The Morning Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Okla.) 1919-1927, 1922-04-30
Mid-Continent Operators to
BE in Strongest Position
Next FcW Years

Next FcU Years
PONCA CITY, April 29.--Mid-
| Continent oil field operators who are
Iadvantagcously located, particularly
! those with a considerable oil acre
|agc reserve on hand viii BE- In tho
strongest poeition Of any in America
during tho next few years accord -
/ INK to &. g. Osbon, head of tho de-
partmout Of economies OF the Mar
I land oil company Of this city. lie
shows there nro about $4,000 pro-
duccrs In this field. which produced
l25G.OS5.OOO barrels OF crude, chief
ly light oile, during 1921 and which
has an eetimltcd reserve Of 1000, 70
O0O 600 barrels, chiefly light oils
oklahoma, he paya. occupies the
center Of the stage In this field.
MIR Osbon maintains that, not
withstandlng the fact that the Unit
Cd states ia the premier oil pro-
duccr Of the world and also the
worlds largest consumer. "thls
country has been dependent since
1913 ON the imports of foreign oil to
supplement tho domestic supply"
However. American wells and rc-
fincrics have long supplied about
two-thirds Of tho combined require
foreign countries" says MIR. Osbon.
at has often been stated that tho
petroleum resources OF the United
states. compared with It's require
ncnts. nre limited Far-sighted OPP
orators realize the importance OF Sc
curing tho control OF foreign re-
serves. but this country will prob
ably be the worlds leading oil pro-
ducer for many years. Consumers
will continue to look beyond the
next decade to American wells for
large pnrt of their oil: thoy may
confidently do this for their gnso-
line and other light products be-
cause thla country produces nearly
all the worlds gasoline and contains
ono region Ohe Mid Continent arcn)
estimated to .Dc capable OF yielding
more than three billion barrels Of
relatively high gravity oil.
Mid Continent IL Foremost.
"Thc Mid-Continent field is tho
most important light oil producing
region In the world. In 1921 1t pro-
duccd moro than 256,O00,000 bar
rclS. nearly % per cent OF which was
oil that yielded a large fraction of
gasoline ana other light products.
This production amounted to more
than "a per cent of the output OF all
oil by the entire country aud was
only $4,000, 900 barrels less than the
production OF all foreign countries.
Production has been Increasing
more rapidly In this region than in
any other domestic area and IL w
ttnon the Mid-Contineut producers
.hat the world must depend during
the next few years for "A large pro-
nF - nt
oil. 1t Is estimated to contain about
three billion barrels. oklahoma Is
the most important state in the re-
gion,
The present daily production OF
the Mid Continent field IN approXi.
mately 100000 barrels. Last year
the average was 697 900. There has
been steady increase in the yield
since the region was first discov-
cred. This production comes from
over 80 major producing fields con-
tanning nearly 10000 wells with an
average yield OF 10 barrels daily.
The wells of the Mid-Continent field
are relatively long-lived. Many wells
drilled 15 years ago are still pro-
ducing oil In commercial quanti-
| ties.
"Tho oil In tho Mid-Continent Is
found In sands ana moderately
porous limestone reservoirs under
conditions OF pressure and mobility
that prevent its withdrawal In a
short timo. The pools are widely
scattered and relatively extensive IN
area. A single well can drain only
IA small part OF II pool, and no mat
ter how intensive the development
the unmined oil reserves of the Mid
/ G.,,. 81 l..
for many years"
Mr.. Osbon shows that next to tho
! Mid-Continent, the Appalachian an,
Rocky mountain regions are tn,
principal light oil producing areas
but the reserve of these fields q
estimated at littlo moro than one
fourth OF the reserve in tho Mid
Continent. and together in l92lah,
Appalachian and Rocky mountair
fields produced only "A little over
one-fifth OF the oil that was brought
to the surface In tho Continent
region. The Appalachian field ha
been gradually waning since lgUl
and the Lima Indiana and lllinoi
fields are not important contriDu
tors, ho says. California and III,
gulf coast are large producers o
oil. but IL is heavy and the ayerag,
yield OF tho two classes OF petroleum
is only about 16 per cent of gaso
line compared TO 81 per cent OBJ
tanned from Oklahoma kansa
crude.
Greatest Gasoline Producer,
More than so per cent of all tn,
light petroleum. products made ii
this country IL consumed In New
England and the states adjoining tn,
Great Lakes. but those states pro
duce only a small part of their re-
quirements," says Mr.. Osbon. "Th,
remainder iS brought to the surfac,
In the Mid-Continent field and trans
ported in the crude state through
pipelines TO the eastern refineries
or refined at the source OF supply
and shipped to the markets In tank
cars. over one-half OF the petrp
loum produced In the Mid-Continent
region is shipped eastward. Th,
Appalachian states produced in 1891
only 3O.5 million barrels OF tho 1l6,,
| 100000 that was run through theii
/