NEWNES PETROL

Hokitika Guardian, 14 September 1940, Page 6

NEWNES PETROL

Made froai shale

SYDNEY, September 4

Two- cars were- driven 150 miles yesterday from Glen Davis to Sydney on the first.petrol produced from Newnes shale'for commercial use. The occupants of the cars weie the I*federal Minister for Supply (Sir Frederick Stewart) and the State- Minister for Alines (Mr Vincent). At an official ceremony, Sir Frederick Stewart had turned the tap which started the flow ol petrol as a commercial product from .the plant °t the National Oil Co!, Ltd. The petrol will be stored in million-gallon tanks in the company’s'plant in the Glen Davis Valley.

In full production the present plant will turn out 10,000,000 gallons a year. This is 2.9 per cent of Australia’s present unrationed consumption, which the Commonwealth Statistician (Dr. Roland Wilson) estimates at 373,000,000 gallons. The company aims to increase production to 30,000,000 gallons annually, but can give no indication of how soon this can he done. The shale is mined, and then treated to extract the crude oil. . The crude oil is distilled and “cracked” to produce petrol. Among the guests at a lunch given by the managing-director of the company (Air George Davis) were Messrs Lawson and GaPdiner, Al.H.R.’s. Each represents an electorate that takes in part of the- company’s property. Afr Lawson said the Newnes workers would receive- £1.000,000 a year in wages. The plant’s estimated output would he worth £2,000,000 to Australia.