86 BULLETIN 102, VOL. 1, UNITED STATES NATIONAL, MUSEUM. 



hence dominate the situation. With increasing scope of organization 

 in production, of course, these conditions tend to modify. With 

 broadly integrated operations, production may escape entirely the 

 influence of the factors noted. But, by and large, the situation ip. 

 the United States is this : it costs a good deal to reach oil,^ but little 

 or nothing to produce it. When reached, the oil must be produced as 

 rapidly as possible, else some one else will get it. There is an unlimited 



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Fig, 12. — Diagram showing the eblation of oil wells to pkopekty lines in a 

 typical pobtion of the most productive light-oil field in the world. note the 

 small holdings, excessive number of wells, and the tendency of wells to 

 occur in pairs on the opposite sides of property lines. this diagram epitomizes 

 the fundamental cause of petroleum waste in the united states. data from 

 MAP BY Carl H. Beal, Geologic Structure in the Cushing Oil and Gas Field, 

 Oklahoma, Bulletin 658, U. S. Geological Survey, 1917, plate 4. 



demand for the crude product, with profit in such sale. In brief, the 

 free operation of the law of supply and demand under continuation 

 of small-unit competition in oil production is forcing the sacrifice 

 of the greater part of our most essential and most limited resource. 



If so much be granted — and whatever the difference of opinion as 

 to cause, the limited size and wasteful exploitation of the resource 



1 Much of this cost, under present conditions. Is borne by unsuccessful prospectors. 



