Prospects

New Guinea’s Oil

Result of Matapau Survey

MUCH valuable oil prospecting has been carried out by Oil Search Ltd. in the Matapau district of the New Guinea mainland.

This work was referred to by the chairman of the company (Mr. W. A.

Freeman) at the annual meeting, re cently held in Sydney.

“It is satisfactory,” he said, “to record the excellent work now nearing comple tion on the Matapau area of the Man dated Territory. A detailed Geological Survey of 340 square miles and a Reconnaissance Survey of 150 square miles have produced results referred to by the Government as—to use its own words —the most hopeful contribution towards the discovery of oil in New Guinea which has ever appeared.

“The key to the oil series has been discovered—structures or formations have been located—there is still work to be done before a main drilling act ivity can be recommended. It is best to hasten slowly and to take all the necessary steps to prove the best struc ture on which such work could be un dertaken. That extensive oil seepages have been found to exist in the district, that structures have been located and that the key to the oil series has been discovered, justifies the further work to be undertaken.”

The Matapau area of this company lies to the west of Aitape. near the Dutch boundary.