21

C—2

The following is a table showing the quantity of quartz crushed and scheelite concentrates obtained for the year ended 31st December, 1919 :—

Certain of the above mines also produced gold as follows: Dominion Consolidated, £4,485; Golden Point, £23; Deep Dell, £3. Petroleum. Oil-boring operations have continued at New Plymouth, Waipatiki, and Chertsey, but in several instances progress has been retarded through the delay in receiving new cables ordered or mishaps to the existing casing. No development of commercial value occurred as the result of oil-prospecting operations, and none of the existing bores yielded oil in payable quantity. Taranaki (New Zealand) Oil-wells (Limited). —In the early part of the year the company dismantled its refinery plant which had been acquired for re-erection in Persia. Operations at No. 5 bore were confined to drilling through some cement which had been placed inside the 8 in. casing to shut off the water, and lo relining the borehole with in. casing. Difficulties were still being experienced with the escaping sand and gas cutting through the inner casing when operations ceased through lack of funds. Early this year advice was received from London that the company had gone into liquidation. Blenheim Oil-wells (Idmited). —Much time was lost during the year in waiting the arrival of drilling-cable from England. In the interval the company lost its staff of expert Galician drillers, who had carried the borehole down successfully from the commencement. The well has now attained a deptli of 5,534 ft., and is penetrating a dark calcareous mudstonc from which ihere are strong gas-emissions. A small flow of petroleum occurs at 2,200 ft., and during the year 7,485 gallons of oil were collected. British Petroleum Development Company. —This new company was formed late in the year to sink a borehole at Patch's farm, which is about seven miles from New Plymouth along the Carrington Road. It is anticipated that oil will be struck at about 2,500 ft., and operations so far have consisted in the erection of a derrick and installing the necessary machinery. Waipatiki Oil-wells ('Limited,). —This company, which acquired the interests at Hawke's Bay of the Kotuku Oil-wells Syndicate, has continued boring operations during the year, but work has been delayed first through the casing breaking and afterwards by the late arrival of a new drilling-cable. There have been strong emissions of gas and a small quantity of oil from this borehole, but so far the formations penetrated have not been such as would contain an extensive oil-pool. The borehole is now down 3,600 ft. Canterbury Petroleum, Prospecting Company. —This company's borehole is still penetrating the alluvial deposits of gravel and conglomerate which form the Canterbury Plains, and has now attained a deptli of 2,140 ft.

Name of Mine or Company. | Reality. *■* Scheelite Concentrates obtained. Value. Marlborough — Dominion Consolidated Comborough — minion Consolidated Con )any Tons, n- Wakamarina .. .. 8,443 Tons. 8,443 Tons. cwt. qr. lb. 21 0 1 0 £ * pany J. M. Cadigan — —j M. Cadigan ,, .. .. Concen' trates Concentrates 11 0 0 0 f750 0 0 Otago and Southland — Glenorchy Company, and eight parties of miners J. It. Tripp C. E. G. Paulin .. Sutherland and Hood Black and McPherson Grant and Sinclair J. J. Hall Callery and Donoghue E. Gaytan Gaytan and Innes Deep Dell Mining Company .. H. Fraser Donaldson and Ellis Cockerell and Randall J. Donaldson A. A. Cockerell J. H. Evans D. Peddie F. A. Smith G. Bertenshaw C. G. White Pukerangi Mining Company .. and Southland — norohyJScheelite Compan) nd eight parties of miners R. Tripp tf. a Punii,, Hi. tf. Taulin . M (lfl 'I Tll-J '1 YMfA l-l /w\/l norland, and. Hood lAr nnrl M.,Pli,,. m ,. ck and McPherson jit and Sinclair .. r 1-r.iii i. Hall .. lery and Donoghue ( 4o \rhan tfaytan.. jt-'A 11 Hull Innou ftan and Innes . . ,,, lb,li Miv,;„„ ru.v, y, Glenorchy, Lake County 271 II 51 20 J) j) • • •• ,, 6 >) si • • .. Macrae's, Waihemo County 20 K R ■ • >! >> « QA .. „ 30 271 20 6 20 5 30 H 4 2 20 1 3 65 4 0 22 2 9 0 21 3 6 3 16 1 3 2 14 2 12 2 18 0 7 0 26 0 5 2 15 5 4 1 15 0 19 2 18 2 1 3 20 0 16 2 24 0 9 0 1 0 3 2 0 2 2 3 2 0 4 1 12 0 15 2 19 0 5 2 10 0 7 0 23 0 16 3 14 0 5 15 0 8 1 21 0 5 2 18 15,146 14 7 572 8 8 740 7 1 278 15 5 563 14 8 86 19 4 64 6 8 1,222 2 3 241 15 10 505 3 0 203 .14 11 103 7 10 43 8 8 469 18 5 47 18 8 177 3 11 61 19 7 74 9 1 196 13 11 65 15 2 98 0 9 63 18 6 sp Hell Mining Company . Fvuaaii •• ... „ 4 if raser . . i i, ! osvn .i iwl li' 11... •• „ 4 laldson and Ilillis .IrOIUlll n„A P„„,l n ll •• ,. ,. 2 ikercll and Randall h m .u.^ .. „ 20 uonaldson •• ,, J A. Uockerell PI lll.rana • • „ „ 3 H. Ilivans p,wi,i;„ * • t> 3? • • Peddie .. A Smllli A. Smith Bertenshaw G. White ■ • ,. ,. io Waipori, Tuapeka County The Reefs, Taieri County 15 10 15 ; 35 terangi Mining Company . ,, ,, 35 Totals, 1919 Totals, 1918 Totals, 1919 .. 8,889; 8,889| 15,098 122 16 143 6 2 26 0 17 21,770 16 11 31,279 0 0 Totals, 1918 .. 15,098 Decrease Decrease 6,208; 6.208J 20 9 1 19 9,508 3 1 t Only 5 tons sold. * Ou' ;put still on hand.