TASMANIAN SHALE OIL

Star (Christchurch), Issue 11509, 4 October 1915, Page 1

TASMANIAN SHALE OIL

SUCCESSFUL TESTS. The Premier of Tasmania (Mr Earle) and the Minister for the Navy (Mr Jensen) were present last week at some successful tests with Tasmanian shaie oil which were carried out in bourne. The engine used was a. 15 horse-power.. semi-D.esel pattern. The oil was obtained from the property of the Railton-Latrobe Company, and it is remarkable for having a greater calorific value (2u,000 8.T.U.) than any mineral oil ever discovered. This was shown by the tests carried out in Great Britain last year by direction of the Admiralty. In co-our it is a dark olive-green, and it has what Dr Wade, the Commonwealth oil expert, describes as "a peculiar and characteristic odour." The shale, which is a brown, slaty-looking substance, is heated in retorts to make it give up its oil. This comes off in a dense, greeii-ish-veliow gas, that smells like the Pintsch gas used on the railways. On cooling, the gas condenses into crude oil, and, after the petrol spirits have been dist : lied off, the remainder, known as " residual oil," can be burnt in internal combustion engines or under boilers. Besides this, there is a lighter gas given off that can be used in gas engines. After the .shale has been retorted, the ashv substance left makes an excellent fertiliser, that finds a. ready sale. . . In the development scheme provision is made for piping the oil by gravitation to Devonoort- As the port is a torpedo boat Base, _ the advantage of having a supply of fuel from natural sources, in p.ace of having to ship it there, is obvious, and it is for this reason that tli£ Australian Dsfcncc Ucpartment ia watching the new developmem> with so much, interest.