"Oil" on Flinders Island

Abstract

A survey has been made of the alleged occurrence of petroleum on Flinders Island, Bass Strait. An investigation of the material purporting to be petroliferous, has shown it to be a curious comminuted organic mass of plant detritus, apparently formed under unusual conditions. The paludine "oil", and that produced by pyrolysis of the semipeat, is not related to mineral oil in any way. It is, on the contrary, a resinous, viscid decomposition product, composed of phenols, waxy esters, resins and an indefinite variety of organic residuals, to which the name plant adipocere might well be applied.