SEARCH FOR OIL.
PROSPECTS AT ROMA. Recent developments on the Roma oil field have convinced the Australian geological adviser, Dr, Woolnough, that the Search for payable oil in Queensland has entered a new phase, in a recent report he states that, in his opinion, the question is not now whether, but when and where, oil will be discovered.
Dr. Woolnough reports that investigations at Roma had shown that, the reported discovery of oil in the Roma Oil Corporation No. 1 bore was genuine and of great importance. It did not necessarily follow, however, that the long-awaited discovery of petroleum in commercially important quantities was an accomplished fact. The borehole had brought to' light a very large supplv of petroliferous natural gas, each 100 cubic feet of Which contained 1.2 pints of petrol, and the further great discovery of liquid natural oil had been made. This was the first occasion in the history of Australia on which such material had been brought' to light in quantities and of a quality adequate to inspire confidence in the ' futiiic of the search for crude oil. i The end of that search was, in Dr.J Woolnough’s opinion,- not even now- in sight. The product of the Roma bore was what was technically termed a filtered oil, and was far removed in every respect from the ( ‘crude oil” which was being sought. Refined oils were known in several of the oilfields of the world, but, in most cases, they were to be regarded as of interest rather .than of importance commercially. The true significance of the Roma discovery lay in the fact that there now was evidence of the formation on a very large scale of natural petroleums in that par± of Queensland. Dr. Woolnough says that extended search must, be carried out ui Central Queensland for structures Geological]*’" favourable to the occurrence of oil. The recognition of such Structures was not work for the layman, still less for the so-called “oil expert” who claimed that, as a result of travels in distant lands, lie could recognise oil country at a glance. Oil country had-no well-de-fined and conspicuous characters by • which dt could be recognised in this way. What were required were men well grounded in the details of the local geology, rather than men with detailed knowledge of distant oilfields.
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Shannon News, 6 January 1928, Page 3
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386SEARCH FOR OIL. Shannon News, 6 January 1928, Page 3
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