Among the potential sources of manufactured oil during World War II investigated by the governments and industries research groups, coal, natural gas, tar sands, wood waste and oil shales received considerable attention. A few of these were considered promising from the standpoint of early exploitation. In particular, the rich oil shales in eastern Australia offered immediate advantages in the strategic sense. Australia, being an important base for Allied military and naval operations served as an oil supply depot for Pacific operations to which oil was being shipped by tanker from the US.