Evening star., 1921-04-11
RICH RUSSIAN OIL FIELDS IDLE
AS DEMANDS OF WORLD GROW
Petroleum First Reached by Dug Wells,
Into Which It Seeped, to Be Bailed
Out and Carried Over Roads. 81.
N~GS6

while the United States and Mex
leo are forging ahead in the produc-
tion Of petroleum. feverishly develop
ing their discovered fields and tap
ping new ones" says a bulletin is
sued by the National Geographic So
ciety, 1.-The Russian fields. where some
biologists believe are situated the
worlds most extensive oil resources.
are to a considerable extent marking
time because of disturbed conditions
resulting from the world war. Al
though the Mexican oil fields are
more specta cular. and though those of
the United States are now yielding IN
the aggreE gate much more oil, the
Russian fields. especially those near
Baku. on the shores of the Caspian
sea, have long been very near the
front in world interest.
Gas Escaping for Ages.
'"The oil territory about Baku is not
like that in our own midcontlnent
fields, where grain grew IN a rlch
surface soil and where there were no
indications to tell the layman that
far below the surface were pools of
liquid gold. The oil-bearing strata
reach the surface or 'outcrop' over a
considerable area in the neighborhood
of Baku and the oil and gas escap-
ing al the surface have made their
presence known for ages.
There are no indications that in re-
mote times either the oil or gas was put
to much practical use, as modern people
understand that term. but there is little
doubt that priests of the fire-worshlping
cult which flouriShed in old Persia made
a good thing out of the phenomena.
Not far from Baku are the ruins of a
temple of the cult which is believed 10
have been in existence for more than
$500 years. Tower beacons and altars
lal ,, .k,oy
the masonry. which demonstrate that
gas-fitting is not craft OF modern
birth. These channels led from fissures
in the earth which once furnished nat
ural gas. To this temple came pilgrims
from all parts of the east as late as the
eighties of the last century. Beside the
walls of the temple today stands mod
ern refinery, furnishing an emphatic
contrast in the old and new uses OF
natures gift of oil and gas.
began in Russia in 1868, four years after
the first oil we'll was brought in on on
creek, in Pennsylvania. The first year
Russia turned out a little less than Al 600
barrels. while production in the United
States was more than 2.500.000 barrels
Russian Gushers "Fountafns"
'Early commercial development Of oil
in Russia was strikingly different from
the development in America Dug wells
were used. They were several feet
square and OF. depths varying from a
few feet to fifty feet or more. The Oil
seeped into the bottoms of the pits and
was bailed out. These crude methods
continued for eight years, but under
them a considerable production for those
days was maintained. In 1870. the year
before the bringing in of 1.-The first drilled
well, more than 100000 barrels were
produced.
"The bringing in of what. Ameri-
cans would speak of as the. first
Eusher was not an unni4ed bless
ing. This fountain efasspouter.' as
such wells are called by. the Eng
lish oil men of the Baku tfelds. was
unexpected.' Nothing was known of
the handling of oil flows under high
pressure at that time. 80 the well ran
Wild and could NOT be brought under
control Most. OF. the oil Was total
sWhen later 5 fountains were
brought in under control nothing like
the present demand for. oil existed in
Europe, CARRYING facilities were poor,
and the presence Of ,greAt quantities