QUEST FOR OIL

Taranaki Daily News, 27 October 1932, Page 13

QUEST FOR OIL

AUSTRALIAN AERIAL SURVEY. DR. WOOLNOUGH’S REPORT. The Australian Minister of the Interior, Mr. Parkhill, has issued a statement ■by the Commonwealth geological adviser, Dr. W. G. Woolnough, regarding the aerial geological survey recently conducted by him in conjunction with the Royal Australian Air Force. Dr. Woolnough says that the flight was over 12,000 miles, during which tome 2500 scientific photographs were taken and developed en route. On the journey to Darwin photographic records were obtained of the vast area of promising oil country of Western Queensland, and°an expedition along the North Australian border as far as the Toko Ranges enabled , geological observations to be carried out over that little-known area. Proceeding from Darwin, an operating base was established at Fitzroy Crossing, where for more than a week flights were made in various directions as far infield as Wyndham and Gregory’s Salt Sea, It was known that the basin of the Fitzroy River offered prospects for oil development second to none in Australia. This fact was more than confirmed. as a result of the aerial survey, and it is believed that the day of discovery of oil in commercial quantities in Australia has been brought much nearer. More than a dozen likely looking structures were found and delineated by means of aerial photography. Some time will elapse before the photographs taken during the trip can be fitted together to form mosaics or maps of the areas surveyed and before a comprehensive report of the results of the expedition can be furnished. Until this has been done it is pointed out that it will be premature to discuss the results obtained. There is, however, justification for announcing that these results far exceed the most sanguine expectations. It is stated that it is safe to say that the expedition has proved that, although it is complicated and calls for detailed investigation, the structure of Western Queensland suggests conditions not unfavourable for oil over extensive areas.