"Good Mineral Prospects” Found In Fiordland

Press, Volume C, Issue 29510, 11 May 1961, Page 17

"Good Mineral Prospects” Found In Fiordland

(New Zealand -Press Association)

DUNEDIN, May 10. Some possible “good mineral prospects” have been found during the New Zealand Geological Survey’s mapping project in Fiordland, including massive sulphide occurrences.

This news was given to the survey's conference, being held at Te Anau, by the survey's director, Mr R W. Willett, today.

The conference, attended by about 90 geologists, drawn from the survey, the Geological Society, and the universities, made an excursion from Te Anau to Milford Sound on Tuesday. Other field trips in the area will follow later this week.

The mapping work done by Messrs I. G. Spedem and J. B. Waterhouse, of Wellington. has shown high-grade oermiam limestone in the Mataura Island area of Southland. This limestone could be "useful,” said Mr Willett.

Mr J. Rogers, a geological

survey geo-chemist working at Otago University, described experiments subjecting a lignite coal from Waimatua (Southland) to pressures of 1000 atmospheres, and temperatures from 100 to 400 degrees, and showed that its calorific value had increased. This shed light on the mechanisms which probably produce variations in the quality of New Zealand coal

Mr Willett, in officially opening the conference today. congratulated Mr B. L. Wood, district geologist at Dunedin, and other young geologists who had given much time in the last 10 to 15 years in the mapping of Fiordland.

New four-mile geological maps covering the whole of New Zealand were proceeding well, Mr Willett said. The Te Anau area map was due before the end of the year, and all 28 maps should be ready by 1964. '