SURVEY OF OHURA.

Taranaki Daily News, 24 November 1921, Page 6

SURVEY OF OHURA.

LOCATION OF COAL OUTCROPS. SUPPLIES OF METAL. (From Our Parliamentary Reporter.) Wellington, Nov. 22. Summarising the results of the field work in the Tangarakau-Ohura district, the annual report of the geological survey branch of the Mines Department presented to Parliament to-day, states: A considerable area, extending from Tahora northward through the Tangarakau Gorge to the north of Ohura in the Pouatu, Heao, Warn and Ohura survey districts, has been geologically and topographically surveyed. Part of this area, notwithstanding its comparatively low altitude, is very rugged, and was unpleasant and difficult to survey. Dense forests added greatly to the difficulty of the work. Several quite large streams as well as many small ones hitherto not on the lands and survey, maps, have been surveyed, and it will now be possible to produce an excellent topographical map of the area examined. The area which the coal measures occupy has been exactly delineated, and numerous coal outcrops, many hitherto unknown, have been located and are shown, in their exact position on the field maps. The coal measures proper are about 100 feet in thickness, and contain in most places several seams of coal. The thickest outcrops observed, however, were only 5 feet. One of these occurs in section 2 block 1, Ohura survey district (Aitchison’s farm). The seam, however, does not maintain this thickness, but along the strike thins to Ift 3in in ten chains, and on the dip to 3ft in 20 chains. On the east side of Tangarakau Gorge there is also a sft outcrop, but this contains some bands of shale. The thickest outcrop of clean coal elsewhere in the Gorge is 3ft 9in. In places faulting is prominent. It is quite certain that under the present conditions the coal of the Tangarakau Gorge, and that near Tatu and Ohura cannot be profitably worked on a large scale. Small mines to satisfy the local requirements may possibly be established at some future time, but, in view of the important field of coal near Waitewhena, north of Ohura, immediate action in this direction does not seem advisable. In several places thick but variable bands of conglomerate suitable for road-making purposes have been found. The Ohura County Council intends opening the quarry in the Gorge creek, three miles west of Ohura; here conglomerate is 100 feet thick. Mr. Ellis, as the result of a geological examination of this locality, was able to indicate to the. county engineer a much better site for the quarry than that originally selected. To sum up, the economic results of the survey#are: (1) A good topographical and geological map of the area examined can now be produced; (2) the area in which the coal occurs has been defined, and coal outcrops have been exactly located; (3) road-making material has been found.