NEW OILFIELD FOUND.

Colonist, Volume LIV, Issue 13419, 17 May 1912, Page 6

NEW OILFIELD FOUND.

PROSPECTING NEAR PAHIATUA

ENCOURAGING REPORTS

RECEIVED.

.[United Peess Association.]

Pahiatua, May 16. Like Taranaki, aud round about 'G'isborue, the Forty Mil© Bush district promises to support a. nourishing oil industry at no distant date. In-Manga uuo Valley, iyhig between Pahiatua and Ekotabuua, and even further afiold, araplo evidence of tiio presence tf oil bearing springs has been discovered. Reports on tiu>- lio.tl have been. :nad^ by Mr. .S. L«'ry, A.M.1.M.E., and Mr. '$* jH, Harman, lato drilling cxpari. Jor tuo otanuuui Oil and. venous other com panics. An analysis of the mineral water is favourably reported on by Dr. J. H. MacLaurin, the Dominion analyst. Mr. Han nun has visited all the well known oil areas in New Zealand, and says he has seen nothing in prospect that he considers superior to tho territory under review. He recommends a thorough trial by deep boring, ami .feels sure that the reward of prospecting the area will osceed the most »anguino expectations of the prospectors. .Boring, it is stated, will be very inexpensive, as there..is an abundance of iuel in the sha.pe of fallen bush, well distributed over nearly the whole area. Mr Harman examined the indications on the prop-e.i-.ues of Messrs Rodney (8). Matuioson (3), Godfrey and Lowe. AM theso indicationa, he states, appear along the iiongomai Valley in a rortheast and south-west line extending for about four miles. These mainly ew wist of saline mineral springs, gniM^ oil" gas winch burns with a dull mi ;-tour. This gas., says Mr. Herman, is petroleum gas, and has all1 its ra;;nu:uvistics. A three-inch bore .sunk on tKe property of Mr I<\ O. Lewis to ;i, dvpth of about 400 feet, gave off ;r large quantity of petroleum gas, and Ikm-':^ v.as particularly easy for the- whole depth. One of fhe springs on Mr. Godfrey's place has belched up mud, and formed <a 3Hiu.il hilfock, and can be described as v .small mud volcano. There, are ..;wral of these, mud eruptions on the c :;;t m 4i}xtiXi'mity oi! the arena. Spriagr-s on Messrs. Nngle's and Pitcaithlcy's land f<;ur in number, hav'o also beeji V^rtjnined. These are very similar to the others *K;,-.i described, hut are situated wwimiles east or Ther <? A* aJ?» <>', very largo spring on Mr. Judii ,; i;uin A\il -Ihuraua, some* seven miles 'from the liongomai Valley. This is th.? rrosti powerful one in the- district. .It- gives off largo quantities of gas, and is'said to give splendid samples of petroleum gas. A company, called the Mangaone Oi) Fields, Limited., has been formed with a capital of £2-5.000. to acquire the rights-to bore, for oil, and to min-e for coal aud other minerals, over an area of 20,000 acres of land situated iv the Mangaone aud Kopuaranga survey districts. It is estimated that the capital of the company will be suffieiont to sink three 3,0i.K)-ieet prospecting wells, thus ensuring the thorough testing of the area. Expert driJors'are expected to bo at work shortly.