SEARCH FOR GOLD

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LX, Issue 18068, 20 April 1933, Page 2

SEARCH FOR GOLD

PROSPECTS IN OTAGO LARGE-SCALE PLANNING NEEDED The possibilities of opening considerable areas of gold-bearing country in Cdntvai Otago are discussed by Mr. E--6. Mat'pherscfn, of the New Zealand , Geological Survey, in au article in the 'New Zealand Science Journal. The writer points out that so far the gold resources of the province have been worked near the surface only, and lie expresses the view that large scale mining operations can be developed if some inethod can be evolved to determine cheaply the location of the leads. I, Following a survey of the Manukerikia, Ida Valley and Maniototo basins, the "author notes that the old workings in the alluvial fields show that only a very small part of the margins of these valleys , has been tested and ’ that in the small > part already tested the results have been i encouraging. This indicates, he says, that further prospecting is justified. \ The author advocates core-drilling, mentioning that drilling methods and materials have been much improved in the last five years. “Many failures mustbe expected,” ho says, “but it is tho successful mines which 'become national assets; and by concentrating on preliminary prospecting the percentage of failures decreases and that of successes increases. In prospecting, results will come slowly at first ; but; as data are accumulated {from various sources, knowledge of the ’ structure, habit, direction and persistence lof pay-streaks will become clearer. The i great advantage in studying a deposit ; of this extent is that, when prospecting and mining problems are overcome in ono 'part, the experience can be applied to the whole region. The pioneer miners prospected tho margins of the depression ; we have to continue this work armed with 'better tools and" methods. A tinge of the romaritic "optimism of tho pioneer miners would also help us in tho task,” ' .