C—2

PETROLEUM OIL No prospecting-work for petroleum was carried out in New Zealand during 1947, the only activity in this field being the continuation of small-scale production from the area near New Plymouth previously held under petroleum mining licence by Moturoa Oil Fields, Ltd., and now transferred to New Zealand Oil Refineries, Ltd. Prom three wells in this area 82,307 gallons of crude petroleum oil were obtained during 1947, as against 81,625 gallons during 1946, thus bringing the Dominion's total production of crude petroleum oil up to 31st December, 1947, to 3,666,714 gallons. It is the intention of New Zealand Oil Refineries, Ltd., to drill two additional wells in this area, and the derrick is now in place at the site of the first borehole and drilling-operations will be commenced at an early date. While no extravagant hopes can be held out as to the result of this work and it can add little to our knowledge of the geology of this oil occurrence, it is still of importance if the present production can be maintained and possibly increased thereby. COAL-MINING The annual production of coal since 1930 has been as follows : Year. Tons. Year. Tons. 1930 .. .. 2,542,092 1939 .. .. 2,342,639 1931 .. .. 2,157,756 1940 .. .. 2,516,099 1932 .. .. 1,842,022 1941 .. .. 2,639,507 1933 .. .. 1,821,258 1942 .. .. 2,680,041 1934 .. .. 2,060,315 1943 .. .. 2,787,868 1935 .. .. 2,115,184 1944 .. .. 2,805,970 1936 .. .. 2,140,217 1945 .. .. 2,833,576 1937 .. .. 2,277,799 1946 .. .. 2,793,870 1938 .. .. 2,222,088 1947 .. .. 2,751,725

4

— Yardage. Acreage. Average Depth, in Feet. Men employed. Gold (Ounces). Silver (Ounces). £(N.Z.). Grey River Blackball Creek Arahura Rimu Kanieri Ngahere Snowy River Red Jacks Atarau Marsden Slab Hut Callaghans Austral N.Z. Clutha Rainbow Totals 3,741,732 3,157,000 1,917,013 2,908,000 2,023,690 715,000 554,083 1,337,148 1,425,348 539,050 130,000 3,359,000 2,522,000 Dm 78-352 22-030 26-619 23-441 16-245 24-620 14-000 25-000 33-000 15-190 3-500 44-666 26-500 iges 29-6 35-0 88-8 44-6 76-9 77-2 18-0 22-5 24-5 30-5 22-0 23-0 46-6 78-0 5-0 27 10 42 39 44 26 14 16 12 12 12 9 52 24 2 13,476 300 11,397 9,594 6,775 4,741 3,890 828 2,052 1,872 862 492 8,275 6,761 216 374 390 298 255 26 399 154,738 3,000 122,116 109,577 72,600 49,017 38,256 8,731 21,206 19,282 8,686 4,750 89,132 73,064 2,171 341 71,531 1,742 776,326 Addisons Flat Moonlight Golden Sands Waitahu Round Hill Sundry Totals Grand totals 18,300 Alluvial Mines 7 175 40 20 2 3 3 4 6 176 45 254 257 304 460 1,913 457 2,604 2,413 3,274 4,749 19,730 194 3,233 33,227 112,260 221,984 1,264,377