XXIX. — ON THE COMPOSITION OF A SOUTH 

 AMERICAN PETROLEUM. 



By Charles F. Mabery and Arthur S. Kittelberger. 



Presented October 14, 1896. 



It has long been known that large deposits of petroleum are to be 

 found in various districts in Soutli America, but beyond a limited use of 

 the crude oil in lubrication, until recently no demand has been created 

 for this petroleum. In the Argentine Republic are found heavy oils that 

 deposit paratfine on distillation. In an examination of these oils by 

 Engler and Ottin, hydrocarbons were found of the series C„H2„+2 and 

 QjH,^ ; they are said to yield a good illuminating oil. The oil fields of 

 Peru and Bolivia have long been known, and large quantities of petro- 

 leum products are here obtained. The most promising oil fields hitherto 

 in South America are those of Venezuela, and those deposits are receiv- 

 ing more attention in the preparation of commercial products. 



The peculiar character of South American petroleum was brought to 

 the attention of one of us (Mabery) in an examination which he was 

 called upon to make by Mr. Horace M. Wilson of Cambridge, Mass., 

 who collected a specimen of oil while prospecting along the Magdalena 

 River in the United States of Colombia. A few miles from the river, in 

 a rocky section of country, he discovered oil oozing up through a pool of 

 water from a fissure in the rocks below. Oil was also observed escap- 

 ing in bubbles through the water in a brook, where it formed a beauti- 

 ful green layer three yards square. These sources and another within a 

 range of two thousand feet were the only ones observed m a distance of 

 fifteen miles. The geological formations in this section consisted of 

 sandstones and shales tilted in nearly a horizontal position. At a dis- 

 tance of forty miles was a very large deposit of asphalt, hard and brit- 

 tle like coal. About eiglity gallons of this oil was collected at a rate 

 of five gallons in twenty-four hours, of which the larger portion mixed 

 with lard oil was used as a lubricator on car axles, for which it was 

 found to be well adapted. Mr. Wilson brought home fifteen gallons of 

 the oil, which was placed at our disposal for this examination. 



