Abstract
Chemical and other scientific study of petroleum has lagged far behind oil-field developments in California, as it has in other regions of the world. The fact is doubtless due to the ease with which new production has been obtained in the past in this State. At all events, commercial enterprise in this industry has usually regarded questions as to origin, chemical character, and ultimate utility of oil as having at best only an academic interest. But, with the rapidly growing demand for petroleum and with the coincident depletion of known sources, questions regarding origin, etcetera, and the possibility of scientific aid in further exploration will become unavoidable, and any information likely to throw light upon possible hidden reserves will be welcome, and research may meet with better support.
A complete review of the scientific work done in California might aid in the further study of its oils, but it . . .
