Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1886-12-14
A DeIuge of Petroleum.
RUSSIAN WELLS SUPPLYING ENOUGH TO
MAKE Our PRODUCT Look VERY SMALL
INDEED.

The coming deluQe of petroleum in Russia
| 10 causing a sensation throughout Europe,
and America, the country of big things, may
we'll hide her diminished head. ''There is no
comparison between the oil regions Of
America and Russia" said leading London
writer recently. 1.-The yield OF Baku licks
America as completely as the yield of
America licked the Shsle oil yield of Scot
land twenty years ago. The Americans are
no longer in it. They have nothing they can
show against the recent yields OF some of the
Russian wells. Nobel Brothers No. Is well
has yielded, from a depth of 2l feet, nearly
80, 900 900 gallons OF oil their No. we'll,
from depth of GAP feet, 40 100000 gallons,
and their No. Is we'll, from depth of 595
feet, 10 900 900 gallons of oil. One of these
wells whenever opened, yields at the rate of
/ ,l25 900 gallons a day The great Drooja
Fountain spOuted 10000 tons or 55 900 900
gallons before it WAS capped" Had the oil
spouted in this country it would have realized
million sterliug At Baku most of it was
lost for want of storage accommodation. The
cost OF boring the well was about FL 500.
Last year the production of crude petroleum
at Baku exceeded 100000, 900 gallons, or
10000, 900 barrels. 1t could as easily have
been ten or twenty times that amount, as
there is practically no limit to the supply,
millions of gallons running away yearly in
waste into the Caspian sea for want OF buyers.
At Baku 100 firms have refneres which last
year produced nearly 120, 600, 900 gallons of
refined petroleum Since 1873 Russia has
invested remuneratively over fl,0O0,00O in
oil steamers for the Caepian sea.
In 1870 there was only one steamer
in the sea; to-day there are 1000. The re-
fineries keep so much ahead of the developing
transport that the hest refined petroleum or
lamp oil is sold at three farthings n gallon at
Banu At London the wholesale price of the
American article is about sixpence per gall
lon. The producing power of the refineries
largely exceeds $50 600, 900 gallons a year,
though but 10000 900 were manufactured
last wear. Bonerton Redwood, chemist to
the London Petroleum Association, says that
Russian oil is superior to the refined Ameri-
can. In every country of Europe it is COM
ing more and more into use and is looked
upon as n safer article. The Russian gov
eminent are taking steps by which standard
of excellence for all oil exported will come
into force as sosn as the law can be framed
The exports from Baku along the Batoum
railway in 1885 comprised 81 900 900 gallons
refined petroleum, 2 $50, 224 gallons lubricat-
ing oil and 100000 gallons of crude oil.
The exports of oil products for 1886 will
probably be double that of 1885. Scarcity of
refined barrels and the want Of tank steamers
has been the chief impediment to the export
of oil from Batoum. Batoum il about the
same distance from London rs New York.
The Messrs Rothschild have displayed their
appreciation OF the situation by themselves
adding $50 tank cars to the railway line. The
Russian government has already commenced
the construction of tunnel under the Suram,
at the cost of million sterling. and has for
INFLATED a concession for a pipe line from
Bsku to the Black Sea to convey 100 900
gallons annually. The pipe line will be 600
miles long. In America the pipe lines are
5000 miles long, or sufficient to make three
lines of pipe between Bsku and London.