Petroleum

by Albert Lidgett

When normal conditions return to Russia and the petroleum industry rights itself, Russian petroleum products will again come on the international markets, and in this respect the Grozny oil will be able to secure an outlet via Novorossisk.

Roumania can also boast of a main trunk pipe-line for refined products from the inland refineries direct to the port of Constantza. This important project, which has been carried out practically by the Government itself, was just about ready for service when the European War broke out: it has, therefore, had little time in which to display its practical use to the petroleum industry at large. When one recollects that Roumania’s future, so far as the petroleum industry is concerned, lies in the direction of the building up of its already established export trade in petroleum products, the necessity for such a trunk pipe-line to the seaboard has been obvious for many years. Unlike the case of the United States, there are no interesting events to recall which delayed the advent of this new form of land oil transportation. There is only one oil pipe-line of any considerable length in the United Kingdom and this runs across Scotland from Old Kilpatrick (on the west) to Grangemouth (on the east coast), its terminal being in close proximity to the naval base at Rosyth. The line, which is 36 miles long, was laid to circumvent the activity of enemy submarines, but was only completed in November, 1918, after the conclusion of the European hostilities.

The one other important oil-pipe-line which calls for mention is that connecting the oil-fields of Persia with the coast. In this scheme, the British Government is heavily interested, and, though there has been much criticism of its action, there is no doubt that, in due time, the Persian fields will play an important part in the supply of petroleum products to England, and, in that connection, the Persian pipe-line must naturally prominently figure, since, without it, there would be numerous difficulties to be contended with in getting the oil to the coast.

The carrying of large quantities of petroleum products over the seas of the world is a subject which has taxed the minds of experts quite as much as that of land transport. For many years it was the rule to ship petroleum products overseas in the ordinary barrels (approximately, 42 gallons each) to the consuming countries. It was a costly business, for, apart from the initial cost of the barrels themselves, they took up a very considerable space on the vessels, which was not proportionate with the quantity of oils carried. Leakage also played a very important rôle in this ocean transport, and, generally, the principle left much to be desired. The Atlantic was doubtless the first vessel designed to carry petroleum in bulk from America, but records show that some years previously—in 1863—a Mr. Henry Duncan, of Kent, sent the first oil-carrying vessel to Europe. The vessel, however, never completed her voyage, for she was lost in the Gulf of St. Lawrence, just as she was starting on her trip across the Atlantic. The Charles—quite a small vessel—also played a part in the early days of bulk oil transport across the Atlantic, for this steamer was, I believe, the first to employ iron tanks for the bulk transport of petroleum. After these first few attempts to convey petroleum in bulk from continent to continent, tank vessels steadily wiped the barrel-carrying boats off the seas. It was found that not only did oils carried in bulk take up but one-half the space of those in barrels, but the cost of the oak-staved barrels themselves (usually 5s. each) was obviated. At first, sailing ships were adopted to meet the newer requirements, but later, vessels propelled by steam were introduced.

At first the shipbuilders had nothing to guide them in the shape of practical experience of bulk oil carriers, but, from small things, a great ocean trade in bulk petroleum products soon grew. It is interesting to note the enterprise which English shipbuilders displayed in this new method of handling petroleum for ocean transport, for during at least two decades the vast bulk of construction of oil carriers took place in English shipbuilding yards. The opening of the Far Eastern fields of production led to the construction of a large number of oil tankers—each of increasing size—for Messrs. M. Samuel and Company, and these were named after various shells. The fleet of “Shell” tankers to-day ranks as one of the finest in the world, and forms the connecting link between the prolific oil-producing properties of the “Shell” Transport and Trading Company, Ltd., in the Far East, and the demand for petroleum products in this and other countries, the vessels themselves being owned by the Anglo-Saxon Petroleum Company, Ltd., one of the influential owning interests in the wide ramifications of the “Shell” Company.

For several years the oil tanker Narragansett, owned by the Anglo-American Oil Company, Ltd. (London), held claim to being the largest bulk oil carrier in the world, for the good ship had a capacity of nearly 11,000 tons of products. The size of this vessel may be judged from the fact that she had a length between perpendiculars of over 510 feet, with a 63 feet beam, while her moulded depth was 42 feet. This vessel, which marked a distinct step forward in oil tanker construction, belonged to Lloyd’s A1 three-deck class. The Anglo-American Oil Company has shown its belief in oil fuel for ocean power purposes by contracting for internal combustion-engined tankers, and the first of this class was launched in November, 1919.

ONE OF THE MAMMOTH TANKERS OF THE EAGLE OIL COMPANY’S FLEET

It was left to the enterprise of the Eagle Oil Transport Company—that important concern associated with Lord Cowdray’s immense oil organization for handling Mexican petroleum products—to make what will ever go down as the most bold policy of increasing the size of oil tankers by 50 per cent. upon all predecessors. Some six years ago, just when the Mexican fields were commencing to pour forth their flood of oil for the world’s requirements, the Eagle Oil Transport Company included in its programme of activities the building of an immense fleet of oil tankers, and it was decided that a number of these should each have a capacity of 15,000 tons of petroleum products. There were many who asserted that the limit to the size of oil tankers had been reached, but, undaunted, the Company went forth with their policy. It was a bold stroke, yet a successful one, for not only have the vessels proved to be very practical, but they have taught a lesson in economy of ocean transport which has been seriously taken to heart by practically all engaged in ocean oil transport.

I had the honour of being one of the invited guests at the launch of the first of these gigantic oil carriers, and of subsequently experiencing a trip in the mammoth floating “tank.” The vessel behaved admirably at sea, and in a chat with the designer, I recollect asking if there were any reason to believe that the limit in size had been reached. The reply was pointed: “So long as we can have loading and discharging berths large enough to enable such large vessels to be manipulated, we can easily go beyond the present size.” Events have proved that the policy adopted by the Eagle Oil Transport Company was justifiable, for already a new oil tanker, the San Florentino, has been built, having a capacity of over 18,000 tons.