THE VALUE OF OREPUKI SHALE.

Otago Witness, Issue 2762, 20 February 1907, Page 12

THE VALUE OF OREPUKI SHALE.

About a year ago (he Government agreetl 10 defray tho coat of forwarding 50 to "60 tons of Orepuki ehalo to Glasgow for testing purposes, to be carried out under tho supervision of Sir Bovert-on Redwood. A report on thee tests has been received through tho High Commissioner in London, and, a3 printed in the Mines Roeord, is of a vovy favourable character. In }ua report Sir Bovertcn Redwood states: — "Before ihc test was commenced 5 tons 17 cwfc 7lb of the shale was put through the retort ; during the tost 50 tons Tcwt lqr was distilled ; and locwt. 3qr 71b was left over at the clo*e. The test extended over 20 daye, and. excluding the first two days, tho average yield of oil was at the rate of 38.41 gallons to the ton, whilst the average yield of sulphate of ammonia amounted to 19.121b per ton. More than sufficient gas wa« produced for firing the retort, and: by scrubbing this gas with oil at least a gallon and a-half of spirit could be obtained to the ton of shale. A sample barrel of the 011 of each day's run was forwarded to Mr John Wit>hart. of tho Oalbank Oil_ Company, who had kindly undertaken to furnish. a report on the refining of the oil. Ihe oil, which had a specific gravity of 0.590, yielded 70.7 per cent, of finished commercial products, which Mr Wishart considers a fair average yield on the basis of experience in the refining of Scottish shatle oil ; but it is important to note that of this total no less than 20.11 per cent, consisted of crude paraffin seale — a wholly exceptional yield of tho most valuable of all the products." Mr "Wishart estimates that the gross profit on the working of shaJe similar to tho sample tested would be as f ollows : —Value of the oils and solid paraffin, 160.32 per ton of shale ; value of tho sulphate of ammonia (les3 cost of making), 19.12 per ton; total, 179.4*. Cost of mm» ing, 51.0 d per ton; cost of retorting, 12.W per ton ; cost of refining, 30.72 d; total, 93.72; gross profit per ton, 85.72. In a. supplementary report to the London Boarrt of the New Zealand Coal and Oil Company Sir Boverton Redwood stated : It i 9 evident from the results of the comprehensive practical test which has been carried out that the shale in question is of hign value and that its commercial working maybe carried out most profitably. It is common knowledge that paraffin wax is by far the most valuable of the products obtained in the distillation of shale, and the exceptionally large proportion of this substance yielded by your shale is a feature the importance of which does not need to be emphaoi^ed. No Scottish shale yields anything like so large a percentage. The various oils are evidently all of good merchantable quality, but, of course, if desired, the heavy oik "could be marketed in bulk as liquid fuel instead of fractionating them in the usual way."

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