SEARCH FOR OIL

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXVI, Issue 23417, 5 August 1939, Page 16

SEARCH FOR OIL

MORE EXPERTS ARRIVE LARGE-SCALE SURVEY COST OF £3OOO MONTHLY MUCH VALUABLE EQUIPMENT Marking a further important development in tlio search for oil in New Zealand, a large party of American experts arrived by the Monterey yesterday,. bringing about £14,000 worth of equipment. The party will join experts from the Superior Oil Company of California, who, through a subsidiary company, the Superior Oil Company of NewZealand, Limited, have been working in the Dominion since last October. The company lias oil prospecting permits for six areas in the Manawatu, Dannevirko and Taihapo districts, and livo geologists have been engaged in theso fields for some time. Operations in New Zealand are under the charge of Mr. E. V. Winterer, the company's chief geologist, and Mr. R. E. Turner, head of the New Zealand party. They were in Auckland yesterday to meet tlio new arrivals. Those on the Monterey included a geophysical party, under Mr. P. C. Kelly, an additional geologist, Mr. N. W. Nichols, and Mr. C. Murdock, who is in charge of the equipment. A larg<? quantity of tlio.most modern equipment for aiding in the search for oil was landed from the Monterey during tho day. It included a : 'portable rotary drill, a recording truck, a geophono truck, a water truck, a shooter's truck carrying a drill and winch for lowering dynamite charges, and several smaller vehicles. A largo scale geophysical survey will begin at once and will last from six to eight mpnths. The combined operations will cost £3OOO a. month. It is not proposed to start drilling for at least six months.