in N. Guinea

Intense Search for Oil in N. Guinea

11HREE large organisations are now searching for oil in New Guinea — two of them in the Australian ter ritories and one in Dutch territory.

The Anglo-Iranian Oil Co., Ltd., of London and the Standard Vacuum Co.

Pty., Ltd. are operating through Austra lian Petroleum Co. Pty. Ltd., a large pro portion of whose shares are held by the Australian shareholders of Oil Search Ltd.

The paid-up capital of Oil Search Ltd., was £408,000, but a further 400,000 57shares are now being offered to the public.

Operations of APC, at Karaiava, in Central Papua, were resumed in October, 1946, and drilling, which was suspended in 1942, had reached a depth of 5,400 in November.

Independently, the Papuan Apinaipi Petroleum Co., Ltd., is also prospecting and drilling in Central Papua. This com pany has received financial and technical assistance from the Australian Govern ment which will share in profits, if and when they are made.

The Royal Dutch Shell Group has arranged for full-scale exploration of the oil possibilities of Dutch New Guinea. A contract has been awarded to an Ameri can firm for construction of two piers and approximately 62 miles of roads which will give access to drilling areas in dense jungle country.

Advance construction crews are at pres ent assembling at Morotai, which will be used as a base for transshipment of personnel and supplies. Catalina flying boats will be employed to co-ordinate widely scattered parts of the work.