Morning journal and courier., 1881-01-18
Tuesday Morning, Jan. IS, 1881.
THE OIL FIELDS OF RUssI.

THE OIL FIELDS OF RUSSIA.
 Even if it he true, as has been recently re-
 ported, that the oil fields of Pennsylvania
 cannot be depended on much longer, the
 world seems likely to have sufficient supply
 of oil for a long time yet. One important source of supply exists in Russia, and inter esting and important information concerning it is given in lately published report of our Consul at Odessa.
 The great petroleum district of Russia lies within a radius of fifty miles around Baku, a point on the western shore of the Caspian about 56O miles south of Astrakhan. AL though the existence of oil there has been known from time immemo orial it was not until 1872, when the lands about Balzu passed into the hands of private owners, that the resources of the district began to be turned to large account. At the end of that year there were 415 so called ''wells, " but most of them were mere shallow holes in the ground, like ordinary water wells. At pres- ent there are upward of 300 bored wells in the tract, ranging from $50 to 700 feet in depth. It is said that depth of 56O feet in what is called known territory has never failed to produce oil in large and generally enormous quantities. According to Consul Dyer, there are flowing fountains capable of yielding more than 6,0O0 barrels of crude oil per day. Thirteen others are specified whose daily product ranges from 1,250 to 3,750 barrels. Of course the flow of these fountains is of short duration, rarely lasting four months, after which pumping is neces- sary. The appliances for refining are so in- adequate, and the demand of the market reached by the river Volga is so limited, that an incalculable quantity of the crude product goes to waste. When we are told that the crude naptha now sells at the wells for six cents barrel, we can understand that the cheaper than water for irrigating the. streets. It lasts upon the thoroughfares from three to four days, forming compact and firm pavement of oily sand.
 Consul Dyer estimates that by the end of the present year the possible production of refined oil at Baku will not fall far below 100000 barrels. One firm of refners have invested $2, 5O0,000 in their business, and their establishment already has capacity of 400, 900 barrels They will soon have bet ter market, for new railroad, equipped with tank cars, is to be built from Tif1is to Baku, distance of 36O miles. The line from Poti. on the Black Sea, to Tif1is is now in opera tion, and work has already been begun at four points on the extension to the oil fields of the Caspian. This section of the road, it seems, is not at ali difficult of construction, and the contractors have agreed to have the line open to Baku in eighteen months. The maximum freight which the company are al- lowed by their charter to charge for the of petroleum from the wells to the seaboard is 72 cents barrel A pipe line also is projected for part of the route between Tidis and Poti and MT. Dyer has no doubt that the entire distance from Tifis to 'he seaboard. will eventually be piped, as the elevation is sufficient to press the liquid to it's destination without the aid of pumps.
 Consul Dyer does not hesitate to express 1is opinion that the supply of petroleum at 3aku is almost literally inexhaustible, and le has no doubt that the product of the Rus
 ian wells can and will be, at an early date, 1 delivered in the markets of western Europe | t very low prices. This is of course bad | lews to those who export oil from this coun- ry, but it is encouraging to know that there s no immediate danger of great decrease n the worlds supply of this useful article