OREPUKI SHALE

Hokitika Guardian, 12 May 1930, Page 3

OREPUKI SHALE

MINE. MAY.BE OPENED

• ' i' l !'■' 1 >■ SYNDICATE ACQUIRES, OPTION,.

INVERCARGILL, May 9

More than a quarter of a century ago the .rich shale deposit at Orepuki was leased by the New Zealand Coal and Oil Company, proprietors of the Kaitangata coal mines, and a plant costing about £125,003 was erected, a mime opened, and operations commenced. This venture .various reasons. seemed doomed failurq.. Ity tlio fii-sij plape "tue ._ njiiuo vvas, opened up on the edge. ,of, 0] e i c^?°i S * tl ’ proved brolcen and difficglE to worlf. Then; ’ the retprtsj originally designed to treat' Sjc : ottisfi. slialcs, proved uti-, suitaibio for ; the, wo':;k of. treating Qre : puki, .with its high oil content. Whei) these . difficulties; were being experienced .the death-blow,>vas dpalt, b.v the removal of the Government . snU-. sidy on, locally-produced oils,, . while; the duty .was., removed ..from, imported oils, so Orepuki shut down, alter about two years.. It. has remained closed ever since, but the plant has been maintained over, tty* .long, years., .at a big-'expense, in perfect order.

Now. an attempt is .to be made to reopen the Orepuki shale works by a. syndicate of Chris,tci!in , ch.,and / Invdr,-, -cargjll business- men. Mr, William Anderson,; of; -.Christeliurph, wao, ; ,.. with t’M.r A. 11. Maick-rpll, . of Invercargill), dis. a prime mover Jii._t.be..project, visit-. ;|d Australialast, year, to. miak,e inSrasttoatioiis. He found that Anstia;lia was already Jili.ve to;the possihilit:’bf recovering-oil fr.olll shale,, and, a)l ■tithe known rle'posits were Jiqi ng. tested, i'-rith a view to- their; ultimate,- .-develop-, itrient. New. Zealand spends .£4T86y300. dahmially, and Australia pyer £13,G00,- : 000 annually, on, imported oils and petrol. -The-. Australian Government has already interested itself by passing legislation to enable them to assist- and subsidise oil production, in Australia. The New Zealand Government is keenly alive to the great advantages of such a development, and the Hon. W. A. Veitch, Minister for Mines, who visited Orepuki recently on behalf of the Government, expressed his keen interest and sympathy in the Orepuki shale development. He stated : “While . here- in New.. Zealand our great- problem is unemployment,, fat Orepuki we can give employment of the right kind.” ;/• :Following the. investigations made Tin Australia by Mr Anderson, pnd the .data gathered concerning the conversion of oil from shale into marketable -products, thor.:.ayirdipate deferred to immediately secured an option for 12 months to. purchase the Orepuki shale works. -So • satisfied is the syndicate, with-the prospects,, of successfully vploping the Orepuki shale.: deposits •that it has taken a further-step,, and is extending the capital of the syndicate t" complete the purchase of tlm plant, and to raise the necessary capital for the major operations.