Show epoch in the oil 01 1 industry B BY Y P F C ORBET the year 1916 just closed marks an epoch in the oil industry of the united states this is especially true in regard to western oils for years past the eastern consumers have been in a self satisfied state believing that the best the world had to offer in the way of lubricating oils and gasoline was to be found in the eastern and mid continent crude the shortage in supply occasioned by heavy export shipments and the falling off of the crude production in the early months of the past year compelled the east to look to the west for relief quality of western crude the petroleum products from western crude forced into the east by the above conditions served as a steppingstone stepping stone to a tremendously large business to follow the quality of the products made from our western crude was a revelation to the eastern consumers who iare looking to efficiency the old and erroneous method of testing gasoline by gravity is rapidly into the discard and the modern and practical method of applying the distillation test is coming into use it is in the application of this modern test th atthe refined from western crude show their superiority the opinion has been general that the duality of a gasoline was demonstrated by its baume gravity however the two vital points to be considered are first the temperature pera ture at which gasoline begins to vaporize and second the temperature at which 98 per cent of the baroline ba soline has been vapor iced the gasoline from western brudes being superior to those from eastern and mid continent brudes in that they begin vaporizing vapor izing at a lower temperature and have all been vaporized vaporizer at a lower temperature than the eastern products has drawn the city Cit wit 1111 11 utah oil refining co salt lake eyes of the eastern investors to this western country as a promising field for development activity in well drilling this fact is manifest in the activity shown throughout the entire west in the drilling of test wells at various points in an effort to locate new fields we find this activity in california western and northern utah and to a very marked extent in northern wyoming new fields are being opened up in california especially in the bakersfield district the fields in this section at the present time holding forth great promise the prospecting done in western and northern utah has not up to the present time met with any very great success however strong companies are operating in this section and this territory will be thoroughly prospected during the coming year in wyoming there has been marked activities at rawlins rock springs big horn basin and elk horn basin all of which are now new fields and the last two named look very promising at this time it is indeed fortunate that new fields are being discovered as the consumption of petroleum products is increasing in leaps and bounds refiners refinery Re finers throughout the country are increasing their capacity in order to take care of the rapidly developing business utah oil refining co local people desiring to get firsthand first hand information as to the development of the oil industry have but to visit the plant of the utah oil refining company at salt lake city the growth of this company in the last five years has been most gratifying to all boosters boasters bo of western industries this company has doubled its capacity at least three times and at this time has additional dit ional improvements under way which will place it in a position to offer a ready mar ket for crude products in this territory utah occupies in this respect an unique position as in all cases heretofore the refinery has followed the production but in this case the refining facilities have preceded production outlook for 1917 the general outlook for 1917 is most encouraging a ready market being assured for all the crude and products thereof which will be produced prices on petroleum products will undoubtedly be a little stiffer than in years past but in this case as in every other the increased prices of the finished oils are due to increased cost of crude production and refining it is also a question of supply and demand and inasmuch as the demand exceeds the supply higher prices are to be expected the many uses to which oil burning internal combustion engines are being put Is taxing the output of the oil industry an educational campaign enlightening consumers as to the oils best suited for the different uses could be launched at this time and great benefit received by all concerned in the elimination of waste the public at large does not pay sufficient attention to the quality of the oils it is using it takes it for granted that an oil being an oil is adapted to whatever purpose might be required of it this is a false position as it is always possible to get better results and greater economy from an oil especially ally adapted to a certain purpose than it would be from a general allaround all around lubricant operation cooperation co Is desirable we need a closer operation cooperation co between consumer and manufacturer in this respect the refining industry has experts who concentrate cen their entire attention upon the perfecting of products best suited to avaious lubricating conditions should the consumer operate cooperate co more heartily with the manufacturer by making known the special requirement or condition under which the machinery which he operates must be lubricated the result would be most beneficial and eco comical to both consumer and refiner it is an erroneous and expensive practice to attempt to use an oil with a a reputation for some special purpose for allaround all around lubrication bri cation the particular oil of reputation whatever it might be got that reputation because it was refined for a special pu purpose r and to work under certain conditions well known to the refiner should the consumer give the same detailed information as to existing conditions in his particular plant the refiner would then be in position to better understand what was wanted and the lubricant furnished would give better and more economical service the year 1916 witnessed a great stride in this direction but there is still a great deal to be done along this line hearty operation cooperation co between consumer and refiner would better enable us to conserve the sup ply which nature is giving us in the supply of crude oils as well as all other products the earth is most generous but a conservation of our crude oils is to b be e most sincerely hoped for and would b be e a big step forward in practical economy |