The Washington times., 1902-10-20
RUSSIA LEADS WORLD IN
PETROLEUM PRODUCTION
Oil Used Largely as a Sub,
stitute for Coal.
FACILITIES ARE CRUDE
Product Must Travel Far to Reach Mar
ket-Coal Supply Scant
and Inferior.

| The present condition of the coal sup
ply of the United States and the pos
sibilities of the large substitution OF
petroleum for Goa, as a fuel give an in
creased interest to the statistics of Rus
sian petroleum as reported in Mineral
Resources of the United States, 1901, -
soon to be published by the United
States Geological Survey.
Since the year 1S9. Russia has pro-
duced more petroleum than the United
States. Beginning with 1897 the Rus
sian production has been increasing by
an average of over II per cent each
year to the close of 1901.
Figures Tell Tale.
In round numbers the figures of pro-
duction for the two countries are as tol-
lows: 1S97-Russia. E:,0OO,0OO barrels;
United States, 60,00o.0O0 barrels. 1885
Russia, 50, 900 COO barrels; United States,
s., 100000 barrels. 1S99-Russia, sc. .OO0.-
600 barrels; United States. 81 900, 900
barrels. 1900--Russia, $4,000, 900 bar
rels; United States, 64,000,00O barrels.
l9o1-Russia. s5.O00.oOO barrels; Unite...
States, &C. .000, 600 barrels
The average annual increase during
the five years for Russia has been 1851
per cont: for the United States. 2.S9 pei
cent-there having been small ,le-
crease in the production of the United
States in 1897, and large decrease in
1885,
Facilities Crude. isa
The facilities for handling the large
Russian production are at present crude,
costly, and wasteful The markets are
far away from the production. The main
foreign shipping port at Batum. on the
Black Sea, is separated by mountain
chains from the chief center of produc
tion, Baku, on the Caspian Sea. To
bring the oil to the seaboard 400 miles
of railroad must be travelled to the
terminus of the pipe line, and then 100
miles still remain before reaching
Batum
The capacity Of the pipe line is almost
double the capacity of the railroad, so
that the amount taken to Batum de-
pends upon the capacity of the railroad.
The volga River is an outlet for so per
cent. of the production. and reaches
many miles into the heart of the Rus
sian Empire. But the Volga is frozen up
for several months in the year and is
cnh n he nf lou TOR cfo
in the summer and fall
Russian Coal Inferior.
The price of 10 kopecks per pood, equal |
to &c cents per barrel. for residuals or |
fuel oil, allowing 3.5 barrels to equal a
ton of Russian coal, places value upon
the oil corresponding to s1.61 per ton for
coal. When the oil is valued at II ko-
pecks per pood, or 81 cents per barrel,
the price is equivalent to s1.7S per ton
for coal
This is very fair price for the pc
troleum and should carry it long dis
tance before the cost equals the corre-
spending cost of the Russian coal, which
IS high-priced and inferior in quality 1t
Is the irregular supply and the fiuctuat-
Of larger quantities of fuel oil in the
,reat interior of Russia. AT the price of
o kopecks per pood. or 46 cents per Bar
'el, which is considerably higher than
he average price for 1901, the oil cam
1ot fail to secure a market, II transpor-
alton could be guaranteed. and at prices
much in advance of that named for COM
parson
Supply Is Scant.
During the year 1900 Russia produced
'nly about 1890. 900 short tons of coal. {,
he higher grades of which sell for ii 20 !
6 rubles per ton. or about 81 to IS per
tates produced. in round numbers, 27O,-
100000 short tons of coal. All of the
ountries bordering on the Mediterra-
can Sea are poorly supplied with fuel 5
When il is considered that two thirds S
{ the total production at Baku (about j
/ 900, 600 barrels in 1901 now finds /
larket as fuel oil. we have in the pc t
roleum al equivalent of nearly 10000 II
20 tons of coal l
When certain means of oil tra/,spor- =
alton now in contemplation in Russi.
re finished. the value of this liquid fuel
ill begin to be appreciated. and the IN
ernal industry of that great country 9
i'll receive the benefits to which il s :,
1titled from natures bounty.
Exports of Petroleum. n
The total exports of petroleum, crude +
nd refined, fIom Russia to foreign ports
1901 were AIS, ,657 ,2lO gallons, or 4033
er cent IF the total exports of petro-
,um from the United States in 1901,
hich amounted to 1.062. $50, ,30G gallons, ;,
alu.d 1t pearly s7l 500, 900.
The very great difference between the 9
atroleum of the United States and that o
Russia is shown in the statistics of
,fine1 petroleum. OF the total worlds
reduction of crude petroleum in 1901,
Is. .3S5.733 barrels, the United States VI
'oduced 69,3Sa.194 barrels, or s1s7 per ~
mt, and Russia produced S5. l6S. $50 bar b.
lis, or 51.49 per cent; and yet of the p
tai production OF refined petroleum OF dr
i grades In 1901, estimated at 1.500,- y
1000 gallons for all countries. the c,
nited States produced 81, ,120,944 gall 10
ms. or 60.7 per cent. and Russia 414, =,
$50 gallons, or only 277 per cent re