THE RACE FOR OIL

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 254, 21 July 1920, Page 7

THE RACE FOR OIL

Sir,—Your interesting and informative article in to-day's issue of The Dominion contains an outstanding fact, viz., that "supplies will never exceed the constantly increasing demand." But among tlia sources of supply there is no mention of one of tho most important, and, moreover, one that contains sufficient to supply tho wholo of New t Zealand with motor oil, and further givo onough for all oil-using vessels trading to country. I refer to tho areas of kauri cum reserve in the northern j>eninsula of New Zealand. There are oyer 66.000 acres of buried kauri forests round Kangaunu Bay surveyed into blocks and held by the Government, besides great areas buried under sand. This was at oho time undulating country on which tho' kauri- tree flourished for unnumbered centuries, exuding it? gum year by year and enriching tho soil .to that ,it .now yields a large percentage of oil when subjected to heat. At somo far-off period a great cataclysm must have occurred bringing tho land below the level of tho sea. which, rushing in, crashed to ruin these great trees. Thn land then, having risen above sea-level, became covered with vegetation,' which now to the depth of several feet, seals l uj> and'conserves 'the great deposits of timber and gum. The trees, have now lrccomo compressed into a smaller space than during growth, and the quantity of timber is incredibly great. Many of the swamps have boon burned down to their Tho oil oontent is such'that, once well alight, no rain can put them out, and their moist, condition does not suffice .to preserve them. Fortunately this danger has at last been recognised; rangers havo been appointed, and gum,. timber, and oil can bo obtained for generations to como. Tho super-imposed blaok peat may be estimated as (riving from twenty to thirty gallons per air-dned'ton of soil, the kauri peat from thirty to forty. The latter at least contains 10 per cent, of motor spirit, the former considerably less, but gives a heavy percentage of paraffin wax. Tho oil on fractionation rung through, tho whole . .gamut of creosotes,' caAolio, and so on TSat ono Is familiar with in coal tar, but seeing that the valuable kauri gum is its prime factor, thero are certain properties which will well repay investigation by qualified chemists. Tho depth of thoso swamps varies. Testing in several places over an area of several hundred acres has 1 not found bottom at forty feet. And.there is a mass of interlocked timbor, peaty soil, and gum, quantity production of oil is a mattor of plant; ten thousand gallons a day would not be out of the way. This should give a minimum of one thousand gallons of motor spirit. Tho oil at every degree of temperature has an extraordinary heat value. . It has been proved as a distillate in marine engines, and as a refined spirit in motor cars, with conspicuous success. There are many valuable products to be extraated (as wiffi petroleum) before it should suffer tho indignity of merely being burned. Tho gum, also, instead of being exported in bulk, to come back to this country in highly-priced varnishes and paints, should be manufactured into them in the country of its origin. Tho whola matter is fraught with great possibilities for New Zealand industry—l am, otc„

J. IfAJORIBANKS STEELE. Wellington, July 17.