New Oilfield In Dutch New Guinea

Three Oil Strikes In Vogelkop Peninsula

IT was announced, in this journal, in February, that the first 4,000,000 gallons of crude oil from the new oilfield in Dutch New Guinea had reached the Vacuum Company’s new £1,000,000 refinery at Altona, near Melbourne, in January, and that there thus had been initiated an industry of great importance to the South Pacific. The oil is producing 7( per cent, petrol, 20 per cent, high grade diesel oil, 30 per cent, bitumen and 421 per cent, light and heavy lubricants . . The following article, from the November, 1949, issue of the West Australian Mining Review tells the story of the discovery and development of the new oilfield.

IN 1936, the N. V. Nederlandsche Niew Guinee Petroleum Maatschappij was granted a contract to explore certain areas located in the Netherlands part of New Guinea. Shell has a 40 per cent, in terest in this company.

At that time (1936) the geological knowledge of this territory was still in significant, while reliable topographic maps did not exist. Therefore the pros peeting of the exploration territory was commenced by air-mapping the entire area on a scale 1:40,000. The topographic maps obtained in this manner formed the basis for geologic reconnaissance.

By studying the air-photos stereo scopically, valuable data was furthermore obtained concerning the geological struc ture. Thus it was possible to reduce con siderably the time required for regional geological reconnaissance.

Up to 1939, the territory suitable for surface exploration, had been geologically reconnoitred and a number of structures in the Vogelkop (the western part of the Netherlands New Guinea) had already been detailed to such an extent that locations for wildcats could set out.

A large part of the territory to be ex plored. however, is occupied by extensive swamps and quarternary regions, which could only be explored by geophysical methods. Before World War II a gravi metric reconnaissance of approximately a third of this area had been completed, while seismic reconnaissance had been confined to a few smaller areas in the Vogelkop and in the northern part of Bomberai.

AT the time of the Japanese invasion NNGPM had explored several struc tures in the Vogelkop by means of wildcat drilling. In three of those wild cats, oil was struck—viz., Klamono in the western part, Wasian and Mogai in the eastern part of Vogelkop.

Before the invasion, 14 wells had been drilled in Klamono—a small structure along the Klasafet River, which is navig able for small craft—and eight of these proved to be producing. Due to the ab sence of storage facilities and the diffi culty of shipping the oil via the river, conclusive tests could not be made. The oil was found in a Miocene limestone at approximately 600 ft. depth, under thick strata of marly clay with intercalations of young Miocene marly limestone.

Although the Japanese carried out geological work in this territory they did not do any rifew drilling nor did they create facilities for the transport of crude oil.

At the end of the war the NNGPM re sumed the task of developing the area and —after rebuilding the living accom modation—started to do some more drill ing at Klamono and to construct a con necting road to Sorong, and to lay a pipeline from the Klamono field to Sorong to transport the crude oil to the coast.

In the two other structures, Wasion and Mogoi, the oil was likewise found in the upper part of the Miocene limestone.

Here, however, this limestone was covered by series of marly clay of Pliocene age.

The oil in Wasian and Mogoi was found at approximately 3,000 ft. and 1,200 ft.

acUvmes Iy in activities m tnese structures, however, ?" re i.iP conclusive nature and further tests Will have to be made to estimate the value Of these structures.

The access Of these exploration areas along the tortuous Temboenie River entailed great difficulties, SO that the construction Of a 30-mile load for the further development Of this region was taken in hand.

SORONG (the port on the western coast Of Vogekop peninsular) is now the centre of NNGPM organisation. The construction Of temporary housing accommodation, storage, shops, electric power stations and other facilities has hppn nnshpd ahpad whilp nlanc havp oeen pusnea aneaa, wnne plans nave been drawn up to erect permanent living quarters.

At Klamono and Steenkool (where ex ploration activities are at present being carried out) the improvement of accom modation is also a task of high priority.

To safeguard the health of their em-