Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1924-12-02
Gil EXPERT WARNS
It S. OF BIG WASTE
)fop in Production Seen and
Nations Supply Declared
! Not InexhaustibIe.
fNhe Associated Press.

Psfthe Associated Press.
NEW YORK, December "A
warning against the ''prodigal waste
pf. our store of OIL was sounded by
Int Julian d. Sears in an address
prepared for delivery today to the
fuels division of the American So
cUry Of Mechanical Engineers, in
session here
lathe vital tact remains" according
% Dr. Sears, who is administrative
Sselosist of the United States Geo
t9Sical Survey, that our supply is
rot ineXhaustible. and when once ex-
sractcd it is gone forever. Even
Forests, now causing so much con-
cel3r, because of their dwindling eN-
tert5, can be replanted, but oil. once
HSeh. cannot be replaced"
: Tho national demand for crude oil
IN 1924 probably will amount to
shout 500, 600 900 barrels. Or. SearS
said. Estimates of supplies. how
ever, arc much less certain.
Drop In Production.
Imports of oil, DIR. Sears estimates.
will remain about the same as for
I923--at 10000, 900 barrels. Domestic
production, however, Will proba bly,
drop from 732.407 900 barrels produced
last year to not more than 100000. 600
barrels, and perhaps as low as 10
400. 1000 barrels. Thus the national
supply. 100000 barrels for 1924.
would he slightly in exc, SIS of the de-
niand, and reserve stocks in January
1875 would be larger than those Ola
hand AT tho beginning of 1924.
= Predictions Of shortage of oil
supplies, according to DR.. Sears, are
5ascd partly upon the inefiiciency of
present methods Of production and
use. 1t is estimated that when the
average field is 'exhausted' at least
SO per cent of the original oil con-
tent is left in the ground.
Autos Chief Users of Oil.
Automobiles arc by far the great
est consumers of gasoline" according
to Dr.. Sears report. THE phenomenal
rise in the number of automobiles in
Ibis country would have caused an
acute shortage in the supply of fuel
rad not improved refining methods
greatly increased the yield of gasoline
from each barrel of crude.
Future growth of automobile reg
isiration may be confidently expected:
the 'saturation point predicted some
wears ago has long since been passed.
and now total of 100000 cars is
suggested as possibility"
There are now more than 10000
motor busses in operation on city and
intcrurhan routes, according to DIR.
Sears. and this number will expand
rapidly. as will commercial use of the
airplane. which 81 now in its infancy
he believes. Submarines, tractors,
farm electric light and power plants
VIII also considerably enlarge the de-
mand for gasoline, he estimated.
Railroads Big Consumers.
Last year the railroads of the
United States consumed 100000
barrels OF fuel oil, just little less
than was used by our merchant yes
sells; electric plants consumed nearly
as much; gas manufacturers con-
sumed about 22.Ooo.oo0 barrels of gas
oil, and other Industries about 1885,,
geo. 900 barrels of fuel oil"
The Navy, according TO DR.. Sears.
is consuming about 100000 barrels
OF fuel oil every year. and the OIL
burning steam engine and the Diesel
engine are being rapidly adopted for
merchant shipping.
There can be no reasonable doubt"
he says. that as a whole the coun-
try's need for petroleum will con-
tfRue to mount steadily in the future
as it has in the past