Imperial Valley press., 1941-07-14

pray over them. and hope to come
up with a solution that would do the
most good to the greatest number,
and work hardships on the fewest.
1t was a thankless self-imposed as
signment, but the oil men would
probably all be there yet If they
had had to work out their own
salvation.
HARD TO CHOOSE ROUTE
Biggest problem was location of
the big pipeline from the Texas
fields to the refineries of the Phila-
delphia and New York area. This
one line is the key to the whole
problem. AS planned, it is to be a
24-inch line and its cost will be
around $40 million. 1t will require
priority on vast amount of special
steel strong enough to withstand the
pressure under which the line would
NOlh III ocooS Soo'oNS
barrels of crude oil every day
Even this whopper of line won't
solve the problem completely, If
built in the optimistic estimated
minimum time of 10 months. There
will have to be other pipelines, and
possibly tankers too. For the con-
sumption of petroleum products on
the eastern seaboard reaches the
terrific total of million and a
half barrels day.
RESERVE STOCKS DECREASING
So far, reserve stocks on the At
lantic seaboard have enabled every
body to get by without feeling the
pinch. But Secretary Ickes, who is
the head petroleum co-ordinator
and Davies boss, has assembled
figures to indicate that the east is
consuming its reserves at the rate
of 10000 barrels a day, and that
this will soon go up to 250,000
barrels a day When that time
comes, fuel oil will get preference
over gasoline, on the theory that
it's more important for people to
have their houses warm than it is
for them to go gas-buggy riding.
Some gasoline is being shipped to
the east by rail for the first time
in years to help offset the threat
ened shortage. Ickes says the pc
troleum industry has acted prompt
ly to make use of an estimated TO-
600 idle tank cars.
Ickes has refused thus far to dis
cuss gasoline rationing. To do SO
he feels, would invite too much
comment on what the cards Woulc
look like and how much fuel the
average family bus would be allow
ed. But the idea is being toyed with
crazy as it seems for a country with
all the oil reserves and tapped pro-
duction facilities which the United
States unquestionably has. Reorg-
anization of existing petroleum
transportation facilities should solve
all problems of shortages, but this
isn't the only approach being made
OTHER PROJECTS ON THE WAY
Three other pipeline projects are
in the Davies picture for relieveine
the situation in the east. The first
from Portland, Me, to Montreal
Canada, would cost only So million
and could be completed by January
1912, if they get going now. Thai
line would make it unnecessary fol-
the tankers to round the hump oi
Nova Scotia and go up the st
Lawrence.
The other two much discussed
projects, the Southeastern and Plan
tation lines, are of course hanging
fire for passage of the Cole bill b.
Congress, giving pipelines the righi
of eminent domain which WoulC
permit them to cross highways anf
railroads, privileges now denied
them by the sovereign state o.
Georgia, whose legislature has muss.
ed up the situation no end.
The Southeastern line, a Pure
Oil and Gulf Oil undertaking from
Port st. Joe, Fla, to Chattanooga
Tenn, is supposedly all done ex'
cept for the few lengths of pipt
necessary to cross each highwa,
and railroad. The pipes are all Gu
and on the ground ready TO be pu
in place and joined Legislative
bungling alone has prevented com
pletion of these last links. The lin
could be put in operation by Oct. ]
permitting the flow is still on paper
This is the proposed Plantation
line, running from the Louisian;
fields across northern Mississippi
Alabama, Georgia and ON into TIN