United States Patent: 4041095
This will be a quite lengthy dispatch. But, we believe the length to be warranted, especially since it could have been much, much longer.
Starting with the first link, above, we enclose a series of seven, sequentially-issued United States Patents, all awarded to the Mobil Oil Corporation, for advances in the technology of converting our abundant domestic Coal into the liquid transportation fuels we need.
And, a point we think to be important: Coal is not often mentioned in most of these documents, and we submit the first of our selections because it does, uncharacteristically, clearly spell out what the subject is all about, as in this understated passage, excerpted separately from the above-linked patent, we present as a foreword:
"It is considered desirable to effectively and more efficiently convert ... coal ... to highly valued hydrocarbons such as motor gasoline with high octane number, petrochemical feedstocks, liquefiable petroleum fuel gas, and aromatic hydrocarbons."
So, we start with what is, actually, not the first Coal-to-Liquid technology in Mobil Oil's portfolio, with comment interspersed and concluding:
"United States Patent 4,041, 095 - Method for Upgrading ... Product of Fischer-Tropsch Synthesis
Date: August 9, 1977; Inventor: James Kuo; Assignee: Mobil Oil Corporation
Abstract: A combination process is provided which upgrades ... product of Fischer-Tropsch Synthesis to form gasoline product of improved octane rating ... ."
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We are making only the briefest of excerpts to maintain a manageable length in this dispatch. We presume our readers know that "Fischer-Tropsch Synthesis" is, for all intents, synonymous with "Coal Conversion"; and, that those readers truly interested will follow up via the links for more information and fuller understanding.
In any case, the above patent issuance was nearly concurrent with another, similar but more specific, as in:
United States Patent: 4044064
"United States Patent 4,044,064 - Conversion of Fischer-Tropsch Product to High-Quality Jet Fuel
Date: August 23, 1977; Inventor: Donald Milstein; Assignee: Mobil Oil Corporation
Abstract: Upgrading a fraction of a heavy Fischer-Tropsch oil to jet fuel ... . "
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Then, only a few months later, Mobil was awarded:
United States Patent: 4052477
"United States Patent 4,052,477 - Method for Upgrading and Fischer-Tropsch Light Oil
Date: October 4, 1977; Inventor: Henry Ireland; Assignee: Mobil Oil Corporation
Abstract: The product of Fischer-Tropsch Synthesis is ... hydrogenated ... to obtain gasoline of a higher octane rating."
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Following that achievement, early in the following year, our US Government acknowledged even more of Mobil's CoalTL expertise via issuance of:
United States Patent: 4080397
"United States Patent 4,080,397 - Method for Upgrading Synthetic Oils
Date: March 21, 1978; Inventor: Walter Derr; Assignee: Mobil Oil Corporation
Abstract: Upgrading ... product of Fischer-Tropsch Synthesis (to) LPG, gasoline, jet fuel, light and heavy oil fractions."
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Mobil continued their efforts, of course, and following are more examples of their Government-verified achievements in Coal Liquefaction technology, as in:
United States Patent: 4207248
"United States Patent 4,207,248 - Conversion of Synthesis Gas
Date: June 10, 1980; Inventor: Stephen Butter; Assignee: Mobil Oil Corporation
Abstract: A method ... for the conversion of synthesis gas to a liquid hydrocarbon ... being a predominantly olefinic product."
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And, yes, we can, among other things, make gasoline from olefins. But, moving ahead to the following year, we find that Mobil improved their synthesis gas-based indirect Coal conversion technology, as in:
United States Patent: 4279830
"United States Patent 4,279,830 - Conversion of Synthesis Gas ... Utilizing Dual Reactors
Date: July 21, 1981; Inventor: Werner Haag; Assignee: Mobil Oil Corporation
Abstract: The ... product of Fischer-Tropsch synthesis is converted to premium gasoline and distillate fuels ... ."
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Again, keep always in mind the fact that "Fischer-Tropsch" can be taken as synonymous with Coal-to-Liquid Conversion. Mobil did, as yet another US Patent attests:
United States Patent: 4471145
"United States Patent 4,471,145 - Syngas Conversion to Liquid Hydrocarbons Utilizing Zeolite
Date: September 11, 1984; Inventor: Yung-Feng Chu; Assignee: Mobil Oil Corporation
Abstract: The liquid carrier in a Fischer-Tropsch synthesis slurry ... is (reacted) in the presence of suitable catalysts. Zeolite Beta is the novel constituent of the catalyst system."
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We included the final patent as it was the first we found which mentioned, in it's title, use of the Zeolite catalyst; which, as we have, and as we will further, document, is at the heart of ExxonMobil's "MTG"(r), methanol-to-gasoline, technology, wherein the Methanol is posited to be made from Coal.
These seven United States Patents, for developments in Coal-to-Liquid hydrocarbon conversion technology, are only some of those actually issued to Mobil and, by extension, to ExxonMobil.
We insist that they are yet more incontrovertible testament to the fact that Coal Liquefaction science is, in certain, occult, circles, both highly-advanced and well-understood. We could, as these inventions demonstrate, be making the liquid hydrocarbon fuels we need from our abundant domestic Coal.
We could, as herein, have been doing so for more than a quarter of a century, and thus avoided the huge financial costs to our US economy of importing OPEC oil; thus been spared the grievous human costs of, since then, fighting OPEC wars; and, thus, not suffered horrifying terrorism, perhaps indirectly and inadvertently, financed by OPEC oil money.
We note that the so far unnoted and unheralded Coal liquefaction Patent 4471145 was issued on another, earlier, September 11.
