The Savannah morning news., 1901-09-18
SUBMARINE NAPHTHA WELLS.
Plans for Working Under Water
Near 3ai<u.
From Engineering.

From Engineering.
During the last few years the posi-
bility of obtaining naphtha from sub
marine deposits has attracted consid-
cradle attention in Russia, and the
matter has been specially reported on
and laid before a committee. That i'm
portant submarine naphtha deposits
exists is hardly questionable. The PEN
insula of Abscheron forms the basis
of the Baku naphtha industry, but
there is no reason to suppose that the
naphtha deposits should stop at Baku.
on the contrary, they probably contin-
ue in an eastern direction below the
sea, there being many circumstances
which indicate that such is the case.
The possibility of extending Baku s
naphtha industry below the sea is,
therefore, under serious contemplation.
Two coast areas in particular are re-
ceiving special attention, VIZ: Bib
Eibat and the coast of the Island of
Swjitoi; both districts form the geo.
logical continuation of the naphtha
carrying layers of Baku The depth of
the water at the island OF Swjitoi
ranges from fourteen feet to fifty feet,
and at Bibi-Eibat to some thirty feet
The questions which have offered
themselves for consideration are, in
the first instance, the collecting and
storing of large quantities of naphthn.
the complete regulation of the springs,
guarantee against any risk from fra,
the completion without danger of the
necessary works, and, finally, that the
submarine naphtha production must
not interfere with or do harm to the
existing naphtha industry. The plant
and other requisites will, to a great ex-
HI hn e. IL.
naphtha industry as used on land.
Naphtha reservoirs, power stations and
pumping stations will be wanted lust
as on shore. AS there appears to be
every reason to believe that the sub
marine naphtha deposits may be lust
as rich as those on shore, the installa-
tons for the former must naturally be
on similar scale.
Transport by means of boats Is not
looked upon as practicable, partly on
account of the large quantities of sand
which the fountains generally throw
up together with the naphtha, and
partly because 1t would entail consid-
cradle danger and be very difficult
with rough sea, such as might fire.
quently be expected in winter time.
Graft worked by steam engines would
also incur considerable risk in an at
mosphere full of naphtha Vapors. and
so would boats with naphtha or kero
sene motors. The risk might be reduce
ed, but cannot be removed altogether.
Every precaution against fire must be
taken, and the reservoirs must be built
of a material capable of resisting both
fire and water. The committee, which
has been considering this question, has
under the circumstances, arrived at
the conclusion that an exploitation of
the submarine naphtha deposits will be
both troublesome and risky from the
surface of the sea, and it, therefore
reports in favor of closing off the dis
trict in question from the sea, and
working it in the ordinary manner.
This damming off is however. a
somewhat costly business, and the
question remains how remunerative an
undertaking of this kind will prove. In
all probability, the first attempt at
drawing naphtha from submarine soil
Will, however, be made at Romany
lake, one of the centers of the Bal<u
naphtha industry. 1t is proposed to
empty and lay dry the lake in oues-
ton, and several groups of naphtha
firms have already tried to secure the
concession, but the crown does not find
their offers sufficiently good. The COM
mittee which is dealing with this uues-
ton, therefore. proposes that the
crown shall itself lay dry the lake, and
then let the area in the usual manner.