BORING FOR OIL 227 



as much as 1000 Ib. to the square inch. In the Northern 

 Caucasus spouting wells caused by the high pressure of 

 gas in the boring are frequent. A famous fountain-well in 

 that region, which began to flow in August 1895, threw 

 up 4^ million gallons a day, gradually diminishing during 

 fifteen months until it became exhausted. At first, when 

 boring was introduced, such outbursts led to an enormous 

 loss of the oil, for there was not sufficient means of storing 

 or transporting it. Ordinary cartage in barrels was the 

 earlier method ; then followed tanks on railway trains and 

 canal boats ; and this has been supplemented by the use 

 of pipes along which the oil is pumped from the well to 

 the refinery. In Pennsylvania there are said to be no less 

 than 25,000 miles of such pipes in use for the distribution 

 of petroleum. 



It will be obvious from what is here stated that the 

 attempt to discover an oil-supply in Derbyshire must not 

 be regarded, at present, as more than a praiseworthy and 

 interesting enterprise. There is no room for doubt that 

 the best expert opinion has been brought to bear on the 

 matter. A small quantity of petroleum has already been 

 raised ; but whether the flow will be sufficient to cover the 

 expenses of the boring, and how long the flow may last, 

 or how much it may amount to, are matters quite im- 

 possible to foretell. In any case, it is in the highest 

 degree improbable that such an abundance of oil will be 

 obtained as to count much, if at all, in the world's pro- 

 duction of petroleum. It must also be remembered that 

 products similar to those yielded by petroleum are 

 already extracted in quantity as a remunerative industry 

 by the distillation of oil-shales in various parts of the 

 United Kingdom ; and that there are oil-shales in this 

 country still unworked. So that we need not be in despair 

 if we do not tap an oil-spring of any importance close to 

 hand. The world's supply is still open to British 



