The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1920-09-13
]. S.NOW AT
PEAK IN OIL
PRODUCTION
Solution in Machinery and
Methods to Reduce
Consumption
ny HARRY n. HUNT

mn t9&R t.tAttA WV wv ~ AtfN 49,
N petroleum production.
That Is tho belief OF government
eeolcxlsts, after the most painstak'
Inn computations covering probable
oil remaining I'm the ground. the pos
uiblc development OF known reserves
and the probable decline OF produc-
ton In present fields,
DECLINE WILL COME
AT END or isei
For the remainder OF the year 1890
and thru 1891 we may be able To hold
production at about its present level.
hut unless the unexpected happens.
the end OF 1891 win see the begin.
ming Of a decline In the volume OF
Uncle Sans petroleum production
and fairly constant falling away,
year by year. until tho pools are all
Grained dry.
Facing this situation. the immcdi.
ne problem. II Is declared. Is not In
trying TO produce. somehow. from
oomewhere, more oil than is being
produced today. but to develop meth.
Dds and machines that will make one
barrel OF oil do twice or thrice the
service Il now performs
In 1919 the United States produced
ehree'fifths Of the petroleum output OF
the enirc world. 3TT,7is.00o barrels.
out Of sss.sss.oo And we ourselves
consumed II all. and slightly more.
INCREASE THIS YEAR
Il1REE TIMES NORMAL
This year. thru the stimulus OF
high prices and insistent demand.
production win be pushed close to
the 100000 barrel mark-ahout
three times the normal yearly in.
crenne. But consumption has
unounted as steadily. and despite
heavier importations from Mexico.
Trinidad and Tohago. reserves OF oil
ore about 5000 900 barrels smaller
HAN at the beginning OF last winter.
Since June l, daily production In
Al fields has mounted to about
1-3>o.ooo barrels. Yet during thls
o4me period consumption has aver.
oged 100000 barrels daily. the DIR. I
fesence being made up from importa.
ions. mostly from Mexico. which |
NOW average close to $50. 900 barrels. |
and which alone have made possible
any building Up OF reserve stocks.
This high tide of oil production. !
which biologists believe IL now
reached. the ebb beginning by the |
End Of 1921. comes just when we
have reached the halfway point In !
The depletion OF our oil deposits,
MTINATES OF PETROLEUM
MAISING IN GROUND
Estimates recently presented By |
Dr. David White. chief geologiss OF |
the geological survey. placed the |
amount Of petroleum remaining In
ne ground under the United States
- probably s.-se.ooo. 900 barrels. as
- January. 1918. The total pro. |
auced to that date was 4.5ss.i&4. 900 |
barrels.
Adding the 1919 production OF
175.719.ooo barrels and the expected
pruduction OF 10000. 900 barrels In 1
1870. TO the amount produced. and by I
january. 1921. just about one-half Of /
the total oil in the country will have
been taken out.
The new Wyoming field. ia estt
mated to hold total OF about 4o0,-
100000 barrels. IL IL doubtful. how.
ever. II production within the next
year will reach 10000 900 barrels.
Because Of the steady decline In
petroleum stocks for nine months
prior to June. and the corresponding \
efeady increase In price Of refined
oils and gasoline. there was a sns.
p1c1on that production was being de-
uberately restricted
FOUR INVESTIGATIONS;
THREE BY GOVERNMENT
-Four independent investigation.
covering all the major fields. were
made. Three Of these were by fcsI.
eral agencies--the geological survey.
the federal trade commission and the
department. Of commerce. The fourth
conducted principally in the Call.
fornia, Rocky Mountain fields. was
made by the American Automobile
association.
The results showed that. with the
possible exception Of in the Cali.
xorn'a field. there was no deliberate
restriction Of output. The real rea-
son for reduced stocks apparently
was disclosed by increased consume.
tion.
IL Is more than possible. IL IL
stated. that companies In the Cali. \
fornia field. knowing that they have
the biggest single reservoir OF DC.
troieum In the United States. prefer
70 hold their surplus Underground for
fabulous profits foreseen for the fu-
ture.