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[Appalachian Petroleum Section: James M. Kimbrough, chairman; John H. Adair, first vice-chairman; Walter L. Diddle, second vice-chairman; Byron M. Finch, secretary-treasurer. Balcones Section: Robert V. West, chairman; Frank W. Jessen, first vice-chairman; Zane V. Morgan, second vice-chairman; Brantley G. Myers, secretary-treasurer. Meets 4th Wed., Petroleum Club (San Antonio) or Terrace Dining Room (Austin) Billings Petroleum Section: Charles B. Evans, chairman; L. M. Lyon, first vice-chairman; Gordon E. Lansford, second vice-chairman; Fred. A. Haddenhorst, secretary-treasurer. Meets 3rd Tues., Billings Petroleum Club. California Coastal Section: Robert L. Richardson, chairman; David K. Hayward, first vice-chairman; W. Jackson Bransford, secretary; William N. Harwell, treasurer. Meets 3rd Thurs., Pierport Inn, Ventura. Caracas Petroleum Section: Edwin A. Moo re, chairman;. Jose Cirigliano, vice-chairman; Frank B. Davis, secretary; Robert N. Powers, treasurer. Meets 2nd Tues., Caracas Theater Club.]

Jan 1, 1961

The war story of the engineer corps at home and in France is told officially for the first time in the advance sheets of the War Department's brief history of American war efforts. Many of these accomplishments have been published before as isolated incidents, but they gave no idea of the extraordinary duties modern warfare has laid upon engineering troops. In the engineering units that reached the other side, there were seven regiments and two battalions of railway construction engineers; five battalions for maintenance of way; two battalions for maintenance of railway equipment; four regiments and one battalion to operate the main American railways in France; three regiments to operate light railways and their repair shops; two regiments to operate the regular railway repair shops; two regiments and six separate battalions on general construction work; two regiments for storing and transporting engineer supplies; a forestry regiment; a light-railway construction regiment; a roadbuilding regiment; a water-supply regiment; a mining regiment; a quarrying regiment; a technical regiment for surveying and sound ranging; three survey and printing battalions; two railway transportation battalions; an electrical and mechanical regiment; several separate companies to operate cranes; a camouflage service; five inland waterway companies, to operate canal boats and the like; five pontoon trains and a pontoon

Jan 6, 1919

YUGOSLAVIA is one of the smaller countries in Europe-about twice the size of Pennsylvania -but one of the richest nations in variety and quantity of minerals on the Continent. The country, just now beginning the pangs of a real industrial birth, has a mining history that goes back as far as the sixth century, B. C. Among others, the Romans exploited Yugoslavia's lead and zinc deposits, and there was intensive mining during the Middle Ages. But until now, the country's industrial development was such that it made no great demand on the mining industry for development or expansion. Conversations with Yugoslavian officials in New York give the impression that they are interested in two things. They need money and they need trained engineers to solve their mining problems. Yugoslavia appears to be attempting to attract both foreign money and foreign technical skill. They want financial aid in the form of loans. The U. S. Government has given aid to Yugoslavia in the shape of armaments, foodstuffs, and equipment. Recently, American banks have advanced funds.

Jan 5, 1954

By D. Harrington

ALTHOUGH statistical data are not at hand to justify definite statements as to progress in health, and safety in the mining and allied industries during 1935, it now appears probable that in both coal mining and in metal- mining the rate of accident occurrence as well as the absolute number of accidents will show slight increases for the year. Much: of the responsibility for this increase lies with the large number of relatively. small mines that have more or less recently come into existence, partly because of 'the lack of opportunity for work in the larger mines for large numbers of unemployed miners, and partly due to increased prices for some of the mineral products, especially gold. In general, the larger long-established nines show downward accident trends and this is decidedly encouraging as it shows that where mines are operated with real efficiency, mining can be done in relative safety.

Jan 1, 1936

N/A

Jan 1, 1945

By Edgar Rickard

IT SHOULD be clearly understood that my remarks on economic conditions in Russia are entirely personal, and not official as an officer of the Ameri-can Relief Administration. The American Relief Administration is concerned exclusively in relief operations. The American Relief Administration has played a large part in the conditions as they exist in Russia today and it does not seem to be out of order to give you the high lights of the work accomplished. SIXTY MILLION DOLLARS FOR RUSSIAN RELIEF The Riga Agreement, by which we were enabled to carry on our operations, was signed in Riga on Aug. 20 of last year. On Sept. 8, we opened our first relief station in Petrograd. On Sept. 18, our first food was handed out in Samara on the Volga River, in the center of the so-called famine district. Altogether over 775,000 tons of food have been sent from the Atlantic Coast into Russia and we have moved this entire quantity of food over a dilapidated and wornout system of railways; and we estimate that our loss will be less than one-half of one per cent. in shortages and thefts. We have had available for this Russian work approximately $60,000,000. The bulk of this money was derived from a Congressional grant of $20,000,000 for food stuffs, a further Congressional grant of Army medical surplus supplies of $4,000,000, a grant by the Soviet Government of $11,400,000. This Soviet grant is a rather interesting phase of our operations. In all of Mr. Hoover's relief work abroad he has demanded of the country receiving relief that the people them-selves do something concrete for their own good before he would undertake to collect large sums of money in America. Secondly, before he was willing to go before Congress and ask for funds from our government he desired that the Soviet Government show their good will.

Jan 11, 1922

By C. R. King

Most of the acid volcanic glasses such as obsidian, perlite, pitchstone, pumice, and pumicite (volcanic ash) are susceptible to some expansion if suddenly subjected to a suitably high temperature in a properly designed furnace, and subsequently suddenly cooled. Expansion results from the action of chemically combined or dissolved water expanding as a vapor within the softened heated rock particles. This expansion forms countless minute bubbles within the pasty mass of the natural glass particles. If the particles are cooled before these bubbles can escape, the resulting products are cellular, more or less spherulitized glass froths or hollow glass spheres of many types. Chemically, they are essentially aluminum silicates containing about 70 to 75 pct silica, 10 to 16 pct alumina, and 2 to 7 pct sodium plus potassium oxides. They are relatively resistant to attack by acids or alkalies, are resistant to heat up to over 1000°F, and are completely inert to insect or fungus attack.

Jan 1, 1949

NORTH AMERICA. CANADA Canadian Army Overseas. Ball, H. D. Bridges. C. Butterill, H. J. If. Ladner, F. E. Lane, H. C. Alillar, W. A. ALBERTA Calgary.-Chonette, W. C. Clark, L. At. Corbett, C. S. de Hart, J. B. Dingman, C. W. Fath. A. E. Fulton. J. If. Cray, J. G. Johnson. R. V. McCutchin, J. A. *Slipper, S. E. Vin Buckirk H. A.

Jan 1, 1944

SEC. 1. The membership of the Institute shall comprise seven classes, namely: 1. Members; 2. Honorary Members; 3. Senior Members; 4. Associates; 5. Junior Members; 6. Rocky Mountain Members; 7. Junior Foreign Affiliates. All shall be equally entitled to the privileges of membership, excepting that no member of any class whose residence shall be outside of the United States of America, except those residing in Mexico and Canada, shall be entitled to vote. SEC. 2. Members: A person to be eligible for election or transfer into the class of Member must be at least 27 years of age and must have had at least six years' employ¬ment in the practice of engineering, mining, geology, metallurgy, or chemistry, during at least three years of which he must have held positions of responsibility in one or more of these fields. This shall not apply to Rocky Mountain members. SEC. 3. Honorary Members: Each candidate for Honorary Membership must be recommended by at least ten Members and must be elected by ballot at a meeting of the Board of Directors by the unanimous vote of the Directors present; provided, how¬ever, that the number of Honorary Members shall at no time exceed twenty. Such election shall automatically act as a transfer of such member from any other class of membership to which he may belong. SEC. 4. -Senior Members: The Directors may in their discretion place on the Honor Roll of Senior Members and transfer from any other class of membership other than Honorary Membership the name of any Member or Associate who has reached the age of seventy years and who has paid dues for thirty years, and for good reasons in special cases may vary the age or number of years. SEC. 5. Junior Members: A person to be eligible for election to the class of Junior Member must be qualified through education or experience to hold a subordinate position in engineering, mining, metallurgical, geological or chemical work. He shall be not more than 33 years of age at the time of election. SEC. 6. Associates: A person eligible for election or transfer into the class of Associate shall be one, who, in the opinion of the Committee on Admissions and the Board of Directors, is suitable for such election or transfer by reason of his interest in or connection with mining, geology, metallurgy, or chemistry. SEC. 7. Rocky Mountain Members: Membership in a special class of life member¬ships without annual or other dues and without right to receive the printed literature distributed to other members or the right and privilege of wearing the official badge of technical members, is given to all members of the Rocky Mountain Club at the time of consolidation. These special Rocky Mountain memberships shall be claimable by any member of the Rocky Mountain Club, not already a member of the Institute, availing himself of the privilege within ninety days after mailing of notice to him, by the Secretary of the Institute. SEC. 8. Junior Foreign Afliate: Upon appropriate action by the Board of Direc¬tors and with its approval, members in good standing of any technical society having its headquarters outside of the United States of America, Canada, or Mexico,

Jan 1, 1937

By John W. Buch

IN my review a year ago I pointed out that a small coal-mining companies as well as large had decided that the so called ?central shop? was a benefit. These central shops replaced in a large measure the commercial shops operated by those who have no direct connection with production of cod. Central shops in this time of salvage and major repairs have proved their worth. In addition, many of the larger companies had in their central shops equipment available for the production of many thousands of parts for our vast war machine and, as subcontractors, are doing this type of work. This is a real contribution to the war endeavor. Lack of new supplies has resulted in exhaustion of those stocks formerly stored or hidden in underground shanties. This means that the small stock of repair parts likely LO be available to any mine

Jan 1, 1943

By J. J. Forbes

'"THE Federal Coal Mine Safety Act (public Law T. 552. 82nd Congress) was approved oil July 16, 1952. It incorporates, as Title I, the Coal Mine Inspectio1.1 and Investigation Act of May 7. 1941 (Public Law 49, 77th Congress), which gave Federal inspectors only the right to enter. coal mines for inspection and investigation purposes but no power to require compliance with their recommendations. Title 11 contains the enforcement provisions of the act; its purpose is to prevent major disasters in coal mines from explosions, fires. inundations. and man-trip 01. man-hoist accidents. At this point a brief account of events that preceded the enactment of the Federal Coal Mine Safety Act seems appropriate. The hazardous nature of coal mining was recognized by the Federal Govermment as long ago as 1865, when a bill to create a Federal Mining Bureau was introduced in Congress. Little was done, however, until a series of appalling coalmine disasters during the first decade of this century provoked a demand for Federal action. As a result an act of Congress established a Bureau of Mines in the Department of the Interior on July 1, 1910. The act made it clear that one of the foremost activities of the Bureau should be to improve health and safety in the mineral industries. One of the first projects selected by the small folce of engineers and technicians then employed was to determine the causes of coal-mine explosions and the means to prevent them. By investigations aftel mine disasters the fundamental causes and means of prevention were soon discovered, and the coal mining industry was informed accordingly. However, despite this knowledge and the enactment of State laws and the Federal Coal Mine Inspection and Investigation Act of 1941, mine disasters continued to occur with disheartening frequency and staggering loss of life. The devastating explosion at the Orient No. 2 mine on December 21, 1951, resulted in the death of 119 men. The Orient disaster rekindled the memory of the Centralia. Ill., disaster of March 25. 1947, which caused the death of 111 coal miners. These two tragedies ultimately brought about enactment of the Federal Coal Mine Safety Act. The act is a compromise measure. Senator Matthew M. Neely of West Virginia and Congressman Melvin Priec of Illinois introduced almost identical versions in the 82nd Congress, but they were considered too drastic. The final version was introduced by Congressman Samuel K. McConnel, Jr., of Pennsylvania, after considerable discussion and amendment in committee hearings. It was passed by the Congress and became effective when signed by the President on July 16, 1952. The act is somewhat limited in scope because it applies only to approximately 2000 coal mines in the United States and Alaska that employ regularly 15 or more individuals underground. It exempts approximately 5300 mines employing regularly fewer than 15 individuals underground and all strip mines, of which there are about 800. Moreover, it covers only conditions and practices that may lead to major disasters from explosion, fire, inundation, or man-trip or man-hoist accidents. According to Bureau records, such accidents have resulted in less than 10 pct of all the fatalities in coal mines. It is important to mention that the law is not designed to prevent the day-to-day type of accidents that have caused the remaining 90 pct or more of the fatalities, because it was the specific intention of the Congress to reserve the hazards which caused them to the jurisdiction of the coal-producing states. Many who opposed any Federal legislation that would give the Federal inspectors authority to require compliance with mine safety regulations claimed that such legislation would usurp or infringe upon States' rights. To assure that the principle of States' rights would be preserved, the act provides for joint Federal-State inspections when a state desires to cooperate in such activities. The Director of the Bureau of Mines is required by the act to cooperate with the official mine-inspection or safety agencies of the coal-producing states. The act provides further that any state desiring to cooperate in making joint inspections may submit a State plan for carrying out the purposes of this part of the act. Certain requirements are listed: these must be met by a state before the plan can be accepted. The Director of the Bureau of Mines, however, is required to approve any State plan which complies with the specified provisions. The Director may withdraw his approval and declare such a plan inoperative if he finds that the State agency is not complying with the spirit and intent of any provision of the State plan. When this paper was prepared, agreements for joint Federal-State inspections had been entered into with Wyoming and Washington. A few other states have indicated their desire to submit a State plan and negotiations toward that end are now under way. Reluctance to enter into such agreements may be due to the mine operators' knowledge that in the states that adopt a cooperative plan they are prohibited from applying to the Director of the Bureau of Mines for annulment or revision of an order issued by a Federal inspector and must appeal directly to the Federal Coal Mine Safety Board of Review for such action. Experience has proved that review by the Director as provided in the act is a less expensive and time-consuming procedure to all concerned than applying to the Board. Reluctance also may stem from the fact that joint Federal-State inspections somewhat restrict the movements of the State mine inspectors and tend to reduce the number of inspections of mines. Where a State plan is not adopted, the Federal coal mine inspector is responsible under the law to take one of two courses of action if he finds certain hazardous conditions during his inspections. The first action involves imminent danger. If a Federal inspector finds danger that a mine explosion, mine fire, mine inundation, or man-trip or man-hoist accident will occur in a mine immediately or before the imminence of such danger can be elim-

Jan 1, 1955

(Members are urged to send in for this column any notes of interest concerning themselves or their fellow-members.) Members and guests who called at Institute headquarters during the period August 1, 1916 to September 10, 1916: C. L. Cantley, New Glasgow, N. S. H. M. La Follette, La Follette, Tenn. D. A. Cowell, Columbus, Ohio. Montrose L. Lee, Montevideo, Uruguay. Alexander Deussen, Houston, Texas. V. H. McNutt, Billings, Mont. Chas. E. Dutton, Goldfield, Nev. J. W. Maller, New York, N. Y. H. S. Emlaw, Grand Haven, Mich. Edwin W. Mills, Tul. Mi Chung, Chosen, J. M. Gillette, Swatsburg, N. Y. Korea. E. Gorilla, San Antonio, Texas. Francis R. Pine, Elizabeth N. J. Bertram Grant, Kingman, Arizona. Frank A. Ray, Columbus, Ohio. Ruger W. Hay, Bisbee, Arizona. John A. Rice, El Paso, Texas. C. F. Hendricks, Cobalt, Ontario. W. E. Rice, Ringwood Manor, N. J. Stanley C. Herold, San Jose, Cal. W. H. Staver, Lynchburg, Va. Lloyd Hoffman, Pottersville, N. J. Ralph H. Sweetser, Easton, Pa. Charles Hunter, London, England. Kirby Thomas, New York, N. Y. G. Jansen, Benkoelen, Sumatra. Henry Traphagen, Union Hill. T. H. Jenks, Oatman, Arizona. M. M. Valerius, Tulsa, Okla. Warren jenny, Chanaral, Chile. Wilfrid B. Wainewright, London, Eng. Walter A. Barrows, Jr., of Brainerd, Minn., has been elected president and general manager of the Thomas Iron Co., Easton, Pa., to succeed Ralph H. Sweetser, whose resignation of several months ago becomes

Jan 10, 1916

THE SOUTHWEST MINING SECTION of the National Safety. Council held a well attended two-day conference at Globe, Ariz., March 19 and 20; followed by two days of mine-rescue maneuvers at the Old Dominion mine in cooperation with the Globe-Miami District Mine Rescue and First Aid Association and the U. S. Bureau of Mines. C. L. Colburn of the Bureau had general charge of the arrangements and was chairman of the conference. All sessions were held in the Old Dominion Library. The program of papers was as follows: MINE FIRE PREVENTION AND FIGHTING What to do in Case of a Mine Fire. / Chas. A. Mitke, Consulting Mining Engineer, Bisbee, Ariz. Gunnite as a Fire Preventative. W. C. Browning, General Manager, Magma Copper Co., Superior, Ariz. Chemical Engineer's Part in Fire Fighting. Dr. L. H. Duschak, Consulting Chemical Engineer, San Francisco, Cal. Mine Fire Drills. A. C. Stoddard, Chief Mining Engineer, Inspiration Consolidated Copper Co., Inspiration, Ariz. Notes on the Installation of Fire Fighting Equipment in Mines. Benjamin F. Tillson, Assistant Superintendent, New Jersey Zinc Co., Franklin, N. J.

Jan 5, 1923

NEW MEMBERS The following list comprises the names of those persons who became members during the period Dec. 10, 1915 to Jan. 10, 1916. ANDERSON, FRANK BASIL, Min. Engr., Sampler, Copper Queen Cons. Min. Co., Bisbee, Ariz. BAILEY, LEWIS NEWTON, Min. -Engr 4227 St. James Place, Sail Diego, Cal. BELL, JAMES E., Min. Engr., Care Chile Exploration Co., Chuquicamata, Chile, South America. BONILLAS, YGNACIO SAFFORD, Min. Geol., Copper Queen Cons. Min. Co., Bisbee, Ariz. BRADLEY, GEORGE OLIVER, Mech. Engr Hobart Bldg., San Francisco, Cal. CLARK, GEORGE L., Min. Engr Vipond Mine, Schumacher, Ont., Canada. CONKLING, RICHARD A., Geol., Roxana Petroleum Co. of Oklahoma, Tulsa, Okla. GOHRING, W. B.. Geol., Supt. of Mines, Calumet and Arizona Min. Co., Warren, Ariz.

Jan 2, 1916

By AIME AIME

BUSINESS forecasting may be an inexact science, if it is a science at all, but in the opinion of the statisticians of the American Telephone & Telegraph Co. it is a valuable aid to the making of future business plans, whether it be used by a telephone system, a manufacturer whose distribution is country-wide or, one whose trade is confined to certain sections. Whatever the defects of business forecasting may be; the American Telephone & Telegraph Co: has employed it since 1921, not only for charting the probable; course of telephone traffic over long-distance lines, but' to determine the needs for new plant and equipment: caused by shifting tides in business or increases in population or general industrial expansion.

Jan 1, 1929

By AIME

TO say that Milton Fies has been active in promoting the Southern Research Institute is a masterpiece of understatement. He is a director and trustee who was in on the ground floor when plans were first made for the Institute and since it became an actuality early in 1945 his interest and efforts continue. He talked about it at the last regional meeting of the Birmingham Section of the A.F.A. and has talked all over the South-and when he makes a speech he has really prepared it. He does not try to rival a political spellbinder, but his careful, concise English is always well thought out and to the point. Southern Research might be called his present hobby as it has been for the past two or three years. Another major interest has been his encouragement and training of engineering students. Active in the formation of the Student Chapter of the A.I.M.E. at the University of Alabama, for several years he saw to it that the students had a prominent engineer at each monthly meeting, usually taking them down to Tuscaloosa from Birmingham in his own automobile. He has also been keenly interested in the mining engineering activities at Tuscaloosa, both in the Bureau of Mines and the University.

Jan 1, 1946

CHARLES F: WILLIS,* Bisbee, Ariz. (written discussion?).-An employment department operated only with the object of relieving the foremen from hiring and for the purpose of centralizing record keeping is not likely to be entirely successful, and is doing but a small part of the good that practice has shown is possible; although it was .probably a desire to save time and to conduct the business more conveniently that led many mining companies to centralize their employment department. The ultimate object, however, is the reduction of labor turnover, by obtaining men better qualified to fill the positions to which they are assigned, by following up their work and providing for transfer to other departments or for promotion, if advisable, by reducing the number of quits for inconsequential reasons, and by supervising such laying-off as is necessary in such a way that the permanent force is not upset. It provides a stability 'of employment, free from favoritism and paternalism, probably the best form of employment insurance that we can have. The value of the employment department is in direct proportion to the breadth of its supervisor, his ability to estimate and place men, his sympathy in dealing with their petty troubles, and his analysis of quits and the reasons therefor. There is probably no better index of the soundness of the industrial relationship between the employee and the employer than the reasons why men quit; an intelligent, unbiased analysis of these reasons tells where corrective measures are necessary. In nine cases out of ten the reasons are small grievances, easily corrected, and are things usually overlooked by mine officials.

Jan 6, 1919

NEW MEMBERS The following list comprises the names of those persons who became members during the period Oct. 10, 1918, to Nov. 9, 1918. ALLER, FRANK D., Copper Met., Ore Purchaser, American Smelt. & Refin. Co., 120 Broadway, New York, N. Y. AVÈRY, PAUL W., Met. Engr., Esperanza Min. Co., Apt. 8, El Oro, Mex., Mexico. BAKER, CHARLES A., Leaching Foreman, Copper Leaching Plant, Anaconda Copper Min. Co., Anaconda, Mont: BREED, CHARLES H Met., Crown Cork & Seal Co., Baltimore, Md. CHASE, R. L., Min. Engr 102S First National Bank Bldg., Denver, Colo. EICHELBERGER, FRANK, Vice-pres. and Engr., New York-Montana Testing & Engrg. Co., Helena, Mont. GESTER, G. C., Geol., Standard Oil Co. of Cal., 616 Standard Oil Bldg., San Francisco, Cal. GRIFFIN, JOHN, Mgr., Anthracite Territory, The Dorr Co., Board of Trade Bldg., Scranton, Pa. HAYNES, ELWOOD Pres., The Haynes Stellite Co., Kokomo, Indiana. Hsi, T. C:.. Sec'y, Tayeh Iron & Steel Works, Tayeh, China. HYDE, AUSTIN T., Mgr., Keokuk Plant, River Smelt. & Refin. Co., 607 Franklin St., Keokuk, Iowa.

Jan 12, 1918

By C. A. Hartnagel

The production of petroleum in New York state in 1942 amounted to 5,410,000 bbl. This represents an increase over each of the four preceding years, and, with the exception of 1937, is the largest production since the peak of over six million barrels in 1882, shortly after the discovery of oil in Allegany County. The oil industry in New York is virtually stabilized and there has been little or no exploration for new sources of supply in recent years. The boundaries of the present fields were established more than 30 years ago and since then no additional reserves have been found. Deep drilling for natural gas during the past 10 years both within and without the oil fields has failed to find oil in quantity below the present producing sands of Devonian age. Oil Since 1882, the New York fields have produced approximately 140 million barrels of oil. Of this amount, 65 million was produced up to the year 1919 by ordinary pumping methods; that is, without flooding by water or the use of other secondary-recovery methods. In the year 1919, when a law was passed making the use of water-flooding methods legal, the oil production, of the state amounted to only 851,000 bbl. In the 23 years since 1919, there have been produced in the state 75 million barrels, or 10 million more than in the previous 37 years, which included the period of flush production. Price.—On March 26, the price of crude oil was raised from $2.75 to $3.00 per barrel, hut this increase had little or no effect on the number of wells drilled. In the Allegany field, which accounts for three fourths of the state's oil production, 1259 wells were completed in 1942, 7 less than in 1941. The smaller number of wells drilled was not only due to the shortage of labor but also was caused by the fact that in water-flooding territory a definite program for drilling wells is followed, and the flush period of an oil well is not usually reached in time to profit by any given price increase. Daily Production.—All of the oil wells in New York state, some 21,000 in number, are small producers. The average daily oil production is 7/10 bbl. per well. Under good flooding conditions, a maximum production of 5 to 8 bbl, a day is reached about one year after the flood begins to act on the well. In 5 years the daily production usually is less than one barrel. Although most of the oil in New York is produced by flooding, an estimated 2500 old wells produce without flooding. Some of these produce as little as 1/20 bbl. a day and are pumped only at intervals. The small producing Wells are mostly on lands leased to the larger oil companies and later will be included in a flooding program. At present, they are pumped only because the owners of the land insist on the royalty. Government Aid Needed.—Because of its good lubricating qualities, New York oil is one of those for which there is an insistent and growing demand, but even at its present price of $3.00 per barrel, many of the operators are producing at a loss.

Jan 1, 1943

By C. A. Hartnagel

The production of petroleum in New York state in 1942 amounted to 5,410,000 bbl. This represents an increase over each of the four preceding years, and, with the exception of 1937, is the largest production since the peak of over six million barrels in 1882, shortly after the discovery of oil in Allegany County. The oil industry in New York is virtually stabilized and there has been little or no exploration for new sources of supply in recent years. The boundaries of the present fields were established more than 30 years ago and since then no additional reserves have been found. Deep drilling for natural gas during the past 10 years both within and without the oil fields has failed to find oil in quantity below the present producing sands of Devonian age. Oil Since 1882, the New York fields have produced approximately 140 million barrels of oil. Of this amount, 65 million was produced up to the year 1919 by ordinary pumping methods; that is, without flooding by water or the use of other secondary-recovery methods. In the year 1919, when a law was passed making the use of water-flooding methods legal, the oil production, of the state amounted to only 851,000 bbl. In the 23 years since 1919, there have been produced in the state 75 million barrels, or 10 million more than in the previous 37 years, which included the period of flush production. Price.—On March 26, the price of crude oil was raised from $2.75 to $3.00 per barrel, hut this increase had little or no effect on the number of wells drilled. In the Allegany field, which accounts for three fourths of the state's oil production, 1259 wells were completed in 1942, 7 less than in 1941. The smaller number of wells drilled was not only due to the shortage of labor but also was caused by the fact that in water-flooding territory a definite program for drilling wells is followed, and the flush period of an oil well is not usually reached in time to profit by any given price increase. Daily Production.—All of the oil wells in New York state, some 21,000 in number, are small producers. The average daily oil production is 7/10 bbl. per well. Under good flooding conditions, a maximum production of 5 to 8 bbl, a day is reached about one year after the flood begins to act on the well. In 5 years the daily production usually is less than one barrel. Although most of the oil in New York is produced by flooding, an estimated 2500 old wells produce without flooding. Some of these produce as little as 1/20 bbl. a day and are pumped only at intervals. The small producing Wells are mostly on lands leased to the larger oil companies and later will be included in a flooding program. At present, they are pumped only because the owners of the land insist on the royalty. Government Aid Needed.—Because of its good lubricating qualities, New York oil is one of those for which there is an insistent and growing demand, but even at its present price of $3.00 per barrel, many of the operators are producing at a loss.

Jan 1, 1943