3401.     THORNTON, D. P.  Petrochemical Industry in the Southwest Builds for Growing Peacetime Markets.  Nat. Petrol. News, Tech. Sec., vol. 38, No. 1, 1946, pp. R3-R8.

        Among the many plants mentioned as producing and preparing to produce chemicals from petroleum is Carthage Hydrocol, Inc., owned by several oil companies and Hydrocarbon Research, Inc., which is planning the construction and operation of a $15,000,000 Fischer-Tropsch plant in the Panola gas fields of Panola Co., east Texas.  It is reported that this plant will produce 5,000 bbl. per day of +80 octane gasoline, 1,000 bbl. per day of diesel fuel, and 200,000 lb. per day of crude alcohols (MeOH and EtOH) and acetone.  It is stated that gasoline can be made for $0.05 per 1,000 cu. ft. gas in competition with conventionally produced gasoline from $1.00 crude.  Study of the best features of the Fischer-Tropsch process in German plants plus research in this country will make this process competitive with conventional refinery production of gasoline.  Byproducts can be converted relatively cheaply into chemicals and thus make Fischer-Tropsch gasoline and gas oils still more competitive with similar products from petroleum.