P-Ng Oil Search
pp. 83-84 · Read in the full issue
Lore Experts For
L NOTHER phase in the search for oil *■ in Papua-New Guinea will commence mid-December with the arrival of a am of Canadian experts and a Canso ktalina flying-boat which will undertake magnetic survey of 35,000 square miles country between the Gulf of Papua d the Dutch border, for Australasian troleum Co. Pty., Ltd., and Island ploration Co. Pty., Ltd.
Whether this is the final phase or not anyone’s guess. The companies now ve spent 16 years searching for oil in ! NG Territories and must have by now ;nt almost £10,000,000 in so doing— far without any concrete evidence of ; existence of commercial quantities of t is hoped that the latest project will rrow down the costly work now being lertaken by the three seismic parties raged in the area. n all, seven test-wells have been put rn in Papua—and together they have resented about 11 miles of drilling into earth. At every drilling site, usually the most difficult swamp and jungle ntry, wharves, roads, stores, work ps, houses, electrical and water 'Plies have to be built. In addition, companies must maintain a fleet of ps to carry stores and labour and an service to transport urgent equipment
and personnel. A staff of over 300 Europeans is employed and a native labour force of 2,000 natives.
The discovery of a big oilfield would not only be of inestimable benefit to Aus tralia and the whole South Pacific, but it would solve most of the Territory’s financial troubles: The Administration would receive 10 per cent, of the well head value of all oil produced. If the companies concerned finally conclude that there is no commercial oil in the Terri tory and withdraw, the depressing effect
on local economy can hardly be exaggerated.
No effort is spared and no scientific aid is being overlooked in proving or eliminating the possibility of commercial quantities of oil in P-NG.
The Rev. W. G. Murphy, of the
LMS Church, Rarotonga, Cook
Islands, passed through Auckland in
early November en route to England
on vacation.
Operation Santa Claus
Qantas Empire Airways services in December will carry over 600 children to 10 different countries so that they may spend the Christmas vacation with their parents. The children will travel at half fares and
over 350 of them are Papua-New Guinea-bound.
Others are booked for Darwin, Indonesia, Singapore, Colombo, India, New Caledonia, Fiji, New Hebrides, Hongkong and Manila. Special foods books and games will be carried on the various flights.