OIL PRODUCTION

Wairarapa Times-Age, 7 May 1940, Page 9

OIL PRODUCTION

THE NAZIS’ STRUGGLE MULTIPLICATION OF PLANTS. GERMANY’S TREMENDOUS EFFORTS. For years Germany has been making tremendous efforts, regardless of capital and operating costs, to increase the homo production of liquid fuel, especially motor spirit and medium oils for Diesel engines, writes David Brownlie in the London “Daily Telegraph.” The hydrogenation of coal and lignite (brown coal) and of coal and lignite carbonisation tars is one of the chief methods open to her engineers, and, second, the FischerTropsch synthetic liquid fuel process. The work has always been conducted with great secrecy, but one can attempt to give the salient Tacts of Germany's hydrogenation processes. Intensive developments have taken place throughout 19,38-1939. and are believed to be still in progress, including both additions to existing works and the erection of new plant.

Immediately before the war Germany produced or acquired probably about 7,156,000 metric tons (equal to 22051 b., or 0.984 long ton) of oil products per annum, of which much the greater proportion had to be imported. In 1938. for example, the total imports were 4,956 750 metric tons, including 1.357.102 tons of motor spirit (petrol), 1.467,566 tons gas oil. 777,840 tons crude oil, 405,690 tons fuel oil and 388.034 tons petroleum residues and bitumen. A FRUITLESS HOPE. Incidentally, several years ago it was announced broadcast that Germany would make herself completely independent of all foreign liquid fuel by 1936. Actually, her imports have increased every year since 1932, and in 1938 home production was considerably less than 35 per cent, of the total. Germany has a small home petroleum industry, with an output of 500,000600,000 metric tons per annum, and produces in addition, say. 350,000 tons of liquid fuel products from the carbonisation of coal in coke-oven plants and gas works, and. to a very much lesser extent, from the carbonisation of lignite. I There remains the production by hydrogenation and synthetic liquid fuel methods, concerning which there has been so much secrecy. Despite that secrecy, it is belived that in 1938 950,000 metric tons of liquid fuel were produced by hydrogenation, and 350,000 tons by the Fischer-Tropsch process. On this estimate of the 7,156,000 tons of liquid fuel produced or acquired in 1938, a total of 2,200,000 tons, or 31 per cent., were produced at home from all sources, and 4.956,000 . tons, or 69 per cent., had to be imported. The part which is being played by . hydrogenation in this connection is of ! the greatest importance.

Hydrogenation dates back at least to . 1860, and the pioneer researches in ' France of Marcelin Berthelot, but the . principle first became applied commercially with the work of Friedrich Bergins at Hanover. He took out his original patent in 1913, and his semi-com-mercial plant was started up at Mannheim in 1916, during the World War, PATENTS TAKEN OVER. In 1927 the Bergius patents were taken over by the well-known German chemical firm, Badische Anilin and Sodafabrik A.G. (now the I.G. Farbenindustrie (A.G.), who themselves had been working on hydrogenation independently for several years. Hydrogenation was also developed on a commercial scale in the United States for the treatment of petroleum and in Great Britain by Imperial Chemical Industries, Ltd. (Billingham-on-Tees) for ’ bituminous coal. Germany first applied the process for the treatment of petroleum and carbonisation tars and lignite in 1927. It must be borne in mind that to produce one ton of motor spirit it is necces-sai-y to hydrogenate an average of 1.66 tons of coal. A considerable amount of coal is. moreover, required to provide the necessary power and the hydrogen gas (generally made from coke) so that one ton of motor spirit requires a total of, say, 3.75-5.0 tons of coal. The lignite which is largely used instead of coal in the German processes averages 65 per cent, moisture and 5 per cent, ash, and the net yield of refinted motor spirit is approximately 57.5 per cent, (weight), of the lignite calculated on the ash and mois-ture-free basis. The first large-scale commercial hydrogenation plant in the world was started up by the I.G. Farbenindustrie A.G. in April, 1927, at the Leuna chemical works, the largest in existence, at Merseburg, near Halle-Salle (Saxony). The first section of this plant is stated to have produced about 70,000 metric tons of motor spirit per annum, and the plant has since bepn gradually enlarged. In 1935 it was said to be pro- ( du.cing 220,000 tons of motor spirit per annum. In 1936-37 this had been increased to 300,000-400,000 tons, which, so far as can be ascertained, appears to be its present capacity unless further extensions have been made. EXPERIMENTAL PLANT. For the hydrogenation of bituminous coal in Germany a small experimental plant came into operation at Leuna in ( 1934. It treated 20-21 tons of coal per 24 hours, and produced 13-14 tons of crude oil. In the same year, also, a semi-com-mercial plant of unknown size, but believed to be producing several thou-

sand tons of motor spirit per annum began operations at the Oppau works of .the I.G. Farbenindustrie A.G. near Ludwigshaven, on the Rhine, In 193536 a large commercial coal hydrogenation plant started at Oppau with a reputed output of 70,600-75.000 tons of motor spirit per annum: It is believed that in 1937 it doubled in size to produce 150,000 tons per annum. No more recent information of its activities has been disclosed.

In October, 1934, by order of the German Government, an organisation was formed known as the Braunkohlen Benzin A.G., one of whose objects was to increase the hydrogenation of lignite tar. In 1935-36 the concern had completed a hydrogenation plant at the wellknown Bohlen electricity station at Dresden. It is stated that 200.000 tons of lignite tar per annum are produced, which on hydrogeneration gives 150,000-180.000 tons of motor spirit per annum. Whether this plant has been enlarged is not known. A second and similar plant was erected near Magdeburg, about which no details have been made available.

, In September. 1935, another company was formed, called Hydriewerke Scholven A.G. Within two years it is stated , to have completed a coal hydrogena- ' tion plant at Reckinghausen (Ruhr), with a capacity of 83,000 tons of coal per annum, producing 55,000 tons of motor spirit. According to report, this '. plant has since been enlarged to nearly three times its original size. OTHER LARGE PLANTS. Vague statements have been put out 1 regarding other plants either projected, in course of erection, or completed. ' Two relate to the Union Rheinische Braunkohlen KraftstofT A.G., with a plant at Cologne for the hydrogenation of lignite, and to the GelsenbergBenzin A.G., with a plant in the Ruhr for hydrogenation of coal. Nothing is known as to the capacity of either. Early in 1939 there were rumours of plant being set up at Politz, near Stettin, and it has been stated that at Zeitz (Saxony) the Braunkohlen Benzin A.G. have been building plant for the hydrogenation of lignite low-tempera-ture tar on the same lines as at the Bohlen station. In 1938, therefore, Germany would seem to have been producing about 950,00(1 metric tons of motor spirit per annum by hydrogenation from the plants at Leuna, Oppau, Bohlen, Magdeburg, and Recklinghausen. Since 1938 other plants have been set up at Cologne, in the Ruhr, at Politz and Zeitz, concerning which little is known though presumably they are now more or less in operation. WAR-TIME REQUIREMENTS. War-time requirements of petrol and other liquid fuels are, of course, enormously greater than those of peace time, and, with an army largely mechanised and wholesale aircraft operations they might reach fantastic figures. Probably twelve months’ really active operations would mean a consumption in Germany of at least 20,000,000 tons—nearly three times prewar consumption, with over 50 per cent, imported and nearly six times the annual home production on the most optimistic 1939 figures. Even assuming that the rate of production is now 1,900,000 tons of motor | spirit per annum by hydrogenation and that the Fischer-Tropsch process has reached a yield of 700,000 tons, the total of home-produced liquid fuel from al) sources in Germany is still only 49 per cent of the pre-war consumption I 17,156,000 tons per annum in 1938). | Finally, it should be pointed out that | the capital involved in such a development is prodigious, probably at least £45,000,000, while motor spirit made | by hydrogenation probably costs to fl produce about two and a-half to I three times the price of imported pet- j rol.