THE PETROLEUM INDUSTRY OF CANADA 



extended in all directions till at the present time we have 

 not only two fields, but many others, such as the Bothwell 

 Oil Field, the Tillbury Oil Field and others. 



Thousands were spent in prospecting and trying to 

 open up new fields, while others grew rich by succeeding 

 in locating fresh sources of supply in the old fields. To- 

 day there are probably close on to 12,000 wells being 

 pumped. Most of these, however, are small producers, 

 not averaging more than a barrel a day, but with oil at its 

 present price, $1.50 per barrel, and the reduced cost of 

 operation, a man who owns a dozen or so of these wells is 

 pretty well off. 



The Dominion Government also gives the oil man 

 considerable aid at present with a bounty of one and a half 

 cents per gallon. In the year 1907 the government paid 

 out in crude oil bounties the sum of $414,157.89. 



To-day a well can be put down in a week at an expense 

 of about one hundred dollars. Should it prove to be dry 

 this is all that is lost, while if it is a producer another two 

 hundred dollars will case it and install a pump. Once the 

 oil is produced it is collected by means of tank wagons and 

 underground lead pipes to tanks, whence it is delivered to 

 the collecting agencies who give "warehouse receipts" 

 for it and look after its subsequent delivery to the refineries. 

 These warehouse receipts are what the producer has to 

 show for his oil, and are sold by him as so much crude oil. 



It is estimated that since the opening of the oil fields 

 more than thirty millions of dollars have been invested in 

 the producing trade, while many milUons have been spent 

 in refining and other lines of the enterprise. One 

 peculiarity of the indujrtry is that no sooner does a man 

 make a few hundreds or thousands of dollars out of his 

 wells than he proceeds to sink almost as much money back 

 again into the ground. 



For years the Canadian petroleum industry was heavily 

 protected by a tariff. The present government, however, 



