Annual fuel reviews, 1990

It was characteristic that the price of petroleum in the world showed considerably dizzy change in 1990. Namely, in the first half, it showed lowering trend, and after the Kuwait invasion by Iraq, the rapid rise of price and violent fluctuations. The stockpile of oil at the end of 1990 became the high level after the lapse of eight years. The price of energy imported into Japan generally rose. The real rate of economical growth in Japan in 1990 recorded the high value of 5.6 %, but the trend of slowdown became remarkable from the autumn. The demand of petroleum products, electric power, town gas and coal all increased in 1990. The trend of global environment problems and the present condition of Japanese environment are reported. The trend of the basic and development researches for coal, and the trend of coal mining and coal industries are described. The trend of the basic and development researches for petroleum, the trend of oil mining, oil refining and petrochemical industries and the trend of lubricating oil are reported. Oil sand and oil shale, gas industry, combustion and heat management, boilers, industrial furnaces, internal combustion engines and others, and the utilization of atomic energy and natural energy are described. (K.I.) 2193 refs. 32 figs. 125 tabs