TARANAKI OIL.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1300, 1 December 1911, Page 9

TARANAKI OIL.

AN EXPERT'S OPINION. [By TelezraDh.-SDOcial Corresoondent.) Now Plymouth, November 30. "The finest, oil in tho world," tuid Mr. J. Brown, chairman of directors pi tne British Empire Oilfields, a subsidising companv of Oil Trust, when interviewed bv a reporter. Mr. Brown has come Io N ; cw Plymouth with Mr. C. Carter, chairman of directors of the Taranaki Petroleum Company, whoso interests are acquired bv Mr. Brown'.-, company. Mr. Brown is a geologist and is thoroughly acquainted with all Ihe great oilfields ot the world, and the Oil Trust, Ltd., has interests in India. Trinidad, British Guiana, Newfoundland, Labrador, Canada, Russia, United States (Ohio, Wyoming, Illinois, Texas), Cuba, Egypt, and Galicia, and most groat oilfields of the world, and now have 100 new wells going down in various countries. Speaking of tho purchase of the Taranaki Petroleum Company's interests Mr. Brown said that ono of the conditluns stipulated by Mr. Carter was that a certain number of shares were to bo offered in New Zealand, and the Taranaki Company has the right to take up 55,000 £ shares out. of .£'300,000 worth. Speaking of the oil wells at Moturoa, ho said that if there had been—and it is , known locally that there has been—a flow at the weils'for over two years,, that was prima facie evidence of sufficient pressure below wherever there was oil. The rate of production hero was not as rapid as in some other parts. Ho mentioned a well yielding 120 tons,' or nbout 8W of our 42-gallon barrels, a day, and knew no other well that could run for two years without pumping, as Taranaki weils had done. Ho had studied the New Zealand Government Geologist's reports on this field, and was highly pleasecf. "I would like to put down a well to a depth of 5000 feet," lie said, basing his requirements on his opinion 'gathered from the Geologist's report. 'Ihe finest of the Caucasus field wells were about 3000 ft. d»ep, Galicia 3100 ft., Ohio 3200 ft., and California 4000 ft. The quality of the oil was the richest in the world, and contained 17J per cent, of paraffin wax, and the richest he had ever some across before had in it only from 9j to 10 per cent. The presence of a paraffin base made oil three, perhaps four times, as valuable as it would be without it, for the money lay not in burning oil, but in the by-products. "I suppose," remarked the interviewer, "that you had -analyses made of the oil at Home ?" "Yes." "Did you agree with the analyses made in New Zealand?" "No, they were better. It is the richest oil in tho world. I'd like to get it in some of our ■ oil wells in Russia. But what I am keen on is to get oil in tho colonies because we must have it for the Navy. Tho Admiralty.has committed itself to oil fuel, and is equipping vessels with furnaces to tako oil. What would we do if war broke .out, and we had no oil for tho Navy? We'd bo in a fix. Tho only British possessions where oil is produced in quantity now is in Burmab, although Trinidad is being openT ed up. It is important that we- develop: any oil measures .in„tjie.Dominions.so as to "have oil. siipplics.iit of call." Mr. Brown did not wish to discuss tho Taranaki ftofit further, but mentioned:, that a refinery would be .erected ■■.> probably costing up to .£200,000, the , costdepending on refinery requirements.