| OCR Text |
Show RUSSIA IS A RIVAL. OOMPETITOB OP AMERICA IN , INDIA OIL FIELDS. Advantage Lies with Our Producers in Advanced Methods of Refinement, Re-finement, Transportation, Transpor-tation, Etc. The Illuminating oil trade of Urltlsh India Is nt present almost exclusively controlled by llussin. Of tho 22,500,000 gallons of kerosene oil Imiiorted Into Uombuy during tho fiscal year 1U01-05 tho czar's empiro was credited with moro than 17,000,000 gallons, valued at nearly $2,000,000. This oil, however, Is not tho highest quality of Illuminating fluid, states tho New York Tribune. Hussla has never been ublti to meet tho United States In competition for tho higher grades of oil, but for some years she has practically controlled tho market mar-ket of British Indian in low grado nnd low priced oils. For these oils, however, other competitors com-petitors havo appeared In tho market, which threaten to take awny ultimately ultimate-ly her present supremacy. Dutch Uor-nco Uor-nco hns within tho last three years increased in-creased the volume of her export ol kerosene to Bombay from COO.000 to 3, G0O.00O gallons. Durum oil also shows n remarkable advance, und Its first shipment to Bombay Bom-bay wns iccordod last year. Being n part of British India, politically, Bur-, ma Imports her oil into Bombay duty free, which, of course, gives her a great advantage over tho Russian producer. The American producers of kerosona havo lately been devoting considerable attention to tho Importation of Russian oil Into Bombay. It is believed that with advanced methods of refinement, system of bulk transportation and im menso Installations the United States will bo able to meet successfully the competition, not only of Russia, but ol Borneo and Burma, In tho kerosene markets of India. Tho Russian oil sent to India Is produced pro-duced near Baku, on the western shoro of tho Caspian sea. From there It Is carried across Trans-Cnucasla, some 500 miles, to the port of Batoum, on the Black Sea, on tank cars, holding ten tons each, like those which wero used In the Pennsylvania oil fields' over 30 years ago. The cost of railway freight Is $0.50 a ton. At Batoum tho oil is loaded on oil steamers, which transport it across the Black sea, through tho Bosporus and Dardonolles, down the Aegean sea, across the Mediterranean, through tin Suez canal, through the Red sea and tho Arabian sea to Bombay, the dls-tanco dls-tanco traversed being some C.000 miles, although Bombay is only, about 2,000 miles In a straight lino from Baku, tho point of departure. It is thought by the producers of tho United States that in their facilities for transportation they havo an advantage ad-vantage which will enable them easily to wrest from Russia tho predomlnnnco which she has held In the oil trade of British India. Russia, herself, how-over, how-over, Is doing a good deal to lessen tho costs of transportation, nnd tills must be taken into account In forming plans of action in the contest. A pipo lino to unite the wells at Baku with the port of Batoum has been completed, and this cannot fall to have an lmportnnt and far reaching effect on the Russian oil industry. Tho length of the line Is 570 miles. It crosses the watershed of the province, and will carry crude oil from Baku to bo distilled and shipped at Batoum. Tho total capacity of tho tanks and pipes of the line is, roughly speaking, 112,507 tons. Tho saving In freight by the pipe line is estimated to be equal to one-half of the old car freight, which will provo an Important factor In tho competition to hold the oil markets mar-kets of British India. The increase of exports Is estimated to amount to moro than 500,000 tons a year, and It Is calculated that as tho result of tho construction of tho new plpo lino n lessening of tho cost of oil to tho consumer can be mado of about two cents a gallon. Tho American producors must bo able to meet this reduction, nnd, possibly, Increaso it, if It is to securo the rlgch Held now being worked by Russia. |
