SEARCH FOR OIL.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLVIII, Issue 3706, 20 October 1927, Page 4

SEARCH FOR OIL.

EXPEDITION TO PAPUA. THREE YEARS’ OPERATIONS. LONDON, Oct. 5. “They are as full of grit as an egg of meat; and have as much brains as are good - for anybody,” declared Sir Arnold Wilson, presiding at the farewell luncheon of the Royal Colonial Institute to the party of experts, who are leaving by the Orama at the request of the Commonwealth Government, for a three years’ search of Papua to decide conclusively whether or not there is oil in the territory. The party consists of Dr Richardson, who will act as leader, Mr William Gray and Dr Simon Papp, with Messrs' Mackenzie and Harland, as surveyors, and also Mr C. R. Clark who will see that the best results are achieved from boring. ' All have had world-wide experience, notably Dr Richardson, who has had extensive experience in Persia, Venezuela and Trinidad. Paying a tribute to the Commonwealth’s foresight in arranging the exploration, Sir Arnold Wilson said that it was the only way to achieve definite results as a private company could not attempt anything on the same scale. Dr Richardson said that he was of the opinion that Australia’s previous spade work would enable the party to do a good job, and say “Yea or nay” in regard to the presence of oil. Other speakers emphasisesd the difficulty of penetrating the unstable stratum of “heaving mudstone,” which had frustrated many previous borings in Papua and elsewhere, but they were sending a most experienced' team to try and thwart the obstacle.

The Australian High Commissioner (Sir Granville Ryrie), in responding to the toast of “Australia,” said that the next best thing to finding oil in Australia was to get it in Papua.