Sistersville oil review. [volume] (Sistersville, W. Va.) 1896-1901, 1898-07-06

The petroleum industry, which
lis comparatively new in Peru, has
attracted good deal Of attention
in the department of Piura, not
only on this coast, but in the Unit
sad States and in Eastern countries.
| A large slim of money, estimated
from 100000, to 100000,
has already been invested in
lit, the half of which is Brit,
ish capital. As many cnfict-
| ing statements have been made
concerning the present Importance
and prospects of this industry, the
following remarks upon the sub
| ject by Mr., Rowland H. East, the
British Vice Consul at Payta, may
be read with interest:
"There are at present three compa-
mics in operation extracting this
article in the department of Piura,
the London Pacific, British; Faus-
tino @. Piaggio, Italian; Compagnie
Franchise, French; the properties
| of all which are situated on the sea
coast northwest of Payta.
"The property Of the London Pa
cifc is very extensive, comprising
an area ofabout 600 square miles,
that is, 80 miles in length north
west ard southeast, and 20 miles
in breadth from the sea coast east
wards. From the time ofthe Span
ish conquest it has been recognized
as mining property under the IL
tie ola Nina Brea and Parinas,
and as such was registered by the
Peruvian government prior to the
sale of it to the late Mr.. H. w.
Tweddle in January, 1888, who in
i 1889 leased its mining rights to
the present company for term of
90 years,
The headquarters of the COM
pany were established in Talara,
owing to the facilities of the bay OF
that name offered for the shipment
of its products, where they con-
structed a mole, every accommoda-
ton for employees and workmen,
extensive workshops, warehouses,
refinery, and deposit tanks for
crude oil, residuum. kerosene, and
benzine, of total capacity of, say,
I3o, 900 barrels.
"The region selected for the ex-
traction of the crude oil by sinking
wells is called 'Negritos,' latitude
4.4o S. and longitude SI.17.3o w.
of Greenwich, or six and a half
miles southeast of Talar, and eleven
and three quarter miles west of the
district called 'Brca,' where the
asphaltum was first discovered by
| the igdigenes through its oozing to
the surface. It's geological forma-
ton, verified from surface indica-
lions, and the wells sunk, some Of
them bored, and others deepened
lately TO depth of 900 feet, proves
beyond a doubt that the produc.
ton is not that of surface fiItera-
tons, but due to an established for
nation.
The inclination of the strata is
considerable, in some cases ASIDE
grees, and dips in an eastwardly di-
rection, i. e., inland, so that owing
to the slope Of the ground, should
there be only one oil level, the fur
ther inland the wells are sunk the
deeper they will have to be bored
! to tap it, but should there prove to
I be more than one oil level it may
be obtained at different places at a
lore or less uniform depth from
the surface.
During the first six months Of
1897, on account of litigation, the
work was brought almost to a
standstill, but since then the total
output has been on an average
about 500 tons a month Of crude
oil, and from what l can learn, is
increasing. This is pumped mo
flowing wells existing) into a de-
posit-tank of capacity Of $1,000
barrels, and thence through a pipe
six and one-half miles in length
along the sea-beach into the deep
est tanks at Talara, placed at suf-
fcent height to allow of loading the
vessels from them by gravity.
AS no fresh water is cbtainable
in this district, sea water has to b.
,.caS -, oil Tho bO;Ia-- -,a,a~r,-,- +,