Dodge City times. [volume] (Dodge City, Kan.) 1876-1892, 1885-08-13

field is their No. %, which is seldom
fully opened Oil is thrown several
hundred feet above the derrick, and SO
much is lost that it is difficult to est =
mate its production 1t is without
doubt the largest well in the field.
From 1879 to the opening of the present
year the Nobel wells produced 10000
900 pools, or 1000, 900 barrels.
"When | left the Bacu field, in May,
about fifty wells were drilling. 1t takes
about six months TO drill a well, and
the cost is between $4,000 and $12,-
900. With the present system of under
roaming, only recently introduced,
wells in the future will not cost so much
money. Practically speaking, the Rus
sian oil field is barren of oil rock. The
formations, which lay at an angie of
about thirty degrees, and are very ir-
regular, are three quarters sand, the
remaining quarter being composed of
blue clay, qnicksand. asphalt, rocks, etc.
The hydraulic system of drilling has
been introduced with considerable sue
cess and is fast superseding the other
system. Generally wells are commenced
with eighteen-inch riveted pipe, and
enough put in to shut off surface water
and 4uicksand. After that as much
sixteen-inch riveted pipe is usei as is
possible to get in by drilling, under
roaming, jacks, etc. This is followed
by graduated courses of pipe, until the
bottom is reached. Eieht-inch screw
pipe is as small as it is desirable to use
on account of the large quantity of sand
that is thrown out. When siX-inch pipe
has been used the wells have been
choked up by the sand.
at has been demonstrated that deep
er drilling will restore the production
of fading wells The deeper you drill the
bette: the quality of the oil. Formerly
wells were only sunk to the depth OF $50
feet Now the average depth is 600
feet. 1t is probable that when wells
are drilled from 900 to LOCO feet light
er and better quality of oil will be OBJ
tanned. Wells are pumped with large,
long sand pump, and not with tubing,
sucker rods and working barrels, as in
America. The sand, which continually
runs into the wells, prevents any other
method.
The Russian field is now, and will
be for some time to come. held back
through want of refining and transport
tation facilities. and especially the lat
ter. Only ninety-tive of the two hum
dred relineres at Black Town, Bakus
refining center, are in operation These
have a capacity of 1900 barrels a day.
There are ten small pipe lines, which
carry the oil from the field to the re-
fineries. Many of the reiineries are
owned by Persians and Tartars, and
are as crude as the oil they use. At
the best establshm ents from five to
six per cent. of benzine is taken of,
thirty per cent. is refined oil or kero.
sene, twenty-four or twenty-six per cent.
is lubricating oil, while the balance is
refuse oil or list The last-named oil
is altogether used as fuel, and. as il
is only 20 cents barrel is used in
wasteful manner. No other fuel is
known. Near the wells crude is burned,
and at other places refuse oil. People
who live near by the wells can have all
the oil they can take away for nothing.
Oil is used as q fuel on railroads,
oeSoiANto, III LAWFUL VI CNCIl
ton, and in houses for heating and
cooking. On May 4 crude was worth
IL cents barrel at the wells Best
brands of refined sold at Baku at 3
cents per gallon, while the best brands
of lubricating brought 16 cents. At
Moscow and st. Petersburg refined oil
at the same date was worth cents per
gallon, and at Batoum, the shipping
port for Europe on the Black Sea. 9!!(1
10 cents per gallon in cases, and S(d9
cents per gallon in barrels. The. freight
on barrel of oil from Baku to BatOum,
562 miles, is 924 cents.
''FrOm 1882, when oil was first dis
covered, until 1868, the daily pro luction
did not exceed 90 barrels; in 1868 it
was under 200 barrels. The average to
1873 was 400 barrels. After that it
mounted over the thousands. In 1880
the figures were 1860; in 1881, 800;
in 1882, IL, 800; in 1883, 1904, and in
1884, $4,000 barrels. This year the pro-
duction will probably average 81, $50
barrels per day. During 1884 about
1900 barrels of refined oil were shipped
out of Russia daily. This year the
VIII NC liCtCftSCu W I,cOD VI
1900 barrels. Steamers and railroads
expect to transport at least quarter
more oil than they did last year. In the
course of year or two a pipe line will
be laid from Baku to Batoum. A COM
pany is ready to build the line as soon
as the Government grants the conces-
sion. The Nobel Company started in
with capital of $l0,000,00O. 1t does
nearly one half of the entire business of
the field and i'm addition owns twenty
four bulk oil steamers, 900 railroad
tank cars, several miles of pipe lines,
and charters annually eighty sailing YES
sells and 600 barges. Like our Standard,
it dictates the prices of Russian oil. y
Bradford (Pd.) Cor. ~. y. San.