New Britain herald., 1924-04-17
AMERICA WASTES
 HER OIL SUPPLY
Amount as far as Known Good
 for About 20 Years

Washington, April 17.--America is wasting her oil as reckessIy as she is wasting her timber. Her present more or less yasible supply will last about 20 years more.
 By visible" is meant the oil which actually has been located" or which geologists are practically sure or.
 That any important additions will be made to it is more than unlikely, for as the Geological Survey says. "a large part of the territory in the United States that may possibly con- tain oil has been studied and wild eating has spread through prospec- tive into many regions of possible and even Impossible territory"
 Oil Is Imported
 As with timber the period Of oil scarcity already is here.
 The country's annual production" points out the Geological Survey, lis now almost half billion barrels but the annual consumption is well be- yond the half billion mark, and still growing. For some years we have had to import oil"
 And experts believe we have passed the production peak.
 Again ,as with timber. authorities don't mean to say that we shall ar rive, literally, al a given date in 1914 after which there will be no more oil that every flivver will have to be scrapped for lack of fuel.
 Estimates are based on the amount of oil recoverable from the ground by present methods. It remains to be seen what can be accomplished by new ones. Thus far, however, the Geological Survey says they can be regarded only 'as in the experiment tal stage" Besides, while those which are being experimented with may prove satisfactory in some dis tricts. it has been demonstrated al- ready that they won't work in others.
 In short. the Geological Survey finds little comfort in these suggestions of additions to the now visible domestic oil supply considering that the United States is already absolutely dependent on foreign countries to eke out her own production, and if the foreign oil can be procured, this de-
  greater as our fields wane."
 on Is Wasted oil. once gone, is gone forever. Now, how is oil wasted? A good deal is lost by fire, but | that's accidental---inexcusab so per- i haps but not deliberate. Then there's a heavy loss of the | by y-product-gas-whi might be saved by capping the wells, and used ! for fuel. Tn the great majority of i cases no such attempt is made.
 But the greatest loss is due to com petitiye drilling.
 ground in layers The bottom layer is richest The drill Of course pene- iiates the top layer first. The yield isn't what it will be as the drill goes deeper. but it's worth having. The top layer having been exhausted, the well goes on down, through layer after layer, the yield growing richer and richer. until the richest of all. ai tho bottom. is reached.
 The cream Of the deposit is skinned of the bottom and every thing else is wasted.
 Half Lost
 How much oil is lost in this way? Nothing like exact figures are avail able, but Harry Slattery of the Ma fional Conservation Association 'guesses" half of it--until very re- rsntly. The waste isn't quite so great now. Conservattonists have shocked it--somewhat. But it's still sery large.
 How much oil there was fin the ground when drilling first began in he United States is uncertain. No records were kept in the early days. Biologists generally put the figure ] sround 20 billion barrels. Less than half that much is left. But for what sas wasted. there'd be 1s billion bar -els today, instead of billion. And