SEARCH FOR OIL
ANOTHER BORE IN TARANAKI. ■v, AUCKLAND, Sept. 3." Details of a determined effort to find oil in New Zealand, were given by Mr A. E. Thomas, general manager of Coal Oil (New Zealand), Limited, who arrived at Auckland from Sydney by the Ulimarpa. Mr Thomas emphasised the fact that the striking of oil would be of great importance to Australia and New Zealand, and expressed confidence that the scientific research methods adopted by his firm would lead to the discovery of oil in marketable quantities. “Australia and New Zealand spend approximately £14,000,000 a year in importing oil,” Mr Thomas said. “The development of oilfields is therefore a national concern of vital importance to the two countries.”
The search for oil in New Zealand had been carried out previously on geological reports. However, his company had conducted geophysic research, making what was /tantamount to an X-ray of the earth. The investigations had been carried out over two years, and as a result, boring operations would shortly be commenced at Omnia, near New Plymouth. “Our field geologist and adviser. Dr Leon Bossard, has reported that there is oil in commercial quantities on the Omata field,” Mr Thomas continued. “The oil seems to be concentrated in several independent layers of porous sandstone separated by impervious -mudstone. It is likely that there will be repeated success in the same bore, and this is a point greatly in favour of the prospects of the field.” A boring expert had been brought from America to control the operations, and he would have the service of other expert drillers. The company had biased its conclusions on the latest scientific methods, and was confident of success .
Coal interests in the Paparoa ranges near Westport, were also held by the company, said Mr Thomas. It was estimated that there wore ]o.OlXhfiCO tons of coal in the field. A further field at Mount Arthur, near Dannevirkc, was owned by the company, and its possibilities were at present being investigated.
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Hokitika Guardian, 7 September 1929, Page 7
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332SEARCH FOR OIL Hokitika Guardian, 7 September 1929, Page 7
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