-A BILL TO AID IN PREVENTING SHORTAGES OF MARCH 4 AND 5, 1948 Printed for the use of the Committee on 73161 UNITED STATES WASHINGTON: 1948 COMMITTEE ON INTERSTATE AND FOREIGN COMMERCE CHARLES A. WOLVERTON, New Jersey, Chairman CARL HINSHAW, California HARRIS ELLSWORTH, Oregon CLARENCE F. LEA, California ALFRED L. BULWINKLE, North Carolina ELTON J. LAYTON, Clerk II Ayres, Eugene, staff chemist, Gulf Research & Development Co., Bishop, Hon. C. W., Member of Congress (Illinois) Gunderson, Harvey J., member, Board of Directors, Reconstruction Keith, P. C., president, Hydrocarbon Research, Inc., New York, N. Y. Pursglove, Joseph, Jr., vice president of Pittsburgh Consolidation Coal Rubel, A. C., vice president, Union Oil Co. of California, Los Angeles, Schroeder, Dr. W. C., chief, Office of Synthetic Liquid Fuels, Bureau Wing, Commander R. C., United States Navy, Petroleum Board, De- 22334+ Duke, Gordon, Southeastern Oil, Inc., and Affiliates to The Hon. 86 Oberfell, G. G., to Chairman Wolverton, dated March 1, 1948 (tele- 87 Wilson, Robert E., to Chairman Wolverton, dated March 3, 1948- - Estimates and allocations for secondary recovery research under the Circular letter from the Bureau of Federal Supply concerning con- servation of gasoline and the use of "premium" gasoline.. Summary of approximate estimates on production of fuels. Photostat copies of correspondence to Department of Interior: American Trading & Production Corp., Baltimore, Md., March 5, Socony-Vacuum Laboratories, Paulsboro, N. J., March 9, 1948- Southeastern Oil & Affiliates, New York, N. Y., March 2, 1948- 94 Photostat copies of correspondence to Department of Interior-Continued Standard Oil Co. of California, San Francisco, Calif., March 11, 1948-- Standard Oil Co. of Indiana, Chicago, Ill., March 3, 1948- Standard Oil Development Co., New York, N. Y., March 17, 1948_- Stanolind Oil & Gas Co., Tulsa, Okla., March 9, 1948-- The Globe Oil & Refining Co., Chicago, Ill., March 3, 1948- The Texas Co., New York, N. Y., March 9, 1948.. The Texas Producers & Royalties Owners Association, Houston, Tex., The Union Pacific Coal Co., Omaha, Nebr., March 17, 1948- Woodley Petroleum Co., Houston, Tex., March 4, 1948- Photostat copy of letter from Bruce K. Brown, vice president, Standard Oil Co., Chicago, Ill., to W. M. Stratford, the Texas Co., New York, Questionnaires submitted to various witnesses, with answers thereto: Keith, P. C., president, Hydrocarbon Research, Inc....... Murphree, E. V., president, Standard Oil Development Co---- Pursglove, Joseph, Jr., president, Pittsburgh Consolidation Coal Co-- Rubel, A. C., vice president, Union Oil Co. of California.... Schroeder, Dr. W. C., Chief, Office of Synthetic Liquid Fuels, Depart- Committee print of suggested amendments to H. R. 5475, together with copy of letter dated April 2, 1948, from Chairman Wolverton_- SYNTHETIC LIQUID FUELS THURSDAY, MARCH 4, 1948 HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, COMMITTEE ON INTERSTATE AND FOREIGN COMMERCE, Washington, D. C. The committee met, pursuant to call, at 10 a. m., in room 1334, New House Office Building, Hon. Charles A. Wolverton (chairman) presiding. The CHAIRMAN. Gentlemen, the committee will come to order. We have before us this morning the taking of testimony on H. R. 5475, "A bill to aid in preventing shortages of petroleum and petroleum products in the United States by promoting the production of synthetic liquid fuels. (H. R. 5475 is as follows:) [H. R. 5475, 80th Cong., 2d sess.] A BILL To aid in preventing shortages of petroleum and petroleum products in the United States by promoting the production of synthetic liquid fuels Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That it is the policy of the United States, in order to supplement supplies of petroleum and petroleum products produced in the United States and imported from foreign countries, to promote the production of synthetic liquid fuels, and to that end to facilitate the construction and operation by private industry of synthetic liquid fuel plants. SEC. 2. The Reconstruction Finance Corporation is hereby authorized and directed to make, to any person proposing to construct one or more synthetic liquid fuel plants, each with a capacity of not less than ten thousand barrels per day, such advances, upon such terms and conditions, as it deems appropriate to carry out the policy declared in section 1. SEC. 3. If, upon the expiration of one hundred and twenty days from the date of the enactment of this Act, the Reconstruction Finance Corporation finds that no person or persons have contracted to undertake, with or without advances authorized by section 2, to construct one or more each of plant types A, B, or C, as defined in section 4, the Reconstruction Finance Corporation shall proceed immediately to construct one plant of each type the construction of which has not been so contracted for. Each such plant, upon completion of construction, shall be leased for operation by private industry upon such terms and conditions as the Reconstruction Finance Corporation deems appropriate for carrying out the policy declared in section 1. Such plants shall be constructed with the technical advice of the Bureau of Mines of the Department of the Interior. SEC. 4. For the purposes of this Act (a) "Plant type A" means a plant for the hydrogenation of coal, having a capacity of not less than ten thousand barrels of liquid fuels per day. (b) "Plant type B" means a plant for the synthesis of liquid hydrocarbons from gases produced from coal, having a capacity of not less than ten thousand barrels of liquid fuels per day. (c) "Plant type C" means a plant for the production of shale oil from oil shale, having a capacity of not less than ten thousand barrels of liquid fuels per day. SEC. 5. As used in this Act, the term "person" includes an individual, firm, copartnership, corporation, company, or association, and any trustee, receiver, assignee, or personal representative thereof. 1 |