1285.    GULF RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT COMPANY.  General Summary of Economic Data.  Synthetic Liquid Fuels Hearings Before a Subcommittee of the Committee on Public Lands and Surveys.  U. S. Senate, 78th Cong., 1st sess., on S. 1243, 1944.

       This summary of data is taken from a “Literature Survey on the Fischer-Tropsch Synthesis of Hydrocarbons.”  January 1940-December 1943, of the Gulf Research & Development Co. Chemistry Division Rept. 260, April 15, 1944.

        General summary of cost data for synthetic liquid fuels process 

  

Investment 

 

From coal hydrogenation 

  

From Fischer-Tropsch synthesis, using coal 

 

From Fischer-Tropsch synthesis, using natural gas 

  

From oil shales 

  

From petroleum 

($/day bbl.) 

7,500-14,300 

6,1802-16,667 

2,200-4,767 

375-3,000 

700. 

Operating costs3 (¢/gal.) 

  

15.52-25 

  

18.22-24.4 

  

4.82-17.4 

  

(1)-10.7 

  

5-6. 

Total raw materials required (ton/bbl.) 

Coal: 0.52-1.25 

Coal: 0.7 

Natural gas: 0.22-0.25 

Oil shale: 0.9-2.7 

Crude oil: 0.328. 

Steel requirements (ton/bbl.) 

  

8.3-14.1 

  

8.9-14 

  

2.8-6.5 

  

1.3-(1) 

  

0.7. 

U.S. reserves of raw material 

Coal: 3.2 trillion ton (3,000 yr.) 

Coal: 3.2 trillion ton (3,000 yr.) 

Natural gas: 85-1702 trillion cu. ft. (30 yr.) 

Shale oil: 92 billion bbl. (65 yr.) 

Oil:  20-21 billion bbl. (14 yr.) 

 1 Data presented represent testimony extremes.  In 2 cases, it appears that truly representative ranges were not given. 

2 Trend of testimony indicated that the most probable figure was of this order, although perhaps somewhat higher or lower.  For operating costs by the first 2 methods, eventual estimates are somewhat lower. 

3 Including depreciation.  Figures are presumably for 70-75 octane-number gasolines.