cation, on the free list. Mexico, which levies enormous duties on petroleum, is, under these new conditions, finding in the United States a ready market for fuel and road-making oils, and from the Dutch East Indies there are being brought considerable quantities of naphtha, a by-product not needed in the local trade of the Far East, and thrown away until the American market was thus opened. Production. The year 1910 made a gain in total production over 1909 of about 24,000,000 barrels. The table below shows a gain for 1911 of 13,487,711 barrels, or 6 per cent. over the large production of 1910. The magnitude of this production can be comprehended only by comparison. The output for 1911 in the single State of California. was greater than the total output for the first sixteen years of the industry, up to and including 1877. The total of all the fields for 1911 exceeds the total output for the first twenty-two years of the industry, or through 1883. California is easily the leading field in volume. It made a further gain of 8,000,000 barrels over 1910, and 25,000,000 barrels in two years, 1909 showing approximately 58,000,000 barrels, while 1911 amounted to 83,000,000 barrels. The Gulf field gained 6,000,000 barrels a substantial advance after the gain in 1910 of nearly 3,000,000 barrels. The Mid-Continent field increased 2,000,000 barrels, largely due to the opening up of two or three prolific pools; the main field showing for the year a strong tendency to decline. The Lima-Indiana field of sulphur crudes showed a shrinkage of 1,500,000 barrels, and the Pennsylvania field a decline of nearly 3,000,000 barrels. It will therefore be noticed that the total increase came largely from the fuel oil-asphalt crudes, while the grades used for refining and the manufacture of the more valuable products declined. In In the drilling of wells there was less activity in 1911 than in 1910, and while the total for all the fields showed 13,084 wells completed this was 2,000 wells less than those finished in the preceding year. the Pennsylvania field there was a decrease of 900 wells; in the Illinois field a reduction of 800 wells. This smaller number in these two important fields was not matched by an increase in other sections. Apparently only an advance in the price of crude will stimulate additional operations. Prices.-There was no change whatever in the price of Pennsylvania crude oil at the wells during the year until an advance of 5 cents to $1.35 was made effective in December. The average price of 1911 was lower than that of any year since 1902. Refined oil naturally showed likewise little change in the price, bulk export oil showing only fractional changes through the year, averaging 3.83 cents per gallon, or cent per gallon less than the average for 1910. Exports. The total exports of 1911 exceeded those of all previous years. The gain over the preceding year was nearly 213,000,000 gallons, and over 1909 more than 143,000,000 gallons; so that the reduction of 70,000,000 gallons in 1910 was more than made up in 1911. As compared with last year the total exports of crude oil show a reduction of about 2,000,000 gallons, although the exports from New York were increased 12,000,000 gallons. Port Arthur shipped 3,700,000 gallons less and San Francisco 10,000,000 gallons less. In refined oil all the shipping ports except Baltimore showed large gains. The increases were, New York nearly 84,000,000 gallons, Philadelphia 22,000,000 gallons, San Francisco 47,000,000 gallons, Port Arthur 24,000,000 gallons and New Orleans 3,500,000 gallons. Baltimore showed a reduction of 1,000,000 gallons. The total exports of crude oil, refined oil and naphtha show for all ports the splendid total of 1,334,648,545 gallons, an increase of 212,788,255 gallons, or about 19 per cent. No export shipments. whatever were made from Boston during either 1910 or 1911. MONTHLY RANGE AND AVERAGE PRICES IN NEW YORK IN 1911. PRICES PER GALLON S. W. 110 AT NEW YORK FOR EXPORT. |