New-York tribune., 1901-06-02
QUALITIES OF TEXAS OIL.
GOOD FOR FUEL, BUT NOT FOR 1LLUMi-
NATION.

In attempting to estimate the value Oh the
newly discovered oil in Texas one should not DC
guided solely by the volume of the output
Crude petroleum is not the same thing the woriu
over In fact it would be hard to find any MIN
eral product that is complicated in its comPo-
stion and so variable in its quality. as rock OIL
There are hundreds of compounds known to the
chemists in which hydrogen and carbon are
combined in different proportions. These hydro
carbons as they are called, range in density
from the lightest gases to the thickest tar and
solid coke. On account of certain mathematical
relations exhibited by the proportion in which
the carbon and hydrogen combine. and for other
reasons. these interesting and useful substances
are grouped in various series. The methane
series for instance. includes no less than twenty
or thirty members. Then there are the acety-
lene and benzine and half dozen other series.
Carbolic acid. aniline dyes and naphtha are a
few of the best known hydrocarbons aside from
the commercial oils. which. in turn. differ among
themselves in volatility. color and other char
acteristics.
ITS PROPORTIONS VARY.
Now. the crude petroleum found in diferen,
places if not containing different hydrocarbons,
at least contains them in very different proper
tions. Moreover, various impurities-notably
sulphur and compounds of nitrogen-are oc-
casionaIly present and greatly affect the value
of the OIL From these facts it is easy to under
stand how far from uniform is the quality OF
petroleum throughout the world Russia is
credited with a production of sixty million
barrels last year, and the United States with
half million barrels less. Yet the value of the
former Just out of the ground. only about
60 cents barrel while that of this country was
upward of 81. The Russian oil contains such
small proportion of kerosene and other useful
distillates that it hardly pays 10 refine the stun
In consequence. IL is used very largely for fuel
The amount of crude Baku oil and restduum left
after distiIlation which was put to this use last
! year has been estimated at forty-eight million
| barrels On the other hand. 73 per cent of the
worlds supply of kerosene and other products
| OF distIllation is said to come from America
The wells of Pennsylvania and that vicinity
contain the purest and most valuable oil ever
! found. An average petroleum from the Key
stone State gives abo--t Il 16 per cent Of gas
| olene. naphtha and benzine, - of kerosene, II
or is of Iubricating oils (which heavier and
less volatile than Illuminating Oils), of paraf-
/ fine and about 10 of gas pitch and waste. The
/ oil is usually of amber hue Hut in North
/ western Ohio. in the so-Called Lima field. the
crude petroleum is almost black 1t comes from
a different geological formation from the Penn
sylvania OIL and contains little sulphur. which
somewhat embarrasses the processes of refining.
( The Kentucky and Tennessee oils partake of the
characteristics Of both the Ohio and Pennsyl-
! vania products Again. on the Pacific Slope
! petroleum is found that contains certain nitro
/ gen compounds which render refining more diff
cult than does the sulphur of the Lima oil. Hence
| the California kinds have not thus far proved
altogether profitable and satisfactory. The pc
! troleum Of Peru. Russia, Japan and India is
| brown and inferior 20 the product Of the eastern
! part of the United States.
| TWO DISTINCT BELTS.
! In Texas there are two distinct oil producing
/ belts one reaches up from the Gulf of Mexico.
near the mouth of the Neches River to Shelby
County something like 200 miles and lies near
| the Louisiana boundary. The other is smaller
, and is apparently confined 20 Navarro County
| and it's immediate vicinity. Beaumont is situ-
| ated in the former district. An analysis of the
| product Of the big gusher recently reported from
| that part of the country gives 3.25 per cent of
| benzine and other volatile hydrocarbons, II 30
| of kerosene 955 OF lubricating oil, 0.TO of sui
phur and I2 per cent OF heavy fuel oils. 1t thus
.M JUSTICE HORACE GRAY.