Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1916-04-18

the net production of crude oil for the
year 1915 is estimated by the geolog
ical survey to be slightly greater than
even the record breaking output Of
1914. All crude oil is not alike, how
ever From some of it high percent
age of gasoline can be extracted, ana
from other grades practically none
The 267, 900, 900 barrels of oil produced
in 1915 have considerably less gasoline
bearing crude oil in them than the
265 ,OO0O barrels of 1914. ST..
The most sensational development in
the 1915 oil business was the rise and
decline of the Cushing pool in Okla
homa At it's best, Cushing flowed
daily 100000 barrels of high grade
crude oil rich in gasoline. Cushing
alone was largely responsible for the
low priced gasoline obtainable In the
first months of 1915. Now, however,
the flow has fallen off rapidly and
Oklahoma is being explored in all her
, corners for successor to the Gushing
field. Down in Carter county they
have developed the so-called Healdton
pool until it is fast taking the place OF
Cushing 80 far as mere quantity goes:
but the Healdton oil is not as good q
, source of gasoline as was the Gushing.
This same objection applies TO many OF
the new strikes, both in the west and
in the golf region. They are fuel oils
rather than gasoline oils.
So statistics of crude production are
likely to be misleading as an index to
the gasoline situation. The present
high price is mainly due to falling off
in the flow of gasoline bearing crude
to the immense foreign demand Great
ed by the European war and to the
steady increase in domestic consump-
ton. 1t is thus due to normal econ
! omic causes, though the rise itself was
perhaps both quicker and higher than
those causes suffice to explain. The
country has to make the best of it.,
however, for there is little prospect of
immediate relief But there are sew
eral factors which promise to solve the
problem in the end. H.
Promising new strikes have been
made in northern Wyoming. The oil
obtained from these new wells is Of a
grade that yields good proportion OF
! gasoline and if the field holds up under
development it may do much to relieve
the scarcity A continuation of the
| same pools apparently extends into
Montana, for similar strikes have been
made Just over the Montana line, note
worthy as the first instances where
Montana has produced oil in CONNER
cial quantities.
The high price of gasoline has en-
couraged prospecting for new pools all
over the country. Several socalled
wild cat borings-wells drilled on
chance rather than geological indica-
tions-brought hitherto unknown fields
to light Tennessee came back to the
ranks of oil producing states in 1915.
In Evans City, Pa, 1875 barrel we'll
was opened on the Lutheran church lot
and rapid rise in city real estate. fol-
lowed. This general interest in new
borings may result in the discovery OF
new pools. such as those in Wyoming
and Montana, which will put fresh life
in the market.
One of the most promising and inter
esting features of the situation is the
continued development of the Rittman
process for producing gasoline from
other elements of petroleum and even
from other members of the hydrocar-
bon series, such as oil bearing shales
and peats. Dr. Rittman is connected
with the bureau of mines. His discov-
cry is already being put into CONNER
cial work at four different refineries,
where it is expected to increase the
gasoline production from a given
amount of petroleum as much as 200
per cent Should the process prove
all that it promises. 1t will be Of epoch
making Importance.
BY it's use, all the low grade fuel oils,
! which are now being burned in locomo-
tive and steamship engines will be-
come potential sources of gasoline. The
supply of available raw material will
thus be immensely increased. All the
food. of Mexican oil and the heavier
asphalt base western oils which are
being used for oiling roads may be
worked for gasoline.
The Rittman method is believed to
be similar to the Burton process for in
creasing the gasoline yield of an oil.
but unlike the latter, is discovery of
the bureau Of mines, and its use will
be open to the industry at large The
Burton process is controlled and kept
secret by large corporation.
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