SPEAKER
Our speaker for the day, recruited by
Mark Metavia is our own
Mike White. After 37 years in the Gas Department of our local utility, now known as Xcel Energy, Mike retired in 2014. Mike was here to give us a brief overview of the infrastructure of a commodity that is important to all of us...the natural gas piping system.
Public Service Company of Colorado traces its roots to 1869, when William N. Byers, owner of the Rocky Mountain News, Colonel James Archer, Walter Scott Cheesman, and five other leading Coloradans gathered in Denver and agreed to finance a local gas lighting company. At first, the gas was used exclusively for street lighting. Ladder-carrying lamplighters would ignite the lamps at dusk and extinguish them at dawn.
Gas was "manufactured" until 1928 when the first gas pipeline from Texas was completed.
In April 1959 the company began converting the abandoned Leyden coal mine into an underground gas storage facility. Gas held in Leyden could supplement gas coming through pipelines during hours of peak demand.
Mike explained the various phases of gas pipe, including the cast iron piping first used to transmit the gas in the initial stages. Because of leaking joints, the pipe has to be inspected every three to five years. The original cast iron piping was replaced by black steel pipe, but corrosion was difficult to overcome even with cathodic protection. Mike also explained that after World War !! there was a housing boom and a lack of gas pipe, so they actually used converted gun barrels for gas pipe. PVC pipe followed but joints frequently failed, causing gas leaks. Currently the company is using polyethylene pipe which is heat fused together and minimizes maintenance and gas leaks.
Mike told some fascinating stories of his life working on gas lines in the streets of Denver. Thanks to Mike for his enlightening talk. Mike did get a MSOC mug from Prez Dan.
On this beautiful Colorado morning, Members were greeted , for the second week in a row by Al Gapuzan (note correct spelling) and Frank Ross (not Middleton). 
From Steve Kady