OIL IN AUSTRALIA.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXI, Issue 18891, 13 December 1924, Page 11

OIL IN AUSTRALIA.

COAL AS A SOURCE.

PROFESSOR'S ESTIMATES. JL and N.Z. SYDNEY. Dec. 12. Professor Sir T. W. E. David to-day gave evidence before the Federal Parliamentary Committee on public accounts. He said that in Australia, including Tasmania, by far the most potential source of oil was coal. If the coal from all these States (as far as the amount of reserve coal could be approximately and conservatively estimated) were to be added together it would total 35.000,000,000 tons.

If improved methods of working and ventilation were adopted it was highly probablo that the amount of exploitable coal would be nearly doubled. 7 f this coal were treated by a process of low temperature carbonisation Professor David said he estimated that it would yield approximately 69,000,000,000 gallons of oil for the 35,000,000,000 tons, or about two gallons of light oil (suitable for motor spirit) for each ton of coal.

The present Australian consumption amounted to about 74,0C0,000 gallons. Therefore, at this rate of consumption of oil within the Commonwealth, (he potential oil from i's coalfields (if it, could be. saved) would last, from 1000 to 1200 years.

The oil resources o( Australia and Tas- ; mania from known reserves of oil shales ' were estimated by the witness at 83,000,000 gallons. If. however, the probable reserves of oil shale were also considered (estimated to contain in the aggregate over h.000,000.000 gallons) they would be equal ;>o l-28th of the potential yield in oil of coals, on the assumption that the reserves of coal were 70,000.000,000 tons. These figures suggested the erormous importance of using wisely and not, wasting the byproducts of coal.

Regarding n ineral oils, Professor David said that, from information supplied to him, he bad formed the opinion that •.here was a strong possibility of large oilfields being developed at New Guinea, somewhere within (he 11,000 square miles enclosed between the Scpik River in the south, and the coast, and extending from the mouth of the river westwards to the Dut<n frontier bewecn the Upper Scpik and the coast.