136 
OIL DISTRICTS OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA. 
This soon becomes packed and the volatile constituents of the oil 
evaporate, leaving a dustless, springy surface of asphalt, soil, and 
sand. Several municipalities use the oil process entirely for their city 
streets and hundreds of miles of country roads in southern California 
are treated in a similar manner. A recent judicial ruling which holds 
that the principle of road oiling is not patentable has greatly stimu¬ 
lated this use for the heavy oils." 
PRODUCTION. 
The gross production of petroleum in the Puente Ilills district from 
1899 to 1904, inclusive, was 8,241,081 barrels, as follows: 
1899 
1900 
1901 
1902 
Production of oil in Puente Hills district , 1899-1905. 
Barrels. 
217,599 
1903. 
511,550 
1904. 
909,588 
1905 . 
. 1,728,962 
Barrels. 
2,545,318 
2, 328, 064 
2,007,021 
These figures were compiled from data furnished by the officers of 
all the producing companies. Previous to 1899 the oil produced in 
this district came almost entirely from the Puente field. 
PRICES. 
The Union Oil Company has furnished the following table, showing 
the average price per barrel paid for crude oil (average gravity 
18°-19° B.) at the wells in the Puente Hills district: 
Average price per barrel , in cents, paid for crude oil at the wells , Puente Hills district. 
1901. 
1!H)2. 
1903. 
1904. 
1905. 
January.!. 
80 
49 
60 
44 
February. 
53 
56 
53 
March. 
80 
53 
57 
54 
April. 
44 
57 
48 
May. 
50 
58 
43 
June. 
51 
56 
45 
July. 
35-40 
55 
59 
57 
43 
August. 
54 
42 
September.. 
35-40 
55 
59 
41 
October. 
56 
56 
November. 
40 
55 
55 
December. 
40 
63 
55 
Average for year. 
80 
60 
53 
57 
46 
a For a detailed description of the road-oiling process see Prutzman, Paul W., Production and use or 
petroleum in California: Bull. California State Mining Bureau No. 32, 1904. 
