This report is a summary of information collected between November, 1948 and July, 1949 in the course of visits to the United Kingdom and the United States. The main subjects investigated were the complete gasification of coal, particularly in respect of its application to Victorian brown coal, the production of oil by synthesis and the production and refining of shale oil. Information was sought on a considerable number of other interests in the field of fuel technology as the opportunity offered. The authorities consulted were invariably experts in their respective fields, and great care was taken to record their information accurately. The report is a summary of recent developments and not an exhaustive study of the subjects mentioned. A considerable mass of detail has been excluded but is available on record for further reference.