QUEST FOR OIL

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXIV, 16 June 1930, Page 3

QUEST FOR OIL

NEW BO UK IN WAITANGI AREA

(By Telegraph—Press Association)

msnOUNE, 13th Jum

Tim management of Tarauaki _ Oilfields announces its intention lo drill « now well in Hie Waifangi area, twetllyfuiir miles north inland from Gisborne. Drilling al Mangaone, known as GisIjorne No. 2, was abandoned on 4th April at 3910 feel, owing to the impossibility of making further progress ngains! adverse conditions, mainly due to caving ground. Meantime the directors have boon considering various prospects, and have agreed to make a further atempt nt Wailangi, where cretaceous sands lie considerably nearer the surface than al Mangaono or Morcro. The she of'(ho new operations, adjacent lo 'that of previous attempts, trace their origin lu strong seepages of oil accompanied by gas on Waitangi hill. Intermittent efforts in the past have been made-In develop an oilfield there. Some shallow shafts and five or six wells have been sunk within an area of less than a square, mile. One well was sunk in 1909 by the, original Gisborne Oil Company, 'and readied 1478 feel, and for a, short period yielded about six barrels of oil a, day from 664 feel. Financial troubles prevented further exploitation. Mr Clapp, the eminent American geologist, selected Waita.ngi hill among the areas most, deserving of a detailed geological investigation with a view to the development of commercial oilfields. The company's geological surveys at .first failed to satisfactorily interpret structural conditions. A further examination recently disclosed a position which is held lo warrant drilling one and possibly two wells with evce.llenl chances of commercial production. The management comments that previous effort," never reached sufficient depth lo tap any important oil horizon. The results of drilling at Waitangi will also indicate whether the Mangaone and Morere domes should he persevered with. A rotary plant recently acquired from the United States will he used in conjunction with internal combustion engines. The announcement closes with the commenl that the directors believe the prospects of winning commercial oil were never brighter, and they had no hesitation in recommending a continuance.