Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-10-29
PROBATION OF OIL
OUTPUT IS PUSHED
Industry Confronted With Dit.
ficulties in Conserving
Supply of Fuel.
BY BENNETT WOLFE.
Associated Press stan Writer.

Associated Press STAN Writer.
TULSA. Okla, October 29.-Figura-
lively speaking, science is being called
upon to aid In stopping something that
1t started for the petroleum industry.
The industry Is attempting to undo
IN way, the progress OF engineering
research in bringing about an In
creased output of crude oil and its re-
fined products, and that attempt has
made new assignment for the tech
nologists.
Difficulties In PROBATION.
Proration Of crude oil production, the
practice to which the industry has
turned for eliminating present over
supplies Of both the raw material and
its refinements, Is presenting new tech
nical questions For, to be satisfactory,
proration must be accomplished without
injuring producing wells or interfering
with existing oil pools.
Leading production engineers say that
conditions may vary in Individual
cases, and that the effects the shutting
in Of wells will have upon the ultimate
production of the well or the field can
be told only after the experiment has
been tried. Producers, however recog-
MIXING proration as a technical problem,
have expressed confidence in the ability
OF engineering to protect their interests
and generally are inclined to the belief
that little real damage will be done to
their wells or leases.
Some engineers are of the opinion that
shut in Of certain wells Is a distinct
benz. in that the method allows
pre5sures underground to equalize, with
the result that water is held back from
the hole and Oil driven in by the move
ment OF gas as well as by the pressures
exerted by the water next, to the oil.
These engineers say that full production
OF such wells would hasten water en-
croachment,. Just how soon depending
upoi the location Of the well upon the
structure.
On the other hand, some engineers
argue that deferred oil is never re-
covered. 1t Is generally agreed that If
the producing sand Is flooded with wa
ter, the oil left behind cannot be re-
covered by any present known method
OF production. But it also Is agreed
that If proper engineering practices arc
followed, water encroachment large
can be controlled.
New Methods Of Production.
The task proration has created for
science Is strangely in contrast with
That which confronted 1t some years ago
when the question of future supply was
considered a significant problem. Since
then vast Improvement has been made
In geophysical prospecting methods and
drilling has been made much faster and
more accurate so that today, through
the agency of science, the petroleum
industry Is in command of equipment
and practices that make possible the
draining Of vast stores of crude oil. Pro-
duction from depths of 5000 feet and
below was nothing more than q dream
10 years ago. Today there is some pro-
duction from as deep as 1000 feet.
The opinion Is held by leaders OF the
industry that If the present reservoirs
OF oil In the earth could be held intact
for six or seven months and no new
pools opened IN the meantime, the in
Custry would enter the Summer Of 1891
in healthy condition.