Los Angeles herald., 1909-12-31
CALIFORNIA OIL ENTERS
BANNER YEAR OF HISTORY
Growing Export Trade, the Introduction of
Petroleum in China, Adoption of Motor
Cars by Railroads and Decrease in
Eastern Output Swell Demand

| which will greatly increase the con-
| sumption Of the product. Besides the
| Western Pacific are lines building or
proposed in Arizona. Nevada, New
Mexico and below the international
| boundary.
Estimate for 1910
! Estimates made of probable require
ments for 1910 will aggregate 100000
! barrels of California oil. This estimate,
! some authorities declare, will fall short
of the actual demand.
| Estimates now made for 1909 places
the total at from 54,000,000 to 56,OOO,-
900 barrels. The United States geolog-
ical survey gives the production for
1908 at 44,S54,737 barrels of California
oil, valued at S23, ,433, 502.
Next to California came Illinois in
1908 with a production valued at $22,-
| 64S SS1. The contrast will be more
| marked when it is remembered that
| California oil increased in that year
three cents a barrel at the wells, while
| Illinois oil declined eight cents a bar
rel at the wells.
Another gratifying feature of the in
dustry is the vastly reduced cost of
! drilling throughout the state. This
reduction is not due to the cheapening
Of materials or the lowering of wages
(these have advanced), but to the inn
provements in methods and increased
| knowledge acquired during the last
few years by oil well drillers. The extra
heavy pipe, under rimmer, wire drill
ing cable and calf wheel for handling
the pipe have contributed much to the
reduction of drilling time and insur-
ing the completion of a well in first
class condition to any depth.
Drilling Conditions Improve
Five or six years ago a responsible
oil well contractor could not be found
who would contract and furnish bond
to complete a well TO a depth OF l5OO
feet. Today contracts will be taken
for any reasonable depth and guaran-
tee given to complete within reason
able time.
The question so often asked: "What
is the average life of a California
well?" has not yet been answered.
Many wells in the Kern river and
Coalinga district, from five to eight
years old, are producing as much oil,
and in many instances more oil, than
when first completed.
1t is not generally known that there
are many wells in California that have
been producing oil continuously for
over thirty years. This fact is in strlk-
ing contrast to the eastern fields, where
the average life of an oil well is only
five years.
According to state Mineralogist Au-
bury the total amount of petroleum
produced in California for twenty-five
years ending at the close of 1908 was
249, ,274, Sal barrels, valued at $lO4,295,O4l.
In the same period there were pro-
duced 625,1S2 tons of asphalt, Valued
at $7,65O.503 In 1887 there were only
1000 tons of asphalt, valued at S416,
hut in, this gnlOnnt Increased
to 1O5,443 tons, valued at S1,082,376. In
the same period there was produced
n total of 1892 tons of bituminous
rock, valued at 81, ,604, ,664. The value of
natural gas in that time is placed at
81, ,937, ,42S. The value of California OIL
for 1909 is estimated at GO cents bar
rel; no figures, however, are yet avail
able.
California PaVes America
California holds the purse strings of
almost every city in the United states
in asphaltum trade. It's asphaltum IS
the best in the world, as demonstrated
by numerous tests, although before II
was finally introduced into the eastern
markets a bitter war had to be fought
against the trust which used every
means TO block its advance. Unfair
! tests were made and the results pub
lished. but quality could not be
downed. California asphalt has since
! been put TO every test and has re-
ceived the stamp of approval every
where. Despite it's early struggles IN
| the east it now paves the streets OF al
most every city in the land and has
| emerged triumphant to first place
among its kind.
! Consul Albert w. Pontius, writing OF
| the growing oil trade of the United
states with China, says the STANDARD
! is carrying bulk oil to the interior OF
China in steel tanks of about lOoOO
gallons each. These tanks are bullt
! in Chinese junks, the low draft OF
which permits economical shipments
| of oil. He says this method is certain
! ia increase the trade to considerable
! extent. American oil has been perma-
nontlv established in China, being
! shinped direct from California ports.
! THE Chinese are becoming educated
In the use OF petroleum and while
! little slow to grasp, perhaps, are un-
dergoing a change vastly beneficial TO
the oil interests of this and other
/ states.