Water gas is a mixture of carbon monoxide and hydrogen produced from synthesis gas. Synthesis gas is a useful product, but requires careful handling due to its flammability and the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning. The water-gas shift reaction can be used to reduce the carbon monoxide while producing additional hydrogen, resulting in water gas.
Synthesis gas is made by passing steam over a red-hot carbon fuel such as coke:
$${\displaystyle {\ {{H_2O}+C\rightarrow {H_2}+CO; \quad \quad (\Delta {\mathit {H}}=+131kJ/mol)}}}$$
The reaction is endothermic, so the fuel must be continually re-heated to keep the reaction going. In order to do this, an air stream, which alternates with the vapor stream, is introduced for the combustion of carbon to take place.
$${\displaystyle { {O_2{}+C\rightarrow CO_2\quad \quad \ (\Delta {\mathit {H}}=-393kJ/mol)}}}$$
Theoretically, to make 6 L of water gas, 5 L of air is required.
Or, alternatively, to prevent contamination with nitrogen, energy can be provided by using pure oxygen to burn carbon into carbon monoxide.
$${\displaystyle { {O_2{}+2C \rightarrow2CO\quad \quad \ (\Delta {\mathit {H}}=-221kJ/mol)}}}$$
In this case 1 L of oxygen will create 5.3 L of pure water gas.
Hence, the correct option is $$\text{B}$$