Industrial Cuba 32 



THE ASPHALTUM DEPOSITS OF CUBA 



Santa Clara province has a number of asphalt 

 deposits, most of which are located near the north 

 coast. 



Matanzas province on the north coast appears 

 to be underlaid with asphalt in paying quanti- 

 ties. It is found in the deep water of the Bay of 

 Cardenas, where vessels have been known to 

 anchor over the deposits and load with over 300 

 tons in a fortnight, in fact the bay seems to be 

 over a large bed of asphalt. The product that 

 seems to attract most attention, and astonishes 

 even mineralogists, is that furnished by the San 

 Juan mines in the Motembo hills. By some it is 

 called "Mother of Oil," by others it is given the 

 name of naphtha. The product is as clear as 

 spring water. If a little is poured on a marble 

 slab it burns when ignited in a clear flame until 

 the slab is dry, leaving absolutely no residue and 

 making no smoke. It has the odor of naphtha, 

 and possesses all the characteristics of that liquid. 

 These wells are located near the western line of 

 Santa Clara. Petroleum is found in Matanzas 

 province, and many wells have been drilled, but 

 none of them thoroughly developed. 



In Havana province traces of petroleum have 

 been found, but in no such quantities as in Matan- 

 zas. Asphalt also is found throughout the central 

 and northern part. The product is of a high 

 grade, much of it yielding 70 per cent bitumen. 

 None of the deposits, however, have been thor- 

 oughly developed, though there are 130 "de- 

 nouncements" registered with the Government. 



While the production has remained on about 

 the same scale for the last ten years, averaging 



