AN OIL FIELD

Northern Advocate, 1 December 1921, Page 4

AN OIL FIELD

REPORT BY THE GEOLOGISTS.

1 ' Enough work has been done to indicate that the Gisborne-East Cape district probably contains an oilfield," states the annual report of the Geological Survey. "It is not necessary here to lenlarge on the present world-wide importance bf oilfieltLs; suffice it to say that the .development of an. oilfield in the Gisborne-East Cape district would make New Zealand the commerical and naval centre of the Pacific and give a stimulus to the progress of the Dominion. Urgent work remains yet to be done. The oil-belt must be followed and mapped wberevter it appears. The more promising parts of the oil-bolt must be mapped in great detail. In particular it is necessary tQ 'walk out* the structure and boundaries in the complicated areas. *•' Before the white man came to New Zealand inflammable gas in the Gis-borne-East Cape district was known to .the Maoris, who gave to conspicuous I vents the names Te Ahi-o-te-Atua and Te Hau-o-te-Atua. After the discovery and development of the Pennsylvanian oilfields, about 1860, Europeans became actively interested in these phenomena. More gas springs and oil-seepages were discovered; and from .these occurrences, similar to those.of known oilfields, people quickly concluded that here, too, was an oilfield. Several companies attempted to tap the 'oil-pool' by digging pits and sinking bores near the seepages. Up to the present time the same method has been used. Gas and oil in small quantity have been obtained in several localities.

"The small production has disappointed those who thought they had only to make a hole near the seepage to jget into the 'oil-pool'; but, geologically considered, the obtaining of small quantities of oil and gas in such unfavourable localities as fault-pug zones is decidedly favourable. The operators, however, attempted ,to get oil without giving any heed to the geology at all; and at the present time the genenl geology of only a small part of the field is known, while no part has been done |:n the detail required an modern oilj work. But further haphazard ventures are not to be regarded as part of the systematic investigation of the field; for failures duo to misguided effort have been taken, and are apt to be again ■taken, as indicating that there is no oil in the field. The steps in the work must be—first, geological examination an-l mapping of the whole possible oil-coua-try, to mark out the more promising parts of the field; second, detailed examination and close mapping of the promising parts; third, structure-con-tour mapping and location of bore sites; fourth, actual drilling." The report contains much technical detail regarding the geological structure of the Gisborne-East Cape district.