The lengths to which our government has gone to hide, obfuscate and confuse the subject, and the truth, of coal-to-liquid conversion technology would be amusing, if the matter weren't so critical to the security of the United States, and to the prosperity of US Coal Country.
Two links and two excerpts are enclosed. We'll insert and append some explanatory notes, though they shouldn't really be needed. The implications, we think, are rather obvious.
First, an excerpt from the above link:
"Title: Effects of Solvent Characteristics on Wyodak Coal Liquefaction. Annual techhnical progress report.
Author: Silver, H.F.; Hurtubise, R.J
Publication Date: May 15, 1978
Research Organization: Wyoming University, Laramie, Wyoming
Abstract:
Wyodak coal liquefaction runs have been completed using nine different solvents derived from Wyodak coal recycle solvent from the Wilsonville, Alabama SRC plant. Results suggest that the effectiveness of the solvents studied tends to improve as the boiling range of the solvent increases. Further, mildly hydrogenated Wyodak solvents appear to be more effective than either unhydrogenated or severely hydrogenated solvent. In addition, 13 additional solvents have been prepared from a Kentucky coal-derived recycle solvent produced at the SRC plant in Tacoma, Washington; from Pittsburgh Seam coal-derived anthracene oils from the Clairton works of U.S. Steel; and from Hanna coal-derived in situ coal gasification tars produced at Hanna, Wyoming. Coal liquefaction runs have been initiated using these solvents. Open column and high-performance liquid chromatography have been used to separate monophenols from recycle solvents. Fluorescence spectroscopy has been employed for identification and characterization of the monophenols. Nitrogen type analysis shows that nitrogen compounds in coal-derived liquids contain a high percentage of quinoline types which may be difficult to remove."
Note several things:
They shipped Alabama coal liquids, nine of them, made at the Wilsonville, AL, conversion plant, about which we have earlier reported, all the way to Laramie, Wyoming, for further development work.
They transported coal from Kentucky for liquefaction at the Tacoma, WA, coal conversion plant, about which we have also previously reported.
They then shipped the Kentucky coal liquids from that Washington plant to Wyoming for additional fiddling around with.
And, as we have documented from other sources, well-known coal-derived oils, such as "anthracene", can serve as synergistic hydrogenating solvents in coal liquefaction processes. Wyoming got some of that, as well: From the coking ovens of a steel mill in Pittsburgh, PA.
Immediately following the above Annual Report, a quarterly Technical Progress Report was issued, as follows:
"Title: Effects of Solvent Characteristics on Wyodak Coal Liquefaction. Quarterly Technical Progress Report; May, 1978 -- July, 1978
Author: Silver, H.F.; Hurtubise, R.J.
Publication Date: August 15, 1978
DOE Contract Number: EX-76-S-01-2367; Report Number: FE-2367-10
Research Organization: Wyoming University, Laramie, Wyoming
Abstract:
Efforts have been directed primarily to utilizing additional distillable solvents for coal liquefaction studies. Work on the identification of hydroaromatics, polycylic aromatics and alkylphenols has been continued."
And, that seems to be it. Coal and coal liquids shipped from, quite literally, all over the nation for further processing and study at the University of Wyoming got distilled into a two-line Abstract that provides no conclusions and, as far as we've so far been able to determine, goes nowhere.
The pattern, and the timing, is fairly consistent with all of the other USDOE-sponsored coal liquefaction development projects about which we have so far reported, and there were, obviously, quite a few of them.