Search For Oil

———♦——— Prospects in New Guinea Dr. Woolnough’s Report

From Our Canberra Correspondent CANBERRA, February 14.

THE Minister for Home Affairs, Mr.

Blakeley, has received a voluminous report from Dr. W. G. Woolnough,

Commonwealth Geologist, who recently returned from a trip abroad.

Dr. Woolnough’s mission was to inquire into the most up-to-date methods of prospecting for oil, and most of his time was spent in America. He has returned hopeful that oil will be found in Australia.

So far as Papua and the Mandated Territory of New Guinea are concerned, Dr. Woolnough has never entertained any doubts about the existence of oil there, but one trouble has been that the mud-stone formation of the country, where bores have been put down, has militated against successful work. Possibly better results will be obtained in future.

For a considerable time the Commonwealth Government was financing operations in Papua, which were being jointly conducted by Commonwealth and Anglo-Persian Oil officials, but, owing to the financial stringency, it was compelled some time ago to restrict its operations, and at present they are practically at a standstill.

Generally speaking, it seems more likely that oil will be discovered in payable quantities in Papua or the Mandated Territory before such a discovery is made in Australia. It is said that the Anglo-Persian Company holds this view, and it will be interesting to see what Dr. Woolnough has to say about it in his report. ———