Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-07-18
SAYSPETROLEUM
STILL BEING MADE
German Scientist Attacks
Theory Nature Has Ceased
to Form Product.
BY the Associated Press.

STATE COLLEGE, Pa, July 49,
The theory that the natural formation
of petroleum is thing Of the past, to
which scientists have been subscrib-
ing for many years, was questioned to-
day by DIR. Hans Tropsch Of the Kaiser
Wilhelm Institute, Manheim-Ruhr,
Germany.
Addressing the Institute of Chemis'
try Of the American Chemical Society
here DR.. Tropsch advanced the theory,
based on new discoveries by himself
and associates in obtaining petroleum
products from fuels of various kinds.
that nature still is at work making and
laying up stores Of this important COM
modify for future generations.
Making of Gases.
Natures probable methods in max
ing petroleum are duplicated in the
recent discovery of the method of its
synthesis from water gas, he said.
Liquification Of coal by the Bergius
process is strictly limited to bitumi-
nous coal and Ignite, but the newly
discovered process has no such limi.
tation, according to DIR. Tropsch.
ANY of the ordinary fuels, wheth-
err of high or low grade, can be con-
verified into gases, either water gas,
a mixture of hydrogen and carbon
monoxide. obtained by heating carbon
In a current of steam, or natural gas,
such as methane, ethane and others"
he said, 'either natural gas or water
gas can be used as n starting point
for the preparation Of gasoline, nap
tina, lubricating oil or paraffin wax by
our recently discovered catalytic pro-
cesses. These processes are similar
to those in operation in Germany
France and the United States for
producing wood alchohol, formerly
made exclusively from wood and in
Germany for the manufacture of
'Cynthop which is proving satisfac-
tory as a motor fuel"
Cost of $5O,00O,O 900.
DR.. Tropsch pointed out that in the
industrial production of synthol, or
synthetic gasoline, no refining process
of any sort is necessary. In the pres
ent petroleum practice the removal of
sulphur from gasoline has been esti-
mated to have cost American motor
lists about $50,000.000 per year.
OF his theory that petroleum may
be formed naturally under present
conditions, DR.. Tropsch said:
"As a matter of fact we find in
nature cases which contain carbon
dioxide, carbon monoxide and hydro.
gen, or which in their constitution
very much resemble the reacting
gases occurring in the synthesis of
hydrocarbons under ordinary pressure
or in the obtaining Of synthol under
elevated pressure.
Catalysts Found Everywhere.
"Thus gases collected from a crate
on Mount Peele, after allowing for the
air sucked in at the time, consist Of
so per cent carbon dioxide, per
cent carbon monoxide, Is per cent
methane and q per cent hydrogen
a gas mixture such as we have often
obtained in our synthesis. The
catalysts required for the reaction,
particularly the iron, are to be found
everywhere and the activating sub
stances such as alkali are also
present.
'There are, therefore, indications
existing from which we can conclude
that at least part of the natural kinds
of crude oil was formed inorganically
with the help of catalysts. From this
possibility we may conclude that
even today, under favorable condi-
tons, crude oil is formed which can
not be assumed with respect to its
formation from animal residues."