REPORT OF THE DIRECTOR 1920-21 17 



to be applied, specific gravity and viscosity of the oils, porosity of 

 the sands and normal, cross and reversed flooding, probable oil 

 content and possible percentage recovery of oil from the sands. 



Among other studies that should be made is the possibility of 

 practical application of the use of natural gas and air which can be in- 

 troduced into wells under pressure and which produce effects similar 

 to those of water flooding. Concentrating the oil by air or natural 

 gas must be accomplished before the introduction of water floods, for 

 water floods when used leave the oil not obtained by this method 

 practically irrecoverable. The use of air and natural gas for restoring 

 pressure in the New York oil pools has not met with any marked 

 degree of favor among the oil men as the air used frequently mixes 

 with the natural gas and spoils it for commercial purposes. A 

 more extended use of natural gas would be made were it not for the 

 scarcity of natural gas, which is needed either directly or indirectly 

 to run the pumps. The fact that natural gas from which gasoline 

 has been extracted can be used to give increased pressure when 

 forced into an oil well and that the gas so used is made richer as a 

 result of passing through the gas and oil sands, should encourage 

 further attempts with natural gas for restoring pressure in oil wells, 

 with the ultimate recovery of the gas so used. However desirable 

 from the point of view of greatest possible recovery of oil by use 

 of air or natural gas preliminary to water flooding, it appears probable 

 that only flooding by water will be used extensively in the New York 

 oil fields. The correct application of the principle of scientific 

 flooding is greatly desired by the oil producers. Not enough of the 

 area has been flooded, and so not enough experience has been gained 

 by the oil producers to guide them as to how they should best conduct 

 future operations. In line with their past policy of caution and 

 economy they are asking when and how they should flood so as to 

 produce the best results and the greatest amount of oil from the oil 

 sands. 



In order to avoid dangers from loss of oil through careless or ill- 

 advised flooding and to apply the best scientific methods for the 

 recovery of the oil, the producers have asked that a scientific study 

 be made of the New York oil fields. This is a matter that not only 

 concerns the oil producers but it is of vital importance to all the people 

 of the State that the best scientific methods be employed in the 

 oil fields to insure the recovery of the largest possible amount of 

 oil from the pools in our State. A resolution asking state aid was 

 introduced and adopted at the annual meeting of the New York 



