The New York herald. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1920-1924, 1920-11-17
BHBddFEON BARRELS TO
Be YEARLY OIL NEED
100
Rapidly Increasing Demand
Will Reach That Total.
Says K. L. Welch.
CONFIDENT OF SUPPLY
Danger of GasOlene Shortage
Point ted at Gas Association
Convention.

OF consumption in the United States
IS increasing so rapidly that the future
demand viii be 1.O00,OOo,o00 barrels
yeaa, and that amount readily can be
absorbed, r. L. WEIGH. general counsel
and secretary of the Amer. Petro-
leum Institute said yesterday at the
second annual convention OF the Amer
ican Gas Association in the Hotel Penn
sylvania More than 1000 delego ties,
representing 50 per cent. of the national
gas industry, were present. The sessions
viii continue four days.
Mr.. Welch said the days when I'M
limited quantities of oil could be pur-
chased at low hyures had gone, never TO
return. AT present petroleum reflneries
we're actually in competition with gas
companies for gas OIL. he said. He as
serted ii vas impossible to determine the
amount OF the future supply because of
uncertainty regarding the producing
qualities of the wells and that gas COM
panies hereafter must pay price VIII ch
would take the oil away from the owners
OF automobiles.
Owing 10 the progress made in oil
engineering Mr.. Welch said he felt safe
in giving certain estimates. The United
States produced $4,000 roo barrels Of oil
last year. and the estimated production
this year would be $50 900. oOn barrels
Beginning with 1921, he expressed the
belief that the minimum annual rate of
production would be Az 600, 900. To tn S
he added the 900 900 annually i'm
ported from Mexico. giving an availabl
eupply of 25.oO0,00 HIS faith IN the
future oil sunplv was based on his faith
in coming methods of oil engineering. he
told his hearers
NJ Wa1cb avffyyoafad tharo would
be 1900 000 automobiles in the United
States by January 1. 1922, and said
there was barely enough easolene to
meet present demands, crude oil stocks
having been at the lowest point ever
known last September. He explained
that motor trucks required three times
as much oil as a passenger automobile
and said that the public, which is the
ultimate consumer. had the right to say
whether oil should be converted into
easolene for automobiles or irto gas oil
for use in lighting. heating and cooking.
George 3. Cortelyou. retiring presl-
dent of the association, asked for more
intensive deve' opment within and NOR =
legislative cooperation from without
as a r0en~S OF occurring incran sirgly eff
cient service from public utilities.
There must" he said. "also come re-
lief from burdensome demands made
upon us by the rigidity Of statutory en-
actments. necessitating recourse TO long
and expensive litigation, and by excess
sive regulation or bureaucratic eNac-
lions. Admirable as may be the purpose
underlying II. and sound as some Of its
principles may be. regulatory legislation
should be smpihed."
Charles A. Munroe. vice-presdent and
general manager OF the Peoples Gas
Light & Coke Company. OF Chicago, was
elected president Of the association.
Howard Bruce OF Baltimore was elected
vice-president, and II. NJ. Brundage. OF
the Consolidated Gas Company of New
York, treasurer.