222 



NOETLING : PETROLEUM IN BURMA. 



Financial Year. 



1883-84 



1884-85 



1885-86 . 



1886.87 



1887-88 

 1888-89 

 1889-90 

 1890-9I 

 1891-92 

 * 892-93 

 1893-94 



Export of mineral 



oil (crude and 



refined). 



Gallons at lbs. 8-83. 



355,529 



495,763 

 547,200 

 492,269 



626,216 



716,849 



921,397 



828,429 



1,189,098 



1,335,506 

 1,522,981 



Export of paraffins 

 wax. 



Cwt. 



Nil. 

 321 



3,825 



4,339 



5,757 



6,038 



7,920 



8,485 



13,635 



21,278 



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 1880-81. 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 ) 



