WILL OIL FLOW?

Auckland Star, Volume LX, Issue 37, 13 February 1929, Page 10

WILL OIL FLOW?

PROSPECTS AT BLENHEIM

BORE.

FUMES, GAS AND RUMBLES.

STATEMENT BY CHAIRMAN.

(By T>lepn?pb.—Own Corrcspond«lt.)

NEW PLYMOUTH, this day.

A Press representative paid several recent vi-its to the Blenheim bore, and on al! occasion? a similar *tate of affairs existed. Benzine fumes flow constantly from the mouth of the bore, which all the time rumbles with petroleum gas ri>ing rapidly through the water at the bottom. As the plunder ascends the water, mixed with petroleum matter, pours out in violent geyser like bursts driven by pas pressure and pives forth a pungent benzine odour, which at time? is almo>t overpowering. The result; therefore di-dose the presence of oil. Whether it exists in any quantity that will flow up the bore can as yet only be conjectured.

Asked by the Press A>~<>ciation repre-M-ntati\e to make a definite statement regarding the result.- of the operations, tin- chairman of directors (Mr. W. PMartin) is-ued a re]>ort a* follows:— "Oil February 4 when the bore «* uncapped for the purpose of measuring the tlnw. o ii flowed at the rate of 4000 gallons an hour for a period of about.a minute and a-half. The flow then ccasea, due. it i- Mirinised. to whax i- known as a jras lock. Oil has not >ince flowed fro™ the bore. On February > two lengths ol Tin casing wore with<irawn in the hope of inducing oil to How up in-ide the 7;n ca>ing. instead of a~ before between tie "in and loin rasing, because there are means of leading the oil from the roouta of the bore to tanks when it is emerging from between the two t .i-iii2*.

"Investigations showed water and solid matter to have been diiwn r-n-.ne distance up the Tin ea-iiii: bv the of ?•* and ever mikv Kebruar\ .". the drilling out of this debri- ha- beeii p-i"severed WJ« m ciiiijunction with the bailing out * water with the object ••:" lowering ™>. water pie—uiv. Thi-. it i< hoped. *«• result in oil being indu.-.-d u> i\ow np tW Tin casing when it i- r-urticientl.v clear** , The work of drilling ;i;>d bailing is »°* proceeding niyht and day."