Anderson hopes to tap century-old gas fields that once fueled industrial boom

The Associated Press

Anderson, Ind., officials want to know if there still may be natural gas left in the gas fields that fueled an industrial boom in the city in the late 1800s and early 1900s.

The city and the Corporation for Economic Development have agreed to fund a preliminary study to determine if the gas fields are depleted or if gas remains that could be extracted at competitive cost.

“Those gas fields have been sitting there for 100 years. With so many energy-related companies, it is hard to believe that none would have looked into oil or natural gas reserves in central Indiana and Ohio,” John Hagen, director of the Corporation for Economic Development, said Dec. 9.

Mayor J. Mark Lawler declined to say how much the city was paying for the study. If any natural gas is left, it could serve as an energy source for the city of 59,000 about 40 miles northwest of Indianapolis, he said.

Several industries moved to Anderson after gas was discovered there in 1887, according to information posted to the Anderson Public Library’s Web site. The city’s population boomed and a Cincinnati newspaper editor dubbed it the “Pittsburgh on the White River.”

The boom ended when the gas ran out in 1912.

“Natural gas was explored and exploited years ago. We want to know with the new technology available if there are reserves that are available,” Lawler said.