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The Pamphlet Collection of Sir Robert Stout: Volume 66
Oil Shales
Oil Shales.
Petroleum Oil Shales.—Pyroschist, or bituminous shale, occurs [unclear: to] a small extent in the upper portion of the coal formation. Specimen have been examined from D'Urville Island, in Cook Strait; [unclear: Mongonu] and Waiapu, in Auckland; Kaikorai and Blueskin, in Otago; and [unclear: a] Orepuki, in Southland.
A good variety of oil-producing shale is obtained from the [unclear: Chatham] Islands, but it contains traces of sulphuretted hydrogen.
These shales have been distilled for oil, those from Mongonui and the Chatham Islands producing the following excellent results :—
| Locality. | Centesimal Composition. | Relative Percentage of Volatile Matter. | Relative Percentage of Fixed Carbon. | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Volatile Matters. | Carbon. | Water. | Ash. | Sulphur. | |||
| D'Urvillo Island | 81.79 | 7.98 | .69 | 9.54 | traces | 91.11 | 8.89 |
| Mongonui | 75.20 | 9.30 | 1.80 | 13.70 | traces | 88.99 | 11.01 |
| Chatham Islands | 66.43 | 20.41 | 4.61 | 8.55 | traces | 76.49 | 23.51 |
| Chatham Islands | 64.67 | 19.87 | 7.13 | 8.33 | traces | 76.49 | 23.51 |