THE NAPHTHA INDUSTUV 251 



tiie two extremities of tlie Caucasus: the one, Colonel A. N. Novosiltsev, on the Kouban. 

 that is, at the north-west extremity of the Caucasian range; and the other, V. A. 

 Kokorev, on the Apslieron peninsula, that is, at the south-eastern extremity of the 

 Caucasian range. 



Moreover, both these xocalities were near the sea, the tirst near the Black and 

 Azov seas, where Colonel Novosiltsev erected his naphtha distilling- works at Fana- 

 goriii, while Kokorev took advantage of the combustible gases which are evolved at 

 Sourakhany. 17 versts from Baku, for conducting the distillation of the naphtha. These 

 gases escape from natural crevices, and in ancient times formed motive for the erec- 

 tion of a temple of the Indian fire worshippers. Kokorev's works, which are situated 

 alongside of the walls of the above mentioned temple, were erected in 1859, and when 

 the author first visited them in 18G3, they were already distilling naphtha bought 

 from the farmer at 40 kopecks a poud, and transporting the refined kerosene in 

 barrels to the interior of Eussia, where it competed with the American oil along the 

 Volga. 



On the Kouban, A. N. Novosiltsev proceeded in another manner; he rented a large 

 area of land from the Kouban Cossacks, and began to explore the localities by bo- 

 ring wells, which led to the appearance of the first naphtha fountain, and induced 

 Mr. Novosiltsev te erect the Fauagoria works. But the great labour devoted to the 

 exploitation and treatment of the naphtha in this region did not lead to the desired 

 end, not for want of material, but owing to the accumulation of de1)ts and want ot 

 capital; so that the Kouban naphtha industry, which began so brilliantly, hardly has 

 dragged on its existence to the present day, since the death of A. N. Novosiltsev. 



The Kouban naphtha industry was divided during the lifetime of Colonel Novo- 

 siltsev; the estate of Koudako passed from his hands, and after his death a trust- 

 eeship was formed, which first rented the industry to an American, Mr. Tvveddle, 

 and then in 1883 to a share organization known as the Russian Standard Oil Co., but 

 these new enterprises were not successful in their dealings. And although 94 wells 

 were sunk the majority of them were small, about 200 feet, or 30 sngenes. deep, and 

 although 39 of these wells are under exploitation, still they give out little 

 naphtha, due mainly to the district not having been sufficiently explored. The yield 

 in 1889 was 1,333,333 ponds, and in 1890, 1,800,000 pouds. Judging from 

 existing data, the Kouban naphtha deposits have a greater resemblance to the 

 American deposits, in the small yield of the wells, than to the Baku fields. But 

 the comparative proximity to the Black Sea, which is free and does not freeze, gives 

 the Kouban industry a great advantage. It was otherwise in the neighbourhood of 

 Baku. Here, at the end of the sixties and beginning of the seventies, the first wells. 

 and especially those sunk by Mr. Bourmeister, immediately proved productive, 

 and frequently gave abundant, continuous, or periodic fountains of naphtha, which at 

 Baku, as in America, were the chief means of attracting general attention to the 

 vast stores of naphtha and gases held in the sandstone strata beneath the naphtha- 

 bearing areas. The success which the first wells and distilling works had at 

 Baku, evoked competition, and numbers of small distilling works were erected at 

 Baku, which bought their naphtha from the farmers at 20 to 45 kopecks per poud, 

 and sold the refined kerosene from 1 to 2 roubles per poud on the spot, or about 

 3 roubles per poud at Nizhni-Novgorod. The kerosene was sold in ban-els which cost 



