Colorado Interstate Gas
| Company type | Subsidiary |
|---|---|
| Industry | Natural gas |
| Founded | 1 June 1928 |
| Defunct | 1999 |
| Fate | Merged into Coastal States Gas Corporation |
| Headquarters | Colorado Springs , United States |
Area served | Rocky Mountains, Texas Panhandle, western Oklahoma, western Kansas, Wyoming |
Key people | Christy Payne (1927–1933), R.W. Gallagher (1933–1934), H.C. Cooper (1934–1939), F.H. Lerch Jr. (1939–1943), Robert W. Hendee (1943–1953), W.E. Mueller (1954–1973), Thomas L. Pelican (1973–1976), Peter J. King Jr. (from 1977) |
| Products | Natural gas |
Number of employees | 1142 (1978) |
| Parent | Kinder Morgan |
| Website | elpaso |
Colorado Interstate Gas (CIG) ranks as a significant natural gas producer, linked to principal supply basins within the Rocky Mountains and production zones spanning the Texas Panhandle, western Oklahoma, western Kansas, and Wyoming. Initially established as an independent entity, CIG currently operates as a subsidiary of Kinder Morgan.
History
The Canadian River Gas Company was established in 1927 through the merger of three firms, combining their assets and expertise to extract gas from the Panhandle Gas Field and transport it to Clayton, New Mexico. There, CIG acquired the gas for delivery to Denver. Service commenced on 1 June 1928, reaching Pueblo, Colorado by 19 June and Denver by 22 June, following a route pioneered by John Paul (Mr. Mac) McClintock.
By 1928, CIG managed 428 miles of pipeline infrastructure and employed 105 personnel.
The initial pipeline measured between 20 and 22 inches in diameter and stretched roughly 500 miles. It utilized Dresser couplings instead of welding and operated under a pressure limit of 50 psi. The Bivins Compressor Station housed three Worthington compressors, each rated at 1000 HP; Clayton and Devine stations were later added alongside the adoption of electric welding techniques.
By 1938, pipeline length had expanded to 633 miles with a workforce totaling 145 employees.
With its headquarters in Colorado Springs, CIG introduced various employee benefits during the 1930s and early 1940s, including group life insurance, retirement income plans initiated in 1939, medical coverage starting in 1940, and the establishment of a credit union. Significant infrastructure projects included Cimarron Station (1941), Apishipa Station (1943), McClintock Station (1944), as well as East Denver and Lakin Stations (1947)—the latter providing a connection from Denver to the Hugoton Gas Field. By 1948, CIG employed shortwave radio communication and conducted airplane patrols for pipeline monitoring; Kit Carson Station became operational by the end of that decade.
In 1951, Canadian River Gas Company merged into CIG; Fourway Station commenced operations in 1952. Further expansions followed with Springfield, Keyes, Sanford, and Morton Compressor Stations opening in 1953, succeeded by Mocane and Laverne stations in 1957.
By 1958, CIG’s pipeline network extended over 3,470 miles with a staff count of 951.
The Rawlins Compressor Station was inaugurated in 1960 alongside the introduction of an employee Thrift Plan.
Reflecting its growth into diverse sectors such as Pipeline, Chemical (Wycon), Petroleum, and Manufacturing—including acquisitions like Marsh in 1956 and Metal Forge and DeZunk in the early 1970s—CIG rebranded itself as CIC.
In 1972, CIG merged with Coastal States Gas Corporation and drilled its deepest exploratory well at Johnson #1 in the Texas Panhandle reaching a depth of 14,000 feet.
By 1976, following the divestiture of its Manufacturing division to General Signal Corp. in 1972, CIC reverted to the CIG name.
As of 1978, CIG operated more than 5,185 miles of pipeline with approximately 1,142 employees on staff.
Coastal merged with El Paso Corp. in 1999; subsequently, El Paso was acquired by Kinder Morgan in 2012.
Presidents
1927–1933: Christy Payne 1933–1934: R.W. Gallagher 1934–1939: H.C. Cooper 1939–1943: F.H. Lerch Jr. 1943–1953: Robert W. Hendee 1954–1973: W.E. Mueller 1973–1976: Thomas L. Pelican From 1977 onward: Peter J. King Jr.
External links
- Elpaso.com: Colorado Interstate Gas Co., LLC — pipeline map
- Articles with short description
- Natural gas companies of the United States
- Defunct companies based in Colorado
- Companies based in Colorado Springs, Colorado
- Energy in Colorado
- Non-renewable resource companies established in 1928
- Non-renewable resource companies disestablished in 1999
- 1928 establishments in Colorado
- 1999 disestablishments in Colorado