Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-08-02
NATURAL GASOLINE
STORAGE ADVANCED
Bureau of Mines Reports
Large Gains Recently in
Plant Capacity.

There were 1,035 natural gasoline
plants In the United States, with a
total daily capacity of 10,516,OOO gal
Ions, on January /, 1880, according to a
survey conducted by the United states
Bureau of Mines, Department of Com
meFce. The last similar survey, that
OF January l, 1928, showed a total of
LBS plants of 8,048, 900 gallons daily
capacity. Thus in two years time the
number OF plants has decreased by 100,
put the total capacity has increased
2,468,000 gallons, or 81 per cent. This
Is roughly equivalent to the gain in
production over the same period.
over half Of the increase in total
capacity was registered in California,
where the development of flush oil
production having comparatively
high gas-on ratio In such fields rs
Santa Fee Springs led to construction
OF some new plants and material Ell
largement of others.
ss9 Plants in Operation.
OF the total plants, So were operat-
ing on January /, 1880, and SO were
shut down. This compares with 1850
operating and 95 shut down two years
ago, which indicates a tendency to
dismantle plants as soon as they be-
total daily capacity of the plants oper-
ating on January /, 1880, mounted to
1929, goo gallons, or 98 per cent of
the total, leaving only $4,000 gallons,
or 2 per cent, for the shutdown plants.
This contrasts with the refining in
dustry, which usually has per cent Of
its total capacity idle; the difference
is due to the relative ease with which a
refiner can secure crude supply as
against the difficulty the natural gaso-
line manufacturer has In re-establish-
ing his gas connections.
During 1929 the average total daily
capacity of the operating plants was
$500, 900 gallons while the average
daily production amounted to 6,0l5,000
gallons. This indicates that the plants
operated during 1929 at 81 per cent
of their capacity. ......
Although over so plants were dis
r1antled in Oklahoma during 1929, the
State, with 268 plants, continued TO
rank first In toal number. California
was second in number of plants with
1875, and was one of the few States
census. California was the leading
state in total daily capacity, with
1858, 900 gallons; Oklahoma was second
with 3,o85,00 gallons. The disparity
between the average size of plants IN
various sections of the country was
more pronounced than at any time
since these surveys we're begun. For
example, the average size of the plants
in Pennsylvania on january l. 1880,
was less than 1000 gallons daily, but
In California it was over 10000 gallons.
Largest Plant in Country.
The largest plant in the country Is
that of the General Petroleum Cor
poration of California at Santa Fe
Springs; the largest plant east of Cali
fornia is that of the Sinclair Oil and
Gas Co. at Seminole.
The absorption method Of extracting
natural gasoline made further gain
in relative Importance during 1928 and
1929 at the expense Of the compression
and charcoal methods. The daily
of the plants using the abb
sorption method increased from 5,476.-
900 gallons on January /, 1928, to
7 $4,000 gallons on January l, 1880,
at which date 1t comprised rs per cent
of the total. The charcoal method of
producing natural gasoline, the most
recent development in natural gasoline
manufacturing equipment, declined in
favor during 1928 and 1929, when the
total number of plants fell from 81 to
%, and the total daily capacity from
214,000 gallons to 10000 gallons.