TARANAKI OILFIELDS

Greymouth Evening Star, 7 May 1931, Page 5

TARANAKI OILFIELDS

HRQMISING DEVELOPMENT [FEB PRESS ASSOCIATION.]

NEW PLYMOUTH, May 6. Stated to be the besst since oil commenced to on April 20', a strong blow-out oqcprred' at" No. 2 well ; torday ’ during swabbing tions. siffie 'pressure' rose to that'stuae -the oil spot up oyer'the top of the several f .times the valvpp' sere cjp&efi, l&p was directed into 'the fltjirflge tflgkfl. There’ a steady flow to? an <hpUr or more. Mr. ‘R. H. Launder, said that No. 2 well was probably tjie first in‘ New .to have brought in under control. The gas ,presspre was held on the reservoir, instead of being allowed to blow wild. This had the effect of curtailing the initial production, but it had proved the correct course. For a week it was necessary to swab the well to induce tlm oil to flow, but latterly there had b?en an increased tendency to self-flow. Ths policy of the directors had been to swali about ten barrels a day. The flow had been at a daily average o£ 32 barrels, each of 35 gallons; for the 16 days the well had been flowing. The amount in storage since the well commenced to flow on April 20 was lp,ooo gallons. CONCEITED AUSSIES? CAUSES OF FAILURE. (Received May. 7, 11 a.m.) CANBERRA, May 7. In a statement dealing with the search for oil in Australia, the geological adviser to the Commonwealth, Doctor Woolnough, says that there are good reasons for the failure of the Australian oil search, of which American interference, if it exists at all, is of microscopic importance. “We in Australia are so self-satisfied, that we are adverse to learning from anybody. We are so nationally vain, that we tend to sit round talking of our vast potentialities instead ot learning about other countries, and what they have to teach us. As soon as. we are willing to adopt Ameiican methods, so soon will oil be discovered in Australia.”