The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1880-12-04

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Petroleum Developments in Russia.
The Uuited States have practically had
q monopoly Of the petroleum trade OF the
world since the sinking OF the first well ut
Oil City, and this trade is such great
source Of wealth 10 the country that ex.
trcordinary efforts ought to be put forth
to maintain it. At least We ought to care.
fully watch every attempt to establish a
rival production Of petroleum in other
countries. In the ten years ended June
80, 1879, there was exported from the
United States $3.50, 1916, SOS worth Of petro-
leum, all produced, refined and packed in
this country. The average per annum is
about S37 OCO 600, OF which more than
three ourths represents labor 1t will be
heavy loss 10 the country if this expor-
tation, or any large proportion OF it,
should be capturedb by otherCounLries. The
Z fort is being made 10 do this, however,
and in some instances it iG supported ny
American capital and enterprise. The
principal sources OF natural rock oil, out
side OF Canada and the United States, are
the wells Of Burmsh, on the lrrawaddy;
the Nuremberg Heath, in Hanover. Ger.
many, and the wells OF the district oil
B 4ku, on the Caspian, in Russia. There
is aIaO some petroleum in British India
and al other places in Russia. The Bar
mese region, though very rich, will not be
available until the government OF that
country is radically changed, which viii
not be for many years. The Lunenberg
region is not rich, and though German
capital is diligently employed to develop
it, the the results have not been encour.
aging. The country on the Caspian sea,
however. unQues!ionably promises to otter
the prospect Of formidable rivalry.
Burning springs have been known
in the BAku district from time
immemoria!, and the old Per
sion sect OF the fre.wershippers IS
thought to have got the notion OF lie faith
from the mysterious phenomena OF tDis
section. Tho l3sEu district has the CSs'
plan eea for its eastern border, and lies on
the peninsula Of APsheron, (oi AhsheNnl
in latitude 10 and IL north, BdtOum, on
the Buck sea, being on the west side Of
the Caspian peninsula, just opposite It, on
the came parallel. BaEC has good har-
Dor and excellent facilities for retneries,
rs vel! as for shipping the refined petr0'
leum, the port being much nearer the pro-
ducing region than is the case with either
the Bedford or VenRngo district In this
country. The oil is found neal. the surface,
and in several places the flats are covered
with pools and lakes Of rGphth which has
oozed through the saturated ana ctorlle
soil. The development OF the Ba&u oil
region has been greatly retarded by
tho bad policy end extortionate
taxation Of tho lInEaiau govern.
ment, and by avid speculation which has
made it seem more profitable to buy and
soil petroleum lnt8 than TO make them pro-
ducIive. In 1878, however, the excise tax
was removed, ard the only burden upon
oil production now is small municipal
tax, which Is spent IN the Improvement OF
roads and brio yea. The lands nave nov
nearly all passed into private hands, and
capital is coming forward in sufficient
quantity to develop them. The Baku dis
trict which Ia as yet worked does not ex'
coed six square miles, out there is evil
dence that the entire adjacent country is
saturated with petroleum. Gas can he OBJ
tanned everywhere in inexhaustiblo quaint.
ties by simply pressing clay pipes down
in the so!l. Surface indiGation5 have
been distinctly traced everywhere
within radius Of fifty miles from
Baku. There are now 800 bored
wells at Baku, all yielding oil, and the
product is equal 10 1000 600 barrels. At
BaiSEame there is q flowing well two
years old WHICH yields 500 barrels per day,
and smother which apouN up thirty feet
in thu cir so Vehemently that it5 imnense
stream floods tie district. At Bebeabut q
fountain sends down three inch stream
10 the sea, one we'll yielding l25 bsrreiss
pcr day, another 1850, another 1900, and
two wells $3.50 barrels. This 10 evidsnCe
enough Of the richness Of the supply. The
depth Of boring ia between 500 and GOO
feet. The reiineries, in which $1,000 900
ia invested, have capacity OF 100000
barrels. As yet the refined. oil is not
Of good quality, bat 1t ia improving
rapidlv. The crude product sells
extremely cheap, the price at the wells be.
ing only II copecks per pood, equal to G
cents per barrel. In Baku crude oil is
used to keep down tho dust Of the streets,
being cheaper than water. The refined
oil ietches 50 so to So 20 per barrel, tho
price being regulated great deal by the
cost OF the packages. Ag coon Gs railroad
TRANSFORMATION to Ba,oum can be effected
the petroleum OF Baku will come into d.
rect competition with the American arti'
Gle on the Mediterranean and in Southern
Europe, and it will eventually meet our
retroleum ut Hamburg and Antwerp.
Then great struggle for the mastery in
this important trade must OF course ensue.