Las Vegas daily optic. [volume] (Las Vegas, N.M.) 1880-1908, 1904-05-12
PETROLEUM IN
PHILIPPINES
In aFeW Years Oil Products Will
Be Among Principal Ar
ticles Of Export
-
RICH DEPOSITS
Decided StimnIatf0M Of the In
dnstry By the Advent of
Americans Occurs I'm
Many Places

Americans watching the develop.
ment Of the Philippine Islands will be
interested to know that Mr.. II. n. Oil
plant, the author Of d report to the
United States Geological survey on.
the production Of petroleum In 1902,
predicts that In d few years petroleum
will be one Of the articles exported
from the islands instead Of an article
OF Importation exclusively.
The islands of Luzon, Panay, Leyte,
Gimeras. Guimaras, Negros, Mindanao
and Cebu contain petroleum. There
are some rich oil wells m the island
Of Luzon. and capitalists usually pros.
peel among these before they 80 to
other islands. on the island Of Panay
are deposits of Oh located from 200
10 500 feet below the surface. On
the islands Of Negroes, Cebp and Min
danao oil strata are worked 10 good
advantage BY native and foreign capt
talisis. The position Of these islands
would certainly indicate Jhe probable
existence Of petroleum. - Borneo. on
the southwest; and Kniznosa and Jap
an, On the north. 4 sin Productive
areas that are extenslvefy operated
The best oil appears 70 be contain,
cd In i statnm consisting Of rock,
gravel and sand, nearly twenty feet
In thickness, lying about 400 feet be-
low the surface. This rock is in
some places TOO hard 20 pierce Will
the native devices. but American drill
ling tools cut II readily. IN other
places the cocalled rock IS only soft
sandstone. These oil lands are ordi
narily unclaimed and belong TO thu
government, When they are owned
by some one who WINS one or the oil
Spanish land grants they can usual,
be bought At d low iigure.
The advent 81 Americans In the y
lands has greatly stimulated the AZ
velopment OF the oil fields. The Span
lard used 10 procure Illuminating oil
from some Oh the oil wells DC Luxon
Panay and Negros, but their drilling
machinery. refining devices, AMI
modes IL distribution were extremel'
detective. During the last twenty
Ave years Filipino capitalists hayi
been working at The oil wells, An.
with the aid Of the Japanese. have n
yeloped some oi the wells that pr
duce the best grades III oil. The Oh
nese have aisl talsn d hand Ii ID
oil industry of the islands. Receptl
some of tho American discharged SO
diers have been working II the prol
lem Of furnishing The islands wit
their own Illuminating oils and 4,
porting Soma III the refined oil
Through Them the industry has bee
extended. but lack of capital Inns iii
derud them In their work. America
capitalists are nov Interested ia Ii
yelopine The richest deposits of ii
country. and have arranged for III
purchase Of the necessary plants. 4
the present time there IRE sever,
well established and paying plants /
the islands. One which II located l
Isadro, near Manlia, II Obliged Ii Ri
day AMI nieht and tax its machincr
~ fall capacity III order I'll meet Il
orders. Al number lit minor oil 4
iineries distributed throughout the |
lands Mi aaid u III doing / roc
business ami makins money.
When pumped from the earth u
Philippine oils are usually daft gree
IN color. ~ refinine ali average
eight pr cent benxine Is produce
from The eriids petroleum ana aho,
forty per mi Illuminating oil II
remainder IN A ol ana tar. Fro
the latter p%artafn ii extracted
The cost u rettine the crude I
u very low Al compared with the 1
perse III must other cannfrla Lab
Al the wells II extremely cheap, ran
ine from ten ii twelve ceula i IA
For this price both the native ii
chintse lahoreff giNe 4 full las
work aIa provide their own loteil
and ~sustsnance