The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1901-06-03
THE VALUE OF TEXAS Oils
Better for fabrication Than for T.,
Elimination Purposes.

| The Standard Oil COmpanyIs Attitude
Causes PcrpIexity Among Specu-
IntOEs-inxiety as to the source
for Marketing the Product.
DALLAS, Tex. June 3-In attempting
to estimate the value of the newly dis
| covered oil in Texas one. it is contended
should not be guided solely by the volume
of the output Crude petroleum is not the
same thing the world over In fact, 1t
would be hard 70 find any mineral product
1 that is so complicated in its composition
| 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 proper
tons These hydrocarbons. as they are
called, range in density from the Tghtest
gases to the thickest tar and solid coke.
On account OF certain mathematical re-
lattOns exhibited by the proportion in
which the carbon and hydrogen combine
and for other reasons. these interesting
and useful substances are grouped in va
rious series The methane series. for in
stance. includes no less than twenty or
thirty members Then there are the ace
tyIene and benzine and half dozen other
series CarboIfc acid, aniIine dyes, and
naphtha are few of the best known by
dTOcarbCns aside from the commercial
oils which, in turn. differ among them
selves in volatility. color, and other char
aCteristics.
Now, the crude petroleum found in diff
ferent places. if not containing different
hydrocarbons. at least contains them in
very diffeTen. proportions. Moreover, va
rious impurities-netabIy sulphur and
compounds IF nitrogen-are occasionally
present, and greatly affect the value of
the Oil From these facts it is easy to
understand how far from uniform is the
quality of petroleum throughout the
world. Russia is credited with produc-
ton of 60,0G0O00 barrels last year, and the
United States with half million barrels
less Yet the value Of the former lust
out of the ground. was 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 distiilates that it hardly pays
to refine the stuff. In consequence. if is
used very largely for fuel The amount
Of crude Baku oil and residuun left after
distiifation which was put to this use last
year has been estimated at IS. 900. 900 bar
. reis On the other hand. p per cent of
the worlds supply Of kerosene and other
products Of distiIIation IS said TO come
from America
me wells Of Pennsylvania and that Vi
entity contain the Durest and most val
liable oil ever found. An average retro
leuTn from the Keystone State gives about
10 or IG per cent Of gasoline. uaphtha and
benzine, % of kerosene. Il or IS of Iubri-
eating oils (Which are heavier and less
volatile than illuminating oiIsJ, , of par
afine. and about 10 of gas. pitch and
waste The oil is usually of an amber
hue Out in northwestern Ohio, in the
so-caIled Lima field the crude petroleum
is almost black It comes from a DIFF
ferent geological formation from the
Pennsylvania oil. and contains a little
sulphur which somewhat ernbarrasses
the processes Of refining The Kentucky
and Tennessee oils partake Of the char
acterisJics Of both the Ohio and PenusyI-
vania products Again. or the Pacific
Slope a petroleum is found that contains
certain nitrogen compounds which rem
der refining more didicHlt than does the
sulphur of the Lima oil Hence the Cali
foruia kinds have not thus far proved al
together profitable and satisfactory The
petroleum of Peru Russia, Japan. and
India is brown and inferior 10 the pro-
duct Of the Eastern part OF the United
States.
IN Texas there are two distinct oil pro-
duciug belts. One reaches up from the
Gulf of Mexico, near the mouth Of the
Neches River, to Shelby county, some
thing like 300 miles, and lies near the
Louisiana boundary The other is smaller
and Is apparently confined to Navarro
county and its immediate vicinity. Beau
mont is situated in the former district.
An analysis of the product of the big
Of the country gives 2.25 per cent of ben
zine and other volatile hydrocarbons,
1850 Of kerosene, SIS o. iubricating oil
go of sulphur, and y per cent of heavy
fuel oils It thus appears that little IL
Eliminating oil can be obtained from this
wei and that there is enough sulphur
present TO hamper the operation OF dis
tiEati0n- Consequently, the Beaumont
well. and in fact. the whole Neches dis
tTict is unable to compete with Pennsyl-
vGnia. and is likely to yield little but fuel
oil For this however. there should be a
considerable local and export demand
since coal costs from s. to $I4 q ton in
various Gulf ports Of Spanish America
Some wells Of this district, however. pro-
duce natural Iubricating oil Of excellent
quality. which adds 10 the Importance OF
the field
The region lying about COrSICdra TN
Navarro county, produces oil of a con-
spicuousIy different quality from that of
the Neches Valley a recent analysis
gives $50 per cent Of naphtha and kindred
distiIlates. $50 of kerosene. I5-25 of Iu-
bricatjng OIL 1913 OF heavy fuel oil. and
about three Of coke and Tesiduum- These
figures compare favOTably with those
quoted for Pennsylvania This product.
therefore, though limited in quantity, is
superior in quality. At best Texas now
supplies scarcely more than l per cent Of
the total amount of crude petroleum OBJ
tanned IN this country, and the Corsicana
field furnishes only q small part Of even
that The latter also yields natural gas
in great abundance, however, And this,
though il must be utilized in that pdrtiCu-
lar ueiEhborhood and cannot be conveyed
to any great distance, nevertheless opens
up immense Industrial possibilities to
eastern Texas
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