Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1920-11-07
TEXAS RED0UBLES
REFINING EFFORTS
Takes Lead Toward SoIu-
ton of Problem to Sup
ply Gasoline.

| MARSHALL, Tex, November 1.--By
duction. refining and conservation.
Texas is taking the lead toward the
solution of the serious problem result
ing from the steady decrease of Easo-
line stocks and the rapid multiple
cation OF gasoline-consuming vehicles.
, Besides coming to the aid of the
motorist with u yield of 1S,547,592
barrels of crude oil for the quarter
lending July /. which was an increase
lofl 100000 barrels over the total for
1.-THE preceding quarter. Texas refined
one fourth of the total gasoline out
put for the United States last year.
1.-THE state was also ranked fourth in
the production of crude oil in 1919.
One hundred and four refinerieS. with
a combined daily capacity of $4,000
gallons of gasoline per day, are oper-
iating, with twenty-three more in the
process of building.
To meet the unrelcntinE demand for
more gasoline. these refining plants
are turning out Il higher percentage
of gasoline per barrel of crude oil
than at any time since the first auto
mobile began burning it up.
Rules Enforced Vigorously.
Conservation rules are being rigor-
ously enforced under state super
vision, both at the retinerieS and in
| the field. Billions of feet of gas.
Formerly allowed TO waste. is being
converted into precious gasoline by
the casing-head process.
Troubles of the automobile man do
mot end with gasoline. The question
of supplying an adequate amount of
lubricant is viewed by government
)statisticianS as serio4rs. While the
production of lubricating oils in the
United States for March was the
greatest on record up to that time.
stocks show decrease. during the
first quarter of the year of 100000
| gallons.
! Stocks of lubricants at the re-
fineries on July 1 of this year amount
ed to 133.212.551 gallons as compared
with 175.3Si.175 gallons on the cor
responding day Il year previous, in
dicatinG decrease in stocks of
42.172,224 gallons during the year.
| The situation has naturally turned
| the thoughts of government officers
and engineers toward the measures
of alienation, prominent among which
are new sources of supply and making
the present supply yield more.
! Among the conservation rHcom-
mendations made by the American
| Petroleum Institute is the building
1 of automobile engines designed to
get greater mileage out OF gasoline
| by sacrificing if necessary the maxi
mum speed ofithe car and the reduc-
ton of the horsepower.
| Waste Thing of Past.
| Waste due to inexperienced hand
/ ling of wells and lack of knowledge
of formations which characterized
the early development of Texas fields
is said to be almost a thing of the
past in Texas. Wells are being put
| down with view of getting the
greatest possible amount of oil from
the lease. and speed in realizing re-
| turns on the investment, which in
! the beginning Of the latest boom was
the cause of much loss. is secondary
| consideration. Out of 1853 holes
drilled in. Texas during 1919. 3,72S
produced oil or gas, the greater pro-
portion being oil. Old holes aban-
doned as busters or considered ex-
hausted are being worked over and
developed into paying wells
t-Although working under the handi-
zap OF dfsrepute brought about by
ouccaneer promoters and some stock
companies: wildcat operators are con-
tlnuing their search. for new fields in
Texas with promise Of opening up addi
tional sources of supply