Scottish Shale Industry (Mute)(1930)
Scottish Shale Industry (Mute)(1930)
Record options
- Release Date: 1st January 1930
- Asset ID: 800473
- Synopsis: (Silent Version) This programme explains the history and use of Mineral oil in Scotland and shows life in both rural and urban areas of Scotland. Shots include; see shale taken to crude oil works, discharged into hoppers, railways take shale to resort, becomes hot and gives off vapours of oil and ammonia, waste heaped into slag heaps, high angle view of the works and countryside from top of the heap, crude oil and naphtha run into railway tanks, taken to refinery, made into fertiliser, shots of refinery, crude oil discharged and chemical treatment happens, see pipes, men working with flat caps and shovels.
- Shotlist: 02:08:18 START. Silent, black and white, on film. ‘The Scottish Shale Industry,’ ‘Produced for The Scottish Oil Agency Ltd. by The Topical Press Agency, London.’ Captions describe the mineral oil resource between Edinburgh and Glasgow; shots of urban activity and historical sites about Scotland (Edinburgh Castle, the Scottish National Memorial of the Great War, The Royal Mile, The Forth Bridge, the Glasgow cathedral and university, George Square, the Clyde steamship). 02:10:18 A caption places the rise of the Scottish Oil Industry amongst these scenes, citing the uses of mineral oil; cuts to a car on the road, a zeppelin, tanks driving by and ocean liners, then to a large building; the caption following it states how the paraffin wax produced is used to make candles. We then cut to a lady lighting the candles on a candelabra. 02:10:59 ‘Sulphate of ammonia... aids the growth of field and garden crops.’ Cut to sulphate of ammonia being used. 02:11:07 The discovery of how to manufacture mineral oil from ‘oil-shale,’ is outlined; a still of the discoverer of the process, Dr. Young, and graphic map displaying the areas where the industry is carried on. A brief explanation of what shale is and how it is mined. 02:12:22 Footage of miners using explosives and crowbars to retrieve shale. 02:17:01 The process of refining shale into usable products is outlined (02:17:44 A diagram of the retorts used to reduce shale down to usable fuels) and the waste materials left by the process (02:20:47 A graph summarising the products that can be made using one ton of oil shale, 02:22:34 shot of ‘Motor Spirit’ BP truck). 02:23:12 Footage of paraffin wax being extracted, treated and used to make candles (02:26:24 Transition shots of various products shale can be used to make). 02:26:44 Footage of a miners’ village. 02:28:10 Statistics, accompanied by images, of employment figures by the Scottish Oil Industry and average output per person, per annum in different areas of production. 02:29:59 Visual portraying the companies operating in the Scottish Shale Industry (Broxburn Oil Co. Ltd., Oakbank Oil Co. Ltd., Pumpherston Oil Co. Ltd., Young’s Paraffin Light and Mineral Oil Co. Ltd. and James Ross & Co.(Philpstoun) Ltd.) and a list of products they make from shale ‘Marketed Through Scottish Oils and Shell-Mex Ltd.’ ‘who are also distributors in Scotland for the Anglo-Persian Oil Co. Ltd., B.P. Spirit, etc.’ 02:30:38 ENDS.
- Production Company: None
- Licensing Restrictions: None
- Viewing Restrictions: Public
- Format: BetaSP_Small
- Alternative Language Notes: None