The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1919-03-05

yet very ample. But engineers have adopted rough-and-ready ratio. es- timating one ton of oil yearly to 9 ton of deadweight shipping, where the fuel is burned for steam. and half q ton yearly for motor ships.
 On this basis the American mer- chant marine alone would require 150, 900 barrels yearly for steam. or 75.OO0. GOO barrels for motor ships The worlds ocean tonnage was 50, 900, 900 tons before the war, and un- der the improvement and cheapening in transportation, made possible through petroleum. might increase to 75,000,Oo0 tons within the next five or ten years, this estimate including our own merchant marine.
 Thus, for 75,0O0.OOO tons of motor ships there would be required yearly somewhere between 0O,000, ,O00 and 25OO0,O ,O00 barrels of crude oil. This is approximately half of the worlds total present production, and more than so per cent of our own produce ton.
 Where is the oil to come from?
 Fortunately nature has stored sup plies in the earth for precisely this situation. Mexican petroleum is pc culiarly suited for marine use. In the district round Tampico, which has been the scene of petroleum develop ment for the past IS years. there are two types of crude oil taken from Op- posite sides of the PanuCo river. which runs through Tampico and di- vides the district. The northern type of oil is a heavy crude oil that can not be refined but s suitable for burn ing to make steam. Ire southern type of oil is lighter. When refined this yields about ? per cen. Of crude gasoline and is suited for Diesel en- zines
 No such oil field has yet been To cated in any other part of the world. | The Tampico district now has about 1 50 wells in production. w:j.2 T esti- 1 mated capacity of 1,5oo,o0 h-~re's dai1y-more than twice as much oil as would be needed to operate the worlds merchant fleets and navies It is true that Mexico at present produces only from 5o.000 GOO to i 60,OO0.00O barrels year.s-:: but this
 represents simply the quantity tH0t 1 can be handled in available pipe 1 lines and tank steamers.
 l The Petroleum Age
 1 The Tampico district is less than i | 1t lies over enormous reservoirs of oil and is considered but part of a | general oil region 1,600 miles long and from 75 to 100 miles wide. Pros pectors have also found promising oil indications in Guatemala, Venezuela 1 Colombia, Ecuador, and other parts 1 of Latin America.
 Today there are about 50 compa- nies operating or holding oil lands tr l the Tampico district, with storage 1 tanks and pipe lines to get the oil l down to the ocean. Mexicans have
 not been active in developing this re-
 zion because their political troubles
 have been acute during the chief per iod of Tampico development
 1 Political unrest in Mexico is still
 a serious handicap to oil production the construction of new pipe lines and port facilities. and the invest ment of additional capital by outside operating companies. But by the time the worlds improved merchant fleets are ready for the transforma-
 ton of petroleum, it is to be hoped that Mexico will have worked out poll
 ticaI stability. The petroleum lies be
 meath her soil. It's efficient use means not only wealth to her but benefit to all nations.
 Within the next genera ton, and perhaps the next decade, the world
 seems certain to enter a new era
 the petroleum age. Oil will be v-de. Iy used for industrial power and heat
 ing all over the globe. Already there is a marked diversion to oil fuel 1T
 industrial centers along the Atlantic
 seaboard.
 It is estimated, roughly. that ont
 man can produce 800 tons of coa 1 yoarIv while the sauaa man ro1iph produce 1000 tons of oil This grea
 multiplication of human power is
 benefit that will irresistibIy make it
 own way, and besides greater result for mems work, there are the addi tionaI advantages of clean industria
 towns. more agreeable working condi