OILFIELDS OF THE WORLD.

Taranaki Herald, Volume LIX, Issue 143550, 15 July 1911, Page 4

OILFIELDS OF THE WORLD.

(By “Oilogist.”)

INDIAN EMPIRE. India takes its name from the Indus or Hindus, a Persian corruption of the Sanskrit Sindhu, "great river.” By the Greeks this river was known as the Hindus, which with the Persian suffix stan gave the name "Hindustan” to the whole country. In the time of Columbus, and long afterwards, the Asiatic continent east of the Ganges was generally styled India. As Burmah plays a most important part in the production of oil for tthe Indian Empire, it might bo interesting to know how it takes its name. It has its origin from the natives, who claim to be descendants of Brahma, the supreme deity of the Hindoos. Another part of the Indian Empire, viz., Punjab, which will be referred to. This name expresses the Persian for "five rivers.” There are very few references in the early days to India as wc know it now. The first report that had any reference to petroleum was made by F. Aecum in 1803. This engineer drew the British Government's attention to the salt and bitumen (“Bit-nobin” of the Hindoos). The next reference made' to petroleum is in J. Wood’s hook of travels: "A Journey to the Source of the River Oxus by the Route of the Indus, Kabul, and Badakshan.” Since the last-mentioned date the Indian Government has had many geological surveys made of the various oil fields.

Two Buddhist pilgrims, Sung-Yun and Tah-Hiau, travelling [overland from China to India in 1869, mentioned to Indian officials that they saw petroleum in many places in India. Some of these oil lands are now being worked. There is much more early history that refers to Burma. In. 172-1 Bocrhaave. stated the Oleum Tcrrae of India was in his time so scarce as to be “kept by the princes of Asia lor their own use,” and was not imported, except as a rarity, into Europe. Again, in the year 1755, G. Baker makes reference to petroleum in his hook, “Journal of an .Embassy j to the King of Burma.” Many writers I make reference to Atush-Kmlda, or na- j tuml gas fire—temples of the Gaebres, formed from tin' burning springs of i naphtha. H. Cox, in 1799, gives a ! splendid, account of the petroleum well, in' the Burmese dominions, extracted : from "the journal of a voyage from Ranghong (Rangoon) up the River Era! Whuddey (Irawadi) to Arnarapoorah, the present capital of Burmah. The oil fields of the Indian Empire are very scattered, stretching from Burmah.in the south-east to the Hima-layas-in the north-west part of India. As far ns production (1909) is concerned, India takes sixth place in the world’s output, the percentage being 2.24 as against America 01.24, Russia 22.19, Galicia 5.02, Butch East Indies 3.71, ;aiid Roumania 3,13. In 1903 the total output of petroleum was 88,000,000 gallons. This has increased in 1909 to 280,413,714, The increase is mainly due to the greater activity in Burmah, and especially to the Venangyaung field, whore richer oil sands have been struck in the Iwiugdon Reserve. For all that the aggregate still leaves India, ms a whole, in 'a comparatively insignificant position as compared with the other great oil-producing countries, A useful survey ot the whole world’s production ,in '1902, and again in 1909, shows at u glance, as above, the relative positions ot eacli county. The position of the petroleum industry in India is interesting in relation to the imports of the product. The imports. which had fallen in 1906 to 61,206.000 gallons, have since gradually increased, and in the last year for which figures - are available, amounted to 96,844.000 gallons. The total value of the imports in that year was £2,606,000, as compared with £2,128,(Xi0 in the preceding year, and was contributed by the principal exporting countries in the following proportions; Gnlicd States of America, £1,325,000; Roumania, £359,0D0; Sumatra, £245,000; Straits Settlements, £250,000; Russia, ■ £179,000; Borneo, £141,000 ; and the United Kingdom, £IIB,OOO. During the five yeark from 1903 Russia gradually increased her predominance in the Indian trade over America. r ln IS9B and 1899 Russia contributed 62 per cent, of the total imports, as against America’s 28 per cent.; m 1901 and 1902 Russia’s proportion was 85 per cent., and America’s only 9. Then came the turn in the fide. In 1904 Russia’s proportion declined to 71 per cent., and America’s rose to 14 per cent. In 1907 Russia had almost ceased to be a competitor, whereas the United States sent in 56 per cent., which declined the following year to 41 per cent., while Russia’s percentage increased to 11 per cent. The whole outlook has again considerably altered by the appearance of Roumania as a big exporter. Tile Burmah oil fields play a most important part in the supplies of oil. Burmah as a province of the Indian Empire, occupies a unique position ns the centre of the world’s greatest population, having on its borders, India with its 300 millions, China, Siam, etc., with over 500 millions. All products find a ready and growing market in the immediate neighbourhood. All Burmah oils enter .India duty free, while foreign oils pay a duty of 10 per cent. THE PETROLEUM RESOURCES OF INDIA SO FAR AS IS KNOWN AT PRESENT. The petroleum deposits of India are confined to the two systems of folded rocks at cither end dt the Himalayan range, consisting of: (1) The Iranian system on the west, including the Punjab and Baluchistan, and continued beyond British limits into Persia, where the oil fields have attracted interest for many years; (2) the Arakan system on the east, including Assam andßurmali, with their southern geotcchtonic: extension to tho highly productive oil fields of Sumatra, Java and Borneo. In both areas the oil is associated with tertiary strata and has had probably similar conditions of origin in both cases, but the structural features of these areas are not equally suitable for the retention of oil in natural reservoirs. In Burmah, however, tho conditions have been locally ideal; the wellknown Yenangyaung (fetid water rivulet) field lies N.NAV.-S.S.E. on a flat anticline, the axis of which, by Variations in pitch, has produced a flat dome in the Khodaung tract. 'The rocks in this dome include several porous sand strata of various depths, each covered by an impervious' clay-bed, which has helped to retain the oil until the impervious layers are pierced by artificial wells. Jn Baluchistan rocks resulting from earth movements have caused much of the original stores of oil to disappear. Oil springs are common enough, but they are mere “shows,” not connected with reservoirs that can be tapped artificially.