OIL IN AUSTRALIA

Grey River Argus, 10 May 1930, Page 6

OIL IN AUSTRALIA

DOMES AND GEOPHYSICS. Some expert eiitii> bukl Ihttl for ;eologieal reasons Australia etui never uccoiiie a com mercia I .oi.l-producin« country. This is not the view taker •y Dr. Woolnough, geologist lo ihe Join mon wealth Government. He holds hat the ‘‘dome,” favoured as it was >y the oil company promoter, was by ■io means the only type of structure in viiich oil could be concentrated ami elaincd. It required carefu geologi•al research to demonstrate the* preieiice of a structural “dome”, and the nvestor should make sure that such m investigation had been carried out eefore he accepted the “dome” a natter of tact. Li many instuuc<*s oil -.ompanies were floated becau e sememe who claimed experience on the dher side of the Pacific thought a ovality looked like some place i i Cali u'ornia. Some remarkable successes had been jbtaiiicd by geophysical metho is of ■urvey in oil search, and greatci’ me i- ■ ures of success might be looked for in •he future. These methods, however, wer<‘ still in the experimental stage. Scout drilling might prove to be the .Host economical ami might prevent expenditure in areas where the geological structure was unfavourable. The fail ire of scout drilling to reveal any ■•igiis of actual oil iiecQ cause neither disappointment, uor loss of confidence. True bitumen was found along the muthern coasts of Australia in vast piantitie'. and had given rise to reports of oil showings in the most geologically impossible environments. Lt was certain that this bitumen was seaborne, and there was a probability that it came from some Antarctic source. Since the advent of oil-burn-ing ships still another spurious oil indication had become conspicuous on Australian coasts. Such ships pumped out oil bilges, and already material from such sources had given rise to several spurious oil ventures in Aus traliaii coasts. “In Australia,” added Dr. Woolnough, ‘‘we are not as yet in the posi cion of ‘bringing in’ ».»iJ well, but the time is not far distant, when this consummation will be reached. That time will be hastened if operations are conducted on strictly scientific lines.” Funds are '•till being collected for the hul which will be built at de la Beche corner us a memorial to those' who lost their lives i n the recent Tasman Glacier disaster. The total amount required is £5OO, and it is hoped that the work will be commenced shortly. The new Malte Brun hut which is now being construct<’<! of wood and iron will accommodate about 30 people. The road to the Ball hut at present under construction will go right to the entrance of the hut, and tourists will be able to travel a fur as the edge of the glacier by car.