224 NOETLING : PETROLEUM IN BURMA. 



As regards the proportion which the import of crude oil into Lower 

 Burma bears to the total production, we see that it has undergone 

 the greatest fluctuations. From 96 per cent, in 1888-89 ^ ^ as fallen 

 to as low 54'3 per cent.; that is to say, while in the former year nearly 

 the whole of the output was imported into Lower Burma, in the latter 

 only a trifle over half of the production went to Rangoon. Since 

 that time it has again risen, but amounts to less than three quarters 

 of the total production. It is very difficult to explain these fluctua- 

 tions ; in former years the balance not exported to Lower Burma was 

 certainly consumed locally, that is to say, it was shipped up the river 

 or carted inland and used for the various purposes to which the 

 natives apply the crude oil. 



At present the balance not shipped to Rangoon, by no means 

 represents the local consumption, a certain quantity always re- 

 mains in the storage tanks. During the last two calendar years the 

 local consumption was more than 9 per ceDt. for 1893, an< ^ 6 P er 

 cent, for 1894, of the total production ; but even if we add another 10 

 percent, to the local consumption, and allow 10 per cent, for leakage 

 and what is by no means an unimportant factor in this hot climate, 

 evaporation during the transport to Rangoon, the large deficiency in 

 some of the figures cannot be explained. 



Another remarkable feature is demonstrated by the figures re- 

 presenting the export of mineral oil and its products from Rangoon. 

 It is unquestionable that the proportion, which the exported oil 

 forms of the total production, has been steadily rising till 1889-90, 

 when it amounted to a trifle over one third of the total. Since that 

 year it has been rapidly falling, till during the last two years it 

 amounted to not more than 15 per cent. It is evident that there 

 must be an explanation for this remarkable decline, and in order to 

 find this out, I computed the following table which shows the pro- 

 portion the exported oil and its products bear to the quantity of oil 

 imported into Lower Burma is expressed in percentages. 



( 270 ) 



