16 



THE IRRIGATION AGE. 



other oil field. The lubricating qualities 

 of the oil found in this State have been 

 tested by the ablest chemists of this 

 country and Europe, and have been by 

 both pronounced the best lubricants yet 

 found in any country. Mr. Ta3'lor, the 

 chemist of the Standard Oil Company, 

 at Cleveland, Ohio, said it was the best 

 natural lubricating oil he had ever seen. 

 Probably there is no scientific expert in 

 any country whose practical experience 

 and thorough knowledge concerning oils 

 is superior to that of Mr. Taylor, long 

 thus connected with the greatest petro- 

 leum oil company on the globe. 



Messrs. Wyner and Harland, public 

 analysts of London, England, report on 

 Wyoming oils that "when properly 

 treated by distillation the product ob- 

 tained would form lubricating oils equal, 

 if not superior, to the best vegetable or 

 animal lubricants." 



Robert Hutchison, oil refiner of 

 Springvale Oil Wells, Glasgow, Scotland, 

 to whom was sent a small sample of sur- 

 face oil obtained by skimming a spring in 

 a tunnel near Douglas, in Converse 

 county, Wyoming, reports as follows: 

 ' ' As requested by you, I beg to report as 

 follows respecting the sample of Wy- 

 oming oil lately handed me. Owing to 

 want of time I have been unable to 

 examine the above thoroughly, and so 

 can not commit myself positively as to its 

 quality, further than to say that the body 

 is far in excess of any mineral oil I have 

 ever come in contact with, and if the 

 color of this oil comes up well in re- 

 fining, it will, I believe, be without a 

 competitor in the market. 



" Indeed it is so heavy that it appears 

 to me it would require to be thinned 

 down by mixing with lighter oil. This 

 would be a great recommendation as to 

 its merits in the eyes of consumers. I 

 find that the color comes up most satis- 

 factorily by treatment with chemicals, 

 but had I had sufficient of it I would pre- 

 fer to have done it by distillation, as I 

 am convinced that the latter method 

 would be both cheaper and give even 

 better results as to color. After being re- 

 fined the oil has a body much superior to 

 the best Russian oil. The practical mean- 

 ing of this is, that it has a greater 

 mercantile value than the latter oil, 

 which sells wholesale in this country at 



about 23 ($115.00) per ton, and that, 

 at equal price, once its merits are known, 

 it would get the undoubted preference 

 against the Russian. It is, in my opinion, 

 more than probable, however, that it 

 would be preferred to rape and even be- 

 come a serious competitor with lard oil 

 for a large variety of purposes, in which 

 case its value would be much greater than 

 what I have mentioned, but, taking it at 

 the most moderate estimate, I think I 

 am within the mark in saying that the 

 Russian Oil, which has been a perfect 

 fortune to the proprietors, would have no 

 chance against it." 



The following analysis and letters are 

 in reference to a piece of oil sand rock r 

 48 Ibs. in weight, which was obtained 

 from a tunnel near Douglas, Converse 

 county, about 27 feet from the surface of 

 the ground. 



THE UNIVERSITY OF WYOMING. 

 DEPARTMENT OF CHEMISTRY. 



LARAMIE, WYO., May 18, 1895. 

 A. W. PHILLIPS, DOUGLAS, WYO. 



Dear Sir : Professor Knight and I have dis- 

 tilled the oil from the greater portion of the 

 rock sent, carrying the process to complete ex- 

 haustion of volatile products by heating the 

 retort red hot. The rock carries about four 

 per cent crude oil of high specific gravity which 

 could be used as a lubricant without further 

 treatment. By redistilling the oil we separated 

 it into six portions, of which samples are sent 

 you. The oils are all heavy, and by regulating 

 the process of distillation for that purpose, 

 about 50 to 70 per cent of high grade lubricat- 

 ing oil of a specific gravity above .880 could be 

 obtained. The residuum would also be of 

 value. 



It is quite probable that in lower strata, or 

 in a lower part of the same stratum, the yield 

 of oil will be richer. If we can assist you in 

 any way in the development of this very 

 interesting discovery, please let us know. 

 Yours truly, 



E. E. SLOSSON, 



State Chemist. 



Extract from a letter received from the 

 State Chemist, May 23, 1895. 



"The oil sand you sent me produces more 

 high grade lubricating oil than any other in 

 the State yet analyzed. The value of lubricat- 

 ing oil increases with the temperature of 

 vaporization and the specific gravity. 



"Oil between .860 and .890 are lubricating oils 

 for lighter machinery, .890 to .900 for heavy 

 machinery, and those above .900 are classed as 

 cylinder oils. 



" If the distillation had been carried further 

 the residuum would have afforded 10 per cent 

 to 20 per cent more high grade oils, leaving 

 a residue of coke." 



