OILFIELDS OF NEW ZEALAND

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 122, 14 November 1911, Page 3

OILFIELDS OF NEW ZEALAND

MR. J. 1). HENRY'S NEW WORK. As a record of the search for oil in Nt-w Zealand Mr. J. D. Henry's new book, entitled "Oilfields of New Zealand," of which we have received an advance copy ""> «aithor, is a most valuable adfrom m„ .... '•'-•'ture of the dition to the petroleum me.... "' ■+ of world, and it must have the effec.. rapidly increasing the already growing interest nf nil mmi in ftio

of the oil industry of New Zealand. TMb is a bulky volume, of between three and four hundred pag-M, splendidly printed, and profusely illustrated with reproductions of photographs, the excellence of these being an especial feature. The Taranaki oilfield receives principal attention at the hands of Mr. Henry, who, of course, is recognised as a colonial oil authority, and who made a special visit to this Dominion in order that he might see for himself what was happening here. This is the first time that any author has collected in book form the story of Taranaki oil. It is a romance of oil, and the great denouement is to come. Much of the contents of the boo!: is already ifainiliarf to many of our readers, but, again, there is much of the old that is new. Mr. Henry has been struck, as have many other people, with the pluck of a certain few people in persevering in what many have condemned as a chase after a will-o'-the-wisp. In the author's foreword he says:

I "I know something about the unwritten history of the earliest efforts made to discover oil in many parts of the world. Nowhere, I should say, can an author find a more interesting story of the subordination of commercialism to local patriotism and an i exhibition of colonial loyalty to projects calculated to work out to the common good of the people and the towns of their adoption. This applies particularly to the oil men of the town of New Plymouth, one of New Zealand's historic spots, a shipping port of growing importance, and the scene of the Dominion's most promising discoveries in oil. That is one reason why I have undertaken to write the first full account of their efforts to build up an industry and earn for their country a position among the oil-pro-ducing parts of the Empire. A kindred reason is the strong desire which I have to add one more to the humble efforts I have made to foster the growth of public, financial and naval feeling in favor of a more vigorous and intelligent search for colonial oil territories and the ultimate provision of an adequate all-British supply of liquid fuel and petrol to meet the needs of the Mother Country and those semi-independent sections which are being paid for and manned by the people of the over-seas Dominion. People interested are goming to see that, given anything like the same modern drilling advantages which have been responsible for the extraordinary success of the many oilfields on the other side of the Atlantic, there will foe brought into existence in New Zealand a great and prosperous oil industry."

New Plymouth's share in this glorious picture is thus referred to:

"Now Plymouth, after being an insignificant oil town for fifty years, is destined to 'become, I do not "hesitate to say, a place of vast importance, not only in New Zealand, but in many countries which export oil to the widely scattered and profitable markefs of the British Empire."

Mr. Henry recalls hi 3 advice given at the Taranato Chamber of Commerce dinner, "It will pay us to keep :i i.hitip eye on Taranaki and the oilfields of New Zealand generally," and takes this opportunity of placing his advice permanently on record. Speaking of the characteristics of New Zealand, he makes the point that this country will create a new oil-distributing artery. Continuing:

"'Prom a market point of view New Zealand has significant advantages over other parts of the Empire. The isolation of the Dominion ensures operators an unassailable home market, while, if an export business has to be organised, the important markets of Australia will take all the surplus oil produced. New Zeaand has two markets of its own. It has the ordinary market for kerosene, petrol, lubricating oils, and the new one treated <by the formation of the Australian navies which will require to Ibe guaranteed adequate supplies of liquid fuel. The Government has prorated the industry reasonable protection. It is protected in a double sense; it is protected against foreign competition .by its geographical position and the equally effective instrument of a high anti-foreign tariff."

Mr. Henry expresses his belief that the greatest oil war in the history of the industry will be fought next year. Tlun he remarks:

"'Xew Zealand's position—look at it as we will, either ijeographkally or from the point of yir.w of its home and export advantages—l 3an extremely happy and comfortable one. It i- riiht away on the extreme edge of the war ame, and it is there, mor-j than in any other part of the Empire, .where operators can look with compkvency' on the battles of the giant coMjmiies. The oil resources of New Zealan: can be developed regardless of forei-m operations and competition, and it°is i" that part of the Ktfrpire. where the alleged evils of overproduction will he felt least and last."

fn the opining chapters dealing with the colonisation and growth of Ne'iv Plymouth. .Mr. Henry writes:

"The public men of Nov/ Plymouth „i' uj-da;,' have aspirations in t\w> dinvtions. They want to sec their town {jru'.v in importance as n port with direct steamship connections with other pun* of the Empire and foivi«n countries But they still more ardently desire to see the oilfields properly developed, and this aspiration is l ; ';dy to 'be realised under conditions fully described in later chapters. It h m agricultural town with au industrial future; it- is an oil town in the making: and dc elopments during the next few years should earn for it a leading jxisitmn amongst th.> petroleum centres of production within the limpir.\"

And again regarding our geographical position:

"When we co me to value the field in a commercial and industrial vay w; recognise that it is the good to: tu." .! of few oil-producing centres to pojscan such splendid geographical advantages. The Taranaki territory is not on!,/ ai tidewater, but close to the shipping wharves, and for that reason the.'shipment of production will never cost producer.; u.orc than a fnictic■> .- < : >.:!<r heavy expenses iacurnd by tin. .i.ovjment of oil in many foreign lands. If we take the case of the wcrid-i'". -.;ej Baku fields, it costs i.bout l"s - ton to get the oil to Baton;n, iiie s'..--piujr port for the Europ.,,l! i.,ai'i;c.;" the Roumanian fields r;e -200 mil': f'-fvi Oonstantza, on the ijlm-k ■;';.!, '-'•.' Cialician Holds are too fir in'a:..: • . the benefits of a, marine transport of

/ production; the grcstt oilfields of Oklahoma are 500 miles from the €nlf of Mexico; and Penury) vajiia an;l Ohio (from which huge quantities of oil have heen sent for upwards of a quarter of a. century to England) pipe oil to New York and Philadelphia. These few facts show that if oilfields can ibe developed at tidewater in different parts of the British Empire, they will have important money-saving advantages over the fields of foreign countries. In such islands as New Zealand and Trinidad there can never be any transport difficulties." '""N not claim to be a techThe boolc uu... " u deals with the nical work, but still ... ■'•wnding formation of the country, etc., '"' greatly on the Teports of Sir Jame» Hector, Dr. Bell, Mr. E. de C. Clarke, and others. The whole history of the oil undertakings in Taranaki, from the days of the "To Oil or London" rig until the present day is presented in concise form, and reference is made to the enterprise of Sir Julius Vogel, the Hon. 0. Samuel, and others, dating as far back as 1865, and following the development work of the various companies right down to the present day. Mention is made of the criticism to which the oil men of New Plymouth were subjected in the dark days of the industry, and the oftrepeated statement that the country did not possess a true oil formation. In reply Mr. Henry says: "Oil is where you find it. The history of its discovery is a story ni erratic endeavor, accidental correction of theories, and unexpected discoveries. It is a heritage of the entire ■world."

I ABUNDAM 1 ASD SffiLIABLE. Speaking of the Taranaki field: "Thß developments of more recoat y«iy fcwre I abundantly proved that tfcwe axs "'** liable oil deposits, and that these can be successfully worked if arrangements are made to introduce modern methods of exploitation and financial organisation. - • - It is the oil wells that prove the territory." The purchase of the Taranaki Petroleum Company's interests by the Taranaki (New Zealand) Oil Wells Company is referred to briefly: "Mr. Carter, chair-1 man of the company, visited London this summer. Altogether, we have ample evidence to justify the prophecy that this year's developments will bring in a new em of prosperity for the industry, not only at Taranaki, but at other oil centres."

EXTENT OF THE FIELD. "During my visit," writes Mr. Henry, 'I took a special interest in gas emanations in creeks on farms lying from 10 to 15 miles east and west of New Plymouth. They certainly constitute evidence m favor of the idea that an oil belt extends from one mile couth of the Paritutu Hill to some seven miloa beyond Tarata, and add to the importance ' of the properties of the New Plymouth, Taranaki, Bonithon, Freehold, Standard Oil, Moa, and other companies to which I have referred." ]

After dealing with the academic ctudy of oil, and its everlasting controversies. Mr. Henry continues: "It is the modern drill, worked iby the man v/ho has drilled for oil for -fifteen, twenty, and thirty years, which can foe best depended upon to make discoveries which will justify the investment of large capital and create a larger faith on the part of the investing public in the potency and profitable character of a well-organised and efficiently managed undertaking. I have only to say, before leaving the subject of Taranaki oil, that while there is ground for controversy as to the direction in which the field will extend, there is not a word to be said against the abundantly proved existence of an oil field at. Moturoa, and that to me makes a splendid starting point for those who will conduct operations in the new era " The book deals 'briefly with the Gisborne, East Wairarapa, and Kotuku, fields, and concludes thus:

"The duty of those who believe in colonial oil is clear; it lies in the direction of getting for our own oil fields a preferential share of the attention which is constantly, if with varying intensity, paid to all kinds of projects and propositions in foreign countries. I believe there is more cil< in British possessions and dependencies south df the line than there is in some of the greatest producing fields in Europe. How much longer "will Imperial oil sources remain a terra in-j cogmta to British oil men?"

The book is published in New Zealand by Mr. Thoma& Avery, of tfc.v Plymouth and ii obtaiMlßle a t eighteen shilliußs a copy. "