Lawrence democrat. (Lawrenceburg, Tenn.) 1884-1925, 1904-06-03
PETROLEUM OIL FIELDS.
Interesting Facts and Figures About
Those of the States Of Ohio
and Indiana.

Ohio continued during 1902 to main
tain first place among the oil-produc-
ing states, although its production
was considerably less than that of tia
preceding year. It supplied almost
3S per cent. of the total production OF
the Appalachian and the Lima-Indi-
ana fields, and almost rs per cent. OF
the entire production Of the United
States in 1902. For that year tho
output was 21,014,231 barrels, which
was 633, 1852 barrels less than in 1901, a
decline of only three per cent. Owing
| to higher range of values, the prod
uct sold for the average price of O.9SS
cents a barrel, or s20,757,359, gain of
$233,7S8 over 1901. That represents
an increase of cents barrel. The
above figures are taken from Mr.. f.
H. ELEPHANTS report on the produc-
ton of petroleum in 1902, published
by the United States geological survey
as part of it's annual volume on min
eral resources.
Ohio is not merely the greatest oil
producer among The states; 1t has
the additional distinction of producing
two well-defned grades of petroleum
from two distinct geological horizons,
one In the southeastern part OF the
state, the other in the northwestern
part.
The geological conditions in the
southeastern part Of the state are
similar to those existing in western
Pennsylvania and West Virginia, and
the petroleum producing formations
belong to the Appalachian group, OF
which it is part. The strata pro-
ducing petroleum are sandstone5
capped by slate or shale, which vary
in thickness from 5 to so feet. In the
northwestern part of the state the
production is entirely from one hori'
zon, the Trenton limestone, a geologic
formation which is very much Older
than the sandstones in the southeast
and which is separated from them BY
several thousand feet of strata.
Ohio was the first state in the unior
to demonstrate the possibilities of thu
Trenton limestone as producer o
petroleum in commercial quantities
The famous Cincinnati Arch" ha:
lifted the Trenton limestone forma
ton into a great, broad swell Or
and near the crest of this, natural ga'
is found, and farther down the flank
petroleum has accumulated. Thi
reservoir has proved to be highly pro
ductive in the last 20 years, and ha
supplied large part of the world
demands. The Trenton rock petroleum
is of dark color and is impregnate'
with sulphureted hydrogen. Its I'm
tics have made it less valuable for re
fning purposes than the product of tn
sandstones, and for many years it wa
used only as fuel. Within the last few
years it has been successfully refined
A process has been discovered whereof
the odor is removed, and the create
part of the product Is now converte
into first-class illuminating oil
AS producer of Lima oil, Ohio ha
q formidable rival in Indiana. Tha
state has for several years been stead
lily enlarging the area of her produc
tive territory and increasing her out
put of Trenton rock oil, but the yea
1902 proved record breaker Nor
wells were completed then than i
any previous year, and the amount c
new production and the sum realize
for it were larger than during an
other year in the history of the petrC
leum industry. The aggregate pre-
duction of Indiana for 1902 was 1880
1876 barrels, valued at $6,526,62 a
compared with 5,7570S6 barrels, value
at S4,S22, $685. in 1901. The number {
wells drilled in 1902 was nearly doubl
the number completed in 1900, and onl
Is per cent. of these were dry hole
The amount of oil produced in Indian
in 1902 was double that produced i
1898, lille valuation increased nearl
300 per cent.