OIL SEARCH IN COOK STRAIT

Press, Volume CIX, Issue 31974, 29 April 1969, Page 30

OIL SEARCH IN COOK STRAIT

•New Zealand Press Association l WELLINGTON, April 28. A search for oil in Cook Strait is to he made in a few days time by an American research ship, the Teledex IV.

The ship, chartered by the l Magellan Petroleum Com-! pany. arrived in Wellington j on Friday. She is undergoing; minor repairs but should sail l later this week. The leader of a nine-man technical team on board. Mr D. Bowman, of Houston. Texas, said the 189-ton vessel left the United States on January 21 and arrived at Dunedin via Panama and Papeete on March 12. Since then she had been working between the Snares and Stewart Island. Explaining the ships oil! search method. Mr Bowman [ said a “sparker" system discharged electrical energy into! the’water and created a gaseous bubble This bubble gave acoustic energy soundings which were reflected down to penetrate the ocean floor. These, in turn, were reflected back in-j to a tow cable known as a hydro streamer. The signals were picked up; and relayed into the instru-l

ment house and recorded on a visual playout and on magnetic tapes. The tapes were flown to America, where they were analysed by a computer which determined whether or not there could be oil bearing deposits in the areas covered. The Teledax IV. a 135 ft vessel, was built in 1965 by the Gulfport Shipbuilding Corporation, of Port Arthur. Texas. She is owned by Dearborn Marine Services, which leases vessels of her type to oil companies. She is manned by a crew of six. After working in Cook Strait she will take soundings along the Wairarapa coast and Ninety Mile Beach, which are concession areas granted the Magellan company by the the Government. The company also had concessions for research along parts of the Australian coastline.