The Cordova daily times., 1923-01-08
CONDITIONS IN COLD BAY OIL
 FIELD GIVEN

J. H. bOStellO, pIUlHlleIl odl Y dh cisco business man and one of the early pioneers of the Cold Bay oil district, writes Capt. A. E. Lathrop a comprehensive review regarding conditions in that section, upon which he is especially we'll in- formed His communication follows:
 q was fully advised relative to the Standard Oil Company plans regard ing their investigation of the Cold Bay district, as well as their acquisl- tion of claims in the West field; in fact it was through my personal rep resentations early last fall and nu- merous conferences since my return to San Francisco several months ago, which resulted in the Standard send ing to Cold Bay an expedition com prising several geologists and field engineers for the purpose Of investl- gating the prospective oil sections of the Alaska peninsula.
 "I was also fairly well informed relative to negotiations pending for considerable period between the Westward Development corporation, the General Petroleum and Assoc1- ated Oil Company. It is indeed high ly gratifying to realize that the pros pective oil resources of Alaska have eventually become attractive to the most formidable oil interests of Cali fornia.
 "Commencing with my early opera tions in the Cold Bay district in 1903, have always been hopeful and confl- dent that this district would ulti- mately become the most promising and leading oil producing center in Alaska.
 Notwithstanding the Government eeologists have been making annual trips to Alaska for twenty years or more, little authentic information of consequence has been noted in the oil publications relative to the oil resources of Alaska, and it may be ot interest to learn that during my first interview with the Standard Oil con- pany officials, they were not aware Of the Cold Bay district and displayed surprise to learn that the harbors tributary to the fields were free from ice during the winter season and were actually navigable 12 months of the year; consequently you will ap- preciate how little is known among the oil interests in general that oil exists in Alaska.
 Extensive development work and a substantial production must neces- sarily become a certainty prior to the locality being placed on the oil maps It seems quite premature to proclaim in flaming red headlines that Alaska is the greatest oil country in the world. Certainly remarkable and wonderful strides must necessarily be made in this respect in order to eclipse the daily production of the mid d-continent, middle west and Pa cific Coast oil centers, and Mexico should have some consideration.
 Eighteen years ago, in reply to inquiries received from London. E.. c. for information regarding Alaska oil, the following extract from some
 
 may be worthy of noting in this com munication:
 "Tt has been clearly demonstrated that the Alaska crude oil as derived from the surface seepages and at depths, is a high-grade paraffine oil containing somewhat larger percent age of naphtha and gasoline than is derived from the best Pennsylvania crude oil and compares equally fav- orably in yield and quality in all other refined products.
 "Inasmuch as the Alaska crude oil is essentially adapted for refining purposes, and in view that no oil having paraffine base has as yet been developed in commercial quanti- ty upon the Pacific Coast, it would undoubtedly find ready home and foreign market, commanding a price such as would cause the producing field to become profitable to operate.
 "It usually requires many years of persistent development work and a large outlay of capital in order to eventually establish an oil field on a commercial producing basis and wor- thy of conservative consideration It is generally the promoters of oil in- vestments who are the most optimis- tic and it may be appropriate to re- late a little incident relative to a chap engaged in the oil promotion line in the shallow oil producing dis
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