Search For Oil In Papua

Commencement of Drilling at Wana

AUSTRALASIAN Petroleum Company announced in May that drilling has commenced at Wana in the delta area of the Gulf of Papua. 218 miles north-west of Port Moresby.

This marks the completion of pre paratory and development work which has been in progress during the past year.

Work was commenced in January, 1949.

In the low-lying delta area in which Wana is situated, all geological evidence at surface is lacking and the site for the first test of underground conditions and oil possibilities has been based on geo physical evidence. A reconnaissance gravity meter survey of the area was carried out in 1940, but detailed gravity meter and seismic surveys, leading to the final selection of the site, postponed dur ing the war, have only recently been undertaken.

Wana, a year ago, was a small area of low-lying ground, not more than a foot above high water level, surrounded by swamp and densely covered with jungle.

Movement about the area was most diffi cult and hardly a step could be taken without the aid of an axe or without sinking knee deep in mud.

To-day the area has been- cleared of jungle and drained. A wharf has been constructed and a light railway laid to handle equipment and supplies. Twenty houses, ten large huts, a mess and club and two hospitals have been construc ted to accommodate the 30 members of the European staff and 150 native labourers required to operate the drilling outfit and to maintain the area. Service buildings, comprising offices, geological laboratory, workshops, in which all neces sary machine tools have been installed, a power station to provide power and light and stores buildings have also been erected. This preparatory development work has cost £23,000 and equipment in stalled cost £lO,OOO.

A National 50 drilling outfit, capable of drilling from 6,000 to 7,000 feet, depend ing upon the type of formation en countered, and comprising a 140 feet der rick, rig machinery, slush pump engines and much ancillary equipment and cost ing £250,000 to purchase, has been in stalled. Australasian Petroleum Co. ex pects to carry this hole to maximum depths.

APC is now operating in five areas.

Three of these sites, Hohoro, Upoia and Wana are drilling; one site, Malalaua, has completed preparatory development work and rig erection is in progress; and one site, Orloli has commenced the con struction of a 5J mile road.

Shareholders in Australasian Petroleum Company Pty., Limited, are Vacuum Oil Co., Anglo-Iranian Oil Co., and Oil Search Limited.

OTHER progress reported by APC is in respect of: UPOIA; The hole has been deepened 826 feet from 4,272 feet to 5,098 feet.

HOHORO: Depth remains at 4,721 feet.

Conditioning of hole preparatory to run ning 9g inch casing is continuing.

MALALAUA: Rig erection has been continued.

ORLOLI: Jungle clearing of road alignment has commenced.

Mr. B. C. Carpenter, who has been manager of the Suva branch of the Bank of New Zealand for the past two years and nine months, has returned to New Zealand. His successor in Suva is Mr. C. 1). Barford.