FLOW OF OIL

Dominion, Volume 24, Issue 104, 27 January 1931, Page 10

FLOW OF OIL

Blow-out at Moturoa

BLENHEIM BORE Intermittent Eruptions Dominion Special Service. New Plymouth, January 20. Rumblings and violent eruption reminiscent of Rotorua geysers have charged the atmosphere at Moturoa once again with the odour of oil and petroleum gas. Nineteen months’ boring by the Blenheim Oil Wells Reclamation Co., Ltd., resulted in a very satisfactory flow of oil, mud and gas at 9.15 a.m. to-day at a depth of 2177 feet, when a violent gush commenced that 1 lasted intermittently until late this afternoon, when the well was sealed to allow an accumulation.

There was a showing of oil for the best part of an hour this morning, followed by frequent discharges of mud and gas until early this afternoon, when further and more promising volumes of oil flowed. Oil was the mala constituent this afternoon for three or four hours. According to a statement by Mr. W. P. Martin, chairman of directors, this morning’s flow is estimated arbitrarily up to 1000 gallons of oil, while it Is considered that more than 1000 gallons was obtained this afternoon. Two shifts were being worked and good progress had been made in the past fortnight from 2140 to 2177 feet,during which there have been small shows of oil, but no gas. Violent Eruption. The bailing tool was in the bore this morning, but owing to the use of a new blow-out preventer the blow-out was kept under reasonable control. This device consists of a steel cap screwed over the opening, but containing a small aperture allowing the passage of the wire hawser attached to the bailer. Even through that small opening oily slush was spattered high up into the derrick, while the platform round the well was plastered with a thick coating. The first warning of the blowout was a flow of water followed by a slackening of the rope. Despite the fact that the bailer was being raised, the well was closed at the surface in quick time. Cocks were opened diverting the flow from the bore mouth to mud or oil tanks according to the nature of the discharge as it alternated spasmodically. Gushes continued with violence all the morning. After lunch it was decided to remove the long tubular bailer, which necessitated the removal of the cap. That operation was performed only in time. A violent eruption occurred and stones, mud and oil were hurled 80 feet into the air, to subside and recur within twenty minutes with equal force. The cap was replaced, and the discharge directed to the mud or oil pits as occasion required. The company’s experts have advised the capping of. the well for the night to allow an accumulation of -gas pressure to assist in clearing out the bore.

Company Pleased. “We are all very highly pleased with the result so far, and it looks very promising,” said the chairman of directors. The present gush is from the bore commenced in June, 1929. The wall was sunk to a good depth when trouble began in August through losing the drill stem. Three months were spent in vain fishing for the tool, and the drillers side-tracked it by cutting a hole through the casing. The first sign of oil occurred at a depth of 2140 feet, and'small quantities were noticed from that stage onwards, but there was little if any gas until the present stratum was entered. The drillers consider this showing to be a better one than that at the Moturoa bore some few weeks ago. It is expected the bore will clear gradually, and that the oil at that level will flow quite freely. The well is arranged so that it can be controlled at any time. The present bore is a few feet away from the old bore brought in by the late Ritter von Federowica, the Austrian geologist, whose Taranaki activities were disturbed during the war. It is believed that Federowica returned to Austria and was killed on active service.