IN SEARCH OF OIL.

Manawatu Herald, Volume LVIII, Issue 5001, 7 October 1938, Page 4

IN SEARCH OF OIL.

NEW GUINEA ACTIVITIES. Possibilities of oil being extracteel in payable q antities from sections of 3500 miles of territory explored by him in New Guinea in the past year, were discussed by Dr. F. K. G-. Mullerried, a German geo - logist, who called in at Auckland on his return, to Mexico this week. Dr Mullerried said his geological studies on behalf of the Island Exploration Co. Ltd., of Melbourne, had given encouraging results, but further extensive investigations wo. uld be necessary before a definite answer could be given. Dr. Mullerried went to New Guinea in June, 1937, in company with an American geologist, who became ill and had to abandon his work. Dr.Mullerried was contracted 'to ex. plore the lower regions of the Ramu River, and it required 13 months to complete his task, owing to the wild nature of the country and the fact that he had to walk wherever his work took him. Often he was absent up to four weeks from his base camp, to which food supplies were sent by pinnace and pack horse. “The whole area of New Guinea is comparatively unknown to geology, for which reason there was much to learn in our studies,” said Dr. Mullerried 1 . “With patience and fortitude we succeeded in obtaining sufficient data to prepare a geological map of the Agegani region, in which our party Worked. There were signs of the presentee of oil in the underground around river beds and gorges, but dense bush and high grass covered all the remaining territory. Ours was merely a prelimininary survey, and it would require at least another year’s study to complete the work, I understand this will be done, but my contract being ended, I am returning to Mexico.” Dr. Mullerried said all the regions of the United (States where oil had been discovered were much older ■geographically than those of New Guinea where explorations are being made. One factor which increased the difficulty of the work in New Guinea was the extreme rainfall, indicated by the fact that in the time Mr. Mullerried was there lie experienced only three weeks when no rain fell. Two of Drj. Mullemed’s assistants were. New Zealanders, whose work he commended. One was a young student from Christchurch, and the other a surveyor from Wellington, while a third New Zealander was continuing geological survey work on behalf of other interests. Dr. Mullerried said there were two other companies with representatives in New Guinea searching for oil on different territories from those within his extensive region.