OILFIELDS BLOWOUT.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVII, Issue 20626, 26 July 1930, Page 12

OILFIELDS BLOWOUT.

STARTLING DISTURBANCE.

EXTENSIVE DAMAGE DONE.

WORKERS' NARROW ESCAPE

WELL AT NEW PLYMOUTH

[BY TELEGTIAI'H.—OWN COHHESVONDENT.'J NEW PLYMOUTH, Friday. With a terrific roar and without (lie slightest warning the Moturoa Oilfields, Liinited's No. 1 bore blew out Hi is morning causing damage to the drilling gear that will delay operations for some days. For a quarter of an hour great gushes of mud blew out. of tlie hole, covering the derrick completely and spreading before a strong breeze over a wide area for a distance of 60 yards from the plant. Then followed a strong flow of gas that was tested and found to be inflammable. The force was so great that tho boring gear was blown 80ft. out of the hole. Then it dropped like a huge spear into tho ground beside the opening, piercing the wood planking and burying itself 20ft. deep. Tho boro was down to a depth of 1750 ft. 'lhe first big gush sent tho boring gear upwards until it stuck as the result of the accumulation of debris. Then the gas gathered until it had enough force to shoot tho gear right up to the top of tho derrick where it. struck the crown blocks and came down again. Ihe steel tackle on the derrick was twisted and bent by tho flying drill and parts of tho structure were struck by pieces of iron and lumps of stone. The gush could be seen and heard for a considerable distance.

At tho breakwater men working on the wharf hoard a noise like tho rattle of machine-guns, the rattling noise being caused by tho numerous small stones

thrown up. The men engaged at the well were working as usual when the blowout occurred. They were lucky to escape being struck by tho falling gear which weighed about 2£ tons.

It is not possible to assess the damage done to tho gear. Jt will take some days to replace it and a long time to complete repair work. As a precautionary measure the holo will be filled with liquid mud pumped in under pressuro. The stones thrown out by the blowout included some very large ones. Seveial pieces of sea shell were found after the mud had stopped flowing.