§ 7. Mr. GEORGE HALLasked the Secretary for Mines whether he can make a statement as to what progress has been made to date in the extraction of oil from coal at the Imperial Chemical Industries works at Billingham?
The SECRETARY for MINES (Captain Crookshank)I think I can best reply to this question by furnishing the hon. Member with a statement recently supplied to me by Imperial Chemical Industries, Limited. As the statement is rather long, I will, with the hon. Member's permission, circulate it in the OFFICIAL REPORT.
§ Mr. HALLIs it contemplated that works of a similar character will be established in the other coalfields in South Wales?
§ Following is the statement:
§ Petrol production was begun on 7th February, 1935, and since that date a total quantity of 25,000 tons (7½ million gallons) has been manufactured.
§ Deliveries to the Anglo-American Oil Company and Shell-Mex and B.P., Limited, who distribute the petrol through their organisations, commenced 9th April and 20,000 tons (6 million gallons) have been marketed to date, the balance of the production having gone to storage for building up working stocks, in addition to further large stocks of intermediate products.
§ The petrol is taken over by the oil companies to the specification of their first grade marketed spirit and needs no further blending or treatment.
§ Contracts have been arranged by Imperial Chemical Industries for the purchase of creosote oil and low temperature tar oils as raw material for hydrogenation at prices which should materially benefit the carbonising industries. The total quantity of these materials contracted for is based on the programme already announced of making 100,000 tons of petrol direct from coal and 50,000 tons from tar products, equal in all to 45 million gallons per annum.
2454§ The coal hydrogenation plant operates in two main stages—the liquid phase or coal stage and the vapour phase or light oil stage. The operation of the former necessitates the simultaneous operation of the latter, whereas the latter stage can be operated alone on creosote and low temperature tar oils. Naturally, therefore, Imperial Chemical Industries completed first the vapour phase part of the plant and, as indicated from the information given above, production therefrom has been entirely satisfactory. The liquid phase stage is now being brought into operation and coal is, in fact, being successfully treated.
§ As the mechanical sections of the plant become fully run in, the throughput of coal treated will gradually be increased over the next few months, and it is anticipated that operations on the full scale mentioned above will be attained by about October.
§ The coal required when the plant is in full operation will, including that required for the treatment of creosote and low temperature tar, amount to well over half a million tons, representing the employment of about 1,950 miners. The number of persons now employed on the plant is about 1,000 and employment in secondary industries will be found for a considerable number of people.