BEFORE LONG?

Auckland Star, Volume LXXI, Issue 176, 26 July 1940, Page 9

BEFORE LONG?

"A SHOWER BATH OF OIL"

PROSPECTS IN NEW ZEALAND.

(By Telegraph.—Parliamentary Reporter.)

WELLINGTON, this day

Progress made to date with oil boring and geophysical and geological surveys which have been carried out on the east coast, in Taranaki, Manawatu and on the west coast of the South Inland was outlined in the House of Representatives last night by the Minister of Mines, Mr. Webb, during discussion on the Mines Department estimate*.

The Minister's review was prompted by a question from Mr. Kyle (Opposition, Rii«arton), who asked what like':hood there was of oil being found in New Zealand on a commercial basis.

The Minister dealt with production to date and the activities of various companies engaged in the search for nil. making special mention of the expensive and modern equipment being used and the highly skilled staffs employed. Had tlie preliminary investigations been a failure, said the Minister, men - Ivors could rest assured that the companies which were advised by the best experts in the world would not have spent such enormous sums of money as they had in importing plant to follow up their prospecting. There was satisfaction in knowing, continued Mr. Webb, that the best and the best plant were at our MTvice, and if oil existed in considerable quantities he was confident it would be found. He was one of tho-» optimists who believed we would have ;« shower bath of oil in this country before long.

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prospects