Search For Oil

Companies in Papua and New Guinea

THERE is a considerable revival of inter est in oil prospecting in Papua.

Of the three companies which received exclusive permits one, Oriomo Oil, Limited, a member of the Oil Search Limited group, is purely Australian. It has rights over 12,000 square miles.

Papua Oil Development Company Limit ed, which has been granted a permit over 20,000 square miles, has recently been re gistered in Port Moresby. This inde pendent company has a close relationship with the Shell group and confoxms to the provisions of the ordinance which require that at least two-thirds of the shares issued by a company or corporation holding such permits must be held by natui’al-born, or natux-alised British subjects.

The third concessionaire is Island Ex plorations Pty. Limited, which also re ceived a permit over 20,000 square miles.

This company was recently incorporated in Victoria under the auspices of the Vacuum Oil Company.

Search In Papua

Ox'iomo Oil Limited is ah’eady known in a general way to the public. The permit issued to that company is to be worked by Oil Search Limited.

A fully equipped geological survey party left for the area by the Macdhui on Sep tember 30 last and arrived in Port Moresby on October 8. The leader is Mr. J. N.

Montgomery who, for the last two years, has been in charge of field opei’ations in the Mandated Territory for Oil Seai'ch Ltd.

Mr. Montgomery was formexiy Geolo

gist-in-Charge of exploitation to the Anglo-Persian Oil Company Limited, in Persia, and previously with the Anglo- Persian Oil Company Limited engaged in the search for oil in Papua and New Guinea on behalf of the Commonwealth Government.

The party has now left Port Moresby for Kikori on the auxiliary yawl Olive, 46 tons gross, which sailed from Sydney on Octo ber 9. This vessel, specially fitted by Oil Search Ltd., to serve as a geological base, was manned by four men to take it to Port Moresby, where a native crew has been put on board.

The second contingent of geologists for Oil Search Ltd., will leave for the field by the Van Rees on December 19.

The programme being carried out by Oil Search Ltd., in the Mandated Territory, over a long period, and which is in charge of Mr. G. A. V. Stanley, is now far ad vanced. It is expected that a drilling re comendation will be forthcoming before long. •

Operations In New Guinea

Mr. E. L. Walter, managing director of Oil Search Limited, writes to the editor as follows: — “In your issue of September last, and under the heading of ‘A New Company to Take Over Enterprise of New Guinea’ it was mentioned that a large British oil company, it is understood, has been pro specting for oil in New Guinea and Papua for almost nine years, and has spent be tween £300,000 and £400,000.

“My company has been conducting geo logical surveys over a large area for a number of years. In fact, it has main tained a continuity of work since the date when the geologists of the Anglo-Persian Oil Company Limited were withdrawn in 1929. No other company has been con ducting similar work during the last six years.”

Tongan Government Medical Department’s Staff. Dr. L. J. Forman Bull (who has just announced his retirement from the position of Chief Medical Officer) is seated in the centre, with Sister Buxton on his right. —Photo.: August Hettig.