Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-05-30
GUSHERS OF RUSSIA.
All the Oil Wells in the Baku Terri
tory Are Very Large Ones.
BUMPERS, NOT FLOWERS, THE RULE
Usually Big Money in the Industry There,
but Not Last Winter.
ABOUT AS MANY REFINERIES AS HOLES
ESPECIAL TELEGRAM TO THE p1sPArcH.l ]

ESPECIAL TELEGRAM TO THE DIsPATCH.l
NEW YORK, May 81 have been able
to keep the readers of THE DISPATCH
pretty accurately advised regarding the
condition of the Russian oil fields, through
correspondent 1 have at Baku. His in
formation has always been trustworthy, and
his judgment regarding future work in the
field has been confirmed by developments
on several occasions. As for instance, THE
DISPATCH readers were told that there was
much bonanza territory yet to be opened in
Russia, and it was less than a month after
ward that the monster we'll was struck
which started to flow at the rate of 40, 200
barrels day.
The fact is, that a man who has gone
r through the American fields as a prospector
and driller of wells is a good deal of an oil
seer in Russia. Ny correspondent writes
that he has found it much easier to judge
the Russian fields than the American fields.
A very little experience there in drilling
wells was sufficient to enable him to locate
a good well with much more certainty than
here. In this respect, he says, the Russian
territory is much like Bradford.
Russia's Champion Big Gusher.
The opening of the big gusher, although
it declined with the usual rapidity, has
greatly stimulated developments and the
prospects are that the coming summer will
witness unusual activity in the field. The
production is now averaging higher month
by month than it ever did before. AT present
the Weld has declined from a month previ-
:.
day. This was the largest production the
field ever reached, and was due to the strik-
ing of few unusually large wells, the
4O.OO0-barrel well among them. The pro-
duction is now under $4,000 barrels day,
and has averaged above 10000 for some
time
Operations were restricted as much as
possible after the volga closed in October,
and yet this large production was main
tanned. The railroad running to Batoum
was taxed to carry the crude and refined,
which had before been shipped by steamers,
and, although additional carrying facilities
were put on the road, yet there was large
accumulation of stocks at the wells. Some
wells were shut down on account of a lack
of storage.
All Baku Wells Are Big Ones.
The large output of the Russian field is
not from the big gushers which the public
hears of, but from the pumping wells. These
great spouters seldom last long as spouters,
and some of them blow out entirely; but the
pumping wells are stayers Bradford well
not having much advantage over them in
this respect. FThe manner in which Rus
sian well hangs on after it has settled down
Al ic of 2 ha hot
astonish the American operator.
Another important difference between
Russian and American wells is that there
are no small wells in Russia. The average
at this time is above 300 barrels to the we'll
each day, and it has been higher. There is
a verv strong contrast between this kind of
production and Bradford, with its half
barrel and one-barrel wells. Even Venango,
Clarion and Butler are hardly in it.
The past winter has been hard one for
Russian producers A little too much ac-
tivity with the drill, and a few big wells
coming in as navigation closed, sent prices
down to lower point than they had touched
in some time previous.
Low Prices for Last Winter.
Some sales were frequently made as low
as 10 cents barrel, but the lowest public
quotation was u cents barrel. This low
price was also in part due to general hard
times among the rehners, who found them
selves unable to pay more. A few of them
had loaded up during the summer with high
priced oil and had all the contracts they
could take care of. This great depression
in the crude market did not last long, and
the price has since appreciated, although
there is still much complaint among the
producers.
With the exception of its period during
the winter, Russian oil has not been much of
adrug on the market for some time Russian
oil has sold as high as so cents barrel, so it
would appear that one or two of these big
wells would be very desirable possession.
This NAV be said TO be the maximum figure
The average for the year is considerably be-
low this price. As a class, the Russian pro-
ducers make money. Few of the wells are
over 800 feet deep, and if a well proves to
be a reliable pumper, as most of them do,
the expense OF operating 1t is not very
considerable item.
The Territory May Be Enlarged.
1t is expected that the Government will
concede Some additional lands to the pro-
ducers for oil purposes The oil men have
had their ewes on these lands for some time,
as the general trend of developments has in
dicated their productiveness. Even with
out these lands the new Russian field, as at
present outlined, is quite sufficient, in the
opinion of well-informed operators, to keep
the production up to $4,000 barrels a
dav for long time to come. The opening
of new territory, if it comes up to expecta-
tions, might increase it from one-third TO
one-half more. In no event is there likely
to be any scarcity in Russia in the home
brewed article of petroleum for some years
There is more probability of a failure of
petroleum in America than there is in Rus
sia, and there is no great alarm on that score
here.
The present production of the Baku wells,
which is about equal to the production in
America, not including Ohio, comes from
less than $50 wells. During May last the
production averaged over 99,OUe barrels a
day-almost 100000 barrels-from less than,
240 wells To get the same quantity of oil
in America We have 100 times as many
wells.
As Many Refineries as Wells.
Another popularity of the Russian petro-
leum industry is that there are almost as
many refineries as there are wells. In Baku
alone there are about 80 refineries, all of
them pretty good establishments, and al
together there are something over 200, prob
ably from 215 to 220 in all Russia. Some of
the refineries at Baku, owned by the Mobels
and Rothschilds, are enormous establish
ments, approaching in magnitude and COM
pleteness the largest and best equipped re-
fineries of the Standard Oil Company in this
country. The refining business is carried on
in a separate district of Baku, which is
called ''rhe Blacktown," T" from the smoke of
the 150 refineries. 1t is an exceedingly
busy quarter, and is quite as interesting to
the visitor as the producing field.
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