The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1913-12-21


purposes without the consent of the
department of the interior. Since ii
has all this oil land in charge why
look elsewhere for fuel supply? Not
only that, but the Usage field is one
admirably adapted TO the govern
ments purposes. The wells there
are deep ami while this makes drill
ing expensive the wells are the long
est lived of any in the Mid Continent.
That is, though they may come in
with a small production per day, they
hold up to that prcductIuE fer a
longer period OF time han any other
wells in the !ield This is what the
government wants It does MT wait
q supply of oil Just fer the the
being. 1t wants supply that will
not be diminishing as the demand
for fuel and lubricants by the gov
ernment increases all the time That
is why the Usage looks good to
Uncle Sam, oil prospector
In case congress puts its Official
.. X. on the navy's plan for going
into the oil business as a producer
Of its own fuel oil and by-products
with the necessary legislation per-
hitting the United States to bid for
leases in the Usage, a great industry
will spring up somewhere within
striking distance of the oil wells. In
the first place, like all other Mid
Continent oil, the Usage production
must be reduced before it can be
placed in the burners of the battle
ship boilers. 1t is a high grade oil
and must be refined to take off the
gasoline, naptha and kerosene, to say
nothing of the lubricants.
The location of government refin-
cries and the extent to which they
will affect other refiners is causing
considerable thought The refiners
are strictly opposed to the govern
ment going into the oil business as
a competitor, Snlly aware that the
if it saw fit, could fix
the price of crude oil and its by
products. If the government merely |
reduces the oil to fuel, and uses
the by-products for government use
then they have no serious objection. |
though they recognize the strategic |
position the government would oc-
.upy even in this limited capacity
They believe that it would still have
more or less of a regulating effect.
The government today consumes
'ast quantities of naptha, gasoline
md lubricants, not only in the naval
apartment but in various other
branches. 1t is apparent that in the
department alone, where
he constant expansion of mail sery
ce, particularly since the parcel post
as become a fixture, that the de
very OF mail by automobiles and
rotor trucks will in time create
ig demand for gasoline and lubri-
ants, to say nothing of the quanti-
les used by the navy and in the
rmy. 1t is believed by refiners who
ave given the matter thought, that :
le government would be able to use +
II the lighter oils they can manu- 7
lcture in reducing the oil to fuel un- =
,ss it be kerosene, and even this /
ould be used in large quantities, /
if the test now being r
Iade with kerosene for automobiles #
ecomes a success as it promises. Il
Still another important feature en- +
,rs into the plan. The fuel oil must :
ave a government carrier to tide f
ater where it can be placed aboard n
lie battleships. Two plans are feast
Ie. One is a pipe line to tide water
the other a line of barges on the p
rkansas river. Construction and op- s
ration of a pipe line is a costly r
after And money invested in such b
project is put away for all time. q
he pipe line and pumping stations O
'e permanent construction. That is 4
ley cannot be utilized for anything
Sc Neither can fuel oil be piped @
through a long line, be- b
luse it is too heavy and requires too t,
any powerful pumps. So it seems
at if the government secures the
lpply of fuel oil from the Usage |,
ition it must either build a pipe II
lie to the Gulf of Mexico and pipe 2
e crude there and refine it, or it h