OILHELD IN IRAQ

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 72, Issue 293, 10 December 1929, Page 11

OILHELD IN IRAQ

ONE OF WORLD’S RICHEST. PROBLEM OF UTILISATION. Interesting news of large developments in petroleum production which are taking place in Iraq, north of Bagdad, and east of the Tigris, has been brought by Mr Norman D. Nairn, originator of the desert motor transport service, who left Beirut towards the end of September and arrived at Auckland by the Niagara last Monday week. Kirkuk, lying about 100 miles to the south-east of Mosul, and 150 miles north of Bagdad, is the present centre of activities being carried on by the Iraq Petroleum Company, which is an international concern, British interests being represented by the AngloPersian Oil Company. Four test wells sunk in the Kirkuk area have proved the existence of a very rich oilfield, Mr Nairn said. The flow of at least one of them is believed to be equivalent to 100,000 gallons a day. It is capped, pending the provision of means of utilising the oil. Before being brought under control it “ran wild” for four days and several lives were lost. A pipe-line' to the Mediterranean coast, costing probably £6,000,000, is under consideration, Mr Nairn said. This indicates the huge' volume of oil w'hich is expected to be produced on the field. The distance between Kirkuk and the coast is about 600 miles. A survey is being made to determine the route of the pipe-line, which might have its seaward terminus at Beirut, in Syria, which the French control, or at Haifa, in Palestine, which is under British protection.