Rewards For Discovery Of Radioactive Ores

Press, Volume XCVII, Issue 28536, 15 March 1958, Page 14

Rewards For Discovery Of Radioactive Ores

(New Zealand Press Association}

WELLINGTON, March 14. Cabinet approval of the payment of rewards to the discoverers of radioactive ores in New Zealand was announced today by the Minister of Mines (Mr Hackett).

The Atomic Energy Act, 1957, provides that rewards for the discovery of prescribed substances shall be made in certain conditions and at the discretion of the Minister of Mines.

The awards are:— (1) £2OO to Mr Robert Leslie O’Brien for his discovery of radioactive material in pegmatites in diorite gneisses at Kawatiri. It is considered this discovery is of geological interest and warrants further prospecting. (2) £2OO jointly to Messrs James Benedict Dowd and Lloyd Dawson McAlister for their discovery of radioactive material m leached carbonaceous beds in the Hawk Crag breccia at the mouth of the Fox river. The discovery also warrants further prospecting. (3) £BOO jointly to Mr Charles Jacobsen and the estate of the late Mr Frederick Cassin for their discovery of uranium ores in the Buller Gorge on November 6. 1955. While this discovery, in itself, was not of economic importance, it was the first discovery oi uranium minerals in solid rock, and pointed out that Hawk Crag breccia was a favourable host rock for uranium minerals. From this discovery has stemmed the discovery of uranium minerals on the north side of the Buller river, at the mouth of the Fox river, in Bullock creek and in Blacksand creek, a tributary of Big river. While none of these dis-

coveries has been tested sufficiently to prove of economic value, there is no doubt they are of potential value. Mr Hackett said he had no doubt that, for these reasons, the provisional reward of £2OO made to Mr Jacobsen and the late Mr Cassin should be increased oy £BOO to £lOOO, the full amount payable for a discovery of potential value. “Other claims for rewards have recently been received,” said Mr Hackett, “and these will receive consideration in due course.”