The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1918-09-17
Of
FUEL OIL EURGED
Notable Economies viii Be Un-
Is dbftakeh' On Pacific Coast;
Demand Is Increasing

SAN FRANCISCO, August 23-(As-
ISOLATED Press Vast development of
hydro electric resources, and CORE
spending saving in fuel oil, is a twin
the war" program already well under
way on the Pacific slope
The fuel oil supply must be further
conserved, Dr. d. NJ Folsom. United
States fuel oil director for California.
ann OtInced today, to meet the inerens-
ed demands of industry and to supply
the rapidly growing fleets Of oil burn
ing vessels. The present available oil
supply in California, he said, shows a
surplus of approximately 20 1000 900
barrels and an increase Of lO, 600 900
barrels annual consumption over sup
ply. Assuming that production and
consumption will continue at the same
rnte, the surplus would therefore last
about two years
Big Saving Planned
Notable economies, which will total
some 100000 barrels annually have
already been effected through the
adoption by the western industries of
patriotic conservation methods since
the Rrst of the year, Folsom said. In
the Pacific northwest oil consumers
have been induced to substitute the re.
fuse of sawmills and coal for oil and
many smelters in Nevada, Arizona and
Utah are using powdered coal instead
of petroleum as fuel
California oil companies, Folsom said,
arc cooperating to safeguard the states
stock Of oil by filling their contracts
in Chile, Peru and Panama with petrol
cum from the Tampiro fields in Mexico
Great hydrO-electric projects of the
Southern California Edison company
on the Kern and San Joaquin Rivers
and Of the Great Western Power com
pany and the Pacific Gas and Electric
Company, on the Feather River have
been endorsed by the fuel administra-
tion, the California state railway com
mission and the shipping board. Ap-
plications tor authori cation Of the pro-
jects as well as a number of others are
now before the War Finance Corpora
ton, Folsom said.
Supply on Hand
"Caifornia had in storage July |,
1913, approximately 22,SOO,O 900 barrels
OF heavy crude oil and refinery resi-
dun, suitable for fuel" said Folsom.
In addition there was stock Of
1000, 600 barrels of light oil from which
1000 900 barrels would be left for fuel
after refining. This gave a total sup
ply Of $4,000, 900 barrels OF fuel oil, but
ipasmuch as more than 10000 bar
fels are required to keep pipe lines run
ming and for other operating purposes
the actual available fuel oil stocks
amounted to approximately 10000, 900. "
Production Increased
California fuel oil is now being CON
sumed at the rate Of 9O,OOO,O0O barrels
a year.
the war time demand has brought pro.
duction from California fields virtual
ly to q maximum, it is believed. One
hundred million barrels of oil, Of which
sc, 900 900 barrels are available for fuel
is Folsom = estimate of the states an
nual output at the present time.
The vessels already built and now be.
ing constructed on the Pacific coast by
the Emergency Fleet Corporation will
require 100000 barrels Of oil year,
Folsom said, but the demand will not
depend largely upon California $ pro.
duction until after these ships return to
the Pacific after the war.
Although most Of the ships turned
out on this coast may be converted in
to coal burners it would be inadvisablc
to do this, Folsom asserted, because
the reduction of labor cost, effected
through the use of oil burning appara
tus, makes it profitable for the United
States to compete with foreign shipping
interests using cheaper labor and
cheaper coal.