Up Octane

The 450 U.S. plants producing 100-octane gasoline are driving night & day to make 930% more of the high-quality aviation fuel than in 1941.

Last week the Petroleum Administration for War wired them: The all-out air effort in the European, Mediterranean and Central Pacific war theaters had resulted in "most urgent pleas" from U.S. generals for immediate shipments "above and beyond all previous estimates. It will be necessary to ship up to 50% more fuel than previously estimated for consumption in some of the more active theaters in the next two or three months. . . . Please push as hard as you possibly can."

No planes will be grounded for lack of gas. But as of June 1 the three-month reserve usually kept in war theaters had been reduced to a two-month supply. Each theater had burned up about 65,000,000 gallons of 100-octane during May, with even greater consumption due in months to come. But if refiners can produce even a little more than they are making now, PAW is confident that production will somehow exceed the 1944 estimates of 196,000,000 bbl. To help the boost, they will get 400,000 bbl. of butylenese, diverted this week by Rubber Director Col. Bradley Dewey from the rubber progrram to octane manufacture.

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