PETROLEUM 



549 



Exports from the United States during the years 1870 and 1871, to London and several 

 Continental ports, in gallons. 



The petroleum Exports of the United States for 1872 were as follow : 

 During the year there had been exported 170,385,869 gallons ; the most of it 

 going to German ports. This, compared with 1871, is a decrease of over 5,000,000 of 

 gallons ; this decrease in a trade which naturally ought to increase being accounted 

 for by the strenuous efforts which have been made to control the trade and prices by 

 decreasing production at the wells. These efforts still continue, though they are 

 looked upon as unsuccessful. The bulk of the export is made from New York and 

 Philadelphia ; the former having sent out 90,000,000, and the latter nearly 57,000,000 

 gallons during the year, leaving but 3 per cent, of the export for other ports. Phila- 

 delphia, compared with 1871, increased her export nearly 750,000 gallons ; while that 

 of New York was reduced nearly 5,000,000 of gallons. Owing to certain trade ad- 

 vantages in favour of Philadelphia, her export gradually increases at the expense of 

 other ports. Year by year a larger portion of the petroleum shipped is refined oil ; 

 nearly 128,000,000 out of the 150,000,000 gallons sent in 1872 having been refined oil. 

 Total exports from United States to all parts of the world during the years 



Gallons 



1868 97,013,817 



1869. ....... 100,780,158 



1870 139,271,450 



1871 154,877,377 



The high prices of petroleum in Europe when first used as an illuminant, stimulated 

 production to an extraordinary extent. This was also aided by the cheapness of 

 manufacture ; pumping, purification, and cooperage being very easy items. When 

 Young's burning-oil sold retail at 3s. 6d. per gallon, and when Is. 6d. was the lowest 

 quotation looked on as possible, it was seriously doubted that the Americans could 

 compete with British oil-makers at the lower figure. But several years' experience 

 has shown how petroleum can be profitably exported at a price in Europe below this. 

 In fact, the safest petroleum is now sold so low as to allow the working-man a light 

 superior to gas at Id. a night. Our statistics show how decrease in price has only 

 stimulated activity in production. Notwithstanding the lull at the commencement of 

 last season's trade, caused by a temporary combination amongst the well-owners, it 

 heads the yield of all previous years. Though really coextensive with the area of the 

 North American continent, petroleum is chiefly got in Pennsylvania, West Virginia, 

 and Ohio, in the United States; as also in Western Canada. Its proximity to 

 immense metallic deposits in many localities encourages the hope of its speedy use in 

 metallurgy. Less than half of the crude material can be safely sold for lamps, but 

 it would admirably answer this purpose. (See NAPHTHA, NATIVE.) Most of the 

 refined material reaching Europe is obtained in county Venango in Pennsylvania, in 

 the neighbourhood of Oil City, Titusville, Petroleum, Cherry Eun, &c. There are 

 now few or no flowing wells in the oil regions ; but, owing to various circumstances, 

 the oil-well owner can compete very favourably with the British mineral-oil maker. 

 British crude shale-oil, in the most favourable circumstances, was manufactured at a 

 prime cost of 3|<?. per gallon ; now (1873) it costs nearly double. Pumping an oil- 

 well should not cost more than \d. per gallon. The bore-holes which are made 

 through the heavy honeycombed structure of the sandstones of Oil Creek, U.S., are 

 from 3 to 4 inches in diameter, and frequently 500 or 600 feet deep, sometimes 800 

 feet deep. From many years' experience, the cost of sinking a bore-hole nearly 900 

 feet deep, and preparing everything to pump up the petroleum, is 4,000 to 5,000 

 dollars. Now in 1869 some of the best-yielding bore-holes gave much more than 

 250 to 300 barrels per day, but at the close of the year only one of these bore-holts 

 continued yielding '200 barrels a day ; whilst thirty were giving from 50 to 100 

 barrels per day. Assuming the Titusville standard of 43 gallons per barrel, it would 



