1902 in northwest Ohio by the Northwestern Natural Gas Company with three 1000 hp (746 kW) Klein/Snow horizontal gas engine-compressors to supply the cities of Toledo and Cleveland. In 1904, three 500 hp (373 kW) National Transit horizontal steam engine-compressors were added. In 1912-1913, the station was again expanded and two 1350 hp (1007 kW) Snow horizontal gas engine-compressors were installed. In 1914, two stations were purchased from the Columbia Gas and Fuel Company and, with another expansion of the Wheeler engine house, the horizontal gas engine-compressors from the two Columbia stations were moved and installed at Wheeler, including a 1000 hp (746 kW) Klein/Snow and two 1150 hp (858 kW) Snows. With yet another expansion in 1916, an additional 1350 (1007 kW) Snow horizontal was transferred from Treat Station. In 1917, two new 165 hp (123 kW) Miller horizontal engine-compressors were added. Finally, in 1917, two 1200 hp (895 kW) Allis-Chalmers horizontals were added, bringing the station to 14,580 hp (10,872 kW) of compression. Table 1 is a complete list of the major engine-compressors at the Wheeler Station.

The Treat Compressor Station was built in 1904 at Homer, in Licking County, Ohio, with three Snow horizontal gas engine-compressors rated at 1000 hp (746 kW) each. These engine-compressors were actually built for Snow by the C. & G. Cooper Company. Treat Station was said to be the largest gas compressor station in the world when it was built. In 1910, new compressor cylinders were installed, increasing the unit ratings to 1150 hp (858 kW). Three more 1150 hp (858 kW) Snow horizontals were added in 1907 and two more 1350 hp (1007 kW) Snows were added in 1910. As production from the Utica-Homer field declined, one 1150 hp (858 kW) Snow was moved to Ashland Station in 1913 and one 1350 hp (1007 kW) Snow was moved to Wheeler Station in 1916. It is interesting how huge horizontals were removed, disassembled and moved to different stations to be reassembled and installed for further service. As reported in previous issues of this series, moving and installing these behemoths, which averaged 200 lb. per hp, were daunting tasks.

The Pine Grove Compressor Station was believed to have been built prior to 1900. It was equipped with four Norwalk horizontal steam engine-compressors. The station was phased out by 1923. The Tonkin Compressor Station was built in 1892 in Hancock County, Ohio. It was initially equipped with three steam engine-compressors, and two more were added in 1893. In 1913, the engine house was destroyed by a fire, and a new station was built and equipped with two 1350 hp (1007 kW) Snow horizontal gas engine-compressors.

The Tonkin Compressor Station was built in 1892 in Hancock County, Ohio. It was initially equipped with three Laidlaw-Dunn-Gordon steam engine-compressors, and two more were added in 1893. In 1913, the engine house was destroyed by a fire, and a new station was built and equipped with two 1350 hp (1007 kW) Snow horizontal gas-engine compressors.

The Ashland Compressor Station was built in 1913 in Ashland, County, Ohio. It was initially equipped with one 1150 hp (858 kW) Snow horizontal that was transferred from Treat Station. In 1914, two 475 hp (354 kW) Laidlaw-Dunn-Gordon horizontal steam engine-compressors were transferred to Ashland from the Sugar Grove Station. Sugar Grove had been purchased from the Great Southern Oil and Gas Company in 1901 and phased out as a compressor station in 1912-1913. In 1917-1918, Ashland was expanded again with the addition of two 425 hp (317 kW) Snow horizontals and one 350 hp (216 kW) Cooper horizontal.

The Elk Compressor Station was built in 1917 in Noble County, Ohio, equipped with a 300 hp (224 kW) Miller horizontal gas engine belt-driving a Norwalk compressor. In 1919, the Zanesville Compressor Station was acquired and dismantled, and a 150 hp (112 kW) Bessemer Type X horizontal was moved to Elk. In 1920, three new 110 hp (82 kW) Cooper horizontals were also added and the original Miller/Norwalk was decommissioned, with the Miller engine then used to belt-drive a generator at another site.

Laurel Compressor Station was constructed in 1917 in Hocking County, Ohio, and equipped with two 165 hp (123 kW) Miller horizontal gas engine-compressors. Creola Compressor Station was built in 1917 in Vinton County, Ohio. It was originally equipped with a 50 hp (37 kW) Reeves vertical gas engine belt-driving an Ingersoll-Rand horizontal compressor, and then a 200 hp (149 kW) Rathburn-Jones vertical gas engine-compressor. The Reeves/Ingersoll-Rand unit was replaced in 1923 by a 160 hp (119 kW) Cooper Type 75 horizontal. The Plain Compressor Station was built in 1920 in Wayne County, Ohio. It was equipped with two 110 hp (82 kW) Cooper horizontals.

The diversity of manufacturers is a testimony to the simplicity and reliability of these early machines, which station operators were able to keep running with no outside support in remote areas. A few more early Ohio Fuel Gas Company stations will be summarized in the next edition along with a deeper dive into an early Hope Natural Gas station.