OIL FOR AUSTRALIA.

Taranaki Daily News, 13 December 1924, Page 9

OIL FOR AUSTRALIA.

COAL THE BEST SOURCE. LARGE PRODUCTION POSSIBLE. ■y Telegraph—Prese —Copyright. Received Dec. 12, 5.5 p.m, Sydney. Dec. 12. Giving evidence before the Federal Parliamentary Committee on pulJiic accounts David said that, as regarded Australia proper, including Tasmania, by far the most potential source of oil was coal. If the coal from all these States (as far as the amount of reserve coal could be approximately and conservatively estimated) were to be added together, it would total 35,000,000.000 tons. If improved methods of working and ventilation were adopted it was highly probable that the amount of exploitable coal would be nearly double. If this coal were treated by a process of low temperature carbonisation, he estimated that it would yield approx- - imately 6,000.000,000 gallons of oil for the 35,000,000,000 tons, or about two gallons of light oil suitable for motor spirit per ton of coal. The present Australian consumption amounted to about 74.000.000 gallons. Therefore, at this rate of consumption of oil within the Commonwealth, the potential oil from its coalfields (if it could be saved) would last from 1000 to 1200 years. The oil resources of Australia and Tasmania from the known reserves of oil -hales were estimated at 83.000.000 . gallons. If, however, the probable reserves of oil shale also were considered (estimated to contain in the aggregate over 500.000.000 gallons, which would be equal to l-2Rth of the potential yield in oil of coals on the assumption that the reserves of coal are 70,060.000.000 tons) these figures suggest the enormous importance of using wisely and m>t wasting the by-products of our coal. •Regarding mineral oils, Professor Ds’vid sard that from information supplied him he had formed the opinion that there was a strong possibility of large oilfields developing somewhere within the 11,000 square miles enclosed -Iwtweeh the Sepik River on the south and the eoast of New Guinea, extending from the mouth of the river westwards to the Dutch frontier between the Upper Sepik and the coast.