The Powder River County examiner and the Broadus independent. [volume] (Broadus, Mont.) 1919-1935, 1922-11-17

Charles e. Bowles 10 . prominent
Oklahoma operator who recently
came to Montana to take over tho
management Of the Gladys Belle
on company, tho concern Which re.
Gently brought in ono Of the largest
Producers IN the Kevin-9unburst
field. Mr.. Bowles recently made
An address in Great Falls dealing
with tho development Of tho oil IN.
dustry, which was very interesting.
Mr.. Bowl e. came to Montana from
Tulsa. whore he had long experience
during the 20 years within which the
petroleum industry reached the pres
emit 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 oil
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 it has as much oil as has been
developed in Oklahoma. The situa-
ton with this state is comparable
with that in Oklahoma 20 years ago.
II there shall be an equal develop
ment, benefits just as 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 30 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 10000 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 q 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 ~
barrels we'll a day. In Oklahoma,
It Is little higher than this figure
the average being 5.S barres well
q day. In Pennsylvania, the average
Is only three-tenths of 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
1t was shown that there are $4,000
miles Of main pipe line in the United
States There nay be added to this
1850 miles Of gathering lines. So
within the pipe line equipment for
this industry, is the ability to care for
q volume which could not be trans.
ported by all the railways cars that
we have and all the locomotives that
we have. In addition to pipe lines
there are $4,000 tank cars and 22O
tan ksteamers, all of which makes q
mighty transportation system OF
which we take little account because
1t Is under ground, but which makes
possible transportation and the mar.
keting of the immense product in
question.
There are AIS refineries in the
United tSates ranging all the way
from the capacity of such plants as
the one at Casper, Wyo., having a ca.
pacity Of $4,000 barrels a day. or the
one at Tulsa. having q capacity Of
$4,000 barrels day down to much
smaller ones. The total refining ca.
petty OF all these plants is 1880, 200
barrels q day. The capacity, there.
fore, Is somewhat larger than the
daily production. Bowles expressed
the opinion that one of the promising
signs of the Kevin-Sunburst field
was not the opening up Of gushers
but the probability Of many moderate
producing wells.
The sum total Of petroleum produc,
ton since 1857 has been 100000.
900 barrels figure that can hardly
be grasped. So important has lubri.
eating oil and gasoline become thai
the heavy machinery and many indus
tries Of the country could not run q
hours Il oil production were cut off
Comparing the different fields. &C
cording to Bowles' tables, the eastern
field Of the United States has yield
ed about 10 per cent Of the crude OF
80 far produced3 the mid-continen,
field. 50 per cent: the mountain field
I per cent; the western field (Califar
nia). - per cent. Wyoming and
Montana may not rank with Califor
mia In time to come. but It would no,
be at all unreasonable II We should
look forward to such an accomplish
ment. Wyoming began to produc,
oil In 1894 and It took 10 years Il
get into the million barrel q month
class. It has taken Montana 81,