The oil was analyzed as 38 Baume (0-8,333 sp.gr.). This development attracted prospectors, the Dominion Government promulgating new regulations to apply to the unorganized districts affected
by the discovery. Drilling in the Peace River district of the North-
west Territory also attracted attention in 1920 and 1921.
Mexico. Mexico's petroleum development has been sensational in its rapid growth. Although yielding oil as early as 1901 it was not until 1910 that the production became a commercial factor. In the latter part of that year the famous Juan Casiano No. 7 well was drilled S. of the Dos Bocas well, the latter an uncontrolled gusher S. of Tampico, struck July 4 1908, which went to salt water several months later. The equally famous Potrero del Llano No. 4 well came in Dec ; 27 1910 with an estimated initial flow of 10,000 bar. daily, increasing to 160,000 bar., and establishing itself as the largest producer up to that time. Both the Casiano and del Llano wells were in the so-called southern field as distinguished from the northern or Panuco field, these two fields being part of the Tampico-Tuxpam region. This lies in the northern part of the state of Vera Cruz and the southern part of the state of Tamaulipas. Oil in the Tampico region occurs in the Oligocene, Eocene and Cretaceous formations and is found in numerous pools. Before striking the big wells men- tioned a considerable production had been developed at Ebano, 40 m. W. of Tampico, in the northern part of the Tampico-Tuxpam area and in the Tehuantepec area. The Tehuantepec-Tobasco area extends along the Gulf coast in southern Vera Cruz and the state of Tobasco. _ Its oil-bearing rocks are of the Pliocene and Pleistocene age, and it had not developed a large production up to 1921. Mex- ican crude oil ranges from 10 to 43 Baume (i -ooo to 0-8,092 sp.gr.), and generally becomes lighter from north to south. In the Panuco (northern) field it is from loto 14 Baume (1-000100-9,722 sp.gr.), and from 15 to 29 Baume (0-9,655 to 0-8,805 sp-gr-) in the southern districts. Oil in the Tehuantepec field has a gravity of 32 Baume (0-8,642 sp.gr.).
Generally speaking, Mexico's petroleum has been found in a succession of great gushers. Where these wells are isolated they have produced for long periods and in great volume. Where there is close and competitive drilling the exhaustion of the pools comes as a natural consequence. The explanation of the great gushers seems to lie in the very great porosity of the rock. Oil collects in a net-work of caves and channels previously dissolved out of a bed of thick limestone. This condition allows the petroleum to move about freely, while still underground. Furthermore, the petroleum generally lies over water under an artesian head, and as a consequence the field pressure is largely hydrostatic, causing the oil to flow. In 1908 the country was credited with an output of 3,932,900 bar.; in 1920, 163,000,000 barrels. The following table shows the production dur- ing that period :
Petroleum Production of Mexico, 1908 to 1920*
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Barrels
Metric Tons
1908
3,932,900
624,968
1909
2,713.500
431,175
1910
3,634,080
577.455
1911
11-552,798
1,994,640
1912
16,558,215
2,631,100
1913
25,696,291
4,083,141
1914
26,235,403
4,168,805
1915
32,910,508
5,229,480
1916
40.545,712
6,445.957
1917
55,292,770
8,790,583
1918
63,828,327
10,147,587
1919
87,072,954
13,843,077
1920
163,000,000
22,638,888
- Boletin del Petroleo; 1920 estimated.
In Jan. 1914, in the Panuco pool, a well with an estimated initial flow of 100,000 bar. daily was brought in, and further attention was attracted to this district in 1915 by the completion of an offset well estimated at 60,000 bar. daily. Political disturbances in Mexico from 1914 to 1917 seriously interrupted operations in the southern field. On Feb. 10 1916, however, Cerro Azul No. 4 well in the south- ern district was completed. This well was credited with having flowed 260,858 bar. on Feb. 19 of that year, being estimated the largest producer ever drilled, and in May 1921 was continuing its steady yield. In Aug. 1914 seepages from Potrero del Llano were ignited by lightning, and the fire was not extinguished until March 1915. The completion of a good-sized well in 1915 in the Tepetate pool, a short distance N.W. of Casiano, was the precursor of the intensive lot-drilling campaign which this district saw in 1918 and 1919. In those years about 20 wells of large initial capacity were completed in this pool. The Alamo pool, the southernmost producing area in the Tampico-Tuxpam region, came into prominence in Oct. 1914, when the famous Alamo No. 2 well was brought in with an estimated potential production of 50,000 barrels. This well has probably produced 27,000,000 bar. of oil. The oil in the Alamo pool is from 16 to 22 Baume (0-9,589 to 0-9,211 sp.gr.). Large wells of low-grade oil have been developed in the Molino field, just N. of Alamo. In 191920 large gushers were completed in the so-called Naranjos pool in the southern field. It was estimated that this pool produced 90,000,000 bar. in 1920, possibly the largest output in
history. Potrero del Llano No. 4 suddenly went to salt water in Dec. 1918. This occurrence caused wide comment, as it was the first instance of the approximate exhaustion of any of Mexico's prolific pools, if Dos Bocas is to be excepted. This well had produced up to that time about 100,000,000 bar. of oil, including seepage oil. The Juan Casiano No. 7 well went to salt water in Nov. 1919, having pro- duced about 80,000,000 bar. of oil. Many of the large wells in the Tepetate pool were affected by salt water in 1919 and 1920. Salt- water invasion was also reported as serious in the Panuco field. The Zacamixtle pool in the southern district was discovered in 1920, yielding several large wells. In 1921 important wells were brought in in the Toteco district of the southern held between Zacamixtle and Cerro Azul. In 1920 it is estimated that this field produced 120,000- ooo bar., all in a strip of land 42 m. long and less than a mile wide. Central America. No petroleum production has been developed in Central America, but prospecting has been done and some drilling was under way in 1920. Test wells have been sunk on Columbus I., east coast of Panama, and in the Estrella Valley of Costa Rica. Exploration work has been done in Honduras and Guatemala.
SOUTH AMERICA
Argentina. Argentina's commercial production dates from 1908, when petroleum was found in a well being drilled for water by the Government near Comodoro Rivadavia, Chubtit province, on the coast of Patagonia. The Government immediately reserved part of the oil-bearing land for a monopoly, and Argentina's petroleum development has been almost entirely in the hands of the adminis- tration. Oil occurs in nearly horizontal, supposedly Cretaceous, beds which are covered by Tertiary beds. The oil is heavy and of asphalt base and ranges in gravity from 18-9 to 21-8 Baume (0-940 to 0-922 sp.gr.). Much attention was attracted to Argentina in IQ2I, when in Feb. the first large gusher to be opened in the Co- modoro Rivadavia field came in with an estimated initial flow of 25,000 bar. daily. Argentina's oil production was 1,665,989 bar. in 1920, compared with 1,183,000 bar. in 1919.
Venezuela. Active prospecting in Venezuela began in 1910, and during the next four or five years wells were drilled in several areas with varying success. A well in the Mene Grande field, on the east coast of Lake Maracaibo, Sucre district, drilled in 1913, established the occurrence of oil in paying quantity, and by 1915 the field had developed a considerable production, furnishing up to 1921 practi- cally all the Venezuelan output. Drilling in the district of Colon, state of Zulia, commenced in 1914. Four wells credited as good
Eroducers in the Rio Oro and Rio Tacra sections had been completed y 1916 and were shut in. Two wells reported as proven in the Bolivar district, state of Zulia, were also capped. Operations in Venezuela in 1920 and 1921 were active, particularly in the Lake Maracaibo district. Venezuela's production in 1920 amounted to 456,996 bar., compared with 425,000 bar. in 1919. In 1920 the Mene Grande field was credited with having seven flowing wells, the oil being of about 16 Baume (0-9,589 sp.gr.). The capped wells in the Rio Oro district are said to produce a high-grade, paraffin-base oil of about 36 Baume (0-8,433 sp-gr-)-
Colombia. Although not ranking as an oil-producing country, in 1920 Colombia was credited with three wells of potential commercial importance. These were completed in 1918 and were shut down awaiting marketing facilities. The wells were drilled on a concession in the Rio Colorado region in Santander del Sur. They are located about 30 m. S. of Barranca Bermeja, which is 350 m. from the mouth of the Magdalena river. Oil from these wells is reported to test 26 to 31 Baume (0-8,974 to 0-8,696 sp.gr.). Preparations for opening the wells had been made early in 1921 upon the completion of a pipe line and refinery. Drilling was accomplished in 1920 and 1921 on other concessions along the Magdalena river in the vicinity of the pioneer Colorado development. Development work was also under- taken in 1920 on a concession in the Venezuelan boundary regiotl in Santander del Norte, on the Rio del Oro, opposite drilling work in the Colon district of Venezuela. Considerable interest was attached to Colombia petroleum development in 1911 when drilling was undertaken near Cartagena. In 1913 and 1914 wells were drilled in the Lorico district near the Sinu river, but production was not encountered in commercial quantity. The Magdalena-Santander field occurs in the Cretaceous limestone and sandstone and the coal- bearing Lower Tertiary (probably Oligocene) beds. The rocks of the Caribbean fields are similarly described.
Peru. Peru has the distinction of being the oldest oil-producing country in S. America, first being credited with production in 1896. Its production has been steadily maintained, the principal fields being Negritos, Lobitos and Zorritos. Another petroliferous dis- trict near Lake Titicaca has not developed any considerable production. Oil is found chiefly at the north end (Pacific coastal district) of Peru, and occurs in several horizons of soft sandstone and shale of early Tertiary age. Theoilranges from32tO48Baum6 (0-8,642 to 0-7,865 sp.gr.). Peru's production in 1920 was 2,816,- 649 bar.; 1919, 2,616,000 bar.; 1908, 1,011,180 barrels.
Bolivia and Ecuador have been actively prospected for oil, but oil in commercial quantity has not been developed. Chile had several oil booms, particularly those based on the oil deposits of the province of Punta Arenas, N.W. of Tierra del Fuego, without successful results. Prospecting has been undertaken in Brazil and Uruguay.
