The Cordova daily times., 1918-09-11
MUST CONSERVE CALIFORNIA O|L
 FUR NEW SHIPS

development of hydro electric re- sources. and corresponding saving iE fuel oil is win the war" program already well under way on the Pa. cifc slope.
 The fuel oil supply must be fur ther conserved D. NJ. Folsom, nited States fuel oil director for California, announced today. to meet the ln' creased demands of industry and to supply the rapidly growing fleets Of oil-burning vessels. The present available oil supply in California. he said, show surplus of approximately 20, ,OOO, 900 barrels and an increase oi 10000. 900 barrels in annual conSump- | ton over supply. Assuming that pro- | duction and consumption will con tinue at the same rate, the surplus would therefore last about two years.
 Notable economies, which will to- have already been effected through | the adoption by the western indus tries of patriotic conservation meth 0ds since the first of the year Folsom said. In the Pacific Northwest Oil consumers have been induced to sub stitute the refuse 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. are cooperating to safeguard the states stock of oil by filling their con tracts in Chile Peru and Panama with petroleum from the Tampico fields in Mexico.
 Great hydro electric projects ot 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 nave been indorsed by the fuel admin tra- tion. the California state railroad om- mission and the shipping board. Ap- plications for authorization of the projects. as well as number of oth- els. are now before the War finance corporation. Folsom said.
 "California had in storage July l, 1 1918. approximately 22,S00000 barrels of heavy crude oil and refinery resid ium. suitable for fuel" said Folsom. "In addition there was a stock of 7.oO0.ooO barrels of light oil from which 4.O00.OO0 barrels would be left for fuel after retiring. This gaye total supply of 26.SO0000 barrels of fuel oil, but inasmuCh as more than G.OOO.000 barrels are required to keep the pipe lines running and for other operating purposes. the actual avail !. able fuel oil stocks amounted to ap- proximately 2O.O0O.OO0 barrels"
 California fuel oil is now being con sumied at the rate Of 90, 0,OOO,O0O barrels . a year.
 The response of the oil operators . tC the wartime demand has brought production from California fields yir- tually to maximum. it is belle ed. One hundred million barrels of oil, of which 80, 900. .0OO barrels are avail . able for fuel, is Folsom's estimate of the states annual output at the pres ent time.
 The vessels already built and now being constructed on the Pacific coast by the Emergency Fleet Corpora ion will require 1S,OOO 900 barrels of oil year, Folsom said but the demand will not depend largely upon Calitornla's s production until after these ship, re. turn to the Pacific after the war
 Although most of the ships turned out on this coast may be converted into coal burners, il would be mad visable to do this. Folsom asserted, because the reduction of labor cost effected through the use of oil-hurn- ing apparatus makes it profitable for the United States to compete with foreign shipping interests having cheaper labor and cheaper coal.