The sun., 1919-03-16
New Discoveries by the United States
Geological Survey Reveal Boundless
Supply of Oil Yielding Shale That
Will Produce Billions of Barrels

r row long can we count upon our
reserve of petroleum? Are we
= really nearing a day OF dis
heartening reckoning? This Is q mat
ter that concerns every citizen. for
II reaches into substantially every de-
partment OF our activities and the flu
ture problem of national defence.
Recently Franklin X. Lane. Secre-
tary of the Interior, informed the
United States Senate that 40 per cent.
of our total supply Of petroleum had
been exhausted. Up to January 1.
according to this authority, we had
produced fully 4,59s,000. 900 barrels
this since the discovery of oil in Penn
sylvania in 1859.
This means that we have left n po-
tential resource underground of $751;
000, 900 bsSvNls. And with the demand
increasing enormously year by year
the day of shortage approaches, there
fore, all the faster.
Needs OF Navy and Merchant ships.
The Committee on Commerce OF the
United States Senate. to which the
Secretary Of the Interior reported di-
rectly. was equally DESTROYS of learn
ing what would be the fuel oil needs OF
the navy and the Shipping Board for
1919.
Mr.. Daniels informed the committee
that our fighting feet would need,
during the current year, 100000 bar
rels Of fuel oil. and the Shipping
Board estimated that the operation of
the vessels coming under its cogni-
zance would call for 3l.209, 900 barrels
These figures do not take into ac-
count. of course, the millions Of bar
rels OF gasolene required by our vast
array OF automobiles, motor trucks
tractors, stationary engines. pleasure
craft, SC, nor do they include our ex-
ports and the multiplying demands OF
the chemical industry.
The United States Geological Survey
has given a good deal of attention to
this economic question. and some Of its
data are calculated to cause dismay
Using round numbers and based upon
a population of 100 900, 600, we are told
that the per capita production OF oil
between 1859 and 1917 amounted to a
barrels and that the per capita rate OF
production in 1917 was 81 barrels
leaving underground in 1913 an avail
able total per capita of 70 barrels
This calculation rested upon the as.
sumption that the present methods OF
mining would be utilized.
The division of mineral technology
OF the United States National Museum
has recently summed up the accumu'
lated knowledge Of hundreds OF work
ers in petroleum geology here in this
country, and two OF the experts OF the
division have put the situation II
terms that are disquietingly convinc
/, ing. The foregoing particulars fur
nished by the United States Geological
Survey do not tell the whole story.
We are informed by Chester q. Gil
bert and Joseph f. Pogue OF the United
States National Museum that:
1.-THE consumption OF petroleum,
to say nothing OF population In
crease, is growing at strong rate.
SO that a continuation Of the pres
ent tendency would exhaust the pc
troleum remaining in IN alarmingly
short period of time.
"It is OF course very evident that
the present tendency cannot persist
10 the point Of even approximate
exhaustion, because conditions nat
urally arising, such as price In
crease, growing imports and others.
would serve to relieve the tension
and thus spread the remaining sup
ply over a greater number OF years.
But OF practical importance Is the
period OF economic stress that Is
ushered in when the resource faces
greater demand than It can NIL in
tho customary manner. That IL a
period Of readjustments to meet the
new conditions and arrives far In
advance of physical exhaustion"
These same experts say:
"Over half OF the petroleum cur
rently produced is used as fuel 10
steam raising, this portion includin
the crude petroleum employed 70
fuel purposes and the fuel oil prope
urned out by petroleum refineries.
- sq'he whole southwestern portion {
the United states 70 wholly depcnder
q