OIL STORAGE• capacities of the ocean storages of a country controls the quantity of oil consumed within it, though it does not indicate consumption, reserve supplies having to be kept in hand to avoid a shortage and to regulate prices.
The storage capacity available at the various centres in this country is given in the following table. Necessar ily these figures must be approximate, but they represent fairly accurately the enormous storage existing, and indicate, indirectly, the vast requirements of the country of an imported product— In connection with the ocean storage of the London district about three-fourths of this is owned by the great establishment of the London and Thames Haven Oil Wharves, Limited. The system of unloading and distributing the oil to the various tanks adopted by this company is interesting, because of its simplicity and efficiency. The system has been termed the " telephone method," and consists of a series of " ex changes " equipped with pumps which direct the oil to the tank or group of tanks required. Briefly, this is effected by the installation of a main " exchange " ashore, which draws the oil from the tanker and transmits it to the pumping exchange connected by means of a pipe-line with the group of tanks which it is desired to fill. Each tank in the group has its own separate pipe which can be connected up with the pump inde pendently of the others. When this tank has received its quantum of oil, the pipe is disconnected and linked up with another, and so on. All exchanges are connected consecutively, so that to load up the tanks in a distant part of the storage installation, the oil is passed through the necessary pumping " exchanges " until it reaches the " exchange " controlling the group of tanks which it is desired to fill.
Before and during the war the south coast, apart from London, had to rely on oil storage capacity of under 6,000,000 gallons, compared with Manchester having storage for 40,000,000 gallons, and Hull for 20,000,000 gallons. The Port of Bristol had a storage
capacity of 29,000,000 gallons, or of 100,000 tons, which was unequal to the great and increasing demands made upon it. This port increased its tank storages from 21,190 tons in 1882 to close on 207,000 tons in 1919. The new scheme which is, however, being developed at this port not only will ease matters at the present time, but will allow for expansion for several years to come. The total area covered and definitely let for the purpose of new installations at the Royal Edward, Avonmouth and Portishead docks, is over 50 acres, distributed among five important petroleum distributing companies. The Shell Marketing Company installation is situated at the Portishead dock, the Anglo American and the British Petroleum Companies occupy sites in the Avonmouth ddck, and the Anglo-Mexican Petroleum Company at the Royal Edward dock. In addition to these, the British Mexican Petroleum Company has engaged a site at the same dock. The Avonmouth dock is 2,180 ft. long, and 500 ft. in width, and has a depth of water on its sill of 38 ft. on mean spring tides, and 28 ft. on mean neap tides. The dock covers an area of 19 acres, and has a wharfage of over 1,600 yards. The Royal Edward dock has a length of 1,120 ft. and a width of 1,000 ft., covering an area of 30 acres, and having a wharfage of 3,730 ft. It has a depth of water of 46 ft. on mean spring tides, and 36 ft. on mean neap tides. This dock is connected with the Avonmouth by a cutting of 525 ft. long and 85 ft. wide. Portishead dock is 1,800 ft. long and 300 ft. wide, and has a length of wharfage of 943 yards. It is possible for vessels to enter this dock in any weather from the deep fairway of the Channel without the assistance of tugs. The Royal Edward dock has a length of 875 ft. and an entrance width of 100 ft., and the facilities of this dock are shown by the fact that one of the largest oil tankers was brought in for repairs and overhauled.