MINERAL RESOURCES OF THE STATE OF XEW YORK 



203 



PETROLEUM 



The oil region of the State is in the southwestern part and com- 

 prises a stretch along the Pennsylvania border in Cattaraugus, 

 Allegany and Steuben counties. The area altogether is about 40 

 miles long east and west and extends 15 miles or so north from the 

 state line. It is the northerly extension of the Appalachian field, 

 which reaches its main development in Pennsylvania, Ohio and 

 West Virginia. There are a number of pools within the area and 

 their bounds have now been accurately delimited by exploration. 

 No new pools of importance have been discovered within the last 

 20 years. 



The first oil well in the New York f^eld was drilled at Limestone, 

 Cattaraugus county, in 1S64. The boring showed oil but not in 

 paying quantities. It attracted notice to the locality, however, 

 and a deeper well soon after encountered a heavy flow that aroused 

 interest in the possibilities of the section. Active work in Catta- 

 raugus county did not begin until several years later, in fact the 

 first systematic exploration dates from 1875-6 with the spread of 

 the prospectors from the Pennsylvania region which at about that 

 time was the scene of a tremendous oil boom. By 1878 there were 

 over 250 wells in CarroUton township and oil had been found in 

 the adjoining Allegany township. The exploration of the Allegany 

 county area began in 1881 with the discovery of the Richburg pool, 

 one of the largest in the State. 



Production. Statistics of production are available only for the 

 period from 1891 on, as in earlier years the output was combined 

 with that of Pennsylvania. The following figures have been com- 

 piled from the volumes of the Mineral Resources and from reports 

 received directl}^ from the field. 



Production of petroleum in New York 



1891 

 1892 



1893 

 1894 



1895 

 1896 

 1897 

 1898 

 1899 

 1900 



585 030 

 273 343 

 031 391 



942 431 

 912 948 

 205 220 



279 155 

 205 250 

 320 909 

 300 925 



$1 



061 970 



708 297 

 660 000 

 790 464 

 240 468 

 420 653 

 005 736 

 098 284 

 708 926 

 759 501 



