Los Angeles herald., 1908-10-05
OIL DIVIDENDS
IN CALIFORNIA
: THREE COMPANIES
ARE PROFITABLE
Fifty-eIght Companies Are Listed.
Aggregate Dividends for Current
Twelve Months Should Be
Six Million Dollars

OF the flfty-eight listed companies on
the California Stock and Oil exchange,
thirty-three are no & paying dividends
and twelve more will probably be in
the dividend column by the first of the
year, according to T. v. Doub.
The total amount of dividends now
being paid by the listed companies on
this exchange is about 100000 per
month, or at the rate OF So, 900 per
year.
The total dividends for the year 1908,
from all the oil compSnies now doing
business in this state, not including
the Standard, willsp .'obably reach the
5000, 900 mark, and should reach the
$40. 100000 mark for the year 1909.
The California OIL Fields, Limited,
is one of the largest oil companies do
ing business in this state that is not
listed on this exchanges 1t has a pro-
duction OF over i0,00] barrels per day
and paid out nearly sSo0,0O0 in divi-
dends to its stockholders in 1907, which
is 40 per cent on Its issued capital of
s2,000.000. Owing to tho increase in the
price of oil, it will probably be in shape
to pay over 80 per cent in dividends
this year on its issued capital of ST.
100000.
Remarkable Business
The Four Oil company has been one
of the most remarkable companies do
ing business in this state; for nearly
eight years it has operated on twenty
acres of land In the Kern river field;
after paying one-sixt" to the owners of
the land, as royalty, 1t has paid
TO Its stockholders, from the sale of
the other five-sixths of it's production
(at the average price of less than zoe
no hq 1rall $3.50 mn in dixy4dandc which
is at the rate of $4,000 per acre. Had
the company received e0c per barrel.
the price at which OF; is selling at the
we'll now, 1t could have paid out in
dividends to date $700.0 or at the rate
of over $35, 900 per acre. The Four Oil
company is still producing nearly 500
barrels per day.
The Peerless Oil company in eight
years has taken out Of sts 100 acres in
the Kern river field (at zoe per barreD
approximately 81, 100000, or at the rate
of $4,000 per acre. Had 1t received
6oc per barrell the prevailing price now.
it would have taken out in the eight
years $4,S00,000, or $4,000 per acre. The
Peerless is still producing lots of oil.
The Sauer Dough, owning thirty
acres in Coalinga field, has paid out in
dividends 100000, or at the rate of
$4,000 per acre. At the rate OF 60c per
parrel, 1t could have paid out $4,000
per acre, or $500. .00V N ell. The Sauer
Dough is still large producer.
Others Do as Well
There are other companies in the
state that have done as We'll as the
three above named.
There is now being produced in this
state over 40,000,000 barrels of oil per
year, and a ready market for every
barrel produced.
California eue' oil hss a greater in
trinsic. value to the producer in one
respect than refining; oil, as he can sell
1t for fuel as 1t ocmes from the well
and does not have to depend on SELL
Ing it to a refinery ard fuel oil at 81
per barrel at the well will always have
the preference over coal. 1t looks now
as though oil, ike water. will soon
find it's level, that is, 81 per barrel at
the well in preference to coal.
With England, Japan and the United
States looking fcr fus, oil for their
navies, it would look like the best
thing that could happen to the oil in
dustry would be to find some more
new oil fields.
When fuel oil was FIRST discovered in
quantities In this state in 1900, 1t sold
at 81 per barrel a. the wen, but the
price in 1906 droppea az low as 15c per
barrel at the we'll. Now there is a
demand for more oil than there is pro-
duced.