707.    DOHERTY, J. D.  Synthetic Fuels Development.  Oil Gas Jour., vol. 47, No. 28, 1948, pp. 207, 419; Min. Eng., vol. 1, No. 4, 1949, pp. 116-124; Am. Inst. Min. and Met. Eng., Tech. Pub. 2562 F.

     Paper was presented at the annual Fuels Conference of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers and the American Institute of Mining and Metallurgical Engineers.  Because “synthetic liquid fuels are not going to do us very much good in an emergency if we have to start from scratch,” construction of commercial plants for the production of 1,000,000 bbl. per day should begin at once.  The planned program calls for a total investment in plant and equipment of 8.7 billion dollars as compared with the 7.5 billion dollars that the petroleum industry will spend between 1947 and 1951 to maintain its present production rates.  In general 2 processes would be used about equally:  The Fischer-Tropsch gas-synthesis process and the Bergius coal-hydrogenation process.  The cost of production per gallon of total products would be 12.4 or 12.6 cents depending on the process used.  The production of 1,000,000 bbl. per day would consist of 86,000 bbl. liquefied propane and butane, 648,000 bbl. high-grade motor gasoline, and 266,000 bbl. Diesel and furnace oils.  The coal requirement would be 575,000 tons per day, a 34% increase over the average 1947 production.  Of this consumption, 213,000 tons would be bituminous coal from east of the Mississippi River and 362,000 tons would be coal and lignite from the West.  Steel requirements are estimated at 6.3 million tons, the peak consumption occurring 5 or 6 years after starting the program.  Employment would be given to about 160,000 men, including miners.

     See abs. 644.