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New Zealand Listener, Volume 32, Issue 810, 4 February 1955, Page 17

remains settled on the bottom of the sea, became mingled with and covered by silt and sand from the rivers, and there formed steadily accumulating layers. The pressure of the upper layers, increased tem- perature which rises with the depth of the layer- and an inde- scribably long period of time, were indispensable factors in converting this dead plankton into petroleum. The Problems arising in the petroleum industry are countless. All over the world thousands of scientific investigators are busy working at their solution every day > Kso,ooo,ooo is being spent annually by the oil industry On research alone. In Shell' s large research laboratories, centres for scientific investigation, in America, Britain and on the Continent; many subjects are studied. Some of these concern the propagation of vibra- tion in the soil, the nature of fluctua- tions in the force of gravity, of magnetism and of electrical phenomena in the earth'$ crust, the physical properties, of focks and the liquids occurring in them know- ledge vital to the oil geophysicist: What is Petroleum ? These laboratories, equipped with all the latest apparatus, and with One of the outstanding phenomena energy needs, and the demand for their picked staff of experts, reflect of the present day iS the world' $ more and more oil continues. Shell s faith in science_~in basic insatiable appetite for more and Because petroleum has become a research as a necessary condition of more energy_ Since the beginning vital commodity in our modern way successful operation: of the century this insistent demand of life it is often taken for granted, The Earth hides some ofits mysteries for more power has grown in pro- How did it originate 2 deep within itself: The more we portion to, and has largely stimu- unlock these mysteries the more lated, the progress which has been The Origin of Petroleum bountiful human life becomes. Man- made in the achievement of higher is a subject about which; up to a kind now uses almost twice as much standards of living; comparatively short while ag0, little power as it did 25 years ag0. Nearly The petroleum industry is making was known: Humanity gratefully three-quarters_ of this extra power 6 6 a vital contribution to man' $ ad- accepted this 'stone; or rock oil has come from oilfields discovered vancement toward even higher or natural pitch, for use as a lubri- through scientific study and explor- standards of life. Today oil pro- cant, for illumination, building ation. vides almost one-half of the world'$ material and even for medicinal: No. 1 of a series of articles published by THB SHELL COMPANY OF NEW ZEALAND purposes. LIMITED (Incorporated in England). Modern Science has now taken up the study of the problem of the origin of oil knowledge of which is indispen- sable in the continuous search for this mineral and has come to the conclusion that petroleum is derived from countless millions of dead micro organis m s, S0 called 'plankton which formerly lived in seas which have long disappeared from the earth: These organic Above A geologist at work Left : In prospecting for oil use is also made of helicopters, whichcan transportthe necessaryin- struments t0 places which are difficult to reach: Right : Differences in the farce of gravity are registered by means of a gra vimetet: