Evening star., 1941-04-20
Oil for Future
in Coal Reserves
BIZ Frederic J. Hdskir.


cussion is renewed as to the extent OF
| petroleum deposits in the United States.
| Opinions have ranged from near ex-
haustion to a supply sufficient to last for
a thousand years or more. Both schools
Of thought frankly admit that calcula-
tions are based largely on estimates.
But with the vastly increased use Of
gasoline and oil there is no division Of
| opinion, even among the uninitiated,
that the supply Of petroleum cannot last
| forever Nature may be secretly accu-
mulating many more billions of barrels
| of petroleum, but this remote possibility
is not sufficient to quiet mans anxiety
over depletion Of known and potential
| supplies.
The United States Bureau of Mines
being composed of practical men, and
thinking it unWiSe for the future TO
depend upon hopes, set out months ago
to do something about insuring the
country against the day when there
might not be any gasoline and oil to
be had from present sources. The bu-
reaus scientists applied the hydrogena-
ton process to Goals and have found
that this country can develop large
amounts OF gasoline and oil from its
coal reserves.
The hydrogenation process is, briefly,
the adding Of hydrogen TO coal under
high pressure, ranging from 5000 to
$1,000 pounds per square inch, and at
temperatures Of 750 to $50 degrees. The
process, which is the liquefaction of coal,
produces oil similar to crude petroleum.
The bureaus chemists say that the
process, if applied to the Nations coal
| reserves, could yield enough oil to supply
| the country's needs for 1000 years at the
| present rate of consumption. Coal re-
| serves are estimated at some three tril-
lion tons. These reserves would yield
more than three and one-haH trillion
barrels of oil.
Although the Bureau Of Mines Is ad-
| nlinistratively centered in Washington,
| and is a division of the Department Of
| the Interior, it maintains field labora-
| tories 1t was in the bureaus Pittsburgh
| finding experiments we're carried out.
They give assurance that the Nations
| petroleum reserves will be greatly aug
mented.
However, while definitely establishing
| the process as feasible, the Government
technicians have not estimated the cost
of gasoline and oil produced from coal
on perfected quantity production basis.
That phase. however, is being given
consideration. In anticipation of the
time when this countrys petroleum
reserves may be exhausted, or in serious
danger of depletion. the Bureau of Mines
is making an investigation of all major
types of domestic Goals to determine
their ability to yield gasoline and other
oil products. Studies OF various Goals
from four different regions of the United
States bring to l3 the number of Goals
that have been tested and found TO have
oil-producing qualities.
The bureaus chemists say that bitu-
minous Goals. such as those obtained
from the Pittsburgh bed in Pennsylvania.
the Black Greek bed in Alabama. and
the lower Sunnyside bed in Utah, can
yield an average of two tons Of oil for
each three tons of coal mined and
that types of coal such as found in
North Dakota can yield about ton Of
oil for each three tons of coal.
Crude oil produced from coal Is sim
liar to crude petroleum ard yields a
relatively high percentage of gasoline
and various oils Some CT these oils are
of possible industrial significance as
sources Of phenolic compounds and SOL
vents used in the lacquer and plastic
industries. Other uses are 10 be de-
veloped as their properties are more
thoroughly determined
Laboratory reports show that in the
first Stage-after the coal has been
liquefied and before the products are
dissociated to produce various COM
pounds-the oil products obtained con-
tain about 20 per cent of a heavy oil
of medium viScosity and boiling range,
and 10 per cent Of a heavy oil of high
viscosity and boiling range The yields
of crude oil are approximately l25 gall
Ions per ton of coal.
The Bureau of Mines plans to con-
tinue these studies until it has obtained
knowledge which will enable it to de-
termine the yields and quality of liquid
products obtainable from various Goals.
Then as needs arise industry will be in
position to select the most suitabls
Goals and make rapid progress in estab-
fishing their usage.
Although the United States has huge
deposits of both petroleum and coal,
geologists say that petroleum reserves
are less than coal reserves and that at
some future date the hydrogenation of
coal to produce gasoline and organic
chemicals will be essential When pro-
duction costs pc. nit, coal hydrogenation
will likely serve as an auxiliary source
of gasoline, Diesel oil, tar acids and
solvents.
The liquefaction of coal by hydrogena-
tion since 1918 has been carried on in
some parts Of Europe where petroleum
is not as easy to obtain as it is in this
country. 1t is estimated that Germany
has capacity for producing several
million tons of gasoline a year from
coal, and that England is operating a
plant with a capacity of more than
10000 tons of gasoline annually.
Aside from gasoline and oil fuel 1t Is