SEARCH FOR OIL.

Hokitika Guardian, 3 September 1925, Page 4

SEARCH FOR OIL.

A i'STRA 1.1 \N MK l'imDS. SYDNEY. Ann. 21. For liver six xesir- I lie Common wealth (loveniim lit tills tillered ;i re V. uni (>! £-'»(J.Ot'«) l» l lie 11l s! | vI'MH er company <ii-i nveriug a mintin' r< ini l\ profitable oillieltl in Australia. .Slid a field was never discovered, and tin reward is still in tlu< Treasury. Tin reward method <d encouraging oil prospecting lias always had its opponents, and acting oil the advice ol Mr Arthur Wade, the expert- engagid hv the (dnnionwealth to examine the possibilities of finding oil, the Governuinent has de/ided to withdraw it-, olfer of reward, and to authorise the expenditure of a similar sum to subsidise boring in three States on a £ for £ basis. I'll New Soutli Wales, the Federal Government is prepared to .subsidise boring, either by the State Government or a private company, on a site known as Belford Dome, in the Hunter River to the extent of £22.0C0. ()i a similar basis, the Ministry will spend a similar sum in Western- Australia. the site of the bores to he in the Kitzrov area, and in the vicinity known as Price’s Crock. Regarding . Queensland, the Ministry is prepared to join the State on a £ for £ basis up to £oOOO from the Commonwealth | to enable a thorough and detailed geological survey to he made of the area in the virility of T.ongrcaeh, Black all. end Rutliven StTKXTIFTC WORK NEEDED. Dr Wade discarded the other three States—Victoria, Tasmania and South Australia—as oil-producers. Consetjt.ently tlie Government, acting on this advice, lias decided that it would not 1)0 justified in incurring expenditure in these areas. dust as this decision was Iwing announced, Dr Wade was at Perth, on his way to England. In an interview lie said : “I give some hope of finding oil in the Kimberley district. and there is hope, especially for natural gas. in Queensland. There may be just a chance that there is some gas to be found in parts of Now South A\ ale«. but this will require some further detailed work." Dr Wade criticised prospecting methods. He said that although lie admired many of the prospectors with whom ho had come if touch, they did not know enough about the iob in hand. "The difficulty." he declared, “is to put oilfield conditions in the mind of a man who ha< never seen and studied an oilfield. The result of lack of training is that, a lot of time is wasted, and money, too, to some extent. What is j wanted is more detailed geological j snrvev work." I