The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-03-16

ter)
Tampico.
THIs will soon be the chief oil port
of the world. 1t lies in the heart
of oil lands which are now produc-
ing 100000 barrels of petroleum day, and
great oil tanks are going up which will
hold supply of millions of barrels. Tam
pico is situated little back from the
coast half way between Vera Cruz and
the Rio Grande river. 1t lies near the
mouths of the Panuco and Tamesi rivers
and 1t has harbor so deep that the big
gest ocean steamers can land. The
wharves and jetties and other harbor i'm
provements were designed and built for
the Mexican government by American en-
gineers, and they have cost millions. The
port is 1000 miles from New York, 4SO0
miles from Liverpool. and little more
steamers will soon be carrying oil from
here to all parts of the world.
The rivers. which join just above Tam
pico, flow through the oil fields, and during
the past year so steel tanks have been
built on their banks, all being on deep
water. About 80 of these tanks belong
TO the Pearson syndicate or Mexican Eagle
Oil company, and the same company is
putting up refineries here. 1t is a Brit
ish syndicate, backed by the Pearsons.
which has also large interests in Mexican
railways. electric plants and mines. Its
oil branch has paid up capital of $751;
100000, and the market value of the stock
is twice that amount. 1t has altogether
more than 100000 acres of oil land.
The Waters Pierce company was until
lately branch of the Standard Oil COM
pany. 1t has large interests including
storage tanks on the rivers. And then We
have the Mexican Petroleum company,
which is largely controlled by California
oil men. 1t has an authorized capital OF
$4,000 600. and it owns something like 700,-
600 acres of land, much of which is still
unexplored. One of the Mexican Petro-
leum company's wells has been producing
for more than two years, and although
only partially opened it turns out 25,O0t
barrels of oil day. This company is
now erecting storage tanks near Tampico
while the Texas company is doing like,
wise on tract of land of about 10O(
acres opposite this port. The latter com
pany has already constructed temporary
wharf and is shipping oil to the United
States ports.
In addition to these companies there are
others operating in the vicinity, and al
together there are over 30 different or
ganizations at work.
The New Oil Territory
These new oil fields extend for hun
dreds of miles along the Mexican gulf
The profitable wells are scattered all
the way from here to Vera Cruz and oil
has been found in paying quantities
farther south and on the isthmus OF
Tehuantepec The exact width of the
territory is not defined but they are
striking oil 60 miles back from the sea
and the region in which the prospect
Ing is going on is said to be about as
large as the state of Illinois and over
a distance twice as large as the state
of Massachusetts wells have already
been sunk. In many places oil has beer
struck at 400 or 500 feet but the best
wells are much deeper, and the great
gushers have come from a depth -oi
1900 or 1000 feet
Big Mexican Gushers
Take, for instance, gusher No 4, OF
the Potrero del Llano No. d. which
has a capacity of 10000 barrels a day
That well belongs to the Pearson syn
dicate, and have just had talk with
one of the engineers who has to dc
with its working. The hole was bored
three years ago When the oil was
struck 1t burst forth in a great stream
which rose to a height of 400 feet, and
II continued to spout for more than
three months before It could be con-
trolled.. During that time it was pour
ing forth petroleum at the rate of 5000
barrels an hour. and II covered the
whole country with oil 1t filled tbs
rivers and lakes and contaminated thf
stream. Thousands of cattle We're lost
from the fact that the oil covered theii
grazing places and they could not gel
fresh water. Acres of oil flowed oui
to the sea and the Mexican gulf hat
coating of oil for 800 miles alons
this part Of its coast.
A Lake of Oil
Tn their efforts to save the oil tn,
Pearsons dug lake or reservoir cover
ing several acres and ran the petrol
cum into it. The lake had a capacity
OF over 100000 barrels and it took
just 2s days to fill it. That lake i.
still full of oil. and there are guard,
who watch it day and night for feai
Of fire. The vegetation about tn,
shores has been cut back to distance
of 800 feet, and electric lights are KEEP
burning every night to aid in guard
ing the oil. / am told that the oil i.
fast deteriorating. Some of it is cak,
ing, and it is questionable whether i
VIII De worth great uedl WIleu lns
time comes for it TO be exported ol
sent to the refineries.
The great gusher is now under con
troll. The engineers succeeded in put
ting on caps after this flow of three
months and it is now connected witt
a pipe line which carries it off to the
tanks and the coast.
An Oil Flame 1000 Feet High
Another enormous gusher was the
Dos Bocas. near the mouth of the Sar
Geronimo river, 81 miles south of here
This was struck at 1900 feet on the
4th of July, 1910, and 1t produced the
greatest fireworks that have ever been
seen on Independence day. The oil came
forth at the rate of about 1000 bar
rels an hour almost Immediately. and
caught fire from the boiler of one OF
the engines. 1t then sent up an enor-
nous column of smoke and flame
which reached. II Is said 2 height OF
1000 feet. the flame measuring from
40 to rs feet in width. That flame last
ed for over two months. and at night
II could be seen for more than 200
miles away on the Mexican gulf. II
Illuminated the whole country. and
newspapere could easily be read al mid
night 1t Z distance OF II miles away