The evening times., 1900-09-12
KEROSENE TN AUSTRALIA.
Extensive Refining Plants to Conn
pete With America's Product.

Consul General Bray, of Melbourne, sends
TO the State Department clipping from
local newspaper regarding the Shell Trad
ing and Transport Company. of London
England Mr.. Bray says he is reliably in
formed that this company has secured sites
in Melbourne and Sydney, on which it will
erect large refining works, the product ot
which will, ii is anticipated, compete very
keeniy with American oil in those mar
kets. The clipping reads:
The mail brings important adyices IN
I regard to the Shell Transport and Trading
Company, which, as has already been stat
ed in these columns. is shortly TO strike
blow at the prestige of American kerosene
in the AustraIasian markets. AT the meet
ing held in London the 21st of June,
an increase in the capital to 9,735 600 waa
sanctioned. The net profits for 1893 were
| 81 7SI 600. against 81 056 900 in 1893. Large
reserves were put by for depreciation, All.
other $i66 $50 to the reserve fund, and an
! per cent dividend paid Regarding the
extension of the business to the colonies
and other centres, the chairman said:
In view of the very large supplies
| coming to US for marketing, 1t has been
necessary, in the opinion of the directors,
TO widely extend the field of the company
operations and accordingly arrangements
have been concluded 10 extend the business
to many new ports in China, and We still
hope that, in spite of the trouble now pre-
yailiDg there We shall see the company
oil retailed in ,ae streets of Pekin before
the end OF the year 1t is a matter OF
| congratulation to the directors that they
have been able to conclude arrangements
| with NessTs. Julius Well TO act as their
| agents in the Cape, this firm possessing
! uuriyaied distributing media, and as soon
| as the war is over installations vii! be
erected at the principal towns in the col
oDy. Excellent sites have been secured IN
Melbourne and Sydney, and arrangements
! have also been made To extend this com
pany's business to Adelaide, Brisbane, and
! New Zealand the quality of the kerosene
now being produced rendering it eXcep-
! tionalIy suitable for the Australian mar
! kets. After great difficulties. we have sue
| ceeded in obtaining permission 10 erect
! tank storage at the principal ports in Java,
! and sites nave been acquired, as also AT
I Zanzibar and Mombassa. The shaTehoid-
! ers will thGs see that the business IS still
! In its infancy. and the directors consider
! il sound policy TO have the companys bust-
! ness as widespread possible, so that IL
I case of competition. they may be free 70
choose the most Temunerative markets
/ throughout the world in which TO place
, their products
Regarding the properties etc- of ths
company the chairmans speech contains
! the following:
| No less than 81 6I5. 600 has been in
! vested by the company in purchasing
and developing their fields in Borneo- We
/ have acquired an oil-bearing territory o.
about $50 square miles in extent, and for
the expenditure made we have reached
an oil production which has exceed d
1000 tons day, and we have provided
and paid for refinery capable OF deal
ing when complete, with 3,G0o tons OF
crude oil daily The actual portion no~
8 work is handling Z.500 tons of crude
! oil per week. Our local manager prom
ises that by the end OF August q second
bench OF stills will be at work. when we
can deal with . 600 tons OF crude oil
weekly. and every effort will be made TO
complete the other two benches of s ills
already provided and awaiting erection.
Taking present market values for the "a
rious products OF the oil and on the
scale at which we are working. an in
come may be expected at the rate OF
about sI459, $50 per annum- BY the end
OF August this should be 81 $4,000, an
when the whole OF the four benches oi
the refinery are at work, the income
from Borneo products alone should ex-
ceed 81 SG6I per annum- This is. OF
course provided that the present supply
OF oil contiT ues, and markets are found
and that present prices for the various
products upon which my estimate IS
based are maintained. "