OIL AND NATURAL GAS?

Auckland Star, Volume LX, Issue 37, 13 February 1929, Page 8

OIL AND NATURAL GAS?

WESTMERE LAKE AFFECTED. CONCERN IN WANGANUI. SAMPLKs I'l)|; ANALYSIS. CRy Teli-irra Jill. -< '-.vn forrci-pi.i.il. nt. > WANCANCI. thi« day. Ihvoiitly settlors in tho vicinity .if WoiJuioit l.ak<- and liiithors lijive n-Uire.] a peculiar scum fonniiiir round tho ocll , ' , of tlio lake. iind. as this increa-ed to .i width of ei-M or isinc feet and gave otf a ili«tillct pltnuoiit Miicll and hor-cs would not drink the water, the matter was reported to tin- City Council. OfliciaN null iti-| tnr-4 were sent to make invc-iiu.ition-. At the same t, r im> the lf"altli 1 )ei'!irt incut was communicate,! with to semi a ~n j. i. I\- of liiittles .-.. tli.ii sani]i!c~ could !'c jin.eiire.l for an.il\~i~.

It at Ii»-—T that the trmilde mi-lit lie <lue sheen di]i. Kilt it Would reijiiiiv dip from allltlie farms aloii" the cnast t<< |.r(idm-c anywheru mar a similar ofiVot.

An old resident i,f Sj.riiiL'valc. who has lu'p:i fii::ii!iiir -with t lio lake and th" surroiindiiijr country f<.r year.-, was consulted, and lie Volunteered till , opinion in ri'i'ly t<) a of thermal activity tliat the trouble was duo to a c-oi'iMi, at i<ui of nil and natural <;as. It i< well known tlint in that country, extending to tin- si'n. a natural <j" v atul oily scum abounds. In fact at CastlorVnt there is a farmhouse lit up with this natural v h'u-li no doubt omit nit to** t*r<>i 11 decayed vt'ju-tati«»n underlU'Htli in a crock v.-liicli is -omeiimcsupplemented by an overling- fn»:ii West ■ more Lake. An oily <oum hit,* be-n miticcil tlnat ii"j <m I lie water al intervals for yea I'm past. A limit w.i- procured ye-teiday. and tllo-n ill tin- isn c-t i ■_•;:; ;i.;.~ noticcil bubble* aii-inu in Hie centre of Iho 1.-il:.'. and a> these reached t lie surface and broke ail oily -nli-tame remained. Early tin- -.ea-on kit her* in tlio lake, whu were iioell-tomcl t<i hi; lie ilioro for years p.-i-l. noticed tin:! n muddy -mei; iiiid In-.-oiiii , more pr.>iiiiuiicoil, and they had eoninientoil o;i this fact. The re-tilt >»;' the nn;ily>>i> will I>-aw.-iiteil wiili iuterr-t. inure jiart iciilariy as tht> City I'min-i! had <-• .nttMii]ilaif<l ta|i|iiujj tin- lake to >ii]>|>U-]iit*nt tlu> i"uy watcr sii|i|dy.