Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1889-07-11
Is Oil Petering Out.
Professor CARL, the GeOlogist. Thinks
the Pennsylvania Oil Fields
Are Being Exhausted.
Everything 1t Seems Has Its Day.

Professor John F. CARL, assistant geol-
oglst of the State of Pennsylvania, who
for years been collecting statistics and
all available information concerning
petroleum and natural gas. expresses
some rather sensational opinions regard
ing the future supply of oil. Notwith
standing other views are taken by pro-
ducers, Professor CARL says the petroleum
fields of Pennsylvania are being rapidly
drained, and at the present rate of ex-
heustion it will not be many years until
the question of supplying the world With
petroleum will be most serious one.
For the past year," said Professor CARL,
"the supply was 100000 barrels short
of demand, as gauged by former years,
and ever! day the demand is more and
the supply much less. A few years ago
the reverse was the case. Stocks were
pill 'ng up at the rate of 100000 barrels
Per month, or about that, and now they
are being decreased at the rate of 1,0OO,-
600 barrels month, and have been for
the past year. This shortage in the sup
ply includes the large production OF the
Ohio feds, where extraordinary results
have been obtained in the way of large
wells" There are now something like
y, 900 barrels of petroleum in tanks
in the OHIO field, but this was because
Ohio oil was not yet used extensively as
an illuminaut.
Professor CARL was asked his opinion
regarding the probable extent of the
Ohio field and said he believed it would
be found much less in extent than the
trade and the public generally believed.
There have been opinions expressed that
the yield of the OHIO field could be in
creased to 100000 barrels a day. He
thought it would not last long at this
rate of production. "When this field
comes to be entirely Defined" he said, lit
is pretty sure TO fall very much below the
expectations that are now held out for
it," When asked if he thought Ohio oil
would ever be successfully refued and
enter the market as competitor of the
Pennsylvania product, he said: 81 GER
taiuly hope so. Without this oil I can
not see where the worlds supply is to
come from, and it would be very great
hardship to the people if they had to
give up this cheap and popular illumin-
ant. Neither gas nor electricity in my
judgment, can ever take it's place as a
means of Illumination for the masses.
And yet, with the known fields beirg as
fore many years for a great scarcity of
OF petroleum" Bradford was the field
that produced such an extraordinary
quantity of oil, piling up the stock in
tanks until they reached 100000 bar
rels, with the field still yielding 10000
barrels q day or thereat outs. In REGARD
to the possibility of another
such field being discovered, Pro-
"a - loI1
was absolutely no likelihood of it.
The number of experimental wells that
had been drilled in search of another
Bradford sand in all parts of the country
seemed to establish the fact that Brad
believe that such a pretoleum deposit as
this would ever be found in any country
in the world. The Bradford field and its
annex in Allegheny county, N. Y. are APP
parently being drained to the dregs. AT
one time the production of the field was
as high as 100000 barrels every twenty
four hours. Now it is down below 10000,
possibly as low as $4,000 barrels. Brad
ford has produced about 100000 bar.
rels of oil, and pool that will yield the
fifty sixth part of this is something chat
the oil producer is eagerly looking for
Professor CARL said there were yet pos
sibilities of opening small pools that
would produce from 100000 to 1900, 900
barrels, even in some of the old fields,
such IS Venapgo, Warren and Butler
Counties, in Pennsylvania, but even these
possibilities were growing more and more
remote. The Cogley field, which has pro-
duced about 100000 barre4s, was the
last extensive field found il Venango
county, and this was perhaps as large
field es would ever be found there again
The opinion expressed by Prof. CARL
that the great oil fields can not much
longer be relied upon to supply the world
with cheap illuminant is likely to set
comm err ,ial naonla thinking