4-o8 The National Geographic Magazine 



RUSSIAN AND AMERICAN 

 PETROLEUM 



THE Division of Mineral Resources 

 of the Geological Survey has 

 published some interesting figures com- 

 paring the Russian and American pro- 

 duction of petroleum and showing the 

 extent to which oil is used in Russia 

 as fuel. 



Since the year 1897 Russia has pro- 

 duced more petroleum than the United 

 States. Beginning with 1897, the Rus- 

 sian production has been increasing by 

 an average of over 12 per cent each year 

 to the close of 190 1. In round num- 

 bers, the figures of production for the two 

 countries are as follows: 1897 — Rus- 

 sia, 54,000,000 barrels ; United States, 

 60,000,000 barrels. 1898 — Russia, 62, 

 000,000 barrels ; United States, 55,000, 

 000 barrels. i899^Russia, 66,000,000 

 barrels ; United States, 57,000,000 bar- 

 rels. 1900 — Russia, 76,000,000 barrels; 

 United States, 64,000,000 barrels. 1901 

 — Russia, 85,000,000 barrels; United 

 States, 69,000,000 barrels. The aver- 

 age annual increase during the five 

 years for Russia has been 12.57 P er 

 cent; for the United States, 2.89 per 

 cent, there having been a small decrease 

 in the production of the United States 

 in 1897 and a large decrease in 1898. 



The facilities for handling the large 

 Russian production are at present crude, 

 costly, and wasteful. The markets are 

 far away from the production. The 

 main foreign shipping port at Batum, 

 on the Black Sea, is separated by moun- 

 tain chains from the chief center of 

 production (Baku) on the Caspian Sea. 

 To reach Batum the oil must run 160 

 miles through pipes and then be carried 

 400 miles by railroad. Four-fifths of 

 the Russian oil is carried in boats up 

 the Volga River into the heart of Euro- 

 pean Russia. At least two-thirds of 

 the Russian oil is used for fuel. 



The total exports of petroleum, crude 

 and refined, from Russia to foreign 



ports in 1901 were 428,657,210 gallons. 

 This was less than one-half the total 

 exports of petroleum from the United 

 States in 1901, which amounted to 

 1,062,750,306 gallons, valued at nearly 

 $71,500,000. 



The verj' great difference between 

 the petroleum of the United States and 

 that of Russia is shown in the statistics 

 of refined petroleum. Of the total 

 world's production of crude petroleum 

 in 1901, 165,385,733 barrels, the United 

 States produced 69,389,194 barrels, or 

 41.97 per cent, and Russia produced 

 85,168,556 barrels, or 51.49 per cent; 

 and yet of the total production of re- 

 fined petroleum of all grades in 1901, 

 estimated at 1,500,000,000 gallons for 

 all countries, the United States pro- 

 duced 911,120,944 gallons, or 60.7 per 

 cent, and Russia 414,122,990 gallons, 

 or only 27.7 per cent. 



GEOGRAPHICAL SOCIETY OF 

 BALTIMORE 



ON October 1 7 a number of scientific 

 gentlemen and of those interested 

 in geographic science met in Baltimore 

 at the home of Dr D. C. Gilman and 

 organized the ' ' Geographical Society of 

 Baltimore." The aim of the society is 

 the promotion and diffusion of geo- 

 graphical knowledge, more particularly 

 of that which is of commercial impor- 

 tance to Baltimore. Vice-President W J 

 McGee, LL. D., represented the Na- 

 tional Geographic Society and extended 

 its congratulations and well wishes to 

 the new organization. Dr Gilman, who 

 is also one of the Board of Managers of 

 the National Geographic Society, was 

 chosen first President and the following 

 officers and trustees were elected : 



First Vice-President — Mr Bernard N. 

 Baker. 



Second Vice-President — Rev. Dr John 

 F. Goucher. 



Third Vice-President — Gen. L,awra- 

 son Riggs. 



