74 



Several attempts to find coal seams in the outcrops in Oxford 

 and Berkshire were made a century ago, but without result. The 

 West Norfolk deposits, on the other hand, have recently been 

 shown to be highly petroliferous. The results of the investigations 

 made public by Dr. Forbes-Leslie are such as to justify sanguine 

 hopes that a considerable and profitable oil industry might be 

 started on the shores of the Wash, if the great rifficulty of the 

 high proportion of sulphur could first be solved. Analyses of shale 

 obtained in the neighbourhood of King's Lynn gave about 35 per 

 cent, of volatile organic matter and some 14 per cent, of fixed 

 carbon. The yield of oil per ton obtained on a commercial scale 

 was some 40 gallons, though 50 gallons was obtained under labor- 

 atory conditions. In addition a ton of shale yielded sufficient 

 ammonia to form 661bs. of sulphate of ammonia in addition to 

 25,000 cubic feet of dry gas of high calorific and illuminating 

 values. 



The oil obtained had a high specific gravity, of between 0.942 

 and 0.960 and yielded on distillation 3.8 per cent, of its bulk up 

 to 100°C; 5.7 per cent, between 100° and 170°C ; 19.2 per cent, 

 between 170°C and 245°C ; and 39.2 per cent, between 245°C and 

 310°C. There was 0.8 per cent, of water and 31.3 per cent, pitch 

 and tar. It will be seen that the proportions of the low-boiling 

 hydrocarbons, suitable for motor engines, are considerable. The 

 main point of interest in the bulk tests was the extremely low 

 temperature at which the shales gave off most of their oil contents. 



The Norfolk oil is very fluid, running almost like water. It 

 is golden black in colour with a purplish tint with reflected light. 

 The Dorset oil is more viscous and lighter. 



The Kimmeridge coal according to an analysis of Dr. 

 Hoffman, quoted by Mansell-Pleydell in h : s paper, has the follow- 

 ing composition : — 



Coke 43.0 



Mineral Matter 23.5 



Carbon 19.5 

 Oily and Solid Volatile Products 39.0 



Light Oil 2.3 



Heavy Oil 36.7 



Gas, Water, Ammonia, etc. 18.0 



100.0 



According to the. same paper one ton of Blackstone yielded 

 11,300 cubic feet of purified gas of high illuminating value and 

 8171bs. of coke. The volatile matter was about 73 per cent., 

 leaving only 27 per cent, of ash behind. 



The great difficulty so far attending the profitable use of the 

 blackstone is plainly not the lack of bituminous substance but the 

 high proportion of sulphur which is held in a peculiarly intractable 

 state of combination both in the shale and the oil. This sulphur 



