The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1914-06-18
APPALACHIAN OIL
PRODUCTION IN 1913
Nearly 100000 Barrels, Valued at $685.
100000, Reported by United States
Geological Survey.

During 1913 the Appalachian oil field
embracing New York, Pennsylvania
West Virginia, southeastern Ohio, and
Kentucky, showed slight decline-l.72
per cent.-in the production OF petro-
ieum. falling from 26,33S,5l6 barrels in
| 1912 to 25,SS5,64 barrels in I9l3-a
decrease of 452,S76 barrels. The value,
amounting to S63,6l9,677 in 1913, was,
on the contrary, increased by 4s.5S per
cent, about the same proportional in
crease as was shown in 1912 over the
previous year. The largest amount
| q, 1907 ,422 barrels) was produced in
April; the smallest amount (l,963, AGO
barrels), in February. The average price
per barrel increased from $l.63 in 1912
to $2.46 in 1913 according to the United
States geological survey.
Increased Activity in New York.
The increase in the price of petroleum
which began at the end of 1912 had the
desired effect of stimulating drilling ac-
tivity in all the Appalachian states. In
New York this took the form chiefly of
, cleaning out old wells, with an immedi-
ate increase in production. In January,
1913, the product rose from monthly
total of 73,42l barrels to 77.029. Febru
ary. besides being a short month, always
shows low production, because of severe
weather but the product in 1913 was
slightly greater than for the same month
in 1912 The spring months showed a
decline from the previous year, but the
gain was nearly continuous during the
4 4 - he aIn ,f he
year, so that for the first time in seven
years New York showed a gain in pro-
duction. The increase amounted to 3.2l
per cent, or from S74, l2S barrels in 1912
to 902.2ll barrels. Although this total
is negligible in the product OF the whole
country, the gain is significant in show
ing what a rise in price can effect in
state where the average yield per well
is less than anywhere else on earth.
The usual course of production in New
York for several years has been a de-
cline OF about seven or eight per cent,
so that the change To 1921 per cent in
crease IS really significant. The total
value increased from 81 .40l $50 to 49,
100, 1857, or 5475 per cent, which was
phenomenal. The average price for the
per barrel OF ~ gallons.
Decline Changed TO Increase in
Pennsylvania.
The conditions in New York were
true also of Pennsylvania. and in this
state also the stimulation by high prices
was so great as to change a usual decline
of FIVE or six per cent. into very slight
increase-l0l per cent. A total OF
1927 1877 barrels was produced in 1913,
against 1894 barrels in 1912. The
gain in total value waseery great. The
total value was Sl9,7l6s1As in 1913 and
Sl2, ss6.752 IN 1918, at an average price
of $2.49 in 1913, compared with Sls64
in 1912.
The oil regions spread over so much
territory in western Pennsylvania, in.
GLIDING pools scattered from the New
York to the West Virginia and Ohio
boundaries, that the productive condi-
tons vary considerably in different pools.
All have long since passed their prime,
but they differ in their stages of exhaus-
ton. Those in Venango county and the
Bradford and other northern pools in
clude the pools which originated the oil
industry in the United States and in
ternational oil commerce, although Can
ada's oil production began at about the
same time, and Roumania also was a
productive country before the Drake, the
first American well, was drilled. The
wells in the southwestern counties of
Pennsylvania have been drilled more re-
Gently.
1t is a matter of some national pride
that the spirit of thrift and conserya-
tism in New York and Pennsylvania has
kept these old wells productive, with no
other aid than the homely ingenuity of
the citizens of these states, who have
contrived maryelously economical and
efficient means TO keep the wells pump
ing with little recourse to special legis
lation on the one hand or to the use of
large capital on the other.
The fact is to be emphasized also, in
accounting for this feat in increasing
the production from those old pools, that
it was due chiefly to skillful work in
once more cleaning out wells that have
been cleaned again and again, rather
than to new production. In the SOUTH
western counties of Pennsylvania some
wells were drilled. Thus
in Washington county, near Venice,
early in the year, several new wells |
started with 35 to 80 barrels a day In |
county, interest was stimu-
lated by a 25o-b barrel well near Duff City
and 40 barrel well was struck near
Walkers Mill. In Greene county, the |
Bristoria field yielded a few promising
wells, and a 35-barrel well was obtained |
in Westmoreland county. Butler coun-
ty, near Parker, gave a few SHARED
wells.
West Virginia Output Valued at