ERUPTION ATWAIRAKEI

Press, Volume LXXXIX, Issue 26944, 21 January 1953, Page 6

ERUPTION ATWAIRAKEI

GEOTHERMAL BORE SITE DAMAGE DONE TO TIMBERING “The Press” Special Service TAUPO, January 20. An eruption of mud and steam which burst out beside a 1500 ft deep geothermal bore in the Waiora Valley, Wairakei, late last night shot up 20 or 30 feet, ; spreading mud over the area and damaging timbering around the pit where the’ oore has been sunk. No serious damage was done to the heavy drilling rig,- which was still in position over the hole. Men taking temperature tests at the hole when the eruption started about 10 p.m. escaped injury. The outbreak lasted only a short time, ending after water had been pumped down the bore hole.

Mr A. C. L. Fooks, project engineer for the Ministry of Works at the Wairakei geothermal investigations, said that work on the hole was stopped on Friday to enable checks of temperature and pressure to be taken. The outbreak last . jiigbt had occurred about 10 feet from the actual bore and it was not known yet how it was connected with it.

The crater formed by the eruption was 10 feet to 12 feet across and about five feet deep. This and the damage done to the timbering might require the drilling rig to be removed, but it was hoped that the bore hole would not be “lost.”

This bore, nearly 10 inches in .^ e largest put down yet at Wairakei in the quest for steam for a pilot power plant.