616 r. arnold general conditions of petroleum industry 



Africa 



The only production of oil in commercial quantities in Africa comes 

 from Egypt, where Tertiary beds near the Eed Sea yield a good produc- 

 tion of fair-grade oil. It seems probable that further development in the 

 Egyptian fields will result in a greatly increased production over that 

 yielded to date. 



Algeria offers favorable indications in the Miocene formations, and 

 other parts of Africa which either have been tested or which yield indi- 

 cations of production are Nigeria, Belgian Congo, Gold Coast, and the 

 island of Madagascar. So little is known of these areas that any predic- 

 tion as to their future possibilities would be extremely hazardous. It is 

 reasonable to suppose that somewhere within the great area of sedimen- 

 tary rocks of this continent commercial quantities of oil exist and even- 

 tually will be exploited. 



Summary 



Summarizing the data contained in the foregoing paragraphs, it is seen 

 that the countries which have attained their maximum production, and 

 are either about to decline or have already started to decline, are the 

 United States, Italy, Galicia, and Germany. Canada attained a maxi- 

 mum production in 1900 and Eussia in 1901; but owing to the possibili- 

 ties of new fields yet to be opened, it seems probable that both these coun- 

 tries will soon start to increase their production, with the probabilities 

 strong that Canada, at least, will some day pass her former banner year. 

 All of the other countries may be credited with a constantly increasing 

 production. The total world's production has been increasing gradually 

 since 1857, and it seems likely that after the close of the war the greatly 

 increased demand for oil will result in increasing the world's output be- 

 yond the 427,000,000 barrels yielded in 1915 and possibly be3^ond the 

 half billion mark. The demand probably will be such as to cause this 

 great output to be maintained for as long as the fields of the world can 

 supply it. Disregarding Africa, which is an unknown, but probably not 

 highly important, factor in the situation, it is the writer's belief that the 

 high point in production for the entire world will occur within the next 

 ten years. 



