885.    FEDERAL POWER COMMISSION.  Natural-Gas Investigation by the Federal Power Commission.  Oil and Gas Jour., vol. 45, No. 8, 1946, pp. 60-61.

     Abstract of testimony by P. C. Keith, president of Hydrocarbon Research, Inc., on the development of processes for making gasoline from natural gas and for gasifying and liquefying coal.  (See abs. 1780).  Fuel reserves as of Jan. 1, 1946, if converted into crude oil, would make a total of 6,326 billion bbl. divided; 21 billion bbl. from crude, 25 billion from natural gas, and 6,280 billion bbl. from coal synthesis.  It is predicated that commercial production of gasoline from natural gas and from coal will take place within 5 yr.  Experiments had been made in the production of city gas from coal, and a gas had been obtained of 600-900 B.t.u. at a cost of $0.17/1,000 cu. ft.  It is estimated that gas could be produced at West Virginia coal mines and transported to New York for $0.242/1,000 cu. ft.  By this process 10,000 tons of coal would produce about 200 million cu. ft. of gas.  It is also stated that gasoline can be made from coal for $0.06/gal., assuming the cost of coal at $2.00/ton.  The time will probably come in the not too distant future when this price will be competitive with petroleum and natural gas.