DRILLING FOR OIL

Otago Daily Times, Issue 24825, 27 January 1942, Page 4

DRILLING FOR OIL

MORERE BORE ABANDONED INTENSIFIED EFFORTS ELSEWHERE tP.A.) AUCKLAND, Jan. 26. Notwithstanding the extension of hostilities to the Pacific zone, infoi'malion he had received showed clearly that the large oil companies were determined to go right ahead with their programmes in search of oil in New Zealand, said the Minister of Mines, Mr P. C. Webb, when interviewed today. “In these times,” Mr Webb said, “one cannot always be as specific as one would like, but I know that one large company will shortly be operating in this country with an extremely powerful unit which has incorporated in it the very latest improvements in drilling technique.” The Minister said this company had a wonderful drilling record in other parts of the world, because it had recognised that the essential need was a super rig of proven capacity to drill successfully and quickly the very deepest of wells with the minimum of trouble or delay, and therefore at a relatively low overall cost. “We have just read a reliable and extremely interesting account of the drilling programme carried out by this company,” Mr Webb added. One of its super rigs put down and completed seven wells in a period of 49 weeks, the total depth drilled being 81,140 ft, or an average of 11.591 ft for each well in seven weeks. This is exceptionally smart work, and we could hardly conceive it possible in this country.” The Minister said that although drilling conditions might be difficult in New Zealand, there was every reason to believe that even here remarkably good drilling would be obtained. Operations were still proceeding at Midhirst, but the bore at Morere had been abandoned. It had to be remembered that all over the world a large proportion of the wells drilled had proved to be dry. “ Let’s hope the next one will prove to be wet.” said the Minister, who added that it was unnecesary to point out the enormous benefit it would be to the Dominion if a flow of oil were discovered in commercial quantity. He believed everyone was wholeheartedly behind the Government in its efforts to make a real attempt to discover oil in this country.