Air Force To Test Tulsa Firm's Coal-Based Jet Fuel

A Tulsa company contributes to a landmark flight. Tuesday, a US Air Force B-52 bomber took to the skies for the first time ever using synthetic fuel. <br/><br/>Syntroleum spent the past five years developing

Tuesday, September 19th 2006, 10:58 am

By: News On 6

A Tulsa company contributes to a landmark flight. Tuesday, a US Air Force B-52 bomber took to the skies for the first time ever using synthetic fuel.

Syntroleum spent the past five years developing the synthetic fuel for the military. It is a 50-50 blend of crude oil and natural gas. It is colorless, odorless, and Syntroleum says if mass produced, the fuel would be much cheaper than crude.

The company also claims that the fuel doesn't require any new technology because it works in normal engines. Larry Weick with Syntroleum: "its brining clean fuel to conventional engines that can burn this fuel without any changes whatsoever, except it doesn't make smoke."

Tuesday's tests mark the beginning of the US military's commitment to wean itself off of foreign oil over the next ten years.

It currently costs $100,000 to fill up a B-52.