The Sully County watchman. (Clifton, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1894, 1888-11-24
THE SCOTCH OIL MINES.
A Curious Petroleum Field.
It's Waiting P~r %=arican Wells to
Run Dry-T..ci =. is Not in Fluid
state, But is Mined Like Coal.
New York Sun .

William Findlay of West Calder, Scot
land, which is the ancient oil shale region
of that country, has been making a tour
of the Pennsylvania petroleum fields dur
ing the last few weeks, and was in New
York this week.
"I am more than amazed" said he "at
what have seen. The petroleum of
Scotland is mine d like coal, and although
had read of the oil wells of America, I
was not prepared for such a vast differ
ence in the methods of oil production
The Scotch petroleum is not in the fund
state, but in a shale formation. The ex
tracing of the products of this shale was
for many years most important indus
try, and is quite an extensive one yet;
but the American oil, both illuminating
and lubricsting, is now get down in our
markets cheaper than the Scotch oil can
be produced, and how lons our oil pro-
ductIon will last ia only a question of
how long national pride will resist con
siderations of economy.
The Scotch oil shale is black, and lies
at depth of about 400 feet beneath
the surface. The shale- producing regions
are all between Edinburg and Glasgow,
and are known as the oil fields of West
Calder. They are very extensive and
literally inexhaustible. That is one hope
we have. The fluid oil of this country
will undoubtedly become exhausted or
greatly curtailed in production some
time in the future. L. would not be kind
in me TO say that hope so, bst-well
am interested in West Calder. When
your fields cease to pour out a quantity
of oil that enables you to refine it, export
it,and sell it in Scotland at a lees figure
than it costs US to extract the oil from the
shales at the very threshold of Scotch
markets we will come to the front with
our oil mines again, and know whatever
happens they can't be exhausted.
When the oil fields of West Calder were
being operated TO a full capacity the
shale refinery there known as the Adds
we'll oil works, and which cover seventy
five acres of ground, gave employment to
over 1000 men. In various parts of the
field there were shale crushing works, not
unlike your coal breakers, where the shale
ia run on being taken from the mines. 1t
is broken up into email pieces, and
the crude oil extracted at the crushers.
What We cali crude oil You would
call tar over here. The refners take it
in that condition, and from IL extract i'll
Eliminating and lubricating oil, ammonia,
ana wax. i ne latter Is caleu parGiu nc
in the oil trade of this country. The tar
from ton of shale will yield fourteen
gallons of Illuminating oil. This is sub
jected to four different acid Installations,
each one much heavier than any the
fluid petroleum requires. The result is a
clear, white high-fash illuminant Ps good
as Ameri,an kerosene, but fonr times as
expensive. If the American product
simply came in competition witt our il
Illuminating oil, the effect on our trade
would not be of much consequence, as in
that branch of the Scotch oil business is
not where the profit lies. The lubricant,
the ammonia, and the wax are the products
which make the shule rihes valuable.
The Arericatin lubrioating oil is cheap
er, and those who use it say bstser than
any. The latter altogether L can't gee
with. OF course the American oil does
not interfere with our ammonia products,
nor with our wax trade, but we can't af
ford to produce kerosene and lubricating
oil to throw evay in order that We may
get a. the ammonia and wax that tho -hale
contains. l am forced to say, therefore,
to use an Americauism, that the Scotch
oil business is not booming at the pres
emit time.