The Role of Technology in the Conservation of Oil and Gas

Among enlightened citizens, conservation of the nation's natural resourcesis a patriotic obligation. The great stakes of the nation in a continuous, ample supply of oil and gas make it imperative that the various groups of oursociety work cooperatively to promote and to maintain a sound, vigorous policyof oil conservation. One difficulty in maintaining effective conservationprogrammes derives from the different connotations of the word "conservation"itself. To many people, conservation means simply the act of hoarding orpreserving. Although Webster gives this as a common definition, the very natureof a natural resource obviates such a meaning when applied to it. In naturalresource industries, conservation has come as a matter of course to meanefficient, non-wasteful operating practices. This principle is readilyunderstood in the realm of human resources. For instance, we know that a mancannot conserve his strength through inactivity. Under such a condition hisstrength will atrophy. It is only by careful use and frequent exercise thatstrength is conserved. Somewhat similarly, the health and vigour of a naturalresource industry is promoted by efficient development and production of theresource. Wasteful practices not only decrease the quantity of a resourceavailable for public consumption but also increase unit costs. Cost increasesin turn tend to discourage consumption. The over-all effect, then, of thefailure of an industry to practice sound conservation policies strikes at thevery heart of the industry itself as well as at the public interest. The nature of conservation varies quite widely among different resourceindustries. For instance, an industry dealing in a replenishable resource maywell attempt to perpetuate the supply. Gigantic reforestation programmesprovide one outstanding example of how the far seeing lumber industry has metthis problem of maintaining a continuous supply.