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By P. P. Gregory

The rate of drilling operations in the West Texas district during 1940 was approximately equal to that of 1939. The total number of wells dillled in the area during the year was 1834, of which 1716 were completed as oil producers, 12 were gas wells and 106 were dry holes. The number of wildcat wells drilled during the year was comparatively small. The drilling of inside locations in proven areas and the drilling of wells for the purpose of extending the productive limits in producing fields constituted the bulk of development during 1940. Gaines County led all other counties in the district in the total number of oil-well completions. The oil production totaled 83,345,381 bbl., the highest figure for any year since proration was begun. The 1940 oil production exceeded the 1939 production by approximately four million barrels. Discoveries While comparatively few new oil-producing areas were discovered during 1940, it appears that the oil production found in simpson lime in the Abell field, pecos County, was an outstanding discovery for the year. This was the second Ordovician discovery in Pecos County. Taubert, McKee & Siemoneit located its discovery well, V. W. Crockett No. 1, set. 4 1/2 H. & T. C. R.R, co, survey in the Imperial area of northwestern Pecos County. The top of pay was encountered at 5270 ft., and the well was bottomed at 5357 ft. in simpson lime, on act. 17, I940. The initial production was 928 bbl. of 43" gravity sweet oil in 11 hr. 23 min., flowing naturally through 2-in. tubing with gas-oil ratio of 783 cu. ft. per barrel. Following the completion of the discovery well, large blocks of land were leased in the area, and several locations were made toward the close of the year. There is every indication that the Abell field will become a major producing field in the West Texas district. There was no pipe-line outlet for the field at the end of the year. Shipley-Silurian field, discovered by the Gulf Oil Corporation, appears to be another major addition to the oil reserves in 1940. The discovery well, Wristen Brothers No. 5, is in sec. 18, block 5, H. & T. C. R.R. Co. survey in Ward County. The well was drilled to a total depth of 9187 ft. and was plugged back to 7075 ft. The Silurian lime section was acidized with 3000 gal., from 6993 to 7075 ft., and on Dec. 5, 1940, the well was completed for initial production of 3040 bbl- of 32.2" gravity oil in 24 hr., flowing through tubing. Todd Deep field, Crockett County, was discovered by the Continental Oil Co. et al. The discovery well, J. S. Todd No. 2, set. 29, block WX1 G.C. & S.F. R.R. Co. survey, was completed on April 3, 1940. The top of pay was encountered at 5623 ft., and the well was bottomed at 5691 ft. for initial production of 1613 bbl. of 40.6' gravity oil flowing naturally through 2-in. tubing. The pay section was found in Strawn lime of Pennsylvanian age. There were six producing wells in the field at the end of the year. This appears to be another major discovery in 1940. There was no pipe-line outlet in the field at the end of the

Jan 1, 1941

By P. P. Gregory

The rate of drilling operations in the West Texas district during 1940 was approximately equal to that of 1939. The total number of wells dillled in the area during the year was 1834, of which 1716 were completed as oil producers, 12 were gas wells and 106 were dry holes. The number of wildcat wells drilled during the year was comparatively small. The drilling of inside locations in proven areas and the drilling of wells for the purpose of extending the productive limits in producing fields constituted the bulk of development during 1940. Gaines County led all other counties in the district in the total number of oil-well completions. The oil production totaled 83,345,381 bbl., the highest figure for any year since proration was begun. The 1940 oil production exceeded the 1939 production by approximately four million barrels. Discoveries While comparatively few new oil-producing areas were discovered during 1940, it appears that the oil production found in simpson lime in the Abell field, pecos County, was an outstanding discovery for the year. This was the second Ordovician discovery in Pecos County. Taubert, McKee & Siemoneit located its discovery well, V. W. Crockett No. 1, set. 4 1/2 H. & T. C. R.R, co, survey in the Imperial area of northwestern Pecos County. The top of pay was encountered at 5270 ft., and the well was bottomed at 5357 ft. in simpson lime, on act. 17, I940. The initial production was 928 bbl. of 43" gravity sweet oil in 11 hr. 23 min., flowing naturally through 2-in. tubing with gas-oil ratio of 783 cu. ft. per barrel. Following the completion of the discovery well, large blocks of land were leased in the area, and several locations were made toward the close of the year. There is every indication that the Abell field will become a major producing field in the West Texas district. There was no pipe-line outlet for the field at the end of the year. Shipley-Silurian field, discovered by the Gulf Oil Corporation, appears to be another major addition to the oil reserves in 1940. The discovery well, Wristen Brothers No. 5, is in sec. 18, block 5, H. & T. C. R.R. Co. survey in Ward County. The well was drilled to a total depth of 9187 ft. and was plugged back to 7075 ft. The Silurian lime section was acidized with 3000 gal., from 6993 to 7075 ft., and on Dec. 5, 1940, the well was completed for initial production of 3040 bbl- of 32.2" gravity oil in 24 hr., flowing through tubing. Todd Deep field, Crockett County, was discovered by the Continental Oil Co. et al. The discovery well, J. S. Todd No. 2, set. 29, block WX1 G.C. & S.F. R.R. Co. survey, was completed on April 3, 1940. The top of pay was encountered at 5623 ft., and the well was bottomed at 5691 ft. for initial production of 1613 bbl. of 40.6' gravity oil flowing naturally through 2-in. tubing. The pay section was found in Strawn lime of Pennsylvanian age. There were six producing wells in the field at the end of the year. This appears to be another major discovery in 1940. There was no pipe-line outlet in the field at the end of the

Jan 1, 1941

By Jorge Munoz Reyes, Guillermo

The new entity, Yacimientos Petroliferos Fiscales Bolivianos, created in 1936 for the development and exploitation of all petroliferous zones of Bolivia, including those formerly belonging to the Standard Oil Co., is doing its utmost to bring about rapid development and by this means to create a new source of revenue for the State. With this in view, Y.P.F.B. has opened a new field in the Samaipata region, on the main road between Cochabamba and Santa Cruz. Installation of machinery has begun for the drilling of several wells on the five anticlines that occur in this region. Work has also begun in the Saipuru field, on the Santa Cruz-Charagua highway, which was discovered by the Standard Oil and temporarily abandoned. In this new field, a topping plant will be installed, to supply gasoline and kerosene to Santa Cruz. Explorations are also being made on the neighboring structures of Saipuru. At the end of 1937, the committee that is to study the region of the Chapare in the northeastern part of Cochabamba, was organized. The structures were studied 10 years ago by Kirtley Mather and other geologists. It is hoped that by March 1938 this camp will begin work, as this zone gives promise of being valuable. Development The capacity of the refinery at Camiri has been enlarged in order that it may supply all the needs of that region. In order that the supply of crude may be adequate, several wells that had been almost abandoned by the Standard Oil are being cleaned out. New wells have been located at this camp following the principal anticlinal structure, and during the first half of the year 1938 several wells will be drilled. The same program is being followed in Sanandita but on a greater scale, as the nearness of this district to the Argentine border, which is the best market for the Bolivian petroleum of the south, allows immediate sale of the petroleum. Possibly a new refinery will be installed at this camp, as the one now in existence is only a rudimentary distillery. At the Bermejo camp, which is farther south, intensive work is being done to bring the wells into production. The Standard Oil produced limited quantities several years ago, but since 1927 the wells of this dis-

Jan 1, 1938

By Charles Bohdanowicz

Production of crude in 1937 decreased (Tables 1 and 5) by about 2 per cent, while gas production for that period increased by about 6 per cent after a slight decrease in 1936 (0.4 per cent).' As in preceding years, drilling operations were confined principally to extensions of old oil fields in the Jaslo district (fields 1 and 7) and to some extent to such extensions in the Stanislawbw district (field 27). Deepening of old wells to horizons reached more recently by new wells gave on the average better results per well than those attained by new wells (Table 3). Reserves of proved lands have increased some by new oil fields discovered, Targowiska (field 8) and Czarna (field 19) both of which, however, have only small production. The Daszawa gas field (field 25) has not been extended, but two new gas fields were located instead— Opary, distant 25 km. (151/2 miles) northwest of Daszawa, Balicze at 12 km. (7 1/4 miles) southeast of Daszawa, and Kalusz (TESP Company exploiting potassium salts) in the vicinity of the town of that name (field 33). Drilling upon the gas area near Tarnbw and Debica, while gas-bearing sandstone had been found at depths of from 300 to 512 meters (984 to 1680 ft.) (Zdziary No. 2) and at 220 m. (722 ft.) [pressure 11 atmospheres, flow 24 cu. m. per min. (847 cu. ft.)] (Przyborbw No. l), has not as yet ascertained horizons qualified for permanent exploitation. The exploring well near Kos6w remained for the last seven months at the depth of 1420 m. because of the collapse of rotary drilling pipe. Below the 300-m. level no gas sands have been encountered at this well. Gas Reserves In connection with the broad plan of developing industrially the sector of Poland lying between the Vistula and the San Rivers, and extending farther north as far as the city of Radom, there arose the necessity of a more accurate calculation of gas reserves for the fields of

Jan 1, 1938

By L. Dudley Stamp

On April 1, 1937, Burma, formerly a province of the Indian Empire, was formally separated from India and became an independent unit of the British Commonwealth. In future, therefore, statistics of oil production in India will exclude Burma and those for Burma will be separately published. The last few years have been marked by noteworthy, almost spectacular, developments in the oil fields of Burma and the Punjab. In Burma these developments have been the proving of unexpected extensions of the existing fields and not the discovery of entirely new fields. The new extensions are important not only to Burma in giving a new lease of life to her fields, but also in general as stressing some interesting geological aspects hitherto neglected. Production The production of crude oil in Imperial gallons has been: Burma India 1934 254,760,070 67,265,210 1935 251,338,974 . 71,323,362 1936 265,656,393 69,241,504 1937 (eat.) 270,000,000 70,000,000 The Chindwin Fields.—The small field at Indaw continues to produce steadily about 3,000,000 gal. a year, but no really deep test has yet been successfully carried out and resources are thus not yet fully known. The remote location of the field, inaccessible except by river and situated 22 miles from the Chindwin 270 miles up that river from its junction with the Irrawaddy, has not encouraged active exploitation. The field is worked exclusively by the Indo-Burma Petroleum Co., Ltd. (I.B.P.), using now an automatic gas-lift system, and the company formerly refined the oil at a small refinery at Pantha on the river near by. The chief market was for kerosene in upper Burma. The refinery has now been closed. The oil is stored on the field during the low-water season

Jan 1, 1938

Gach-Saran.—The most important development of 1937 has been the successful completion of initial exploratory wells in the Gach Saran (formerly known as Gach-i-Qaraghuli) field, about 125 miles southeast of Haft Kel. Two of these wells are rated at 33,000 bbl. per day at flowing pressures exceeding 800 lb. Drilling is proceeding with the object of delimiting the structure. Exploratory drilling is also being undertaken in several areas within the company's concession. In the producing fields the policy of controlled production has been maintained as in the past, and drilling has been limited to that required for maintenance of production and general control of the fields. Acid treatment to increase production when desired has continued to be successful in most cases. Table 1.—Crude Production in Iran Masjid-i-Sulaimana Haft Kel Total Year barrelsb Ton Barrelsb To Barrelab 1936 3,641,247 27,820,000 4,473,849 34,200,000 8,115,096 62,020,000 193P 4,375,112 33,110,000 5,693,849 43,480,000 10,068,961 76,590,000 * Net production; i.e., excluding surplus products re-injected to reservoir. 6 To nearest 10,000. " Correct to November, with an added estimated figure for December. Masjid-i-Su1aiman.—There have been no new developments in this field. The policy of returning, as and when necessary, surplus products to the reservoir has been maintained. Haft Ke1.—Drilling to explore deeper formations has been undertaken, but has not progressed far enough for conclusive results to be drawn. Gasoline retention in the crude by means of multistage pressure stabilization has been continued as in past years. Separation pressures are as follows: well-head separators, 500 lb.; central battery, 190, 85, 40, 20 and 10 lb. per sq. in., respectively. The stabilized crude is delivered to pipe line at atmospheric pressure, or ex the 10-lb. stage, in accordance with refinery requirements.

Jan 1, 1938

The first production on the Island of Trinidad was discovered 29 years ago; 13,275 acres were proved for oil and gas to the end of 1937, and 145,076,700 bbl. was produced from 2661 wells, or 10,928 bbl per acre. The production of oil in 1936 was 13,237,030 bbl. and in 1937 a new peak of 15,498,350 bbl. was reached. During November 1937, the daily average production was 43,350 bbl., or 35 bbl. per well, while the maximum gas production was 45 million cubic feet daily. Two hundred fifty wells were completed during 1937 and 15 abandoned. At the end of last year, 800 wells had been temporarily shut down, 1235 were producing oil and gas, and 2 were producing gas only. Six hundred seventy-nine dry wells had been drilled to the end of 1937. At the end of November 1937, the following oil-producing methods were in use: 395 wells flowing, 491 pumping, 97 on air-gas lift and 252 wells miscellaneous. There were no flooding operations. The oil is produced from the Miocene and Eocene and is of both asphalt and paraffin base. The gas produced averaged approximately 1050 B.t.u. per cu. ft. with 0.8 gal. of gasoline per 1000 cubic feet.

Jan 1, 1938

By V. R. Garfias, A. C. Fernandez

Despite artificial curtailment in all the fields of Mexico during 1937, owing to strikes and other disturbances, the production of crude petroleum aggregated approximately 46,738,000 bbl., showing a substantial increase of about 5,571,000 bbl. over the preceding year. Most of this increase occurred in the Poza Rica area, where, although only two wells were completed during the year, production increased from 14,162,000 bbl. in 1936 to 18,634,000 in 1937. While production in the South fields (Golden Lane) remained practically stationary, the output in the heavy-oil district of the Northern fields showed an increase of 1,930,000 bbl., because production had been considerably curtailed during 1936. Production in the Isthmus of Tehuantepec decreased about 596,000 bbl., owing to labor disturbances. Crude run to stills in local refineries increased from 34,000,000 bbl. in 1936 to 36,650,000 in 1937. Exports of crude and refined products were approximately 22,700,000 bbl., or 500,000 bbl. less than in 1936. Domestic consumption, excluding ships bunkers, reached a total of 20,000,000 bbl., which shows a small increase of 200,000 bbl. over the. previous year. Domestic demand for gasoline is estimated at 3,400,000 bbl. for the year, which represents an increase of 500,000 bbl. over 1936. In all, 60 wells were completed in Mexico during 1937, as compared to 70 in 1936 and 74 in 1935. In proven areas 52 completions resulted in 25 producers and 27 failures. In the Northeastern area near the United States border, five gas wells were drilled, all of which were producers; one of them, in Camargo, came in with a daily production of 20,000,000 cu. ft. of gas. One well, resulting in a failure, was drilled in Las Uvas, Coahuila, and three wells were completed in Quebrache, to the southeast of the heavy-oil district, resulting in two small producers and one failure. TWO more wells drilled in San SebastiBn, east of the Golden Lane, were failures. Fields Northern Fields (Heavy-oil District).—A total of 11 producers and 22 failures was completed in the proven areas of the Northern fields, as compared to 16 producers and 25 failures in 1936. In the Altamira

Jan 1, 1938

By C. C. McDermond, Others, B. N. Zavoico

Production of crude oil in Venezuela for the year 1937 was 186,653,-916 bbl., as compared with 155,228,982 bbl. produced in 1936, an increase of almost 31,500,000 bbl. The oil-field strike, which started on Dec. 14, 1936, lasted until Jan. 25, 1937, when a total of 10,000,000 bbl. of production was estimated to have been lost (5,750,000 bbl. in 1936 and the remainder in 1937). Of the total of 186,653,916 bbl. produced in 1937, the Lagunillas field contributed 45.6 per cent, a drop of approximately 10 per cent under 1936 figures; Tia Juana, 14.3 per cent; Quiriquire field, 14.0 per cent; La Rosa area, 13.3 per cent and the Mene Grande field, 7.6 per cent, these being the five leading contributors of the year's production. Detailed production figures by fields and by companies are shown on Table 1. Of the total production of Venezuela the following four major companies accounted for the greater proportion: Standard of Venezuela and Lago Petroleum Corporation together, 48.3 per cent; Shell, 37.4 per cent and Venezuela Gulf, 14.0 per cent. At the end of the year, 2491 wells were producing, of which number 1291 wells were pumpers, or about 52 per cent. Production The accompanying statistics of production record of Venezuela oil fields from its inception to Dec. 31, 1937, shown on Table 2, indicates that the cumulative production reached 1,503,283,228 bbl. In order of importance, Lagunillas leads all the fields, having accounted for about 50 per cent of Venezuelan production, followed by La Rosa area, which produced about 21 per cent; Mene Grande, which produced about 13 per cent, and Quiriquire, which produced 6.5 per cent. Table 3 shows the age of each field. Mene Grande is the oldest, having produced for 24 years; Tarra is next, 21 1/2 years old, and El Mene third, 171/2 years. The gravity of the crude from the various fields, also shown on Table 3, remained unchanged, the only addition being the new Tia Juana field, which averages 15.6' A.P.I. Table 4 shows the method of production by fields as of Jan. 1, 1938; at the end of the year 2491 wells were producing, compared with 2005 wells producing at the beginning of 1937, or an increase of 486 wells. The completions for the year reached 512. Of the 2491 wells producing crude oil, 1291 wells, or approximately 52 per cent, were pumping, 925 (approximately 37 per cent) were flowing naturally and 275 (11 per cent) were on

Jan 1, 1938

By O. C. Wheeler

The activity in exploration and in the acquisition of prospective oil lands that reached such a high level in Colombia during 1936 gained momentum and reached unprecedented proportions during 1937. Both national and private lands were taken up. In the Magdalena Valley above Puerto Berrio, leases on large tracts of private lands are held by Richmond (Standard of California), Shell and Texas. Tropical also owns leases covering a block of acreage in this area near Honda. From Puerto Berrio to El Banco most of the acreage is of national ownership, and concessions covering parts of this area have been granted to Tropical, Socony Vacuum, Shell and others, while applications for additional concessions are pending. Latterly leases on private lands below the Lebrija River have been taken out by Shell and Richmond. In the drainage basins of the Meta and Guaviare Rivers of the Llanos region of eastern Colombia, several of the major companies have carried on geological exploration and it is understood that some private properties have been leased or optioned. Under Colombian law, subsoil rights are reserved to the nation on all lands that passed from Government ownership after Oct. 28, 1873. Private titles antedating that day carry both surface and subsurface rights. Conditions under which lands may be acquired, explored and

Jan 1, 1938

By Basil B. Zavoico

During 1937 the Russian oil industry made very satisfactory progress in its exploration branch and added considerably to its proven reserves in the older producing districts, while several entirely new potential areas were opened for development by discovery wildcats. The exploitation of known fields, however, suffered greatly from internal political difficulties, referred to as "sabotage," and was also seriously handicapped by the requirements for national defense under the duress of a grave international situation. More particularly, the necessity for preparing for a major war resulted during 1937 in short-rationing of the oil industry in its iron, steel and rubber requirements, affecting quantitatively drill pipe, casing, tubing and the rubber equipment of automobiles, and qualitatively much of the oil-field machinery for which it was either impossible or difficult to obtain iron or steel of required specifications, which necessitated manufacture of heavier and unwieldy equipment and caused directly and indirectly an unavoidable major curtailment of drilling operations below the planned footage. War-preparation measures during 1937 also required accumulation of a large gasoline reserve in the Vladivostok area and inasmuch as shipments from California can be made much more cheaply than from Caucasian refineries, either by tank cars across Siberia or by tankers via Suez Canal and Indian Ocean, some 2,000,000 bbl. of gasoline was imported from the United States in the past year, resulting in a decline of 46.98 per cent in net exports of all petroleum products from Russia below the 1936 net export volume, which is the lowest level since 1925. Production of crude oil during 1937 is estimated at 212,742,000 bbl. as compared with 202,543,700 bbl. produced in 1936, an increase of 5.04 per cent, but 11 per cent below the planned output. There were no major readjustments as to the source of crude-oil production, Baku district still accounting for the largest share; that, is, 77.21 per cent of the total. Exploration operations were outstandingly successful during the past year, major discoveries having been made on the Apsheron Peninsula, in Grozny and Maikop-Kuban districts, in Ural-Permian Basin, in Middle Volga-Samara district and other areas.

Jan 1, 1938

By G. S. Hume

Production of petroleum and natural .gas increased in Canada in 1940 over the previous year. Alberta produced more than 97 per cent of the total Canadian production of 8,718,053 bbl. of oil, an increase for this province of nearly 12 per cent, whereas in Ontario and New Brunswick, where the production is relatively small, there was a slight decline. In Alberta the main producing field is Turner Valley, on the eastern edge of the foothills southwest of Calgary, and development continued in this field in 1940 with the completion of 36 wells, all of which obtained production. In the Red Coulce field, close to the International Boundary, near Coutts, no new wells were drilled and the seven producing wells showed a decline of 900 bbl. below the previous year. Also, in the Wainwright field of east central Alberta, four wells, yielding heavy crude oil, produced 4000 bbl. less oil than in 1939, owing possibly rather to discontinuous operation than to actual decline in potential yield. This decline was more than offset by production from a new field 40 miles northeast of Wainwright, at Borradaile, producing oil of 14" to I 5° A.P.1. There was a small increase in production during 1940 from the Del Bonita field, in southern Alberta, where the production is from two wells. The outstanding development of the year was the completion of Standard Oil Princess No. 2 well in the Steveville area, on the Plains 100 miles east of Calgary. This well was completed late in December with an initial flow1 of 520 bbl. of 26.3" A.P,I. oil, and 12,750 M cu. ft. of gas from the upper part of the Mississippian limestone. It has opened up a new field and given a further proof of the potentialities of the Southern Plains. The production of petroleum in Canada is shown in Table I. Since most of the yield comes from Alberta, the production is shown from the various fields in Table 2. The sale value of the petroleum produced in Canada in 1940 exceeded 11.1 million dollars, which is still somewhat less than the value of the natural gas production, shown in Table 3. Table i.—Production of Petroleum in Canada" Barrels Province 1939 1940 New Brunswick........ 20,101 21,161 Ontario............... 206,196 186,471 Alberta............... 7,595,000 8,493,237 Northwest Territories. . 17,013 8,493,23717.184 Total............... 7,838,310 8,718,053 Value............... $10,353,351 $11.113,000 0 Bureau of Statistics, Ottawa. Turner Valley, Alberta Turner Valley continues to be by far the largest producing field in Canada (details are given in Table 4), The limits of the Pr in- field are now Known. On the east the oil area is bounded by the gas cap, which in turn is cut off on its east side by a major overthrust fault; on the west, ii is defined by edge water at a level of 4roc

Jan 1, 1941

By G. S. Hume

Production of petroleum and natural .gas increased in Canada in 1940 over the previous year. Alberta produced more than 97 per cent of the total Canadian production of 8,718,053 bbl. of oil, an increase for this province of nearly 12 per cent, whereas in Ontario and New Brunswick, where the production is relatively small, there was a slight decline. In Alberta the main producing field is Turner Valley, on the eastern edge of the foothills southwest of Calgary, and development continued in this field in 1940 with the completion of 36 wells, all of which obtained production. In the Red Coulce field, close to the International Boundary, near Coutts, no new wells were drilled and the seven producing wells showed a decline of 900 bbl. below the previous year. Also, in the Wainwright field of east central Alberta, four wells, yielding heavy crude oil, produced 4000 bbl. less oil than in 1939, owing possibly rather to discontinuous operation than to actual decline in potential yield. This decline was more than offset by production from a new field 40 miles northeast of Wainwright, at Borradaile, producing oil of 14" to I 5° A.P.1. There was a small increase in production during 1940 from the Del Bonita field, in southern Alberta, where the production is from two wells. The outstanding development of the year was the completion of Standard Oil Princess No. 2 well in the Steveville area, on the Plains 100 miles east of Calgary. This well was completed late in December with an initial flow1 of 520 bbl. of 26.3" A.P,I. oil, and 12,750 M cu. ft. of gas from the upper part of the Mississippian limestone. It has opened up a new field and given a further proof of the potentialities of the Southern Plains. The production of petroleum in Canada is shown in Table I. Since most of the yield comes from Alberta, the production is shown from the various fields in Table 2. The sale value of the petroleum produced in Canada in 1940 exceeded 11.1 million dollars, which is still somewhat less than the value of the natural gas production, shown in Table 3. Table i.—Production of Petroleum in Canada" Barrels Province 1939 1940 New Brunswick........ 20,101 21,161 Ontario............... 206,196 186,471 Alberta............... 7,595,000 8,493,237 Northwest Territories. . 17,013 8,493,23717.184 Total............... 7,838,310 8,718,053 Value............... $10,353,351 $11.113,000 0 Bureau of Statistics, Ottawa. Turner Valley, Alberta Turner Valley continues to be by far the largest producing field in Canada (details are given in Table 4), The limits of the Pr in- field are now Known. On the east the oil area is bounded by the gas cap, which in turn is cut off on its east side by a major overthrust fault; on the west, ii is defined by edge water at a level of 4roc

Jan 1, 1941

By D. C. Porterfield

-4s a result of world economic conditions brought about by the European war and the consequent loss of European markets for Venezuelan crude, production in Venezuela decreased from 205,433,000 bbl. in 1939 to 186,134,000 bbl. in 1940, or 9.4 per cent. This decline interrupted a steady annual increase in production from the country, which had been continuous since 1932. The Maracaibo Lake Basin in western Venezuela accounted for 135,738,000 bbl. during 1940, or 73 per cent of the total, as against eastern Venezuela's production of 50,396,000 bbl., or 27 per cent of the total for the country. Corresponding figures for 1939 were 167,688,000 bbl., or 82 per cent of the total from the Lake Basin, and 37,744,000 bbl., or 18 per cent from the east. These comparisons indicate the increasing importance of the newer developments in eastern Venezuela, but it is unlikely that production from the east will ever exceed that from the west. In all, 429 new wells were completed in Venezuela during 1940 as compared to 438 in 1939. Of the 1940 completions, 411 were in proved areas and 18 were wildcats; 389 (95 per cent) of the exploitation wells drilled were producers, I was a gas well and 21 were dry holes, while 6 (33 per cent) of the wildcats drilled were producers and 12 (67 per cent) were dry; 263 of the exploitation wells and 4 of the wildcats were in the Maracaibo Lake Basin and 148 exploitation wells and 14 wildcats were in the east, mostly in the State of Anzoategui. Exploration of the light-oil areas in the Tia Juana and Lagunillas fields was con- tinued during the year with favorable results. Along the lake shore, drilling was confined principally to fill-in wells in the La Kosa, Tia Juana, Laguni!las and Bachaquero fields, although some important semi-exploratory drilling was done in the Pueblo Viejo area between Lagunillas and Bachaquero fields. The only other developments of particular interest in the west were the successful completion of a step-out well lying to the south of the former southern limit of Mene Grande field, which adds considerable proved acreage to that field; and the failure of two wildcats that were drilled near the Colombian border to determine whether the productive sands of the Petrolea field in the Barco Concession, Colombia, extend into Venezuelan territory. In the east no new fields were discovered during the year, although five wildcats were completed as producers. Three of these, Guario No. I, Jusepin-56 and LM-I (Leona), discovered important extensions to previously proved areas and the remaining two, Cantos-I and SPN-I (Socororo), were subsequently proved to have tapped productive sands of small extent and operations in these areas have been suspended. The greatest activity in the east was concentrated in the Oficina field, where 105 new wells were completed during the year and production was increased from 22,540 bbl. per day during January 1940 to 57,627 bbl. per day during December 1940. Important development work was also done in the Jusepin. San Joaquin and El Koble fields.

Jan 1, 1941

By D. C. Porterfield

-4s a result of world economic conditions brought about by the European war and the consequent loss of European markets for Venezuelan crude, production in Venezuela decreased from 205,433,000 bbl. in 1939 to 186,134,000 bbl. in 1940, or 9.4 per cent. This decline interrupted a steady annual increase in production from the country, which had been continuous since 1932. The Maracaibo Lake Basin in western Venezuela accounted for 135,738,000 bbl. during 1940, or 73 per cent of the total, as against eastern Venezuela's production of 50,396,000 bbl., or 27 per cent of the total for the country. Corresponding figures for 1939 were 167,688,000 bbl., or 82 per cent of the total from the Lake Basin, and 37,744,000 bbl., or 18 per cent from the east. These comparisons indicate the increasing importance of the newer developments in eastern Venezuela, but it is unlikely that production from the east will ever exceed that from the west. In all, 429 new wells were completed in Venezuela during 1940 as compared to 438 in 1939. Of the 1940 completions, 411 were in proved areas and 18 were wildcats; 389 (95 per cent) of the exploitation wells drilled were producers, I was a gas well and 21 were dry holes, while 6 (33 per cent) of the wildcats drilled were producers and 12 (67 per cent) were dry; 263 of the exploitation wells and 4 of the wildcats were in the Maracaibo Lake Basin and 148 exploitation wells and 14 wildcats were in the east, mostly in the State of Anzoategui. Exploration of the light-oil areas in the Tia Juana and Lagunillas fields was con- tinued during the year with favorable results. Along the lake shore, drilling was confined principally to fill-in wells in the La Kosa, Tia Juana, Laguni!las and Bachaquero fields, although some important semi-exploratory drilling was done in the Pueblo Viejo area between Lagunillas and Bachaquero fields. The only other developments of particular interest in the west were the successful completion of a step-out well lying to the south of the former southern limit of Mene Grande field, which adds considerable proved acreage to that field; and the failure of two wildcats that were drilled near the Colombian border to determine whether the productive sands of the Petrolea field in the Barco Concession, Colombia, extend into Venezuelan territory. In the east no new fields were discovered during the year, although five wildcats were completed as producers. Three of these, Guario No. I, Jusepin-56 and LM-I (Leona), discovered important extensions to previously proved areas and the remaining two, Cantos-I and SPN-I (Socororo), were subsequently proved to have tapped productive sands of small extent and operations in these areas have been suspended. The greatest activity in the east was concentrated in the Oficina field, where 105 new wells were completed during the year and production was increased from 22,540 bbl. per day during January 1940 to 57,627 bbl. per day during December 1940. Important development work was also done in the Jusepin. San Joaquin and El Koble fields.

Jan 1, 1941

By Basil B. Zavoico

Production of crude oil in the U.S.S.R. during 1940 is estimated at 222,600,000 bbl., as compared with the revised figure for the preceding year of 220,866,000 bbl., an increase of 0.79 per cent, and at least 20 per cent under the planned output. Baku district (Transcaucasus) remained the outstanding producing area, accounting for 72.33 per cent of the country's production, and this relative importance of the Apsheron Peninsula oil fields will probably continue lor many years to come. In the North Caucasus the Grozny-Dagestan area further extended its decline and the current production in this district amounts to only 6.06 Per cent Of the total U.S.S.R. output, as compared with 35.76 Per cent in 1931 The production of the Kuban-Maikop district remained virtually ullchanged from the preceding year, amounting to 7.64 per cent of the country's total. The Caucasian Province, therefore, in I940 produced 86.03 Per cent of the total production of the U.S.S.R. The promising new Permian Basin district, called Ural-Volga, and referred to sometimes as the "Second Baku," increased its production appreciably during 1940 and the output of that area amounted to 8.31 per cent of the country's total, as compared with 6.35 per cent during 1939. Production in the secondary districts of Russia continued unchanged though some new discoveries in the Emba salt-dome basin suggest that the output of that district may show some increase during the coming years. The drilling operations in Russia during 1940 reached a stage of virtual breakdown and the original footage plans were fulfilled only to the extent of around 50 per cent, while exploration drilling schedules were fulfilled only to the extent of about 25 to 35 per cent. This condition was due to the obvious lack of modern drilling rigs, of good drill pipe and of strong casing. Extended breakdowns occurred with deeper drilling, particularly because with few good drilling rigs available speed was being attempted with rotation rates that the inferior drill pipe and bits could not stand. Twistoffs and endless fishing jobs resulted. The difficulties became so serious a handicap to the Soviet oil industry that it was found imperative to order American drilling equipment and pipe in quantity, a policy that was never favored in the U.S.S.R because it requires expenditure of gold or exchange in major volume, and such exchange usually is reserved only to less bulky key items or to orders directly connected with armaments; also, oil-field machinery is very bulky and the prevailing lack of bottoms makes the transport of the indicated equipment a major problem. But little progress was similarly made in other branches of the Soviet oil industry. NO new major pipe-line construction work was undertaken, consequently the railroads continued to be overburdened with traffic that could be much more effectively handled by pipe lines. No new refinery construction of any magnitude was initiated, though several plants that had been in course of construction for several years were completed during 1940 and operation 554

Jan 1, 1941

By Basil B. Zavoico

Production of crude oil in the U.S.S.R. during 1940 is estimated at 222,600,000 bbl., as compared with the revised figure for the preceding year of 220,866,000 bbl., an increase of 0.79 per cent, and at least 20 per cent under the planned output. Baku district (Transcaucasus) remained the outstanding producing area, accounting for 72.33 per cent of the country's production, and this relative importance of the Apsheron Peninsula oil fields will probably continue lor many years to come. In the North Caucasus the Grozny-Dagestan area further extended its decline and the current production in this district amounts to only 6.06 Per cent Of the total U.S.S.R. output, as compared with 35.76 Per cent in 1931 The production of the Kuban-Maikop district remained virtually ullchanged from the preceding year, amounting to 7.64 per cent of the country's total. The Caucasian Province, therefore, in I940 produced 86.03 Per cent of the total production of the U.S.S.R. The promising new Permian Basin district, called Ural-Volga, and referred to sometimes as the "Second Baku," increased its production appreciably during 1940 and the output of that area amounted to 8.31 per cent of the country's total, as compared with 6.35 per cent during 1939. Production in the secondary districts of Russia continued unchanged though some new discoveries in the Emba salt-dome basin suggest that the output of that district may show some increase during the coming years. The drilling operations in Russia during 1940 reached a stage of virtual breakdown and the original footage plans were fulfilled only to the extent of around 50 per cent, while exploration drilling schedules were fulfilled only to the extent of about 25 to 35 per cent. This condition was due to the obvious lack of modern drilling rigs, of good drill pipe and of strong casing. Extended breakdowns occurred with deeper drilling, particularly because with few good drilling rigs available speed was being attempted with rotation rates that the inferior drill pipe and bits could not stand. Twistoffs and endless fishing jobs resulted. The difficulties became so serious a handicap to the Soviet oil industry that it was found imperative to order American drilling equipment and pipe in quantity, a policy that was never favored in the U.S.S.R because it requires expenditure of gold or exchange in major volume, and such exchange usually is reserved only to less bulky key items or to orders directly connected with armaments; also, oil-field machinery is very bulky and the prevailing lack of bottoms makes the transport of the indicated equipment a major problem. But little progress was similarly made in other branches of the Soviet oil industry. NO new major pipe-line construction work was undertaken, consequently the railroads continued to be overburdened with traffic that could be much more effectively handled by pipe lines. No new refinery construction of any magnitude was initiated, though several plants that had been in course of construction for several years were completed during 1940 and operation 554

Jan 1, 1941

By Arthur Wade

The most important development in connection with the search for oil in Australia during 1940 was on the legislative side. Prior to 1939 legislative enactments in the various states with regard to prospecting for petroleum were such as to prohibit large-scale effort and to bar the major oil companies from operating. The preparation of the Wade Model Bill for the Commonwealth Government in 1939 and the acceptance of the Bill in principle by all States, has gone far to remove these obstacles. Amending Acts, largely based on the Alodel Bill, have now been passed by all States with the exception of New South Wales and Tasmania. In New South Wales an Amending Bill is being drafted, while the Govern-ment of Tasmania is preparing to introduce an Amending Bill provided there is any demand for it. Noteworthy developments followed immediately on the passing of these Amending Acts. The Shell Company (1)1 and the Superior Oil Company of California (2) too$ up large areas in Queensland and com-menced work during 1940. Caltex acquired a big tract of country in the Kimberley district of Western Australia (3) and has made application for an area in the Territory of Papua. An Australian company, The Phoenix Oil Extraction Co., has obtained a permit to prospect over an extensive area bordering the south coast of Western Australia (4). Other developments are foreshadowed. The Shell Company is making an intensive examination of its area in Queensland (I). Geological, geophysical and aerial surveys are in progress. Caltex has three geological parties in the held in Western Australia while Superior Oil Company of California has done some geological work in the interior of Queensland (2). None of these concerns envisages a drilling campaign in the near future. Much exploratory work is necessary. Further work has been done by the companies that were already operating in 1939, though an important Australian company - Oil Search—has abandoned the work of prospecting in Australia. This company has subleased its holdings, at North West Cape in Western Australia (;), to Caltex on a royalty basis. The company also maintains its holdings in, and connection with, the Australasian Petroleum Company Proprietary Limited, which is a combination of Standard Oil (New Jersey), Anglo-Iranian and Oil Search. This company is operating in the territories of Papua and New Guinea. Drilling Victoria.—Although a good deal of drilling was done in the LaBes Entrance Tertiary Basin of Victoria (7), no appreciable production of oil was obtained. In order to test the extent and possibilities of the oil-bearing sand in this region, the Commonwealth and State Governments jointly put down six scout boreholes to depths of between 1200 and I500 it. The results were nega tive. A deeper exploratory horehole put down by the Governments at Seacornbe, or 26

Jan 1, 1941

By Arthur Wade

The most important development in connection with the search for oil in Australia during 1940 was on the legislative side. Prior to 1939 legislative enactments in the various states with regard to prospecting for petroleum were such as to prohibit large-scale effort and to bar the major oil companies from operating. The preparation of the Wade Model Bill for the Commonwealth Government in 1939 and the acceptance of the Bill in principle by all States, has gone far to remove these obstacles. Amending Acts, largely based on the Alodel Bill, have now been passed by all States with the exception of New South Wales and Tasmania. In New South Wales an Amending Bill is being drafted, while the Govern-ment of Tasmania is preparing to introduce an Amending Bill provided there is any demand for it. Noteworthy developments followed immediately on the passing of these Amending Acts. The Shell Company (1)1 and the Superior Oil Company of California (2) too$ up large areas in Queensland and com-menced work during 1940. Caltex acquired a big tract of country in the Kimberley district of Western Australia (3) and has made application for an area in the Territory of Papua. An Australian company, The Phoenix Oil Extraction Co., has obtained a permit to prospect over an extensive area bordering the south coast of Western Australia (4). Other developments are foreshadowed. The Shell Company is making an intensive examination of its area in Queensland (I). Geological, geophysical and aerial surveys are in progress. Caltex has three geological parties in the held in Western Australia while Superior Oil Company of California has done some geological work in the interior of Queensland (2). None of these concerns envisages a drilling campaign in the near future. Much exploratory work is necessary. Further work has been done by the companies that were already operating in 1939, though an important Australian company - Oil Search—has abandoned the work of prospecting in Australia. This company has subleased its holdings, at North West Cape in Western Australia (;), to Caltex on a royalty basis. The company also maintains its holdings in, and connection with, the Australasian Petroleum Company Proprietary Limited, which is a combination of Standard Oil (New Jersey), Anglo-Iranian and Oil Search. This company is operating in the territories of Papua and New Guinea. Drilling Victoria.—Although a good deal of drilling was done in the LaBes Entrance Tertiary Basin of Victoria (7), no appreciable production of oil was obtained. In order to test the extent and possibilities of the oil-bearing sand in this region, the Commonwealth and State Governments jointly put down six scout boreholes to depths of between 1200 and I500 it. The results were nega tive. A deeper exploratory horehole put down by the Governments at Seacornbe, or 26

Jan 1, 1941

By James Terry Duce

The symposium on production for the year 1940 contains few papers on the foreign situation. It is probable that the foreign part of next year's symposium will be even shorter. This is due to rigid censorship in various countries, as the question of the volume of petroleum supplies has become one of great strategic importance. This is even more true than in the last war, owing to greater mechanization of armies. 'It has always been the policy of officers in charge of the symposium to refrain from publishing information that might possibly injure national or private interests. At the close of the war we hope again to publish full and accurate records of production abroad. Excerpts from Circular to Authors In order to facilitate interpretation of the data in this chapter, we print the following excerpts from the Circular to Authors. The field is the unit in this tabulation. In cases of fields extending across State boundaries, such as Rodessa, it is suggested that each State author treat the section of the field in his State as a unit, and by a footnote indicate that the field extends into an adjacent State. Each space in Table I may represent one of four possibilities; either it is not applicable to the particular field, or the proper entry is not determinable, or the proper entry may be determinable but is not determinable from data available to the author, or the proper entry is determinable. When spaces are not applicable, leave blank; in spaces where the proper entries are determinable but not de-terminable frod data available to the author, please inserty; in spaces where the proper entries are determinable by the author, make such entries. y implies a hope that in some future year a definite figure will be available. The entry of a zero is a positive declaration, and an important declaration where it is in order. Inability to determine precisely the correct entry for a particular space should not lead the author to insert merely y. Contributions of great value may be made by the author in many cases where entries are not subject to precise determination. In sucli cases the author should use his good judgment and make the best entry possible under the circumstances. For many spaces the correct entries represent the opinion of the author (for example, "Area Proved') and in such cases the entry need not be hedged to such extent as when the quantities are definite yet can be ascertained only approximately by the author. In cases under definite headings but where figures are only approximate, the author may use x. It is thought that the nearest whole numbers are sufficiently accurate for our purposes except as to percentage of sulphur in oil. If an author desires to report any other figures to tenths, he may do so. The quantity of gas produced should include, where possible, gas sold or otherwise marketed, and gas blown into the air, burned as flares or otherwise wasted. Segregation of these figures would be interesting if the authors can make such segregation. In any event, the figures should represent as nearly as possible the total quantity of gas removed from the reservoir. Under the columns on "Depth," the average depth to the top of the productive zones and to the bottom of the productive wells, when

Jan 1, 1941