Research

Scope and Content Note

The series consists of copies of statements summarizing statistical and economic surveys of crude petroleum and refined petroleum products. The statements were produced and distributed by the United States Bureau of Mines (Dept. of the Interior). During wartime, Harold L. Ickes was the bureau's secretary; R.R. Sayers was director. Date stamps show the statements were received by the State Museum during 1949, several years after the final release date of March 1946. This supports the conclusion that the Geological Survey compiled such information on mineral resources for statistical and research purposes.

The statements include narratives on daily production output and demand for crude petroleum, daily barrels of refined product, the price index for petroleum and related products, and crude oil capacity; comparative analysis of supply and demand of fuel oils; and numerous tables on production and stocks of crude oil, motor oil, and other products by state and P.A.W. district. Each statement has a release date, a title showing the month and date of the survey, and a statement number. The series includes numbers 154 (December 1936) through 270 (March 1945), with a few gaps.