BRITAIN'S OIL NEEDS.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVII, Issue 289, 5 December 1936, Page 17

BRITAIN'S OIL NEEDS.

BIG STORAGE SCHEME. LAST YEAR'S CONSUMPTION", i LONDON. A three-veav plan for tlie erection of oil storage tanks in districts safe from air attack is being undertaken by tlie British Government. This policy has heen rendered necessary by tlie increased use of fuel oil and petroleum during tlie last few years by the Navy, Army, and Air Forces. 'The whole of tlie Navy and half tlie mercantile marine now depend on oil. The Air Force, tlio mechanised branch of the Army and tlie transport services are all useless without sufficient petrol. With tlie present expansion of the Air Force, which provides for over 2000 first line airplanes by the end of the financial year 011 March 31 next, the necessity for adequate supplies of high petrol in the event of war has become intensified. According to an oil expert the reserves held by the various oil companies in this country amount to about four months' normal supply of petrol, about 1,500,000 tons. Apart from this amount the Government holds considerable stocks in tanks distributed all over the country. "In the event of war, with the drastic restriction of petrol consumption by private users, and -the availability of coal to replace oil for certain purposes, the total consumption would not expand by more than 20 per cent," he added. In 1935 Great Britain's oil consumption was about 9,000,000 tons, made up as follows: — Tons. petrol 4.200,000 Krai in 800,000 Lubricating oils 525.000 Fuel oil (tor inland use) .... Fuel oil (bunkers and admiralty) 1,72u,000 "If all oil were stored in a partly 'cracked' state, "gucli as fuel oil, it would be possible in an emergency for the Government to establish sufficient refineries in a few months to meet the petrol requirements of the war services, and at the-same time, have plenty of fuel oil for the navy. It is more costly and difficult to store petrol than heavy oils, owing to the tendency to evaporation and deterioration. Heavy oils will last from 10 to 20 years without deterioration." With regard to the hydrogenation of coal—oil from coal —the expert said that the necessary equipment would be far less vulnerable to air attack and more easily camouflaged than great industrial plants. It could be widely distributed over the country without great additional expense. It is understood that the question of constructing storage tanks underground has also been considered. A scheme of alternative firing with oil and coal for all ships of the British Navy has been put forward. This would reduce the amount of oil used in war time by the Navy, but in the opinion of its sponsors would not remove tlie necessity for further storage facilities being provided by the Government.