Los Angeles herald., 1909-06-21
oil PRODUCTION
SHOWS INCREASE
CALIFORNIA HEADS STATES IN
OUTPUT
INCREASE OVER FORMER YEAR
is 1886 PER CENT
Price of Petroleum in United States
Remains Unchanged, but in Call
fornia Advances Fifteen
Cents Barrel

The geological survey published Feb
ruary 8, 1909, statement showing the
general progress in petroleum produc-
ton during 1908. according to which
the phenomenal production of 1907 had
been eclipsed in 1908 by production
of between 175,O00000 and 1S0,000,00O
barrels. The survey is now compiling
the final figures for 1908, which will
show that the total production aggre-
gated 179,572.479 barrels, valued at
S129. zoe, 25S, an increase in quantity of
S.11 per cent over 1907.
Oklahoma led all the state in produc-
ton, with a total of 45, 79S, 765 barrels,
an increase of 5.23 per cent over 1907;
California was a close second, with
44S64,7S7 barrels, an increase of 1855
per cent over 1907; but Illinois gained
the greatest percentage, rising from
24,2S1,973 barrels in 1907 to 1855, LOG
barrels in 1908, a gain of 1872 per cent.
Colorado. Louisiana, Michigan, Mis-
souri,, Utah. Wyoming and West Vir-
ginia also showed gains in production.
The declines were in Indiana, where
it was nearly SO per cent; in Kansas.
25 per cent; Ohio, IL per cent; Texas,
s. per cent; Pennsylvania, nearly per
cent: New York, 43 per cent; and Ken
lucky and Tennessee, II per cent.
The average price of petroleum for
the entire country in 1908 remained
identical with that in 1907, but there
were considerable variations of an i'm
portant character in individual states.
The most notable of these was the in
crease in price in California, from 81
cents a barrel in 1907 to 52A cents a
barrel in 1908 The gulf states-name-
ly: Louisiana and TeXas-showed a
decline in value from a little over so
cents to 60 cents. The Appalachian oil
showed a slight increase in value, from
SL75 in 1907 to $1.79 in 1908. On the
whole, prices were remarkably steady
considering the notable increase over
the large production of 1907
Increase Is Dominant Feature
The increased activity in the three
great fields-California, Oklahoma and
Illinois-was the dominant feature of
the situation rather than the discovery
and opening of any considerable new
fields. The principal new field to gaiL
prominence was the Caddo pool, in
northwestern Louisiana. The hoped
for increase in production from the
Markham and Goose Creek fields in
Texas did not materialize, and the to-
tai from the state showed a decline in
spite of the increased production in the
Humble pool.
In the Appalachian field 7115 new
wells were drilled, of which 1922 were
producers, with a total initial produc-
ton of 5000 barrels: in the Lima-1n-
diana region 1850 new wells were
drilled, of which 1888 were producers;
in the new Illinois field 1874 wells were
drilled, of which 3019 were producers.
with an average initial production of
twenty-six barrels a well. In the mid
continent field 1880 wells were drilled,
of which 2587 were producers of oil,
All were producers of gas and 432 were
dry; the initial production of the pro-
ducing wells average 1871 barrels. In
the gulf field only $40 new wells were
drilled, 606 being producers and show
ing an initial production of 297 barrels.
In California SIT wells were drilled,
of which 594 were productive, and in
other parts of the country "A wells
were drilled, yielding "a new produce
ers. From the total of 1920 produce
tive wells drilled, the initial produc-
ton was 42.9 barrels.
In the following table are given the
total quantity and value of crude pc
troleum produced In the United States
during the years 1907 and 1908, by
states.