In 1922, France imported 913,262 tons of crude and refined oils and gasolines, compared to 712,097 in 1921 and 533,314 in 1913; in heavy oils and petroleum residues, imports amounted to 266,000 tons, compared to 187,300 in 1921 and 144,600 tons in 1913.

As can be seen, our import figures have almost doubled since 1913. Our main supplier is the United States, which supplied us with 706,964 tons of crude and refined oils and gasolines, and 204,250 tons of heavy oils and petroleum residues. The rest was supplied to us by Romania, Mexico, India and Japan.

We can see what these purchases represent for our country when we multiply them by the average price of crude oil, which was, for the year 1923, per barrel, about $3.25. Moreover, the price has varied considerably, ranging from $2.60 to $4.25.

Oil and its derivatives have become a necessity of industrial life and their uses are increasingly numerous, either for the supply of engines, or for heating boilers, etc.

The development of the automobile has naturally had the consequence of considerably increasing its use in the form of gasoline, and if the automobile industry in France has not reached the extent that it has, for example, in the United States, this is mainly due to the high cost of this fuel.

On the other hand, we know the role that this product plays in national defense, as much for the supply of our tractors as for that of our planes.

Until before the war, governments had not been very interested in this question, especially since the progress of white coal allowed the hope of creating a source of light and also of a cheap industrial motive force.

It was realized during and since the war that the use of petroleum and its derivatives offered a vast field of applications, and that in a country like ours, deprived of coal, it could be used as a replacement fuel for powering engines and for heating.

Also, at the present time, the public authorities and the large industrial organizations have sought to ensure all the necessary supplies in this product. They have come up against vested interests and formidable competition from other nations. Finally, it has been realized that it is not enough to obtain shares in the producing countries; it is also necessary to be assured of being able, in the event of conflict, to transport this fuel.

The supply of our country in the event of war was therefore at the mercy of foreigners who could, depending on the circumstances, deprive us of it completely, or at least restrict our supplies. In these conditions it is quite understandable that the first idea was to investigate whether it was possible for us to find in the country itself all or part of the resources we needed.

As we know, the return of Alsace-Lorraine to France had, among other advantages, that of giving us possession of an oil deposit. But the Péchelbronn mines represent barely a twentieth of French consumption and we cannot hope that its production can be increased much. We have therefore sought to see if France did not possess deposits in other regions capable of being exploited.

Many drillings and works have been undertaken, and we can still sometimes read in the press enthusiastic communiqués announcing the discovery of a deposit in this or that locality.

It is especially in Auvergne, in the Jura, and also in the Pyrenees, that tests have been attempted. In Alsace, many researchers believed they had found the continuation of the Pechelbronn deposit, either in Lobsann, or in Rothbach, Weiterswiler, Molsheim, etc. In the Jura, research began in 1850, some seem to have given some results.

It is the department of Ain which contains the main deposits, such as Chezerie and Forens; in Deyssel a large limestone lens was found yielding 7 to 10% oil. Near Ambérieu, a drilling gave rise to hydrocarbons of some importance.

The work undertaken in Saône-et-Loire in what is called the Autun Basin, showed that there were bituminous schists, the exploitation of which was only superficial, and was not pushed further than 60 meters deep. An attempt was also made at the mines of Bozon (Allier) and at the mines of Buxières and Saint-Hilaire.

In Auvergne, it was believed for a moment that the research would finally be crowned with success and we may remember the surveys that were carried out in Limagne, not far from Clermont-Ferrand, and which were pushed to more than 1,100 meters! ... without truly conclusive results.

In the Pyrenees, the same research findings, in particular in the communes of Sainte-Suzanne, Bastonnes; in the South of the Landes department, and finally in the North of the Basses-Pyrénées department. We will only mention for the record the few attempts made in the other departments Ariège, Aude, Hérault, Gard, Var, Isère, Haute-Savoie, etc.

The results do not appear so far, it must be acknowledged, to be conclusive, despite the hopes of some apostles and the more or less interested assertions of certain companies or financial groups. It therefore seems to be accepted that oil is a foreign product for France, although there is perhaps some hope of being able to find some in French colonies, such as Algeria, and particularly Madagascar.

This question of a French oil policy raises many problems that have had their echo in parliament and which have given rise to several bills tabled, but not yet up for discussion.

It is also appropriate to point out, without wishing to exaggerate its importance, the research that is currently being done to transform various fuels and vegetable oils into oil. These are attempts at hydrogenation with the aim of obtaining solid, liquid and gaseous hydrocarbons.

It has even been claimed that artificial oil can be obtained from vegetable oils, coal and even water!

However, despite the successful experiments attempted by Mr. Mailhe, professor at the University of Toulouse, it seems premature to claim that the artificial oil thus obtained will replace, from an industrial point of view and in the near future, natural oil.

B. M.