Wilmette IL, built 1930s, wire to left of pipe goes to aux ground rod installed by cable company (noted), only pipe in area.
Looks like an abandoned gas pipe to me (meter has been moved to new locaton next to recent addition) but would anyone here have any concern with reguard the possibility that this was a vent of a basement or underground oil tank?
I doubt that this is oil tank piping. The shape at the end of either pipe wouldn’t be curved…
Did you see anything on the inside of this wall? Patching etc…
This is my concern:
http://www.inspect-ny.com/oiltanks/oiltanksktch.jpg
I seem to remember having seen a picture of a vent topped with two 45 degree elbows between a short nipple to form an inverted “U”…
Could be a vent stack, alright. Call for a tank search by someone more specialized than yourself. 
John Kogel
www.allsafehome.ca
Did you happen measure the diameter of that pipe? It appears to be smaller than the average oil piping.
