The Stratford Evening Post WITH WHICH IS INCORPORATED THE MGMONT SETTLER WEDNESDAY, MAY 20, 1914. OIL RESOURCES.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXIX, Issue 24, 20 May 1914, Page 4

The Stratford Evening Post WITH WHICH IS INCORPORATED THE MGMONT SETTLER WEDNESDAY, MAY 20, 1914. OIL RESOURCES.

With hope certainly deferred, but nevertheless with hope still, Taranaki looks forward to the day when the oilfields of the province will yet prove a source of wealth and prosperity and it will therefore interest many people to know a little about the British Empire’s oil supply and what eminent men think ot the known resources. According to Dr. F. M. Perkin, there is necessity for careful geological surveys being made in all parts of the Empire. As ho says, requirements are continually increasing, and the competition among nations to obtain oil is also increasing. In time of war,! if oil were declared contraband, Bri-j tain would find herself in a very awkward position unless she had an ample supply in stock. It is, therefore, of the utmost importance that careful geological surveys should be made of all the British Dominions, and when the conditions appear favorable test drills should be made. Alter reviewing the oil produced from coal, peat, and animal and vegetable sources, Dr. Perkin emphasises that, though lacking in mineral oil, the Empire abounded with vast tracts of oil-seed-bearing plants and trees, only a comparatively small portion of which had been exploited. Many localities could hi* used for cultivating oil-seod-bearing plants, and thus decreasing the supply of special classes of oil obtained from other countries. The present production ol the British Empire, the same authority states, might be placed at; India, 1,000,000 tons; Scotland, 275,000 tons; Canada, 02,-, 000 tons; Trinidad, 34,773 tons; New South Wales, 7153 tons ; and ot-hei ( sources 10,000 tons; the total being |

1.359,329, as compared with the world total of 1913 of 50,789,275 tons, a percentage of 2.00. Owing to the everincreasing employment ot oil for fuel the quantity at present produced, though considerable, was hut a drop in the bucket. In the British Overseas Dominions the mineral oil production is strikingly small compared with that obtained from the United States and Russia. A ery little oil. so far, Dr. Perkin points out, has been obtained from New Zealand or Australia, but the shale oil deposits appeared to be increasingly valuable. New South Wales produces about 75,000 tons annually, Victoria nil; Queensland large quantities of natural gas.

South Australia nil. West Australia nil, and New Zealand about 6720 gallons per week. Dr. Perkin remarked that the probable capacity of the Tasmanian fields is about 12,000,000 tons,and that prospecting in Papua had shown many signs of petroleum and natural gas. India had large oil resources in Burma, Eastern Bengal, and Assam, and the total annual output was about 250,000,000 gallons. Trinidad would probably become an important source of oil fuel for the navy. At the end of 1912 ninety wells had been drilled and 250,000 barrels of oil exported. Barbadoes had important oil resources, and the total output up to the end of 1912 was over 1,000,000 gallons. In Africa the prospects were not encouraging, with the exception of Egypt. Prospecting, not very successful, is going on in the Gold Coast Colony, Nigeria, Cape Colony and Natal. The Egyptian Government has entered into an agreement to ensure thorough prospecting of the oilfields in that country. The figures given show that there is great need to find fresh sources of output if the Empire is to supply even a small proportion of her own requirements in oil.