The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1916-06-22

the drilling Of but As new wells each
year that would insure oil for North
America for 100 years.
1t Is not expected that the produc-
! ing districts in the Mexican fields VIII
decline as have the oil pools in the
[ United States. The geological condi-
tions are different. Many of the MeXi-
can wells have increased in flow and
surpassed the early estimates of their
capacity. For example:
initial Actual
Prod'n. flow later
Juan Casiano, No. 6----1O,000 $4,000
Juan Casiano, No. 7----20,00 $4,000
Los Naranjos, No. l. 5000 10000
Los Naranjos, No. 10000 $4,000
| Xurita, No. 3.----------30,00 900 10000
The Oldest commercial wells in Mex
leo Pez, No. l, in the Ebano district,
and Juan Casiano, No. y after pro
ducing since 1904 and 1907 respectively
and from widely separated districts
have shown no decrease. The famous
Potrero del Llano well, in the south
ern part of the field never has pro
duced up to its capacity and is now
yielding as much as ever
Although the Mexican oil territory
is on the coast, there is present diff
Guilty in getting the oil to market.
present equipment in pipe lines and
steamships cannot possibly handle the
full production of all the wells drilled.
This production is estimated various
ly from 100000 to 100000 barrels per
day. In 1913 the production of these
wells was 24,574,500 barrels. Not only
was there no decline in the flow from
the old wells in 1914, but the 80 new
wells brought in represented pos
sible increase of 10000 barrels per
day in production.
The European war and the internal
troubles of Mexico have hampered de
velopment greatly. AT no time has all
operations been stopped, but continu-
Gus new development has been inter
rupted. Now conditions are better, but
far from satisfactory. 1t is of vital
concern to the United States that such
properties as its citizens own in the
territory be undisturbed. The com
panies pay tribute to Mexico on every
gallon of oil they handle. OF the three
big foreign companies in the Mexican
field two are American. The three
big companies are Mexican Petroleum
company, the Mexican Eagle company
and the Metropolitan Petroleum. The
Mexican Petroleum and the Metropoli-
tan Petroleum company are American
The Mexican Eagle is British. Per
sonality means much in the oil in
dustry. In the Mexican Petroleum
company, Edward l.. Doheny is the
towering figure. In the Mexican Eagle
Lord Cowdray, who was Sir Weetman
Pearson, is the head. In the Metro
politan Petroleum company, Richard
lowering is the directing genius.
One reason for Americans having
particular concern just now in the
Mexican oil situation is revealed in
the bulletin of the United States bu-
reau of mines referred to in the fore
going. That bulletin contains these
two paragraphs in addition to those
quoted heretofore:
ut is significant that President Run
ciman, of the board of trade of Great
Britain, in the house of parliament
said in the course of an address on
January 10, 1916, that the future pol
icy of Great Britain would be not only
TO control the coal of the world, but
the supply of oil as well, We have
been officially put upon notice and it
needed but this eliminating bit of tes-
timony to prove a case already well
understood by thoughtful students of
the petroleum industry.
at is a we'll known fact that the
Union and probably the Associated
Oil companies of California would
have passed into British ownership
had not the war broken out"
And the Shell company (English)
has acquired tremendous holdings in
spite of the war.
In other words, if American Oil
interests in Mexico are not safeguard
ed they may be gobbIed up by Great
Britain. What is just as important
is the fact that if the United States
does not draw more oil from Mexico