From Papua

Mandated Alluvials

MANDATED ALLUVIALS, NX., has been ad vised from the Chillagoe Smelters that the contents of the first shipment of matte from the mine near Port Moresby, Papua, was 114 oz. gold, 3360 z. silver, and five tons cop per. Mecnanlcal adjustments caused suspen sion of the plant for a short period. The sec ond consignment of matte, which is of a high er grade, has been prepared for shipment.

There have been no metallurgic difficulties.

Borneo Options N.L.

Borneo Options N.L. has decided to exer cise its options over the manganese lease at Kapa Kapa and its gold lease at Astralobe goldfield, Papua. The Company has also ac quired a red oxide lease at Rigo, Papua. Ar rangements are being made to develop these leases at an early date and to dispose of the large tonnage of ore at grass.

Gold Mines Of Papua Ltd.

During May, Gold Mines of Papua, Ltd. treated 1,600 tons of ore, and recovered bul lion and concentrates valued at £1,630. The treatment difficulties experienced are being overcome, and the labour position is gradu allv improving.

Comparison of production shows: — April. May.

Gold £930 £1,630 Crushed, tons 1,375 1,600

Papuan Apinaipi Petroleum Co. Ltd.

Mr. L. Owen, British petroleum geologist, has submitted to the directors of Papuan Api nalpl Petroleum Co. Ltd., of Sydney, a re port of the Aplnaipi dome and surrounding

country, Papua. Mr. Owen advises that the permit area held by the Company contains a number of structures favourable to the col lection and conservation of petroleum, and the greater part of the area justifies the expense of detailed geological investigation. The work accomplished up to the present by the vari ous geologists who have examined the area is almost entirely of a pioneer nature. The whole area is underlaid at varying depths by a mudstone series of strata which is known to be petroliferous in other parts of Papua, although proof of its commercial value is lacking, as none of the drilling so far accom plished has reached the horizon where com mercial oil might be expected to occur. In spite of this incomplete knowledge of the area the Oiapu structure is so excellent that drill ing is justified to a depth of 5,000 ft.

Cuthbert’S Misima Gold Mines Ltd.

Directors of Cuthbert’s Misima Gold Mines Ltd., Misima Island, have declared an interim dividend of 1/ a share, payable June 25.

Transfer books closed on June 17. In 1937, the Company made four distributions, each of 6d a share, equivalent to 20 per cent. The divid end of 1/ to be paid on June 25 is the first declared this year, and will require £15,000.

This will bring the aggregate disbursements to £67,500

Quartz Mountain (Papua) Ltd.

Quartz Mountain (Papua) Ltd., a Dunedin N.Z., gold company which has a considerable area on Mlsima Island. Eastern Papua, after a long period of inactivity, has made a new move. The chairman of directors (Mr. J.

W. Thomson) was in Sydney in June. The recently-appointed engineer-manager (Mr. Don aldson) has taken charge at Misima. and has commenced investigations preparatory to car rying out a new development policy. Neces sary white labour, has been engaged, and min ers left by the “Macdhui” on June 1 to com plete present requirements. By the same ves sel Mr. D. P. Scott, M.A.I.M.M. (who is the Company’s consulting metallurgist and man aging director of Quartz Investments Ltd.), also left Sydney on a visit to Mlsima.

Recent comparative production figures are: Mar. Apr. May.

Treated, tons 2.805 2,656 2,568 Bullion, oz 2,814 2,496 2,397 Gold, fine oz 845 764 738 Silver, fine oz 1,550 1.503 1,537 Estimated value (gold at £A8 OZ. 1 .. . £6,833 £6,184 £6,000 Per ton 48/9 46/7 46/9