Production - Domestic - Oil and Gas Development in Northern and Central Pennsylvania during 1943

The area producing Pennsylvania-grade crude oil declined sharply in 1943, with a daily average production in the entire area of 71,056 bbl. as against a daily average in 1942 of 77,786. The total decline in the Pennsylvania-grade area amounted to 2,456,311 bbl., and 1,g81,z71 bbl. of this occurrcd within the state of Pennsylvania. The principal decline occurred in the Bradford field, where it was caused primarily by a drastic reduction in well completions. All of the zones in the Pennsylvania-grade producing area showed a decline except the part of Ohio that produces that grade, where production increased very slightly over 1942. Table I shows the average daily production by months for the several districts of the area. Table z is a comparison of the production in the two districts within the state of Pennsylvania. It is interesting to note that the Bradford field produced approximately half the total quantity of Pennsylvania grade but accounted for nearly three-fourths of the decline in production from the previous year. It is believed that this decline is ocasioned by restrictive price ceilings and a lack of adequate manpower to drill the necessary wells to maintain production. Stocks of Pennsylvania Grade At the beginning of 1942, stocks of Pennsylvania-grade crude totaled 3,196,000 bbl. and at the beginning of 1943 they totaled 2,626,000 bbl. At the end of 1943 the stocks of Pennsylvania-grade crude had declined to 1,95z,000 bbl. The available crude stocks have been almost completely consumed, as nearly all of the present crude stocks are "unavailable" and required for