The Kevin review. [volume] (Kevin, Mont.) 1922-1929, 1922-11-09

Charles e. Bowles is q prominent
Oklahoma operator who recently
came to Montana to take W. the
management of the Gladys Belle
Oil company, the concern which re-
Gently brought in one of the largest
producers in the Kevin-Sunburst
field. Mr.. BOwleS recently made
an address in Great Falls dealing
with the development of the oil in
dustry, which was very interesting.
Mr.. Bowl es came to Montana from
Tulsa, where he had long experience
during the 20 years within which tn,
petroleum industry reached the pres
ent large proportions In Oklahoma
The speaker in the first instance EN-,
phasized the difference between the
oil business and the oil game. He
said that oil has been much besmirch.
ed by methods employed in the OF,
game, but that the real Industrial pro.
duction Of oil was an outstanding eco
nomic activity with a solid founda-
ton.
He briefly told the story of how
the city of Tulsa had grown in 20
years from a little place of 90 people
to its present proportions, with a
population of $4,000. He compared
Montana with the Oklahoma produc-
ton Of two decades ago and declared
that oil men believe that Montana has
as much oil or has a right to hope
that 1t has as much oil as has been
developed in Oklahoma. The situa-
ton with this state is comparable
with that in Oklahoma 20 a ago.
If there shall be an equal develop
ment, benefits just Is large will be
reflected in the prosperity of this
state.
In his analysis of the oil industry,
Bowles divided it into four parts,
namely. Production, transportation,
refining and marketing. Out of oil
production, there comes 800 prod
ucts. In four of them, however, are
embraced 80 per cent of value and
quantity in the whole production.
The information under these
heads was outlined with instructive
tables. Under the head of produc-
ton, the number of producing wells
in the United States was given as
258,000. OF this number, it may be
said that there are $4,000 real pro-
ducers. The speaker emphasized the
relative Importance of the gusher and
the steadily producing we'll. He said
that the gusher was generally a posi-
tive detriment in a field because it
led to false hopes and a rush of in
vestment, and in it there is no guar
anty of steady volume.
These statements are proved by
the fact that the average production
of all wells in this country is only At
barrels a we'll a day. In Oklahoma,
1t is a little higher than this figure
the average being 5.8 barres a we'll
a day. In Pennsylvania, the average
is only three-tenths of a barrel a day.
These figures indicate that the steady,
small producing we'll is the one insur-
ing permanent and investment value.
Under the head Of transportation
It was shown that there are $4,000
miles of main pipe line in the United
There nay be added to this
4, 800 miles of gathering lines. So
the pipe line equipment for
industry, is the ability to care for
volume which could not be trans
ported by all the railways cars that
have and all the locomotives that
have. In addition to pipe lines,
here are 10000 tank cars and 220
an ksteamers, all of which makes a
transportation system of
which we take little account because
t is under ground, but which makes
possible transportation and the mar
of the immense product in
question.
There are Alb refineries in the
United tSates ranging all the way
rom the capacity of such plants as
he n at Casper, Wyo., having a ca
,acity of 10000 barrels a day, or the
,ne at Tulsa, having a capacity Of
$4,000 barrels a day down to much
mailer ones The total refining ca
,city of all these plants is 1,88O,000
a day. The capacity, there
ore, is somewhat larger than the
laily production. Bowles expressed
he opinion that one of the promising
signs of the Kevin-Sunburst field
vas not the opening up of gushers,
tAO PlOO0OAAAty VI A1dAy AOOOl atC
Producing wells.
The sum total of petroleum produc-
ion since 1857 has been 8,000,0 O0,-
100 barrels-a figure that car hardly
70 grasped. So important has lubri-
ating oil and gasoline become that
he heavy machinery and many indus
ries of the country could not run "a
If oil production were cut Oft.
Comparing the different fields, ac-
ording to Bowles' tables, the eastern
ield Of the United States has yield
d about 10 per cen of the crude oil
o far producedj the mid-continent
leld, 81 per cent; the mountain field, 1
per cent; the western field (Califar-
LAY, "A per cent. Wyoming and
may not rank with Califor-
ia In time to come, but 1t would not {
9 at all unreasonable II we should +,
,nJy fnrrro~l ~ oroh M opconn1i1h.t