Southern Cross Petroleum Company.

Poverty Bay Standard, Volume IX, Issue 1006, 1 December 1881, Page 2

Southern Cross Petroleum Company.

In its remarks on the progress this Company is making, the Hawkes Bay Herald says : —“ The Southern Cross Petroleum Company, though by far the younger of the two companies which are now seeking for oil in the Poverty Bay district, is showing a business-like spirit in deciding to have a thorough test made of the value of its recently discovered beds of paraffin “ butter ” before procuring the expensive plant required to manufacture it into a marketable commodity. Small parcels of the “butter” have already been reported upon by Mr. Cosmo Newberry, the Victorian Government Analyst, and by Mr. 11. W. MTvor. Their reports have been highly favourable, indicating upwards of 70 per cent, of paraffin and oils out of the crude material, and it has now been decided to have a bulk trial, and as there was no machinery in Melbourne capable of dealing with the material, the company have had plant specially made for the purpose. The experiment will be conducted by Mr. Benies, who has had considerable experience with paraffin, &o. His report on the value of the “ butter,” which it will be remembered we published some time ago, was highly favorable, and ho is quite satis-

fled that the result of the trial now about to be made will fully bear out his report. Mr. J-. id. a practical chemist, and one of the directors of the Southern Cross Company leaves here to-day by the Rotomahana, with a ton of the paraffin material. Mr. Stubbs, who has made petroleum his special study, will superintend the manipulation of the mineral in Melbourne, thus placing the accuracy of the trial beyond a doubt. We anticipate receiving from him a satisfactory report of the result.