SEARCH FOR OIL

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 23067, 18 June 1938, Page 14

SEARCH FOR OIL

WEST COAST SEEPAGES FURTHER SURVEY PLANNED ASSISTANCE BY. GOVERNMENT "I 1 V; _ [BT TEIiEGKAPH OWN CHRISTCHU|tCH, FridSy An extensive search for oil will be conducted on the West Coast by New Zealand Oil Concessions, Limited. The company has been granted a petroleum prospecting licence by the Minister, of Alines, the Hon. P. C. Webb, and plans are now being prepared for the search by geophysicists and geologists. • The licence covers an area of 194 square miles, over the Kotuku and Marsden districts, and includes the Kotuku seepages, which are the largest natural seepages of crude oil in New Zealand. The company is to be assisted in its survey by the Department' of Scientific and Industrial Research and complete plans are now being made. Mr. Norbert an Austrian geophysicist, who has had extensive European experience of oil-bearing lands in Europe, and who conducted a geophysical survey of the Kotuku area last year, has discussed with directors of the company the extent'to Which assistance and co-operation might be expected from the department. A short film which effectively illustrates the work of the department in making its geophysical survey of the area, was shown by Mr. Modriniak. Those who saw- the film were told that the seepage does not indicate definitely that there may be a large body of oil in the area, but the evidences available were encouraging, and it is intended to make a very thorough survey before boring.

The Kotuku seepages have been a landmark ou the West Coast for very many years. They were discovered in the very early days of the coast, and since then the crude oil secured from a small number of shallow bores put down lias driven the coastal vessels which run up and down the coast between Hokitika and anchorages further south.