PETROLEUM.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXII, Issue 10, 22 December 1911, Page 4

PETROLEUM.

The increased consumption of petroleum in the last fifty years is very remarkable and this fact ought to be especially interesting to Taranaki people, with the activity now going on at the New Plymouth oilfields. A writer in the Melbourne “Argus” points out the number of useful products besides kerosene are obtained from petroleum, and describes how the raw oil is first heated to drive off the lightest vapours, which are condensed, and the liquid is know as crude naphtha. This substance is redistilled into petrol, gasolene, benzine, and other useful substances. The crude oil is then heated again, and crude illuminating oil obtained, which is divided by refining processes into various grades of kerosene. The tarry deposit remaining- in .the stills after the distillation of the Crude naphtha and iburning oil, is conducted to special steel stills, and is manufactured into Various grades of lubricating oil. From , tho residue of mineral pitch is obtained pure carbon-, largely used in ooennection with electric lighting. The wax obtained from the purification of flie lubricating -oil is largely used, in the manufacture of candles. Vaseline is another of the scores of byproducts of petroleum. There is now scarcely a phase of industrial life, says this writer, ■ into, which the use or application of petroleum derivatives docs not..enter, and a serious decline in supplies would create a crisis. The multiplication of machinery has enorv piously increased the demand for lubricating oils, and from petroleum oils are obtained suitable for lubricating anything from a watch to a liner’s engines. Petrol, benzine, and gaso lene were considered of little importance before the advent of the internal combustion engine, but the motor-car, the oil-engine, and the flying machine have quite revolutionised this part of the industry. The motor-car trade is entirely dependent upon petroleum, for not only are petrol and benzine derived from it, but only oils obtained from it are suitable for lubricating the cylinders. Bearing these things, and the enormous demand for kerosene, in mind, it is not surprising that- tin production of oil in America has gone up from 2000 to 286,000,000 barrels ir fifty years.