§ Mr. Robensasked the Paymaster-General whether the experiment in making gas from liquid methane has now proceeded far enough to enable the placing of the contract for the building or chartering of a special tanker suitable for the purpose of transporting liquid methane.
§ Mr. MaudlingIt is the ocean transport of liquid methane which has yet to be proved and it is with this end in view that experimental shipments will be made in a small oil tanker now being converted for the purpose. Only if the experiment is a technical success and confirms the economics of the project will the building of a full-scale liquid methane tanker be considered.
§ Mr. Robensasked the Paymaster-General the anticipated cost per therm of gas produced from liquid methane, as compared with average cost per therm made by gasification of coal.
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§ Mr. MaudlingFor commercial reasons I am unable to disclose the estimated cost of liquid methane, but on present expectations the cost per therm of gas from large-scale imports would be less than the cost of coal gas. Future developments in the gasification of low-grade coal may considerably reduce the cost of gas made from coal, but detailed comparison between these two methods must await further research. Nor should it be assumed that in future it will be right to regard them as alternative methods of meeting the same demand.