SEARCH FOR OIL

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LV, Issue 17239, 21 April 1930, Page 13

SEARCH FOR OIL

SPURIOUS VENTURES AUST. EXPERT’S REPORT SYDNEY, April 10. Dr. \V. fi. Wolluough, Commonwealth Geological Advisor, in :i 1 oj»oi l to tho Minister of Home Affairs, says:— “In Australia vvr are not as yet in the position to ‘bring in’ an oil well. It seems not. unlikely that the time is not far distant when this consummation will be reached. That time will certainly be hastened, and costs materially reduced if every operation is conducted on strictly scientific lines, testeti for a, generation on the world’s greatest oilfields.” The belief that Australia has up oil secretions, lie says, lias no sufficient foundation.

“Geo-physical methods of survey,” states Dr. Woolnough, “are still in the experimental stage. In spite of some successes and some failures the verdict on this method must be one of ‘not proven.’ In many instances ordinary methods of geological survey were inadequate and scout-drilling had to be employed. This was purely exploratory work, and should not be confused with deep drilling in actual search for oil. Failure of scoutdrilling to reveal oil need not cause disappointment or lack of confidence. “Since tho advent of oil-burning ships and tankers still another sujprious oil indication has become prominent on our coasts,” adds Dr. 'Woolnough. “ft is tin 1 practice of such ships to pump out oil bilges at some distance from shore, often at distances far too small, and huge masses of more or less ‘perished’ oil float ashore. Already the material derived from such sources has given rise to several spurious oil ventures in Australia. It cannot be too strongly insisted that indications of the types described should be submitted to competent technical advisers before false hopes are indulged in.

“In a country like the United ’States, where oil occurs in formation of many widely different geological ages, and over such wide extents geographically, and where, moreover, money is plentiful, it may be legitimate to gamble on doubtful chances of striking oil. Even in the United States, however, the ‘prizes’ are infinitesimal in comparison with the ‘■blanks.’ In Australia, in which tin producing oilfield exists, and where money is tight, caution is specially called for.”