Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1881-01-26
BRADFoRD's DECLINE
a VERY FAIR STATEMENT on THE cos
DlTloN or THE NORTHERN FIELD -
mas IT PASSED TnE DREADED
TURNING poINry

A correspondent Of the New York
Tribune, writing from Bradford, OK.
presses his belief that the situation in
thotprolac field has decidedly changed
from that OF over production to one OF
decided decrease in the yield, and dc.
olares that unless some other great oil
producing region is very soon brought
10 light, the consumers and not the
producers will have cause Tor anxiety.
The statement is very fair one, and
the writer appears to have grasped his
subject understandingIy The sitaa.
tion, he says, seems to be as follows:
"The Bradford oil field is rapidly
following in the footsteps OF the Oil
Creek, Butlcr and Clarion districts,
the decline in production beng steady
and rapid. Oil Creek, that at one
time supplied the world with oil. now
produces less than 900 barrels day,
while the Butlcr and Clarion districts,
that once put forth 40, 900 barrels daily,
are now known as places where old
junk may be purchased at very low
prices In other words, the Bradford
field must now produce the oil, and it
is beyond question that this field is
now on the downward grade. One of
the strongest indications of this fact il
found in the decline of new work. This
is not caused by the inactivity of the
producers, but by the lack of available
territory in which to operate. All pro.
ducing territory is now in the hands
Of actual operators, many of whom
were anxious TO hold their own with
out drilling until next year, when they
expected much better prices, knowing
that the field was limited. But in
nearly every case these conservative
operators were compelled to sink wells
in order to prevent their lands from
being drained through the drilling Of
wreckIess neighbors, The result has
been that today they see that they
will be out OF work next year for lack
Of territory. But the individual hard.
ship will be nothing as compared to
the probable increased cost of artificial
light to the worlds poor To come,
then, to the immediate future of petro.
leum production and its cost, it may be
said that from the comparatively little
new work being commenced, the rapid
decline in the wells now producing, and
the defining OF the oil-bearing territory,
the days of cheap petroleum have
passed, at least for some time. Even
should a new field be discovered, past
experience shows that petroleum. out.
side Of the present field, where the oil.
flows, owing to the great quantity of
gas, costs to produce from Sl50 to SO
per barrel. When the world has 10
depend upon districts outside of Brad
ford for its supply it may reasonably
expect to pay tho above prices for
crude oil. The number Of wells now
being pumped in this district is simply
enormous, and ! have talked with the
sucker-rod manufacturers who are fit.
ting up daily an average OF twentywells.
A pumping well never produces any.
thing like as much as one that flows,
and the increased cost OF operating.
made up Of labor, breaking and wear.
ing of machinery, clogging of tho tub
ing from sand and parafiine, and stop.
page from severe weather, must all 20
into the general account, At present
a large number of wells are shut down.
owing to a scarcity of water. In. every
district in the Bradford field the ind.
cations Of an immense daily decline
accumulate"