OIL IN QUEENSLAND

Evening Star, Issue 20655, 1 December 1930, Page 8

OIL IN QUEENSLAND

INDICATIONS AT ROMA TEST YIELDS PURE PRODUCT Considerable excitement was caused in Queensland recently by the recovery of ferty-fivo gallons of pure crude oil from the Roma Blocks Oil Company’s well, eight miles from the town ot Roma. The oil was free from water and foreign substances and was of a light brownish colour. A quantity ol it, just as it came from the well, was used for fuel in a small oil engine, which ran smoothly for two and a-halt hours. The Queensland Government has made _ arrangements for geologists to visit the well and report on the discovery. The oil was discovered during bailing operations at tho well on October ‘27, according to Brisbane newspapers. Officials were conducting what is officially known as a water shut-oIT test. Cementing operations had been carried out some time previously, and on October 24 the cement plug was drilled out to tho bottom of tho hole, and tho fluid in tho well lowered to tho 2,000 ft mark. On tho morning of. October 27 the bailor was run in the presence of an officer of the Queensland Mines Department, and it was found that the level of the fluid in the well had risen by 100 ft. Tho bails’ 1 had just touched the top of the fluid, but when it was withdrawn it was found to contain pure crude oil. Tho bailer was again’ inserted and was brought up full of oil. Bailing then ceased, as it was deemed advisable that a gate valve should be connected to tho well for safety.

It was stated that no water was entering tho well while the test was being carried out and officials construed tho rise of 100 ft in the level of the fluid in tho well as proof that quantity of oil was present. The oil had made its way to the suifaco through 1,400 ft of heavy mud fluid, equivalent to 6201 b hydrostatic pressure As this pressure would / hinder tho oil from entering the hole freely, it was considered that prospects were excellent. The site of operations, according to tho ‘ Brisbane Courier,’ was selected by Mr H. W. G. Kidd, who carried out a’ geological survey in 1928, and the well was “ spudded in ” on March 2b, 1929. A long delay in the completion of tho well was caused by a serious shortage of water. The sand from which the oil was recovered was entered at approximately 3,440 ft. Previously 25ft of_ hard rock had been encountered and then the drjll passed through 6ft of soft sand. Tho core barrel was run and about 18in of extremely loose porous oil sand was recovered, saturated with oil of n high gravity. Commenting on tho discovery, Mr K. A. Atherton, Minister of Mines, in the Queensland Government, said that a core of sandstone, from 3.445 ft to 3,447 ft, raised last June, had been submitted to the deputy-chjef geologist. It was faintly odorous of petroleum, gave a definite colouration to ether, and was promising to that extent. While welcoming the present discovery, ho deprecated undue optimism as to its commercial significance.