THE WORLD'S OILFIELDS.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume LXXI, Issue LXII, 11 May 1912, Page 10

THE WORLD'S OILFIELDS.

Mr J. D. Henry, the oil expert, who visited New Zealand recently, was in London a few weeks ago, and in the course of an interview witn a representative of the London Daily News, he spoke very hopefully of the prospects of many new oil-fields. He said that in various parts of the world the search for petroleum was proceeding apace, and was proving to be as pregnant with romantic possibilities as gold prospecting was. Very few people had any idea of the quantity of oil that was waiting to be tapped. Vast deposits were being discovered in all directions. One of the most sensation industrial developments of the next few years would be the opening of the Chinese oilfields, which gave promise of enormous production. There was reason to believe that Japan and some of the smaller islands of the Far East would also yield considerable supplies. In Africa, the fields of Somaliland off ered. excellent prospects, and it was expected that additional sources would be tapped in British Columbia. New Zealand appeared to have "a great and prosperous oil future, so great that in a few years the dominion's output of oil might be more valuable than her output of gold." The moment the winter snows had melted in North-West Canada, hundred of drilling parties would get to work, and any day might bring news of "some find worth more in cash than a new Klondyke." Dr Diesel, the inventor of the wonderful engine that bears his name, had predicted that Britain would distil the oil that she needed from coal. Mr Henry said that he did not think that Dr Diesel had taken into account the inevitable expansion of oil production. Oil prices would come down as new sources of supply were tapped, and the facilities for transport improved, and the users of power in Britain would not find it necessary to undertake the distillation of coal. The oilfields of the British Empire would be able to provide all the fuel that the Mother-Country required. Mr Henry is an enthusiast, out hid dreams seem very likely to come true. His recent tour of the Empire brought him into touch with oil-fields that represent a practically unlimited supply of the new fuel.