Ogden Daily Standard | 1915-01-06 | Page 7 | Petroleum in the South

oo PETROLEUM IN THE SOUTH. It will surprise many persons to know that the South today is furnishing furnish-ing nearly half (In value) of the petroleum pe-troleum produced In this country, although al-though the production is limited to five of tho Southern states Kentucky, Ken-tucky, which produces very little, less than a million dollars' worth; Louisiana Louisi-ana Oklahoma. Texas and West Virginia. Vir-ginia. The value of the oil produced in these states is $116,018,034, as against $121,266,673 for the rest of the country. During the past seven vears the Southern output has increased in-creased $4S,116.327t as against an Increase In-crease Of $27,952,137 for North. East, We9t and Pacific Slope, so that it is only a question of time, and very short time at that, when the country and the world will largely depend upon these five Southern States for petroleum, which has become so important im-portant a product that an abundant or short supply of this illuminant and power Is seriously influencing the war conditions in Europe. A few years ago no one would have thought of callintr Louisiana a mineral min-eral state, yet this singlo Item now adds annually $12,255,931 to Its wealth. It Is now ahead In production produc-tion of West Virginia, formerly a great petroleum state. Its output in seven years ha? increased 25 per cent, and the value has nearly doubled. It now stands only slightly behind Texas, upon which it has been gaining. gain-ing. At the present rate of development develop-ment Ixuiisiana ought In the next few years to stand the second oil state In the South, exceeded only by Oklahoma, and, as we have already-noted, already-noted, the South seems destined to become In time the chief source of oil supply for the United States and the world. New Orleans Picayune. oo