QUEST FOR OIL

Taranaki Daily News, 4 June 1934, Page 9

QUEST FOR OIL

POVERTY BAY PROSPECTS. AMERICAN EXPERTS RETURNING. After conducting a prolonged survey of the oil possibilities of the Poverty Bay district on behalf of the Vacuum Oil Company Proprietary Ltd. (of Australasia), three American geologists left Auckland by the .Mariposa on Friday afternoon on their return to the United States. The party comprises Dr. E. Jablonski, Mr. C. St. J. Bremner and Mr. M. Steineke.

Dr. Jablonski stated on Friday that he and his colleagues commenced operations in September, 1932, and had covered a wide area between East Cape and Hawke’s Bay. The work was carried out in co-operation with Taranaki (N.Z.), Oil Fields, No Liability, which had previously drilled six wells in the Poverty Bay district, but without much success. However, the failure of these wells was not of great significance, as in the United States it was sometimes necessary to drill many wells before oil fields were struck.'

Although the investigations of his party had been satisfactory, continued Dr. Jablonski, it was not possible to state from geological data whether or not there was oil in commercial quantities in the district covered.. Small quantities of oil were certainly present, but that was no new discovery, as the Maoris were aware this fact before the coming of Europeans. Elaborate maps and detailed reports dealing with the architecture of the country had been prepared and these would be presented to the principals of the company, who would decide the future policy of the company in regard to the exploitation of oil sources in the Poverty Bay district.. Many instances were known of oil having been found without the aid of - geologists, but the majority of oil fields throughout the world were profitably worked only after tedious and extensive geological exploration had been undertaken. Even with the knowledge gained by geological investigations the quest for oil in commercial quantities was often a gamble and large sums might be spent without result.

During the next few months the interests of the Vacuum Oil Company Proprietary, Limited (of Australasia), in Poverty Bay will be watched by Mr. N. Osborne, an Australian geologist, who, with Dr. - H. J. Finlay, of Dunedin, has been associated with th* American geologists.