148 NOETLING: PETROLEUM IN BURMA. 



1894. 



. Engler 



Kodoung No. 26 



08726 



8o°B\ 



,, 



Twingon No. 62 



0-8653 



„ 



'1 



Yenangyat No. 15 



0-8214 



»» 



,, 



„ (mixed) 



0-8160 



,, 



1] 



Minbu 



1 '002-3 



86°?, 



From the above figures, it is quite obvious that the petroleum of the 

 three localities, Minbu, Yenangyoung, Yenangyat, differs consider- 

 ably as regards the specific gravity. The Minbu petroleum is ap- 

 parently the heaviest, its specific gravity being roo2, then follows 

 Yenangyoung with an average of 0*878 — o - 869, and the lightest oil is 

 apparently that of Yenangyat having a specific gravity of only cr 819. 

 On the other hand we see that the specific gravity of the petro- 

 leum from one and the same petroliferous tract varies considerably. 

 According to Mr. Holland the specific gravity of the petroleum from 

 Yenangyoung varies from 0*863 to 0*892 at 85 # 5° F. 



After having ascertained that the petroleum occurs in different 

 beds entirely separated from each other and apparently without any 

 communication, the idea occurred to me to inquire whether the un- 

 questionable differences in the specific gravity, are due to the differ- 

 ence of occurrence, in other words, whether the petroleum from the 

 different oil sands is characterised by a different specific gravity. 

 For this purpose I have made a series of observations which require, 

 however, a few words of explanation. All the observations were 

 made with petroleum specially drawn from the wells. In many 

 cases they were repeated because the heavier oils congealed 

 so quickly at the temperature of the oil (72°) that in one instance, 

 that of well No. 135, 1 noticed the specific gravity change within a 

 few minutes from 32°B. to 38°B., simply from the hydrocarbons of low 

 melting point becoming solid at the above temperature. 



With regard to the drilled wells another matter makes ob- 

 servation on the spot extremely difficult ; the oil is pumped up, it is 

 therefore so saturated with air and gas, that the bubbles which form 

 on the surface, after the oil is freshly taken from the well, are a very 

 serious obstacle to exact observation, and if in order to avoid this 

 ( '94 ) 



