The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1900-02-28
LEAps IN on.
West Virginia Ahead of the Union
in Grease.

PROGRESS OF Cnc OeNoAOphAOHO
Traced by an Expert-lnterest-
ing Resume of the oil Interests
in the state.
1t is we'll enough to notice that
West Virginia is the oil producing
state of the world. Gradually the
industry which commenced on Oil
Greek has worked its way down
across Pennsylvania until the hope
of the future turns to the steep
hills of the Mountain State. AL
though the stock of crude shows a
declining tendency it is rather be-
cause of the increasing use than of
the failure in production. The
entire production of the higher
grade of illuminating oil in 1899
exceeded 32,OOO,O0O barrels. Only
in few of the best years of the
trade has this been surpassed, and
then but slightly, and in such
years the stocks piled up in an
amazing manner, Were it not that
Lima oil has finally been brought
into the power of the wizards of
the refinery and converted into IL
Illuminating oil the supply of the
higher grades, large as it is, would
be entirely insufficient now. So
much for the benefits that have
been conferred by the people who
have made Lima oil possibility.
just how much Lima oil goes to
the refinery to be made into illum-
mating oil could be told only by
those who operate the rehneries.
But with the demands of the coun-
try taking the entire 32,OOO,OOO
barrels of Appalachian oil, and the
100000 barrels of Lima oil, and
drawing on surplus stocks for sew
eral hundred thousand barrels be-
sides, it is not hard to see that the
eastern oil would be hopeless to
satisfy the needs of the trade.
To what extent the oil man is
looking to West Virginia for his
high grade oil can now be seen by
a little study of the current figures.
The number of now wells is run
ming about 800 a month not taking
into consideration any cessation of
work that the cold snap may in
fluenoe temporarily OF the 800,
West Virginia and the territory on
the Pennsylvania border will con-
tribute three.e lights. The other
FIVE lights arc in New York, Ohio
and the Pennsylvania territory
north of Washington and Greene
counties, which have been CLASH
fed as in the Southwest" class
fication that includes all of West
Virginia. But while West Virgin
ia or the Southwest" has but
three-ffths of the new wells, the
smaller number of wells contributes
seven eights of new production.
The average of new wells in Brod-
ford, Armstrong, Venango and But
ler fields is about four barrels. In
Ohio it is ID barrels. In West Vir-
ginia and tho "Southwest" it is %
barrels. Leaving out the dry holes
which are moro numerous in the
Southwest" than elsewhere, be-
cause of the greater activity of the
wildcatter, tho West Virginia
average is even proportionately
greater.
Continually the work of the drill
enlarges the West Virginia oil hori-
zon. What was at first looked up
on as a narrow strip along the Ohio
river has widened out until it eX-
tends from the Eastern counties of
Ohio, more than half way across
West Virginia to the eastward, the
recent finds in the vicinity of Wes-
ton putting nearly everything to
the foot hills of the Rich mountain
range in the possible class, In the
other direction the finds extend
from Warrington and the counties
adjacent on the north, half way
through the State to the south,
with encouragement for the wild
cater clear to the Kentucky State
line.
The product of the Appalachian
system now reaches close to 10000
barrels daily, and at the current
price of 81 ,68 it is worth $5O,OOO,-
600 year. The Ohio and Indiana
oil, which is good for nearly $4,000
barrels daily, will swell the annual
value of the oil crop to SIS, 100000,
while the products of California,
Kansas, Texas and other smaller
fields will tack on from $5,000,000