SEARCH FOR OIL

Wairarapa Times-Age, 5 August 1939, Page 7

SEARCH FOR OIL

ARRIVAL OF AMERICAN EXPERTS. EXTENSION OF ACTIVITIES IN NEW ZEALAND. (By Telegraph—Press Association.) AUCKLAND, August 4. Marking a further important development in the search for oil in New Zealand, a large party of American experts arrived by the Monterey, bringing with it about £l4OO worth of equipment.

The party will join experts from the Superior Oil Company, of California. who through a subsidiary company. the Superior Oil Company, of New Zealand, Limited, have been working in the Dominion since last October.

The company has oil prospecting permits for six areas in Manawatu, Dannevirke and Taihape districts, and five geologists have been engaged in these fields for some time.

Operations in New Zealand arc in charge of Mr E. V. Winterer, the company’s chief geologist, and Mr R. E. Turner, head of the New Zealand party. They were in Auckland today to meet the new arrivals. Those on the Monterey included a geophysical party, under Mr P. C. Kelly, an additional geologist. Mr N. W. Wickes, and Mr C. Murdock, who is in charge of equipment. A large quantity of the most modern equipment for aiding in the search for oil was landed from the Monterey during the day. It included a portable rotary drill, a recording truck, a geophone truck, a water truck, a shooter's truck, carrying a drill and a winch for lowering dynamite charges, and several smaller vehicles.

A large-scale geophysical survey will begin at once, and will last from six to eight months. Combined operations will cost £3OOO a month. It is not proposed to start drilling for at least six months.