Search for Oil in Papua: Activities of Three Large Companies

tration will permit Mr. Harslett’s services to be retained in the Wau district.

Search For Oil In Papua

Activities of Three Large Companies From Our Own Correspondent PORT MORESBY, Jan. 1.

THE west of Papua, with its port of Daru, has become within the last few months a busy and important place, due to the active enterprise of the three oil companies which recently acquired large prospecting concessions between the Fly and the Vailala rivers, extending from the Gulf, through the Delta, to the Western Division.

Papuan Oil Development Co. Ltd., the first company to get busy, have already a large European staff at their command.

Surveying parties have been despatched by land, sea and air to all points of their concession, which extends from the Fly to the Purari, each with their radio plant.

The company besides operating their vessels, the Palma, Angas, and Midas, are expecting another shortly for work in western waters.

Recent additions to the staff include a surveyor and a radio engineer who arrived by the Montoro on December 11; and Messrs. P. D. Radcliffe, A. H. Baldwin, and V. W. Maxwell, who have had many years of experience in the Papuan bush. The latter are to supervise native labour, and general transport work.

By the Shell Company’s vessel Pinna, the company received on December 20, 900 drums and 300 cases of diesel fuel for the use of their ships—one of the largest cargoes of fuel to enter the port for many years. For future consignments, it is understood the Papuan Government are improving the Daru jetty, to enable the handling of cargo at that port, Mr. E. M, Bland, general manager of P.O.D’s operations in the Territory is at present in the capital, and his company’s head office has been established in Douglas Street, Port Moresby.

Island Explorations Pty. Ltd., also operating from Daru, have already a number of Europeans at work. The company has chartered the vessel Veimauri for use in connection with work up the Fly river, which lies to the north of the Papuan Oil Development Co.’s concession, and further east, to the Vailala river.

Oriomo Oil Co. Ltd. are busy at their bage camp at Kikori, and their staff of Europeans are daily extending their operations. Transport is being carried out by means of the Olive, imported to the Territory for the company’s enterprise.

That oil exists in Papua in commercial quantities has been considered a possibility for many long years, and several attempts have been made to find it on quite an extensive scale —but never before on a scale approaching the present activities. It is ardently hoped that these activities will soon be rewarded with the success they deserve.

The late Sir Edward David in an article on “The Imperial Geo-physical Experimental Survey” in the Journal of the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research for May, 1931, referring to the “vast alluvial plains of the Fly River and other rivers in Papua,” stated emphatically: “There can be little doubt that