146 NOETLING: PETROLEUM IN BURMA. 



Although it is quite probable that for commercial purposes 

 numerous analyses have been made, no further analyses of petroleum 

 from Burma have been made and published in scientific papers so far 

 as I know, up to 1891 when I sent a series of samples of petroleum 

 which I had collected at various places and depths in the Yenang- 

 young oilfield to the laboratory of the Geological Survey, where they 

 were analysed by my colleague Mr. T. H. Holland. Mr. Holland 

 has published a very elaborate paper on the results of his examina- 

 tion in the Records of the Geological Survey l to which I refer the 

 reader. 



Quite lately Professor Engler 2 has published the results of his 

 examination of petroleum from Burma which was collected by me at 

 the Yenangyoung, Yenangyat and Minbu oilfield by which further in- 

 teresting details, especially as regards the commercial value of the 

 Burma petroleum, have been elucidated. 



It now remains to group the results of these various examinations, 

 which extend over a period of 60 years in such a way as to arrive at 

 as complete a view on the physical and chemical qualities of the 

 Burma petroleum as can be given at the present moment. It must, 

 however, be kept in mind that this abstract does not pretend to be 

 exhaustive, because, notwithstanding the various examinations, very 

 little is known as to the finer constitution of the crude petroleum 

 for reasons which may be explained easily enough. Analyses of this 

 kind require a large quantity of crude petroleum, collected and her- 

 metically sealed at the place of production. It is quite intelligible 

 that owing to the high temperature of central Upper Burma and the 

 length of transport to Europe, a considerable quantity of the more 

 volatile oils must evaporate before it reaches the hands of the analyst, 

 if the above precaution is not taken. Hitherto only small quantities 

 could be collected under these conditions, and even the analysis of 



1 Records of the Geological Survey of India, 1891, XXIV, page 251 ff. 

 ■ » >i ,> ,. 1894, XXVII, page 49 ff. 



( 192 ) 



