Idaho semi-weekly world. [volume] (Idaho City, Idaho Territory) 1875-1908, 1891-02-27
THE SCOTCH OIL MINES.
A PETROLEUM FIELD THAT is WAIT
ING FOR A CHANCE.

When American Wells Run Dry the
shaIe Mines Can Be worked at 'FRONT.'
The Lubricant, the Ammonia and the
Wax the Most valuable Products.
William Finday, of West Calder, Scot
land, which is in the ancient oil shale re-
gion of that country, has been making
tour of the Pennsylvania petroleum neids,
and was in New York recently.
"I am more than amazed, said he, "at
what | have seen The petroleum OF
Scotland is mined like coal, and although
| had read Of the oil wells of America, 1
was not prepared for such vast differ
ence in the methods OF oil production.
The Scotch petroleum is not in the nulu
state, but In shale formation. The eX-
tracing of the products of this shale was
for many years most important IN
dustrv, and is quite an extensive one yet;
hut the American oil, both illuminating
and lubricatng, is now set down in our
markets cheaper than the Scotch oil can
be produced, and how long our oil pro-
ducton will last is only question OF how
long national pride will resist Considera-
lions of economy
sTrhe Scotch oil shale is black, and lies
at A depth of about 400 feet beneath the
surface. The shale producing regions are
all between Edinburgh and Glasgow, and
are known as the oil fields of West Calder.
They are very extensive, and literally in
exhaustible. That is one hope we have.
The fluid oil of this country will undoubt-
edly become exhausted or greatly cur
tailed in production some time in the
future. When your fields cease to pour
out quantity of oil that enables you to
refine it, export it, and sell it in Scotland
at a less figure than it cost us to extract
the oil from the shales at the very thresh-
old of Scotch markets, we will come to
the front with our oil mines again, and
know that whatever happens they can't
be exhausted.
"When the oil fields of West Calder
were being operated to full capacity the
shale refinery there, known as the Adds
well Oil works, and which cover seventy
five acres of ground, save employment to
over 3 900 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
cruSnpfS. w luO we CALL CluuG vi
YOU would call tar over here. The re-
finers take it and from it extract illuInin-
ating and lubricating oil, ammonia and
wax The latter is called paraffine in the
oil trade of this country. The tar from II
ton of shale will yield fourteen gallons of
Illuminating oil. This is subjected to four
different acid Oscillations, each one much
heavier than any the American fluid pc
troleum requires. The result is II clear,
white high flash illuminant, as good as
American kerosene, but four times as eX-
pensive. If the American product simply
came in competition with our illuminat-
ing 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 shale mines valuable. The American
lubricating 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 interfere with
our ammonia products nor with our wax
trade, but we can't afford to produce
kerosene and lubricating oil to throw
away in order that we may get at the
ammonia and wax that the shale contains.
| am forced to say, therefore, to use an
Americanism, that the Scotch oil business
is not booming at the present time. -
New York Sun.