BRITAIN A VAST OILFIELD

Grey River Argus, 18 January 1940, Page 10

BRITAIN A VAST OILFIELD

HOW PROSPERITY MIGHT HAVE , COME TO

BRITAIN’S COAL INDUSTRY

(In the previous articles of this series, which are reprinted from “The Glasgow Weekly Herald” of August, 1928, Mr Turner’s process for the extraction of oil from coal. and. the simultaneous manufacture of smokeless fuel has been dealt with broadly. By this invention it is claimed Britain could have taken her place in the world’s oil markets on a scale never before thought possible.) “Revolutionary Reform.”

But what would coal-oil extraction lead to? That is a reasonable question.

The position at home is more pressing than the international effect. Some years ago, when speaking on the subject of smoke abatement and the utilisation of waste in coal, the Right Hon. G. H. Roberts, P.C. said:—

“We are on the eve of a very great and revolutionary reform in trie matter of fuel and power production. If we accept the position as it is today, our country can again take the lead as she did at the time of the invention of steam as applied to locomotive power. England can ohce morel march ahead of her competitors and gain a lead such as she appears to have lost.”

At that time it was estimated that the treatment of coal by low-tem-perature carbonisation would mean a ! saving of something like £200,000,000 annually. | As explained last week, the small

output of oil from Mr Turner’s 10 ton plant causes difficulties of refining, on account of the refiners being rather reluctant to deal with almost negligible quantities of coal-oil while working mainly on' the natural liquid crude.

“But when the process is properly developed,” the inventor explained, “I hope to have my own refineries in every district. As the oil is extracted, instead of being put into storage tanks and then added to in cost by transporting to the refineries in other parts of the country, I’ll be able to treat my own crude on the spot. “The fractionating of the oil will be considerably simplified and cheapened. Very obviously this will have its tell-tale effect on the markets.” Foreign Competition. “Foreign oil coming into this country—we buy from America alone something like £34,000,000 worth per year!—is taxed 4d a gallon right at the start. Add to this the cost of bulk transport by oil-tankers—which is, considerable—and ,yoit see right away the burden ..which foreign oil >s subjected to before it ever reaches the Refineries here. !

“British oil, from our coal, starts without any such price on its head, as it were. We can, therefore, be sure, from this point of view alone, of cutting out foreign competition. “Then there is the greater-influ-ence—the cheaper cost of production. “At present we do not need to sink any more , shafts. We have sufficient

sources of coal at our disposal to be going on with. Just consider for a moment the many pits which have closed down recently on account of the owners’ “pool” system—something like 40 in Scotland alone. These can, be brought into operation and made to pay handsomely. America’s Position. “The progress pays for itself either in oil or in smokeless fuel. We can afford to cut both ways. Should foreign competition tighten up and we are faced with almost uneconomic prices from American fields, we simply adjust our prices to suit by raising the cost of the fuel. If we lose on the fuel we make on the oil—and vice versa. “But it is very evident that we shall not be compelled to play sucli a Peter-and-Paul game. Right from the beginning we have the advantage at home. “It is safe to say that we can supply oil and fuel at much lower prices than those prevailing to-day. When examined seriously, the situation becomes apparent.” j Once the home market is set on'its feet, when, our coal producing areas are amply supplied with retorts and refineries to cope with the demand, the patentee can look to other lands for development. Mr Turner hopes to be able to go to America and set up plants all ove”

that continent, producing more oil from coal than is being, obtained from the “spouters” of. the New World. And remember that America is giving the world 75 per cent of the petroleum stocks! 1 ~

World Coal Reserves,

In America, it has been estimated, the coal reserve covers an area greater than 230,000 square miles: other estimates place it at a much higher figure. The United States is reckoned to be first amongst the first coalproducing countries of the world. With his world patent-rights, Mr I Turner will be able to produce oil | wherever coal exists—which is universal. The area of coal-land in the world is estimated- at over 600,000 square miles. Britain can claim 12.000 square miles, and the Empire 140,000 square miles; Russia, has about 20,000 —which country is, incidentally, the second most important oil producing region—Spain 50(50. Fiance, Germany and Austria about 2090, and Belgium 500 square miles. Then, in China, experts have calcu- ; latecl the coal-bearing area at about 200,000 square miles. Australia, Tas- j mania, New Zealand, Abyssinia, Africa, and South America all have their rich coal deposits. Why even I in Iceland, and further north, there is much buried wealth to be’ taken j yet from the earth. Some parts of I the Polar regions are said by geolo- 1 gists to be carboniferous. Coal has I actually been raised at Spitsbergen. | (To be continued).