The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1893-11-17

atives of the firm. This is probably true.
although all parties connected with the
firm, and with the Union Iron Works as
well. are remarkably close-mouthed about
Ii. Still, ii may be set down as a dead
certainty that it is the Graces who
have secured the Bawnmore. No other
firm is in position to go into operations ID
Peru upon the scale that is proposed by
these oil men to operate, for the Graces
own Peru-ln commercial sense at least
and what they do not want themselves
they supervise the giving of. Aside from
that, the fact was widely published, some
months ago. that w. r. Grace & Co. had
been granted large concessions of mining
land by the Government of Peru. and it
happens that the lands so granted cover
the precise territory in which the oil oper-
atoms are being carried on and have been
carried on for three wears past.
The oil fields OF Peru lie In the Tum beZ
V alley and in the extreme northwestern
corner Of the country, in the State of
Piura, and it is from this latter field the
oil is to be drawn which the Bawnmore is
to bring to San francisco. This field is
worked, according TO the late consular re-
ports of the United States Consul at
Paita, by tine London and Pacific Petro-
leum Company, an English corporation
with capital Of millions and in which w.
K. Grace d Co. probably have large in
terest. This company has concessions for
miles-a territory, it will be seen, much
larger than the entire oil belt of Southern
California. This oil field lies 40 miles north
Of the city of Paita, and extends thence
northward for distance OF 400 miles, and
Is sixteen miles wide, with the Pacific
coast of Peru for its western boundary
running also into Ecuador. In this field,
as stated in the consular reports. there are
thirty wells. of an average depth Of 800
feet, all producing. The estimated yield
of these wells is 1000 barrels day, and
this can be largely increased, as none of
them have ever been pumped to their full
est capacity. The wells are put down and
operated by the American method, on y
American machinery being used. and the
drlllers are all Americans. The work is at
present In charge of II. Twedde Jr.. an
oil expert well known in Pennsylvania,
where he was at one time a leading
operator. He opened up several new fields
in this country, but when the whole oil
business passed under the coutrol of the
Standard monopoly he went abroad and. in
the pay OF French and English capitalists,
exploited the oil fields OF Egypt and the
Caspian basin. He was the first ex-
perienced oil operator to 60 into the new
PERUVIAN fields, and 1t was owing to him
largely that the present work there was
undertaken, and that it has been pushed
so far toward successful exploitation
The oil found in the new field is of a
much lighter specific gravity than that of
California. resembling that of Pennsyl-
vania more nearly, and being in color as it
comes from the wells beautiful light
green. 1t runs, crude, "a degrees, whereas
the California product runs down 20 "a de-
grees, and some of it as low as IL.
The nearest point TO the new oil fields.
from which it is expected to supply San
Francisco and the Pacific Coast, Is Paita,
but the London and Pacific COMPANY has
built port on its own land at Talara Bay,
several miles nearer to this city, and
where it will be in complete control of all
matters relating to the shipment Of the
product. Here there is large refinery.
with all of the newest approved modern
apparatus. capable of handling 1000 bar.
rels Of crude petroleum day, with box
factory and tin shops for making the
packages in which the refined product Is
shipped to market. The comrany's wharf,
under the lee of Talara Point, extends
out to four fathoms of water, and pipe
line runs from the end of the wharf back
into the mountains to the wells, the near
est one of which is at distance OF six
miles from tidewater, and the oil flows by