The weekly chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Craig County, Okla.) 1905-1913, 1912-01-26
CONSUMPTION OF
BUNKER COAL

the Panama Canal may render feasible
the establishment Of great Ameri-
can station for supplying coal from
the mines OF the United States 10 yes
sells Of the world lends interest to an
estimate prepared by the bureau Of
statistics, Department Of Commerce
and Labor, Of the coal consumption on
the oceans Of the world. The state
ment estimates the coal consumed on
The oceans OF the world at approxi-
mately Is million tons per annum.
valued at over ESQ million dollars.
An exact statement OF the quantity
Of coal consumed by the merchant ma
rine and navies Of the world cannot
be made. owing to the fact that COM
paratively few countries state in sep
arate terms the quantity OF coal sup
piled to vessels for their own use, or
for "bunkering" purposes. The Unit
ed States statistics show about mil
lion long tons supplied 10 yessls at
ocean ports 10 be placed in their bun
kers for their own use. and the Brit.
ish reports show about 20 million long
tons supplied to vessels in the foreign /
trade and 2Iz million tons to vessels 4
in the coastwise trade This would |
make for the two great coal produc-
ing countries OF the world-the United 4
States and the United Kingdom
total OF over 80 million tons supplied
directly to vessels for ~bunkering" pur-
poses. In addition TO this. however, a
very considerable percentage of the
coal sent out 10 Great Britain as "ex-
ports" passes 10 ports and stations in
various parts of the world from which
il is finally supplied TO ocean vessels
for fuel purposes. A paper presented
before the Royal Statistical Society Of
England by D. A. Thomas, NJ. p, stat.
ed that:
"Theg reat bulk Of our exports of
coal IS for the use OF steamships. and
it is within the mark TO say that over
half Of our exports are for navigation
purposes. Cardiff alone ships over a
million tons annually to Port Said,
over a halt million to Malta and
Gibraltar .bout the same quantity to
Cape Verde and the Canaries. over
100000 TO Colombo. and large quanti-
ties to Alden. practically the whole of
which goes TO bunker steam vessels
calling to coal at those depots.
AS the British exports OF coal. aside
from that recorded as supplies to YES
sells for fueling purposes amounted in
1910 TO over 81 million long tons, the
above quoted estimate would seem to
justify adding 70 the 80 million tons
recorded as bunker coal by the United
Kingdom and the United States an
other 80 million as the share of Brit
ish exports which finally becomes bun
ker coal through purchase for bunker
ing purposes at ports or stations to
which II was originally exported. While
the bureau of statistics is unable to
state the share Of American coal ex.
ports which become vessel supplies
faside from that actually reported as
bunker coal and not included in the
export statement) it is quite probable
that considerable percentage of the
coal from the United States which
passes to the West Indian Islands and
the coast of Mexico is used for vessel
fueling. Add to this the more than 2
million tons supplied by the japanese
mines to vessels engaged in the for
eign trade, the more than / million
-ons supplied from Australia, the near
y / million tons supplied from India
plus the estimated consumption of
about million tons by the navies of
he world, and the bureau of statistics
estimate of an average of IS million
ons consumed on the oceans of the !
world seems a conservative one. AS
he valuation of the coal exported for
iteaming purposes averages about
1850 per ton, the further estimate of
he value of the coal used on the
'ceans OF the world--over 250 million
Iollars per annum-seems also a con-
ervative one. +
The United Stetes is BY far the larg- I
st coal producer OF the world, its pro-
uction in 1910 being 44112 million y
netric tons, against 264l2 million by Z
be United Kingdom, 222 million by
iermany, 80 million each by France :
nd Austria-Hungary, 24ia million by ;,
.ussia, % million by Belgium, Is mil .
on by Japan. 141s million by China, i
3 million by Canada, and II million 2,
ach by Australia and India, the grand n
,tal of production in 1910 for all coun- Il
les for which statistics are available. y
eing little over l billion tons, of u
hfeh about 40 nor cant ie nroduoad "a