Papua
p. 12 · Read in the full issue
New Town In
Springing up on Site of Great New Oil Bore
From Our Own Correspondent
Port Moresby, Jan. 24.
THE exact position of the great bore which is planned by Australian Petroleum Company, in its attempt to locate payable oil, has not ’ been made public; but it evidently lies somewhere between the Vailala and Purari Rivers, on the Gulf of Papua, and probably 40 or 50 miles inland.
Hundreds of tons of heavy machinery are now being transported to the site from Port Moresby, in vessels of shallow draft. In order to cross the mouths of the rivers, they may not have a draft of more than 5 or 6 feet.
It is understood that when the work of putting down the bore actually com mences, a few months hence, there will be a new township created, consisting of at least 50 Europeans and several hundred native labourers.
The result of this great bore will be awaited everywhere with much interest.
It represents the culmination of years of work, and of colossal expenditure on preliminary surveys and examinations.
The other company putting down a bore in Papua—the small Papuan Api naipi Petroleum Co. —has received £2776 in Federal Government subsidies, and will continue to receive grants from the £50,000 still remaining in the fund.