OIL WELL SITES

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVII, Issue 20208, 29 March 1940, Page 4

OIL WELL SITES

FURTHER SELECTIONS COMPANY’S ACTIVITIES BORING AT MORERE CONCLUSIVE TEST SOUGHT Following upon geological and geophysical surveys extending over 20 months in the Taranaki Province on the west, side of the North Island, several structures —areas in which petroleum might be expected to accumulate —have been located, states a buiieUu issued by in-' _ .eumi,,. Petroleum Company, Limited. One of these structures, the existence of which has been disclosed by the employment of seismograph methods of survey, has been selected for a drilling test. This structure is located at Midhirst, a town on the main railway lir.e connecting New Plymouth with Wellington. The actual drilling site is three-quarters of a mile north-west of the town and incidentally 19 miles as the crow flies from Moturoa, where two wells continue to flow nine or 10 barrels of oil per day. A heavy drilling plant powered by Diesel engines has been imported from California to drill this Midhirst and other tests. This plant is being assembled now at the site, and it is -expected that drilling will commence !ri the latter part of May. The plant is capable of drilling to a depth exceeding 10.000 ft. and, following upon the penetration of the superficial sheet of volcanic ash which completely covers the sedimentary rocks in this locality as it docs at Moturoa, a good rate of drilling is anticipated.

On the east side of the North Island the company is sinking its second test well at Morere within one mile of the northern shore-line of Hawke’s Bay. The heavy plant formerly employed at Totangi is being used, and the well, which was started on February 12, had been sunk to 1090 ft. on March 26, the first string of llfijin. casing having been run and cemented at 250 ft. All preparations have been made for a deep and, as nearly as possible, conclusive test at Morere. While these two wells are being drilled, the geological and geophysical surveys will be continued in order that further selected sites for test drilling with these plants may be immediately available and prepared to receive the plants when the present wells have been completed. The total of the licensed areas held by the company approximates 5112 square miles.