New Britain herald., 1922-12-22
NEW DEVELOPMENT
 OF MINERAL WEALTH
Work Has Been Started in the
 West, Report Shows

Washington. Dee. 22.--A substantial
 beginning of the active development
 of vast mineral wealth, heretofore
 locked up in the public domain of
 the various western states but now
 liberated under the general leasing law. was recorded by Dr. II. Foster Bain, director of the bureau of mines, in his annual report.
 oil is the foremost product of these lands so far, but Dr. Bain said that when coal resources of the east start 10 give out, the government owned coal fields in the western states would be of prime importance.
 In the fiscal year ended last June. there were produced from govern ment lands, other than Indian lands, 1S,236,362 barrels of oil, of which the federal government received as roy alty 3,6l6,s52 barrels, worth s4,76s,- 397. not including bonuses. In addi- ton, at the end of the year, $14,000 a month was being received by the government from natural gas leases on public lands in Wyoming.
 In the Rocky Mountain field alone. there were on government land 336 oil wells. of which 267 were in the Salt Creek, Wyo, field. A hundred ether wells were being drilled.
 Under the terms of the develop ment there had been issued 294 oil and gas leases in four states and 7,727 prospecting permits, on each of which drilling is required, in IS states and Alaska.
 The largest number of producing wells belonging to the government is in the Salt Creek field, where the government holds title to nearly all the land. Such an immense amount of crude petroleum was produced that the capacity of the wells was far greater than the pipe line facilities to it.
 Proceeds Rapidly.
 Tn Montana also, development pro- ceeded rapidly and at the end of the fiscal year there were 57 producing wells in the Cat Creek field and nine drilling on government land In the newly discovered and promising Sun burst-Kevin field. Last June a we'll near the center of Cat Creek field drilled into second and prolific oil sand and flowed naturally at the daily rate of 1000 barrels. Another well came in at 2,4OO barrels. By these developments this field became the .hird largest producer in the Rocky Mountain region.
 These developments are exclusive 10 activity in naval petroleum re- ,erves. Final adjudication was reached n outstanding contests on such oil ands. leases were granted and drill ng arranged. A study made by the bureau of mines showed the govern | ment lands were losing heavily by drainage and that approximately 22,- 10000 barrels had been lost. Of this, on the scale now in effect the governments royalty would have been worth sS,S00,o0o. To prevent these losses, leases were given to drill on such lands where drainage occurred and the navy is receiving royalties In oil which is converted to fuel oil Tor naval vessels and shipped at such points as necessity warrants for time of emergency.
 The United States government is one of the largest. coal land owners In the world, and also holds impor- ant reserves of phosphate, potash, and other salts. Coal is now being nined in these lands, under lease, in Wyoming, Washington, Montana, North and South Dakota. Utah, Colo ado. New Mexico and Nevada. Phos- phate rock is being mined in Idaho.