PETROLEUM INDUSTRY

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 7869, 3 August 1911, Page 8

PETROLEUM INDUSTRY

The Russian, naphtha industry is only slowiv recovering from tho disastrous effects of the year 1905, with, its strikes and general confusion. At that time JUussian petroleum lost its hold on the West European, market, and since then the export has only slowly recovered and lias not been able to reach its former importance. In the year 1992, for instance, the exports from the Baku district amounted tc 1,107,090 tons; it last year only amounted to 290,090 tons. The exports of machine oils were, in 1904, 206,000 tons, and in 1909 only 14-1.000 loirs. Tile outp ul of iuw naphtha reached its maximum in 3901, with close upon 11,000,000 tons; in 190-4 the figure was 10,100,000 tons, but the following year it receded to 6,720,000 tons. Last year the production of the Baku district amounted to 8,050.000 tons raw naphtha. Tho prospects for the future are not of the brightest, inasmuch as the yield within the area decreases, whilst, on the other hand, the cost of production is on the increase. The production in the year ’I9OO exceeded by 4,000,000 tons that of 1909, whilst on the other hand the number of boro-holes had risen from 1700 in the year 1900 to 2609 in the year 1909. This shows how the yield per boro-hole is on the decline, albeit the wells arc,carried to a greater depth. Tho old Baku district jio longer plays the same important port on tho .world's market as formerly, but there are other districts in Ifcussia which, to some extent at least, may take.the place of the former; this applies, perhaps, more especially to the Maikop district, and promising deposits have also been discovered in tho Sohcmabinska district. White transparent petroleum, which has hitherto only been known in the Baku district, ■is now also being produced at G-rosny as a condensation product from the gaseous discharges : from the boreholes. It differs from the Ssurachan petroleum by its low specific weight (0.724) and by its light colour. The formation of this petroleum is attributed to evaporation from tho black ’ naphtha in the lower strata on account of tho subterranean heat, which is considerable in many of the Grosny boreholes. Notwithstanding the decline in tho price of naphtha in tho Ter district, it is under oontomplatkxn to start now works on some Kites formerly known to contain naphtha, but whfch have since been abandoned or neglected. Thus a company lias been formed to start naphtha works at Ge.ra.guny, near tho first statical in tho distinct from Grosny-Potnowsk, in tho vicinity of tho Tscliir-lurt station on tho Eostow-Wladikawkats Bailway*— <r ßngineorin»g.‘”