TARANAKI PETROLEUM COMPANY.

Oamaru Mail, Volume XXXVI, Issue 10042, 9 January 1909, Page 4

TARANAKI PETROLEUM COMPANY.

(Pi* Pbbss Association.) New Plymouth, January 5. The chairman of the Taranaki Petroleum Company supplies the following: On resuming work on the 4t-h inst. at No. 2 bore it was found that, the oil had risen in the casing to within 100 foet from.the top. The work of taking 60me of this oil out with a sand pump was therefore putin. hand, with the result that on. Monday 20 barrels were lifted, and' on Wednesday 10 barrels only were taken. As the two big tanks were full and the manaiger found it necessary to cask up a lot so as to find space {or it, on Thursday the work of splicing the cable, etc., in readiness for drilling was proceeded with. On Friday morning the oil had again ric-on some 200 feet, so some 10 or 11 casks were taken off. This lowered the oil but little. The gas was very strong, and as there was a considerable quantity of sand with, the oil, it was decided to proceed with, the drilling so as to get down to the expected big Tern as quickly as possible. No. 3 bore is now entirely clear, and it is expected that by about Tuesday night a string of casing will be down which it is hoped' will shut off the water. The directors at. last night' 6 meeting resolved to make provision at No. 2 borei in case of striking a large flow •of 011 lower down. For this purpose more casks are to 'be procured', and the chairman, viea-chairm/ait, and the manager were appointed' a committee to consider th-3 question of providing still further tankage. This may take the form of a large excavated tank, puddled with clay, roofed in andi covered on top with clay or earth, so as to prevent evaporation of the spirituous parts of the produce. These earth tanks are largely used in Russia and: other parts of the world.