The Russellville Democrat., 1888-06-07
SCOTCH OIL MINES.
The Curious Petroleum Field at West
Calder, Scotland.

Calder, Scotland.
William Ftndley, of West Calder
Scotland. which is the ancient oil
shale region of that country. has been
making tour of the Pennsylvania
petroleum fields during the last few
weeks. and was in New York this
week.
81 am more than amazed" said he,
sat what have seen. The petroleum
of Scotland is mined like coal, and al
though | had read of the oil-wells OF
America, was not prepared for such
vast difference in the methods of oil
production. The Scotch petrole um is
not in the fluid state, but in shale
formation. The extracting of the
products of this shale was for many
years most important industry, and
is quite an extensive one yet; but the
American oil. both illuminating and
lubricating is now set down in our
markets cheaper than the Scotch oil
can be produced. and how long our
oil prod uction will last is only ques-
lion of how long national pride will
resist considerations of econo my.
The Scotch oil shale is black. and
lies at depth of about four hundred
feet beneath the surface. The shale-
producing regions are all between f d.
nburgh and Glasgow, and are known
as the oil fields of West Calder. They
are very extensive and literally mex
haustible. That is one hope we have.
The fluid oil of this country will I'M
doubleday become exhausted or great
ly curtailed in production some time
in the future. 1t would not be kind
in me to say that hope so. but. 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 Scot
land at a less 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 hap
pens they can't be exhausted.
When the oil fields of West Calder
were being operated 10 full capacity
the shale refinery there known as the
Addiswell oil works and which cover
seventy-five acres of ground, gave en-
ployment 10 over two thousan men.
In various parts of the field there were
shale crushing works. not unlike your
coal breakers where the shale is run
on being taken from the mines. 1t is
broken up into small pieces, and the
crude oil extracted at the crushers.
What we call crude oil, you would call
tar over here. The reiiners take it
in that condition. and from it extract
Illuminating and lubricating oil, am
monia and wax. The latter is called
parafine in the oil trade of this coun-
try. The tar from ton of shale will
yield fourteen gallons of illuminating
oil. This is subjected to four DIFF
ferent acid Installations, each one
much heavier than any the Amer
lean fluid petroleum requires. The
result is clear, white high-tlash
illuminant as good as American kero-
sene, but four times as expensive. If
the American product simply came in
competition with our illumin ating oil.
the effect on our trade would not be
of much consequence. rs in that
branch of the Scotch oil business is
not where the profit lies. The lubri-
cant, the ammonia, and the wax are
the products which make the shale
mines valuable. The American lubri
eating oil is cheaper. and those who
use it say better than any. The latter
altogether / can't agree with. OF
course the American oil does not in
terfere with our ammonia products,
nor with our wax trade, but we can t
afford to produce kerosene and lubri-
eating oil to throw away in order tn at
we may get at the ammonia and wax
that the shale contains. am forced
to say. therefore. to use an American
ism. that the Scotch oil business is
not booming at the present time. M
T. Sun