THE SEARCH FOR OIL — ^^LEEB 245 



Various concessions have been acquired to cover the greater part of 

 southeastern and southern Arabia. Geologic surveys and air recon- 

 naissance flights have been carried out during recent years and are 

 still continuing. 



AFGHANISTAN 



An oil concession of 240,000 square miles in extent was acquired by 

 American interests in 1934, and extensive geologic surveys were carried 

 out during the following years. A number of oil indications are 

 known, particularly in the northern part of the country, but it was 

 concluded that, though oil fields might be possible, their size was 

 not likely to be sufficient to justify the expense of pipe-line develop- 

 ment to the Arabian Sea coast. The local market is also not large 

 enough to justify, for its own sake alone, the large expenditure neces- 

 sary for exploration drilling. The concession was relinquished in 1938. 



ASIATIC U. 8, S. R. 



Developed oil fields of importance in Asiatic U. S. S. R. are confined 

 at present to three regions, the coastal zone of the Caspian Sea south 

 of Krasnovodsk and including Cheleken Island, the Ferghana Valley 

 in Kirgizia, and Sakhalin. The last named produces about 400,000 

 tons per year, and Japanese companies participate in the development. 

 Exploration is being actively carried out in various parts of the im- 

 mense territory of Asiatic Russia and many new discoveries must be 

 anticipated. The Ferghana Valley, being the center of the cotton- 

 growing belt, with silk and mineral industries in addition, has a large 

 local consumption which it is expected will be completely supplied 

 from local sources within a few years. Some small fields, though of 

 low-grade oil, have also been reported in Tajikistan close to the 

 Afghanistan border. The surroundings of Lake Baikal are now being 

 investigated, and theoretically oil fields are possible throughout exten- 

 sive areas of Siberia. Transport difficulties will, however, handicap 

 any early development of prospects in remote areas. References should 

 also be made to a small producing well in the Taimir Peninsula within 

 the Arctic Circle. 



The bulk of both present and past Russian production has come 

 from the European side, but the possible future resources for both 

 European and Asiatic U. S. S. R. are immense. Garfias (see p. 235) 

 has given the proved reserves as 700 million tons, but Gubkin has 

 published estimates far in excess of this. He gives a possible total, 

 i. e., proved plus possible, of 6,376 million tons, and while this may 

 be overoptimistic there is no question of the importance for the 

 future of the oil reserves of the U. S. S. R. 



