266 I. C. WHITE PETROLEUM FIELDS OF NORTHEASTERN MEXICO 



The oil contains sulphuretted hydrogen as well as carbon disulphide, 

 and hence the gases which issue with the oil are very poisonous, several 

 Mexicans having been asphyxiated when breathing them to the exclusion 

 of air. These sulphur compounds, however, do not interfere with the 

 use of the oil for fuel, since the B. T. U. is very high (19,124 and 

 19,160), and in refining and in the manufacture of gas for illuminating- 

 purposes the sulphur can be readily removed by well-known processes. 

 This oil is very successfully used for the manufacture of illuminating- 

 gas in the city of Mexico, and when used for making steam at the gas 

 works in question an evaporative capacity of 16 pounds of water to every 

 pound of oil is the regular result, thus giving a very high rate of efficiency 

 for steam and general fuel purposes and insuring a constantly enlarging 

 market wherever coal commands a fair price, since 3y 2 barrels of this 

 oil equals in heating value a ton of good coal. The oil is very dark, and 

 at Ebano has a temperature of 105° Fahrenheit, 110° at Casiano, and 

 132° at Potrero del Llano, as reported by Mr. Weaver, the superintendent 

 in charge (although Dr. David T. Day, in "'Petroleum Statistics for 

 1910," reports the temperature of the oil at 14T°). 



Production of the Wells 



The first well to produce oil in large quantities on the properties of 

 the Mexican Petroleum Company, Limited, is known as La Pez No. 1, 

 about 2 miles from Ebano Hill. It came in as a flowing well April 3, 

 1904, and still continues to flow at the rate of 300 to 1,000 barrels daily. 

 The following tabular statement taken from the books of the Mexican 

 and Huasteca Petroleum companies, both of which are owned by the 

 Mexican Petroleum Company, Limited, of Delaware, gives the date of 

 completion and total production to the date given of each producing well 

 on all of the properties : 



Statement of Production of Ebano and Casiano Wells 



Well Barrels 



Pez No. 1, from April 3, 1904, to November 30, 1911 3,178,963 



Pez No. 3, from October 24, 1905, to September 5, 1911 -1,342 



Pez No. 4, from July 20, 1906, to December 21, 1911 1,150,194 



Pez No. 5, from April 1, 1906, to November 30, 1911 366,551 



Pez No. 6, from January 2, 1909, to November 30, 1911 1 ,323,837 



Pez No. 7, from December 1, 1910, to November 30, 1911 20,638 



Laguna No. 2, from November 7, 1906, to November 30, 1911 750,240 



Laguna No. 3, from April 2, 1907, to November 30, 191 1 894,597 



Laguna No. 4, from April 22, 1908, to September 6, 1911 237,571 



Laguna No. 5, from May 17, 1909, to January 8, 191 1 92,810 



Laguna No. 7, from June 20, 1908, to August 30, 1911 930,858 



Laguna No. 10, from July 9, 1908, to August 30, 1911 156,942 



