REPORT OF THE DIRECTOR I916 



V7 



of Erie county was opened and brought about the large gain in the 

 yield for that year. 



The total flow of natural gas in 1916, according to the reports 

 received from the producers and distributors, was 8,594,187,000 

 cubic feet, as compared with 7,110,040,000 cubic feet in 191 5 and 

 8,714,681,000 cubic feet in 1914. The figures represented a gain of 

 21 per cent in the output in the year and put the industry back in 

 nearly the same place it held in 191 4. The leading counties on the 

 basis of their output were Erie, Chautauqua, Allegany, Cattaraugus 

 and Genesee. 



The value of the production last year was reported as $2,524,115, 

 against $2,085,324 in 191 5. This is based on the prices received 

 for the gas in the different centers of consumption. The mean for 

 the whole State was 29.4 cents a thousand, the same as in 191 5. 

 Actually the prices at which the gas was sold ranged from 20 cents 

 as a minimum to over 50 cents, according to locality. The lowest 

 selling rates were reported in Allegany and Cattaraugus counties, 

 where the local product finds close competition with the Pennsyl- 

 vania output. The isolated districts of Central New York reported 

 the highest prices which as an extreme, however, were only about 

 one-half those obtained for artificial gas elsewhere. 



Production of natural gas 



YEAR 



OUTPUT 

 IOOO CU. FT. 



VALUE 



NUMBER 

 OF WELLS 



I9O4 



1905 

 I906 

 1907 

 1908 

 1909 

 1910 

 I9II 

 1912 



1913 

 1914 



1915 

 I9l6 



399 987 

 639 130 

 007 086 



052 145 

 860 000 

 825 215 

 815 643 

 127 571 



564 659 

 9 055 429 

 8 714 681 



7 no 040 



8 594 187 



$552 197 

 607 000 

 766 579 

 800 014 

 987 775 

 045 693 

 411 699 



547 o77 

 882 297 

 549 227 

 570 165 

 085 324 

 524 ii5 



925 

 100 

 280 

 340 

 403 

 660 

 750 

 797 

 051 

 068 



For several years it was the practice to report the production 

 according to the counties and leading districts from which the out- 

 put came. This is no longer possible, as the greater part 



