Amoco lodges four mining exploration licences

Press, 3 June 1981, Page 2

Amoco lodges four mining exploration licences

PA ■' "■ Rotorua Amoco Minerals New Zealand, Ltd, the company at the centre of the Coromandel mining controversy, lodged four mining exploration licences with the Minister of Mines'(Mr Birch) yesterday. Details of the exact areas to be explored are sketchy, but they are thought to be round Kawerau, and in an area stretching north of Taupo to south of Rotorua. The total area‘involved is 1800 square kilometres. Approval is.;expected to take about three months. Amoco says it is interested in looking for “gold and other minerals.” A company geologist, Mr R. G. Barker, yesterday that an exploration licence would not entitle the company to drill for samples or

do any other mechanical work that would disturb the surface. Amoco geologists would gothrough data already compiled by the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research “to identify areas of interest which are worthy of future work.” If the licences were granted, samples could be taken in these areas by hand. Under the regulations, the company would be able to take samples from stream beds. Amoco Minerals is a wholly owned subsidiary of Standard Oil’(lndiana). It has minipg interests in Canada, the United States, Mexico, New Guinea, Australia, and New Zealand.. (Further report, Page 11)