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Taranaki Oilfields, Ltd.— -Waiapu No. 2 well, Tokomaru Bay, has been drilled to a depth of 2.908 ft., the ground penetrated consisting almost entirely of shale :8$ in. casing being run ; it has not yet boon set. Gisborne No. 1 well, Morere, has reached a depth of 2,140 ft. in alternating beds of sandstone and shale ; samples of sand between 2,000 ft. and 2,050 ft. on being treated with chloroform showed traces of oil, and there was a show of gas between 2,060 ft. and 2,065 ft.; 15$ in. casing was run to 360 ft., and 12$ in. to 650 ft. ; 10 in. casing was set in cement at 1,500 ft., and since the close of the year 8i in. casing has been set at a depth of 2,254 ft. Gisborne No. 2 well: Just before the close of the year under review preparations were put in hand for the drilling of a structure situated about seven miles due west and about one mile north from Gisborne No. 1 well, in the Manganone Valley, the site was levelled and tho collar dug ; a short length of road was also constructed from tho Manganone Road into the well-site. The following is the quantity of oil collected from the wells at Moturoa, New Plymouth: No. 2 well, 120 gallons ; No. 3 well, 200 gallons ; No. 5 well, 720 gallons : total, 1,040 gallons. Whangamomona.—A syndicate represented by Mr. Ewen McGregor, acting on the advice of Mr. J. A. Spencer, who reported favourably on this property, have with a well-drilling plant drilled a hole to a depth of 531 ft. m search of oil on Mr. J. Anderson's property, situated about a mile and a half north-west of Whangamotnona Township. SULTODK. While Islands Products, Ltd.—A comprehensive underground survey of the orator area known as tho Outer Flat was made by means of prospecting-bores averaging 180 ft. in depth. The deepest being sunk to 356 ft., a total of twentyseven bores were sunk from the 18th June to the end of the year. Other prospecting-works by means of pits were also carried out. The two tram-lines to tho Troup Head quarry have been lowered to bring the new lovel 6 ft. lower than the former quarry-floor, in order to gain access to high-grade sulphur-ore ; 5 chains of cutting was necessary. The quarry was also cleaned up of rocks, and approximately 300 yards of clay and rubble overburden stripped from above tho working-face. Approximately 60 tons of sulphur were taken from the pits and dumped ready for picking up for grading purposes ; 20 chains of tramway was laid across the Outer Flat to a dump of medium-grade sulphur at Shark Bay. Construction work included the completing of tho loading-buttress and slipway at Crater Bay ; also alterations and additions to camp buildings. Small shipments of guano from the camp, and of oxide-bearing material from the crater were made for experimental purposes. The following is a statoment showing the quantity and value of sulphur obtained at White Island during the year: Sold—9oo tons No. 1 product, containing 33 per cent, sulphur, valued at £3 10s. per ton ; total valuo, £3,150. Excavated and at dump—4oo tons crude oro, containing 33 per cent, sulphur ; 50 tons crude ore, containing 80 per cent, sulphur; estimated value, £225. Accidents. One serious accident occurred during the year. On tho 18th June a miner named Ernest Bright, employed in the Waihi Mine, had four fingers of his left hand blown off. Bright and another man, named George Bates, wore engaged driving a crosscut from tho main level to intersect the Hope reef, and had bored out the face, which took fifteen holos. Tho " cut," consisting of four holes, was fired first, but did not do its work. Tho men returned to the face and again charged throe of these holes. When they were ready to fire, Bright went towards No. 6 shaft to warn any one coming that way, and Bates wont in the other direction. Bates thought ho heard three reports, and had just reachod the face with, the oxplosives to charge the remaining holes when ho heard an explosion in tho direction in which Bright had gone, and shortly after heard him call out, " I have blown my hand off." He went to his assistance, and found him about 90 ft. down the main drive, but from the blood-stains it is evident that the detonator exploded 200 ft. from the crosscut. Bright states that when he was on his way to a placo of safety from the shots ho found a detonator on tho side of the level, and was carrying it in his left hand when it exploded. He positively asserted that the candle ho was carrying in his right hand never came in contact with the detonator, nor did the hand in which he was carrying the detonator touch the side of the drive, and his version is that tho explosion was due to the heat of his hand. In my opinion it was due to somo other cause ; the most likely being that Bright unconsciously allowod tho detonator to come in contact with the candle or struck it on the side of the drive. I might add that Bright is an old and experienced miner. WEST COAST INSPECTION DISTRICT (J. P. Downey, Inspector of Mines). Quartz-mining. Marlborough District. Dominion Consolidated Mine.—Aitm- being idle for somo months, following tho death of Mr. T. Harrison, tho managor, who was accidentally killed in No. 1 lovel, Golden Bar soction, in December, 1926, work was resumed about the middle of tho year. A crosscut was run out east from the north end of No. 2 Golden Bar adit to a distanco of 39 ft., and at 33 ft. a roef 4 ft. wide was met with. This reef was driven on north and south. In the northerly direction tho roof narrowed to 1 ft. in width at 6 ft. in, and at 12 ft. disappeared altogether, leaving only a pug track, in which a little quartz was mixed. In a southerly direction the reef also petered out in about 16 ft. of driving. This reef soemed to bo identical with the hanging-wall reef in No. 1 level. The main No. 2 level was then driven north a further 27 ft., making a total of 752 ft. from tho entrance crosscut. At 745 ft. tho foot-wall reef, which had been lost sight of for the previous 30 ft., camo into the drive, but such quartz as there was occurred only in stringers or vomlets. A nso was then put up to connect with No. 1 adit, and in this the solid stone was mot with about 70 ft. up from No. 2 level. These workings show that the fairly long run of solid reef located on the north end of No. 1 lovol does not live down, and that tho reef passes in depth into merely silicitied country in the same way as it does on both ends of the property. Somo 800 tons of stone, taken partly from the rise referred to and partly from tho old stopes, was crushed during tho year for a return of 140 oz. 8 dwt. gold, equal to only a little over 3 dwt. per ton. Reefton District. Blackwater Mine.—During the year an avorage of 190 men was employed, but tho results, both in development footage and yield of gold, were somewhat short of the previous annual period. In all, 1,757$ ft. of development work was done, of which 1,324 ft. was on reef averaging 14-34 dwt. over 32 in. Of the total footago on reef, 1,181 ft. on payable stono avoraged 15-14 dwt. over 33-7 in., and 143 ft. on unpayablo reef averaged 3-63 dwt. ovor 20 m., the remaining 433$ ft. being off roef. The following are the details of the work : No. 6 level advanced 156 ft. north, 77 ft, averaging 12 dwt. over 25-7 in. ; No. 7 level advanced north 118 ft., of which 84$ ft. were on reef averaging 19-45 dwt. ovor 29-6 in.; No. 7 level north, south branch, driven 4$ ft. off reef ; No. 7 level intermediate from rise 1,580 ft., driven 6 ft. on stono averaging 19-5 dwt. over 24 in.; No. 7 level intermediate from rise 1,800 ft. north dnvon 5 ft. on stono avoraging 15-5 dwt. over 20 in.; No. 8 level advancod 394 ft., of which 225 ft. was on reef averaging 12-29 dwt. over 45-8 in. ; No, 8 lovel north, south branch, driven 38$ ft. on stono averaging 6-32 dwt. ovor 41 in. ; No. 9 lovel north advanced 329$ ft., of which 308 ft. on stone averaging 15-24 dwt. over 25-5 in. The following rising was dono : No. 7 level, rise 1,800 ft. north, extended 11$ ft. on stone averaging 18-12 dwt. over 3,4 in.; No. 7 level north, 2,000 ft. rise, extended 73A ft., of which 69 ft. was on stone averaging 17-4 dwt. over 32-5 in.; No. 8 level, rise 2,010 ft. north, extended 65 ft. on stone avoraging 14-0 dwt. over 46 in.; No. 9 level, riso 1,580 ft. north, oxtended 85 ft., of which 75 ft. on stone averaging 15-7 dwt. over 21 in.; No. 9 level, rise 1,780 ft. north, extended 67 ft. on stone averaging 13-'' dwt over 30 in.; No. 10 level, rise 1,080 ft. north, extended 81 ft. on stone averaging 3-22 dwt. over 20 in. Tho winzing carried out was : No. 6 level, winze 1,800 ft. north, sunk 9$ ft. on reef averaging 161 dwt. over 33 in. ; No. 6 level, winze 2,000 ft. north, sunk 75$ ft., of which 67$ ft. was on reef averaging 17 dwt. over 25 in.; No. 7 level, winze 2,010 ft. north, sunk 83-5 ft. on stone averaging 17-1 dwt. over 43 in.; No. 8 levol, winze 1,580 ft. north, sunk 56$ ft.