Sistersville daily oil review. [volume] (Sistersville, W. Va.) 1902-1905, 1903-10-01

DdIIC1 q SASos 49,
|built up Now we could use the
oil at home, and would give much
more than that to get 1t back. It
Is the story of natural gas. of lam.
her and of everything that has been
wasted. Lumber was once ignorantly
presumed to be inexhaustible. Now
lumber brings money, but none to
Pennsylvania, which has none to
speak of. Oh that the producer
sold for 81 cents a barrel for the
export trade cannot be duplicated
now for three times that much. 1t
Is needless to blame the Standard
OH company for the price of oil.
The Standard Is a buyer Of crude.
and Is not interested In putting up
the price. The producer will not
furnish 1t for less money, and he
will not furnish as much as Is need.
ed even for the present price.
The future Is one for the most
serious speculation: Certainly all
the country that Is Of such geologi.
cal formation as to give hope of
the high grade crude has been
thoroughly explored.
The only hope that presents
itself Is for a more thorough de-
velopment of some of the oil fields,
which will add somewhat to the
quantity of oil which has been pro-
duced, but which cannot increase
the daily production, nor even hold
1t where 1t Is.
It Is a different proposition to
speculate on what may be found
In the oil fields of the West, Pos.
sibly that same determination
which has enabled the Standard
OH company by the expenditure
of millions of dollars In finding
way to refine Ohio oils may find a
way to make the heavy oils of the
West amenable to treatment. But
1t has to be borne In mind that
while the heavy oils are quite sim.
liar chemically to the light oils of
the Pennsylvania district they do
not possess the delicate gases that
90 to make gasoline and the better
Illuminating fluids. Gasoline under
the demands of gasoline engines
and the multiplication of automo-
biles Is increasing In demand. AS
the automobile becomes more
common more gasoline will be
wanted.
The Standard Oil company must
work out the problem. Its enor-
nous investment In pipe lines, re.
fneries, ships, and other means for
producing, refining and distributing
oil compels 1t In self.defense to fin d
the crude, offer inducements for
others to find t,or find way to pro-
vide the refined products from other
sources than Pennsylvania oil. The
Lima oil will not do 1t, for 1t IS not
of the high quality, nor IS 1t sufi =
clently abundant. Ohio Is like
Pennsylvania. The Lima stocks
are falling off just as the stocks are
In the eastern belt. The Pennsyl.
vania oil comes from a sand stone
formation, which Is found from
New York to the Big Sandy river
on the Kentucky boundary.
J The belt Is about 100 miles wide.
Outside of that serritory the sand
Is rarely found. Different rocks
are discovered by the drill. This
territory has been drilled and pros
. pected until 1t Is much like large
sieve. Few square miles OF 1t are
| left to be tested. There IS hardly
place In all the region big enough
to hold moderate pool that has
not been tried with one or two
wells. The results are disappoint-
Ing. They are also quite!conclusive
Unless something closely akin to
the miraculous happens the oil
. trade Is soon to be compelled to use
more inferior oil and to be on scant
J ratiors even with that kind. The
day may be Immediately at hand,
but the prospects are not good. The
surplus of Pennsylvania oil IS too
small to be encouraging.
Bion III. Butler.