Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1904-05-18

| ton of petroleum In 1902, predicts that
| I'm a few years petroleum VIII De one
| Of the articles exported from the Is
| lands instead Of an article of lmporta-
! ton exclusively,
The islands of Luzon, Panay, Leyte
| Gimeras, Guimaras, Negros, Minda-
| mao. and Cebu contain petroleum.
| There are some rich oil wells on the
| Island Of Luzon, ana capitalists usu-
! ally prospect among these before they
go to other Islands on the island OF
panay are deposits 3f oil located from
200 10 800 feet below the surface. ON
the Islands Of Negros, Cebu, and Min
danaO oil strata are worked To good
advantage by native and foreign cap
italsts The position Of these Islands
would certainly indicate the probable
existence Of petroleum, as Borneo, on
the southwest, and Formosa and
Japan, on the north, contain produc-
tive areas that are extensively
operated
The best oil appears to he contained
I'm q stratum consisting OF rock, gravel,
and sand, nearly 20 feet In thickness,
lying about 400 feet below the surface.
This rock is In some places too hard
TO pierce with the native devices, but
American drilling tools cut 1t readily
In other places the so-called rock is
only soft sandstone These oil lands
are ordinarily unclaimed and belong
to the government. When they are
owned by some one who holds one Of
the old Spanish land grants they can
usually be bought at a low figure.
The advent OF Americans In the
island has greatly stimulated the
development OF the oil fields. The
Spaniards used to procure illuminat-
ing oils from some OF the oil wells OF
Luzon Panay, and Negroes, but their
drilling machinery refining devices,
and modes VI distribution were eX-
tremely defective. During the last
twenty-five years Filipino capitalists
have been working at the oil wells
and, with the aid Of the japanese,
have developed some of the wells that
produce the best grades OF oil. The
Chinese also have taken a hand I'm the
oil industry Of the islands. Recently
some OF the American discharged
soldiers have been working at the
problem OF furnishing the islands with
their own illuminating oils and export
Ing some Of the refined oils. Through
them the industry has been extended.
but lack of capital has hindered them
in their work. American capitalists
richest deposits Of the country. and
have arranged for the purchase of the
necessary plants. At the present time
there are several established and
paying plants In the islands. one
which Is located at Isadro, near Ma
Mia, is obliged TO run day and night
and tax its machinery to full capacity
in order to meet Its orders A num-
Der OF minor oil reflneries distributed
throughout the islands are said TO be
doing a good business and making
money.
When pumped from the earth he
Philippine oils are usually dark green
In color. by refining, an average OF 3
FER cent bcnzlne Is produced from the
crude petroleum and about 40 per cent
Illuminating oil. The remainder Is gas
oil and tar. From the latter Daraflin
is extracted
The cost Of getting the crude oil Is
very low as compared with the expense
in most other countries Labor at the
wells IL extremely cheap, ranging from
10 to - cents a day For this price
both the native and Chinese laborers
give a full days work and provide
their own lodging and sustenance