Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1913-01-11
WEST VIRGINIA
ADVANCED LAST
YEAR IN HER OIL
Moved Up From Fifth to Fourth
Place.
PRODUCTION IN 1912
WAS 11,800,0 900 BARRELS

Last Year Wss Full of Remarkable
Incidents Because OF the Great Dis.
coVeres-This State Showed the
Largest Increase in Oil Production
Of Any state in the Union. And II
Sold at Highest Prices.
WASHINGTON, Jan. 6.-West Vir.
ginia moved up from fifth place In
the production of oil In 1911 To foutrn
place In 1912. Louisiana, which in
1911 produced more oil than West
Virginia decreased its production for
1912, while the estimated production
of West Virginia for 1912 exceeded
that OF 1911 by more than two million
barrels. These figures and others
concerning the oil industry for 1912
have been given out by the United
States Geological Survey.
California still stands first in the
production OF oil with a slight In.
crease over the previous year: Okla.
homa and Illinois are still second and
third respectively, though the pro-
duction of each decreased during
the year. Following West Virginia
comes Louisiana. Texas, Ohio, Penn.
sylyania and indiana in the order
named.
The production of West Virginia
oil in 1912 is estimated by the Geo
logical Survey at IL, 500, 900 barrels
compared with 8, 795, aga in 1911.
West Virginia shows the largest in
crease in the year of any any in the
union and its oil brings the highest
price except that of Pennsylvania
which brings the same price.
Prices Of the different grades OF
oil at the beginning of 1912 and the
close of the same year are given by
the Survey. The Pennsylvania grade
which includes the West Virginia oil
increased from $3.50 a barrel TO $500.
The cheapest oil at the present time
comes from California where two
grades sold at the close of 1912 at
35c. a barrel which was an increase
OF sc from the beginning Of the year.
Slight Change in Production.
There was not considerable change
in the quantity of petroleum produc-
ed in the United States in 1912 com
pared with 1911, Nevertheless, ac-
cording to David II. Day, of the Unit
ed States Geological Survey, the year
was as full of remarkable incidents
as Is usual in the history of this ar
ticle of commerce, which depends for
its statistical position more upon the
chances of new discoveries and less
upon trade demands than any other
commodity except gold,
AS a rule, the eastern fields declin-
ed in production, because it was m
possible to keep up the great output
of 1911 without large additional dis
coveries of new pools in the older
fields. The eastern decline was,
however,o offset by the increase in Cal
%ifornia, where the San Joaquin Val
ley fields Midway. McKittTick, Mar
icope, etc,) are still at the height OF
the gusher stage.
1t will take much time to calculate
the amount of oil sold at the differ
n prices of the year. but ii is evi-
dent that the total value of the pro
duct increased markedly, being about
$3.50, 000. 900 compared with $134,144.-
752 in 1911.
Stocks.
In all of the fields except those of
California and the Gulf there was a
steady drain on stocks during the
year, so that from a total of S1,7S9,-
800 barrels-over a half years out
put-on January l, the stock declined