i8o 



NOETLING : PETROLEUM IN BURMA. 



site may not avail himself for the moment of his privilege, but at any 

 time he has the right to dig a well at the spot selected, and for this 

 reason the well sites were also recorded. They may or may not 

 become an important factor in future with regard to the production. 

 The following table will show the number of wells for the years 1888, 

 1 891, 1893, 1895, but it must be remarked that no record was kept 

 in 1888 of well sites or wells under construction :— 





1888. 



1891. 



1893. 



189S. 



Productive wells ..,,.. 



.5: /Abandoned wells .... 



*o"o( Wells under construction . • 



c I Well sites 



D v 



281 

 245 



••• 



377 



235 



32 



133 



406 



234 



23 



114 



519 

 239 

 I5i 

 281 



Total 



526 



777 



777 



1. 190 



It will be convenient to deal with each class of wells separately 

 and to examine the changes it has undergone during the period 

 from 1888 to 1895. 



A.~ Productive Wells, 



In 1888 I recorded 281 productive wells, and although I may have 

 overlooked some abandoned wells, I am quite certain that the above 

 figure represents the actual number in that year. 



Since that time the number of productive wells has been steadily 

 on the increase ; but it seems that the number increased by leaps and 

 bounds rather than by gradual progress. This is easily explained, as 

 between 1888 and 1891 the native well diggers were allowed to go on 

 digging new wells,while in 1 891 the construction of new wells was pro- 

 hibited, pending the settlement of the rights of the Twinzayo Corpo- 

 ration, and only those wells which were actually under construction 

 in that year were allowed to be finished. Owing to the complicated 

 nature of the rights in the native oilfields the period of settlement 

 ( 226 ) 



