ANTARCTIC OIL

Evening Post, Volume XCVI, Issue 58, 5 September 1918, Page 7

ANTARCTIC OIL

A POSSIBLE FUTURE.

j (rROSC ODR OWN CORRESPONDENT.)

LONDON, 23rd July. The Imperial Institute has been in communication with Sir Douglas Mawson, leader of the Australasian Antarctic Expedition, with regard to the prospects of obtaining commercial supplies of seal and penguin oils from the Antarcticl Samples 1 of these oils, which were submitted by Sir Douglas to the Imperial Institute for examination, proved to be of excellent. quality. As it is now possible to convert such oils into odourless, tasteless solid fats by a process which has been rapidly developed in the United Kingdom during the war, there is some prospect of these oils becoming available as raw material for- margarine manufacture in the future.

Sir D. Mawson is oS opinion that <J\e manufactiu'e of these oils m the Antai'ctic is feasible, though it will require several ■years' preparation, and will have to be conducted under carefully-considered regulations/to prevent extermination of the seals ana penguins. Meanwhile there is already established oil Macquarie 'Island an industry for the preparation of penguin, sea-elephant, and sea-leopard oil. The annual production is estimated at 400 to 450 tons, and though the bulk of this supply is absorbed by the Australian and New Zealand markets, there is a surplus available for export. The Imperial Institute has been approached in the matter from Tasmania, and has placed the interested parties in touch with possible buyers in the United Kingdom.'