Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1921-02-15
OIL FIELDS OF MEXICO
Worlds Most Remarkable Source OF
Petroleum.
GREAT GUSHERS YIELD MUCH WEALTH
Industry Of Comparatively Recent De-.
veiopirrient and Up to This Time II
Appears That Il is Still Ii Its In

i aaHcy.. - .-'i-- 49,. -'.< --'.5.:-
/, /: Since the World War emphasized
the importance of petroleum. in mod
err wnrfare and awakened a. keen re-
: alizatioh' Of the even greater part 1t
will be called on to. play in reconstruc-
tion dnd in the industrial. and CONNER
cial development OF. the FUTURE inter-
est hos turned moreEand more to Mex
leo, which contains the most spectac-
ular Of the present producing oil fields.
This nearby oil region is the subject
of the following bulletin issued by the
National Geographic Society:
Mexico came into the world race for
oil production late: It's first producing
we'll, yielding a modest so barrels a
day, was. brought in not quite twenty
wears ago. Now it has q group Of the
greatest gushers in the world, num-
ber of which are capable Of producing
$4,000 to 100, 900 barrels each of liquid
gold" daily. BY 1911, Mexican produc-
ton reached twelve and a half million
barrels annually and surpassed that OF
three of; long standing leaders
among the countries to which the
world looked for it's oil isupply-Ru-
mania, 'Galicia. and the Dutch East IN
| dies. .. .''l' ,'":f s.",i: >. r.r
... Mexico Passes Russia. -. .. :....
In 1918 this: production was doubled
1 and by 1917 1T had more: than doubled
again. In 1918 Mexican oil wells
yielded' nearly 81, 100000 barrels, and
in 1919, more than Sf,000,0O0 barrels,
This latter production was in excess
not only of the current annual produc-
ticn of Russia, previously second
among oil producing countries, but
also exceeded Russia's high water
mark Of S5,OOO,000 barrels in 1901.
Now only the tUnited States, with a
production Of nearly 4oo.oOo,OoO bar
rels, Is ahead of>Mexico.
But Mexico Is accepted as having
the greatest demonstrated. oil field in
the world, and it is estimated that If
all its producing. wells had been per-
mitted to flow at their maximum dur
ing 1919 the resulting. production
would haveSbeen 100000. barrels
more than the actual production of the
entire world in 1918. As a matter of
fact only about 12 per cent Of the po-
tential flow Of the Mexican wells IS
permitted because storage, efining
and TRANSPORTATION facilities are made
uuatc to take care of more. These ia
cilities are being steadily increased,
however, and exports alone for 192U
probably averaged ten million barrels
month, the rate definitely establish
ed for the first six months of the year.
The Worlds Greatest Stream OF Oil.
1.-THE practice of Mexican natives OF
collecting fragments of asphalt and
bitumen which f1oated on the waters
of a large lagoon near the coast of the
Gulf of Mexico-south of Tampico,
and selling them in the neiGhboring
city, led to the realization that there
must be underground petroleum sup
plies near. Small producing wells and
even fairly large producers were
brought IN from 1901 forward, but 1t
WIS not until 1908 that the first of the
tremendous ,gushers that have aston
ished the world was brought in, near
San Geronimo, spouting between 60,-
900 and $4,000 barrels of oil day.
No such stream of oil had ever been
) encountered before and the drillers
were entirely unprepared to cope with
the situation. The great geyser Of oil
, caught fire from the boiler Of the
) drilling outfit and for. two months
constituted the greatest and most
spectacular oil fire. that the world has
, ever known. The roaring pillar oil
flame shot upward during its greatest
fury to "a height Of 500 to 1.4O0 feet
Illuminating the countryside at nigh
for many miles. and was visible tc
ships more, than 100 miles at sea. i
was finally extinguished by huge
pumps throwing streams Of gravel ant
mud. :. .'s.....
The gigantic gushers Of Mexico art
believed to flow not from Oil sands a:
in many fields, but from cnverns hol'
= lowed from limestone by erosion ant
; later filed with oil. 1t is supposed
that the underground lakes of oil res
on water under artesian pressure
What may eventually he expected j!
,, illustrated by one of the most famous
!, Of oil wells. the Potrcro del Llano
. This well flowed q mighty stream o
oil for eight years, producing NOR
. than n million barrels regularly eacl
$ month. year in and year out. Final!
Y the golden stream turned 10 worthless
3 salt water over night.
Z = Tremendous Territory UndeVeloned.
F''n Rich MS he:.known fields Of MeNic'
/ nre. II IS possible. that only a begin
: ling has been made in uncorering tn
. liquid .materiad wealth of the republic
i The fields now under exploitation
I etiter only about 500 square miles
: Biologists have found promising struc
\ tuye. for oil in Mexico over an area ag
n gregating 100000 square miles.
The future of the Mexican oil indus
" try:is likely to be profoundly affecte
& by political developments. The Mex