TARANAKI PETROLEUM.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLIV, Issue 13612, 4 December 1907, Page 7

TARANAKI PETROLEUM.

[BY TELEGH \PH.—-OWN COr.RSSPONDENT.]

New Plymouth, Tuesday. The developments at the Birthday well of the Taranaki Petroleum Company are more; promising than ever. During the past week there have- been several blow-outs. The pressure of gas is tremendous, and the explosion that occurred on Saturday was far more violent than generally supposed., The bore. wan left open op. Friday night,, and up to 10 o'clock on Saturday morning continued to show signs of activity. At 10.30 the big blow-out occurred, and for at considerable time water, oil, and silt were forced high above the derrick. This activity has recurred at intervals since Saturday. On Monday afternoon a number of the directors visited the bore. The outllow of gas is estimated at between 75,000 and 100,000 cubic feet for the 24 hours., The oil indications have improved with] each blow-out, of which there were several, during the time the visitors were present. The indications were looked upon a? the, most promising in the history of the company. An expert of many years' standing,, who had sunk several wells in the oilfields of tb<* United States, expressed the opinion! that the gas now showing was coming from a big head of oil. , Mr. Simpson, the. manager, said the indications bore out his theory.