Production - Foreign - Petroleum Production in Trinidad during 1932

One of the outstanding features of the year was a further marked decline in the footage drilled. This is estimated at 169,000 ft., as against 218,000 ft. for the previous year, and 372,500 ft. in 1930. Owing to repair work and improved production methods, there was an increase of about 4.25 per cent in the amount of oil won, the production being estimated at 10,160,000 bbl., or an increase of 400,000 bbl. over 1931 and nearly 750,000 bbl. more than in 1930. (See Table 1.) At the end of November there were 28 rigs in operation. During the first 11 months of the year 54 new wells were started; the average depth of those completed was 2476 feet. Owing to the continued restriction of drilling programs there has been little of outstanding interest in the way of new plant or technique. The use of the acid bottle, for testing the verticality of wells while drilling, has increased considerably, and this is now in use in practically every well except the very shallowest. During the last six months of the year fairly extensive use has been made of electrical coring. The number of wells started in the Colony up to the end of November, 1932, was 1894. The average number of producing wells during the year was 789, or 41.7 per cent of the total. Of these, 214 were flowing wells, 473 pumping, 80 bailing or swabbing, and 22 were produced by air or gas-lift. Although the last category represents less than 3 per cent of the total, there has been a marked increase in the use of air or gas-lift as compared with 1931. During the year there were 16 companies engaged in producing oil, as compared with 14 in the two previous years. In addition to one small refinery which started to operate at the beginning of the year, the five existing refineries worked continuously. At the latter very little has taken place in the way of extensions, except at one in the Parry Lands—Pitch Lake—Point Fortin area, where extensive alterations and additions are in progress, including the building of a deep-water pipe-line pier. When this is completed there will be five loading terminals, all situated in the sheltered Gulf of Paria, or west, coast, capable of accommodating ocean-going tank steamers. There