222 



N0ETL1NG : PETROLEUM IN BURMA. 



Financial Year. 



18S3-84 



1S84-85 



1885-86 

 1886.S7 



1887-S8 . 



1888-89 



1889-90 



90-91 



1891-92 



: 892-93 



1893-94 



hxport of mineral 



oil (crude and 



refined). 



Export of paraffins 



WAX, 



Gallons at lbs. 8-83. 



Cwt. 



355,529 



Nil. 



495,763 



321 



547,200 



3,825 



492,269 



4,339 



626,216 



5,757 



716,849 



6*038 



9 2 I,397 



7,920 



828,429 



8,485 



1,189,098 



13,635 



1,335,506 



21,278 



1,522,981 



28,858 



This table shows that foreign traffic in petroleum has steadily- 

 increased, having risen from a little over 5,000 barrels in 1880-81 to 

 22,250 barrels in 1889-90, that is to say, an increase of over 300 per 

 cent, during nine years. If we consider that during the same period 

 the import of crude oil into Lower Burma had risen only about 100 

 per cent, it follows that there must have been an increasing demand 

 for Rangoon oil, etc., which had to be complied with at the 

 expense of local consumption, a fact that will be further proved by 

 the next table. 



During late years the export still rose, and the latest returns 

 for 1893-94 with 38, 166 barrels show an increase of 626 per cent, 

 over those of 18S0-81. Although in themselves highly satisfactory, 

 those figures prove, however, how really insignificant the foreign 

 trade in Burmese petroleum is as compared with that of America 

 or Baku. There is no doubt that the export is still capable of 

 expansion, but even if it double, the quantity of, say, 80,000 barrels 

 would have not the slightest effect on the petroleum market of the 

 world. The only effect would perhaps be, to lower its own selling 

 ( 268 ) 



