Lae Has Minor

At Last!

Lae Has Minor Oil Strike

the second time within five years, oil has been found in Lae, New Guinea, but not, alas, in payable quantities.

A Chinese resident, Mr. Peter Lee, was sinking a well in March when, after going down 18 ft he found what smelt and looked like oil. A sample was analysed by Vacuum Oil Co. and pronounced a mixture of kerosene and dieselene. Already ten 44-gallon drums of the mixture have been taken from the hole. It is presumed that it could be used in oil-burning stoves.

About four years ago another resident, Mr. H. H. Hansen, was digging a hole for a septic tank when he experienced the same thing.

Following heavy rains the oil spread to a depth of 2 inches over his land and killed all vegetation.

A Mr. Woodland, who lives in the same area as the two “oil-wells” recalls that during the war it was the site of a big American oil dump, and that about five years ago about half a million empty drums were removed. He is of the opinion that leakages from tanks and drums have seeped into the ground and formed a large pool of oil on top of normal water level. t The Netherlands Minister of Affairs Overseas, Mr. G.Ph. Holders, will in May pay a visit to Nether lands New Guinea for orientation purposes. The Minister will arive in Hollandia the third week in May and will stay for a month. A dele gation of members of the Nether lands Parliament will visit Nether lands New Guinea in August, 1957.