324 Transactions. — Geology. 



is produced from the destructive distillation of coal, another 

 that it is derived from the animal remains collected at the 

 bottom of seas ; whilst latterly a chemist has put forth the 

 theory that oil is purely a mineral product, that it is due to 

 the action of water on masses of carburets of metal, chiefly 

 iron, at high temperatures far down in the earth, and that its 

 production is going on day by day. 



It is well known, however, that oil is found in the tertiary 

 rocks in close connection with lines of volcanic phenomena. 

 In the oil-region of Burma mud-volcanoes and hot springs are 

 met with in close proximity to the oil, and it is certain that 

 similar phenomena have been seen to the south of the 

 Caucasus, between Baku and Tiflis, since the days of Marco 

 Polo, who in his book of travel refers to a well of flowing oil 

 suitable for use as lamp-oil. 



Now, there are hot springs and mud-cones within the 

 limits of the oil-wells of the east coast district ; and, although 

 these may probably exist in the absence of an oil-field, they 

 still form what may be termed very favourable indications as 

 far as the district under notice is concerned. But the indica- 

 tions grow in importance in face of the fact that oil has been 

 struck ; and the time may not be distant when the position of 

 hot springs, salt springs, and mud-cones may become of com- 

 mercial importance, for the reason that wherever the salt 

 springs and mud-cones are found the rocks are identical with 

 those whei-e the oil-wells are situated. It is true that the coun- 

 try north of the Mahia Peninsula is rough and broken in places, 

 and great flexures are to be met with on the coast to the north 

 of Poverty Bay ; but I see no reason why oil should not exist 

 in basins as in the case of artesian wells, and flow^ accordingly. 

 I am aware that flowing oil-wells are supposed to be due not 

 to hydrostatic pressure, like an artesian well, but rather to the 

 elastic force of the gas (carburetted hydrogen) which accom- 

 panies the oil in the majority of the wells ; but this does not 

 appear to be essential in the case of all flowing wells, and it 

 is clear that some flowing wells must be due to hydrostatic 

 pressm-e. 



The east coast oil-district is surrounded by enormous beds 

 of porous fossiliferous sandstones, which trough under Poverty 

 Bay and underlie all the younger tertiaries, and it may be 

 that these sandstones are the oil-bearing rocks of the district. 

 At present, however, the data available are not sufficient to 

 affirm with any degree of certainty either the character of 

 the oil-beds or the actual e-xistence of a payable oil-field ; 

 but, still, the prospects are encouraging and are worthy of 

 careful attention even from a geological standpoint. The 

 Minerva w^ell is now within 300ft. of the oil-bearing strata, 

 and another well is being put down at the point where the 



/ 



