Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1888-07-05
Russia's Petroleum Geysers.

Statistics of the oil business in Russia
have just reached this country, and
American oil men are studying them
with great deal of anxiety. They
throw new light on the business in
Russia, and show too plainly that the
Baku districts are a most dangerous
rival of the American fields. The out
put of many of the Russian wells is
prodigious, and far eclipse anything
ever heard of in this country. Ameri
can oil producers have claimed to have
no fears of Russian competition, but
with the new information on the in
dustry in that country they are taking
another view of it.
There is no better way to bring this
fact to them than by a few COM
parsons. Take Il well at Baku called
the WET Nurse" 1t has been yield
ing oil for twelve years, and in that
time has averaged $4,000 gallons day.
These figures are amazing to an Ameri-
can oil producer. They mean that
the we'll has produced 40, 100000 gal
Ions Of oil, or over 100000 barrels.
These figures are startling to the peo-
pie Of this section when they turn to
the statistics of their own industry and
find this one well has produced three
times as much as Pithole in year of its
wonderful business. 1t lacks less than
100000 barrels of producing as much
as the famous Oil Greek district pro-
duced in 1879, its most prolific year.
The Washington district, among the
richest ever discovered in America, in
1887 its banner year, produced but s.
u 1c l1JJ+
barrels more than the output of this
one well in Russia. The wonder
full Thorn Greek pool, in Butler county
produced in its best twelve months but
26S,000 barrels more than this one
Russian gusher.
Such astounding facts as these bring
the danger of Russian competition
home to the people of the Pennsylvania
fields. This well does not stand alone
in this enormous production. The
yearly output is given of q number of
wells, many of them nearly as large as
t is one. The '.Mirzoeff No. g." also
a. Baku, has for six years produced
10000 gallons day. This is above
1000 barrels, and the production of
Cogiey, Tarkin and Red Valley, three
prolific Venago county pools. pro-
duccd but 1860, 900 barrels in 1886,
their best year.
The record is given of a well drilled
by the Nobel Brothers, called the
.Drooiba we'll" It cost 81, 200 to drill.
The record of the well is thus stated:
This we'll spouted for 115 days, the
yield being 800 tons day for forty
three days, 900 tons for thirty, and 600
tons for eleven days. The well was
then plugged, and the supply kept
under ground for further wants. The
total amount of oil spouted by this
well. according to the highest estimate,
500,0 tons, or I25, 100000 gallons"
The spray from one of these geysers
was blown through the air for eight
miles.
With these figures before them,
coming as they do from official sources,
American oil men realize that Russian
petroleum deposits are too great for
computation. Five hundred wells have
been sunk in the Baku districts, 200 of
which, irrespective OF the enormous
fountains, are now producing 100000
600 gallons OF oil every year. 1t is the
opinion OF American operators now in
that field that this flow '"could be IN
creased tenfold." A very significant
fact to oil men is the interest which
the R0thschilds have taken in she
Russian field, controlling, as they do, a
large percentage of the producing and
refining business Louis Globe
Democrat