Petrel 1 still bubbling
(N. Z.P.A. -Reuter—Copyright? DARWIN, Nov. 22. The Petrel No. 1 well in the Joseph Bonaparte Gulf 140 miles east of Darwin is still bubbling natural gas despite a costly attempt to plug it. Although a relief well, Petrel No. IA, has so far failed to seal the gas escape, it has extinguished the fire which had been blazing in the well for 15 months, since drillers struck natural gas on August 6, 1969. Troubleshooter Mr Coots Matthews, a member of the Paul (Red) Adair team supervised the initial stages of the plugging last week. He has since returned to Houston, .Texas. To date, the two Petrel wells have cost the FrancoAmerican joint venture by French Acquitane and Atlantic Richfield Oil Company of Texas (A.R.C.0.) an esti-
mated s2om. Plugging operations were halted at the week-end when the drill became jammed in cement and mud in the casing of the well. Oil company officials said they planned to send men 320 ft to the sea bed in a diving bell soon to try to free the drill.
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Bibliographic details
Press, Volume CX, Issue 32461, 23 November 1970, Page 20
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180Petrel 1 still bubbling Press, Volume CX, Issue 32461, 23 November 1970, Page 20
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