NEW ZEALAND OILFIELDS

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIII, Issue 240, 16 February 1911, Page 4

NEW ZEALAND OILFIELDS

INTERVIEW WITH AN EXPERT. Says Wednesday's Wellington Dominion:— ' Mr. J. D. Henry, the well-known Xoudoa petroleum authority, who Jias done so much to forward the interests of th» oil indu>trv in the British Empire, a* rived in Wellington on Tuesday, on lib way from the kahiku oilfield, <!is!mrne. Speaking on the subject of the New Zealand oil'industry, he mentioned that one of the most interesting facts connected willi his visit was tne'keen interest displayed in the industry by Ills Excellencv the Governor. Lord Islingum, sajd Mr. Henry, has a knowledge of what has been done in the oil-producing island of Trinidad, and he is taking a special interest ia the developments here, but more particularly in the Taranaki Held. which he visited quite recently, and in respect of which he has written a letter of encouragement, "sir Joseph Ward, your Prime Minister, and the Hon. R. MoKenzie, your Minister for Minos," added Mr. Henry, "have also interested themselves in the industry, and what.has been said by ttieni uas created renewed interest in the possibilities of development."

Asked what he thought of New Zealand as an oil-producing country, M/. Henry said: "I am prepared to say this: that the must promising centres of production at Xew Plymouth, Kotuku (near, Groymouth), and tiisbbrnc, are hettar than those interested in oil in 1-iondoit believe them to be. They are so good, in fact, from an indication point of view, that they ought to be developed with ample capital, the best skilled labor obtainable, and modem plant." On the question of the introduction of British capital, Mr. Henry holds the opinion that this is not only essential, but without doubt the only effective way of developing the fields, especially at ft time when there is so much activity in the many oilfields that are attracting attention in other parts of the Empire. in reply to particular questions in regard to the Taranaki oilfields, to which he has devoted special attention, Mr. Henry limited himself to this remark, that, geographically speaking, this tield is much larger than the Taranaki oil men believe it to he. "I believe there will be a considerable inland expansion of the territory,'' he added.

Today .Mr. Henry called upon the Minister for Mines, with, whom he bad an interesting discussion upon the general subject of the oil industry in Xew Zealand.

Mr. Henry leaves the Dominion in a few days for California, and en route to England ho will visit the Alberta oillield, which, according to our press cables the other day, is now attracting attention, and which Mr. Henry some four years ago predicted would be a success