Pauley Files

No. 1321
The Chief of Staff of the United States Delegation to the Allied Commission on Reparations ( Parten ) to the Representative on the Allied Commission on Reparations ( Pauley )1

Statistical Summary on Petroleum Supply and Demand in Continental Europe for the Last Half of the Year 1945, and for the Year 1946

Memorandum for Ambassador Pauley

One: From the best available information, there is in Europe and USSR an indigenous supply of 773,000 barrels per day against estimated requirements of 703,000 barrels per day. This indicates a surplus of 70,000 barrels per day.
Two: It also appears that the surplus balance of Rumania, Hungary, and Austria is 70,000 barrels per day, which would indicate that the Soviet Union is in balance from a standpoint of oil supply versus requirements. This surplus is distributed as follows:
Austria 19,000 barrels per day
Hungary 19,000
Rumania 32,000
Total 70,000
[Page 1384]
Three: Oil from these countries is accessible to Constanta on the Black Sea and Danube River ports farther west by connecting pipelines. These oils, if made available, can therefore be transported to Western Europe by way of the Danube River or to Mediterranean Europe by sea.
Four: We have estimated at least 50,000 barrels of this oil can be made available for Western and Mediterranean Europe, which, in turn, would lessen the necessary shipments from Anglo-American sources to this area by this amount and will result in a substantial saving in tank ship carrying capacity so vitally needed in prosecuting the Japanese War. This would result specifically in a saving depending upon the point of origin by quantity of from 30 to 40 Type B tank ships of 12,000 dead weight tons.
Five: This surplus oil could be delivered with advantage either as crude oil or refined products because there is presently a surplus refining capacity in this area. (Refer to Annex I).
Six: The tentative request of USSR for oil product supplies of 16,700 barrels per day over the last half of 1945 should be used to enlist Soviet support of our request for supplies from Eastern Europe. (See Annex I).
[Annex I]
top secret

(a) Approximate Producing Capacity, Rumania, Austria, Hungary

Rumania Austria Hungary Total
Production Capacity Barrels per day 87,000 21,000 20,000 128,000
Refining Capacity Barrels per day 195,000* 10,000 16,000 221,000

(b) Tentative Request for Oil Supplies from U. S. to Russia Last Six Months, 1945.

Alkylate 7,900 B/D
100 Octane Av. Gas. 3,500 “
Motor Gasoline 1,300 “
Navy Special Fuel Oil 3,300 “
Lube Oils 700 “
Total 16,700 B/D
  1. Printed from an unsigned carbon copy.
  2. Prewar Capacity: Now operable capacity estimated well above 100,000 barrels per day. [Footnote in the original.]