PETROLEUM. 



33 



tion only.^ The intermediate fields of Wyoming ^ do not come within 

 this rough geographic classification, but with further development 

 they will presumably be joined by pipe lines ^ with the group of the 

 eastern half of the country. It will be observed that the Kansas- 

 Oklahoma field of the eastern group and the California field are 

 about equal in production and dominate the petroleum output of this 

 country, together contributing over two-thirds of the total supply. 

 (See fig. 8.) 



The development of petroleum production in the United States 

 from 1880 to 1917 is indicated graphically by the chart (fig. 4). 

 From the situation there depicted, two features of particular signifi- 

 cance stand out — the slow increase in domestic production up to 1900, 

 less marked than the increase in the corresponding foreign produc- 

 tion, and the rapid domestic growth between 1900 and 1917, con- 



MILLION5 OF BARRELS 



100 150 ZOO 



UNITED 5TATE5 



RU35IA 



MEXICO 



DUTCH Efl5T INDIES 



ROUMANIA 



INDIA 



GALICIA 



ALL OTHERS 



Fig. 2. — World's peoduction of petroleum in 1916. Data from U. S. Geological 



trasted with a nearly constant production for foreign countries dur- 

 ing that period. This emphasizes the fact that since the beginning of 

 the twentieth century, the rapidly increasing use of petroleum 

 throughout the world has been met largely through the intensive ex- 

 ploitation of American deposits. Thus the United States has as- 

 sumed a dominant position in respect to this commodity, producing 

 now two-thirds of the world's supply. 



THE INDUSTRY. 



The activities concerned with the production, transportation, re- 

 fining, and distribution of petroleum constitute the petroleum indus- 

 try. In quantity, value, and importance of production, this indus- 

 trial field stands among the foremost in the country. It is notable, 

 especially, for the scope of its operations, which embrace diverse 

 activities usually the functions of separate industries — a characteris- 



^ Also by water transportation through the Panama Canal. 



* Including Colorado. 



* Probably by way of the shale-oil region of Colorado. (See map, fig. 3.) 



