GROWING USE OF OIL

Dominion, Volume 14, Issue 280, 20 August 1921, Page 7

GROWING USE OF OIL

AS FUEL FOR SHIPS. The head of a very important American oil company said recently that the increase in the use of oil for fuel purposes throughout the world is very significant, particularly as regards oil burning ships. The use of petroleum in this way, said this oil man, is destined to increase greatly es more coal burning vessels are converted into oil burners. The difference in cost of operation between coal and oil burning ships is now frequently so important as to preclude tho use of many coal burners altogether. The British coal strike has had the effect of permanently increasing the use of oil for fuel. Last month the British House of Commons was informed t»y Hie Civil Lord of the Admiralty that in a very short time the entire British fleet would burn oil exclusively. The British Navy is destined to use oil exclusively; in fact, that is why the British Government obtained a controlling' interest in the Anglo-Persiali Oil Company, which is to provide oil reserves for the British Navy. How the British have turned to oil is shown by British imports of that article, now running at a rate slightly in excess of 100,009,000 gallons monthly. As to the oil supplies available for such, use, the president of the American Oil Company mentioned is authority for the statement that the use of oil for fuel can be yet increased enormously without seriously affecting either reserves or price.