COAL SUPPLIES

Evening Post, Volume LXXXV, Issue 57, 8 March 1913, Page 9

COAL SUPPLIES

HOW LONG WILL THEY LAST? THE MINERAL OIL PROSPECTS 'SOME POTENTIALITIES. "" A GEOLOGIST'S EVIDENCE. Mr. Morgan, Government Geologist, gave some rather startling evidence to the Empire Trade Commission yesterday on the coal and iron resources of New Zealai'.d. Dealing first with the coal resources of New Zealand, he gave the following estimates of coal deposits, proved and probable. For convenience the facts ai'e put into tabular form :: — • Million tons. Bititminous coalProved ' 374 Probable 477 Total bituminous c0a1... 851 jfilance and pitch coalProved 114 Probable 341 .Total glance and pitch. 1 j coal 455' Brown coal and lignite-" Proved ... 513 ' Probabl* 1,567 Total blown coal and , lignite ... .*... 2,080 Grand total proved' coal 1,001 Probable coal 2,385 Ml*, Morgan pointed out that not more than one-third of the bituminous coal could be mined, and not more than onefourth of the brown coal and lignite. For present requirements the supplies of bituminous coal were ample," but fche $upply for the future was limited. Subsequently, in dealing with coal resources, Sir Rider Haggard put it to Mr. Morgan that evidence had been given to the Commission which painted the ,'coal and iron resources of the Dominion in very glowing colours. He ■took it, from what Mr. Morgan had told them, that these glowing statements ,were not borne out. Was that so ? Mr. Morgan : What/ I have said ddes not bear them out. Ab regards bituminous coal, then, there is very little to discover ?>— The quantity of bituminous coal which is undiscovered is probably very small. Probably important discoveries of brown coal and lignite would be made in the future, Mr., Morgan went on. But for manufactures bituminous coal • is used ? — 'Yes ; but in many places brown coal may be used. GOOD FOR A HtJNDRED YEARS. How long will the bituminous coal last until all* worked out?— With our present rate ol .Increase 1 of population? and the present (^creased rate of consumption, probably another hundred years. If there are no exceptional demands Upon it> of 'courße?"-Y,es. Then it ought to be husbanded?— Yes. The suppfy now, in sight is small? — Yes. You cannot look upon New Zealand as a great mineral country? Perhaps you would say it is a mineralised country? — It is a mineralised' country. Are there enough minerals in sight to enable you to say' that it will become a .vast manufacturing country?— Certainly not as l'eg&fds coal and iron. When quefStfeaWi -^ £'< $to« "Lorimer witness said a great deal of the New Zealand coal was very friable. There were seams 40ft thick and it could not all be got out. It was not safe to work it on account of the overburden which might collapse. With regard to Paparoa coal some of it approached a semi-anthracite character. It had been turned into a very fine coke. Paparoa coke would be of great value for iron smelting. In dealing with iron Mr. Morgan said there were some 22 million tons of oi'e at Parapara, also a great quantity which could not be estimated. There were vast quantities of ii'onsand-—the exact quantity was hard to estimate. It was difficult to transport it to ,smelting as the deposits were scattered. It made good quality of iron. PETROLEUM PROBABILITIES. Mi". Morgan, in speaking of petroleum possibilities and probabilities, said oil had been found in* Taranaki, Kotuku, Gisborne and Weber, but in no locality was there an assured supply. The supply of oil in New Zealand has not been up to our hopes and expectations at present. There were large areas in New Zealand that Were potentially oilproducing, but so far they have been disappointing. _ New Plymouth could hardly be considered as proved. To Mr, Lorimeri Mr. Morgan said he did not think oil in payable quantities had been proved in New Zealand up to the present. The daily production of ill the wells was 689 gallons daily. Mr. Larimer asked if it were not a fact thafc / a refinery was' being erected at New Plymouth to deal with 10,000 gallons a day? Mr. Morgan: Yes. Then, where is this 10,000 gallons a day to come from if all that is yielded at present is ,689 gallons a day?— l do not know. Then further prospecting is necessary? >— Yes.' Do you know of any likely area that has not, been touched? — There 1b a large area at Weber 1 , Hawkea Bay, that is being prospected now. There is a small amount going on at Gisborne and Kotuku. OTHER MINERALS. Mr. Morgan also gave evidence of ■what was being done or had been done with regard to paraffin shale (at Orepukejj antimony and phosphates (Otago), chromite (Nelson), scheelite (Otago), and also- with Teference to copper. Speaking of New Zealand goldmining lie said the industry was not in a very flourishing condition at the present, due to depreciation of the value of gold within recent years. New Zealand Would be, he said, a gold-producing country for many years to come. He also referred to the presence and working 1 of manganese, mercury, platinum, and sulphur. There was an unlimited supply of limestone for cement-making and clay for bricks and tiles^ but no kaolin. ( There was a plentiful supply of building stone too, 'and of semiornamental stones like serpentine. There were indications of biine in Taranaki and Orepuke'. Reference was made to waters of a therapeutic character, and also to potable waters. There was an unlimited supply of water power in New Zealand, but it would cost a great deal of money to utilise it. At present there was no real demand for it in New Zealand. The demand was all in the future. There was peat in many places but not in great quantity.