Southland Oil Survey

Press, Volume CII, Issue 30042, 29 January 1963, Page 12

Southland Oil Survey

(N.Z. Press Association) INVERCARGILL, Jan. 28. Survey drilling for oil will begin near Tuatapere in the next two or three days. Thirteen truckloads of equipment and the 21 men to operate it arrived in the Western Southland township today.

The team will begin its operations by the intersection to the WatafiM's ntffisnMotu roads, about eight miles from Tuatapere. The exploratory phase will extend over three to five months. Looking over the proposed drilling sites this morning were Mr A. Downer, chairman of directors of the New Zealand Petroleum Exploration Company, and Mr T. J.

Alexander, of Dallas, Texas. Mr Downer said that whether it was worth drilling for oil would not be known for some time. Details of operations over the next few months were given by Mr Alexander. He said that drilling would be to only 70ft or 800. Seismic readings would reveal whether it was worth continuing further after the testing period had ended. The readings would be taken over about 600.000 acres.

He could not say what the chances of finding' oil were. Geological and geophysical tests already taken showed the area to be “very intereating.” Mr Downer said that if the present phase showed it was worth drilling, equipment would be brought from overseas immediately. If it was decided to drill for oil there would be no delay between the completion of the tests and the drilling. Natural gas and its con-

densates may have an important place in the timber industry in New Zealand is main factors in the preservation treatments of pine and other timbers, says a Wellington message. Gas could supply heat and condensates the low grade oils required in big quantity for big-scale timber treatment. Dr. M. S. Hudson, a consulting chemical engineer, of South Carolina is in Wellington to discuss with the New Zealand Forest Service and other departments, forestry companies, power boards and tM timber industry in general the application of a system developed by him in the rapid treatment of timber in

big volumes. He said that major railroads in the United States used the system to give longer life to railway ties and it would be a first subject of investigation for him, forestry interests and the Railways Department in New Zealand.