H.—348.

1933. NEW ZEALAND.

PRODUCTION OF OIL IN NEW ZEALAND. STATEMENT BY THE MINISTER OF SCIENTIFIC AND INDUSTRIAL RESEARCH (RIGHT HON. G. W. FORBES).

Laid on the Table of the House of Representatives by Leave.

Arising from their high calorific value, and the ease and high efficiency of their conversion into power, fuel nils have, during t be last (hirty years, become of great importance to all countries, and particularly owing to the development of motor-car industry. The following tables show world petrol production and consumption in 1931 : — Production. Millions of Barrels Percentage of (1 Barrel = World 35 Imperial Production. Gallons). United States .. .. .. .. .. .. 441-3 78-6 Russia.. .. .. .. .. .. .. 19-8 3-5 Dutch West Indies .. .. .. .. .. 16-5 2-9 Canada .. .. .. .. .. .. 13-0 2-3 Dutch East Indies .'. .. .. .. .. 13-0 2-3 Roumania .. .. .. .. .. .. 12-1 2-2 Persia .. .. .. .. .. .. 10-5 1-9 United Kingdom .. .. .. .. ..5-3 0-9 Mexico .. .. .. .. .. ..4-2 0-8 Argentina .. .. .. .. .. ..3-8 0-7 Others.. .. .. .. .. .. .. 21-8 3-9 561-3 100-0 The annual production of crude oil throughout the world is of the order of 180 million tons, of which loss than 20 million tons are consumed as bunkers at sea. The world's annual production of coal is much greater, and in 1932 amounted to over 1,000 million tons. Consumption (1931). Millions of Percentage of Barrels. World Production. United States .. .. .. .. .. .. 405-1 72-9 United Kingdom .. .. .. .. .. 28-2 5-1 France .. .. .. .. .. ..19-1 3-4 Canada .. .. .. .. .. .. 15-8 2-8 Germany .. .. .. .. .. .. 14-0 2-5 Australia .. .. .. .. .. .. 6-0 1-1 Russia.. .. .. .. .. .. .. 5-4 1-0 Argentina .. .. .. .. .. .. 5-4 1-0 Japan .. .. .. .. .. .. 5-1 0-9 Italy .. .. .. .. .. .. ..3-5 0-6 New Zealand .. .. .. .. .. .. 1-7 0-3 Others.. .. .. .. .. .. .. 46-3 8-4 555-8 100-0