POVERTY BAY PETROLEUM.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XXXIII, Issue 10692, 16 May 1906, Page 4

POVERTY BAY PETROLEUM.

STORY OF PREVIOUS ENTERPRISE.

It is interesting to read the references to the petroleum industry m tho early tiles of the Herald. The following extracts are given: — From the Herald of September 10, 1874 : "Mr Parsons, thc manager' of the Poverty Bay Petroleum Company, arrived yesterday by the p.s.Luna. He intends proceeding to the ground and commencing operations without delay. He left New Bedford m the barque Splendid on Jan. 11th last ; on the 21st a terrific gale arose which compelled them to run for shelter to St. Thomas, one of tlie West Indian 'Islands, upwards of 1000 miles out of their comise. Tlie work of repairing the vessel was at once commenced, but thc injuries were so extensive, and labor and material so scarce, that 78 days elapsed before the vessel was again ready to proceed on her voyage. She kft St. Thomas on April 18th, and sighted Cape Saunders, Otago, on August 30th. P.B. Herald, September 17: "Mr Parsons, who had twelve years' experience of oil-boring operations m Pennsylvania, reported to tlie Povcity Bay Petroleum and Kerosene Company on September 17, stating that lie had inspected the ground, and tlie general aspect of tlie country led him to believe that the bed rock whence the oil flows lies at no very great depth, whilst the copious filtnitio'ns cverywliiere Avarrant me m predicting that tlie oil is extremely plentiful. Although during the whole course of my experience I. liave never found such indications prove deceptive, I may not be able to 'discover the oil at once. St is impossible to state how long it may be before oil is struck m payable quantities, but I have no doubt as to the ultimate result." On November 26 it was reported : "A few days since Mr Parsons sunk a shaft for water, and at a depth of 17ft from the surface he opened a spring of oil which yielded from eight to ten gallons per diem. The flow was obtained without striking the bed rock. We have received a sample of the crude oil, which is considered by the manager to be one of the finest samples seen by him tlirough an experience of 12 years oil-boring." In the Herald of December 12, 1887, it was reported : "Since the date on which Mr Fleming, the chairman of directors of the company, came over from Sydney and paid a visit to the company's works, it has been known by those avlio took an interest m the oil-boring industry that at that date a payable Avell had been struck, and that the subsequent work that had to be done to the well would increase the A'olume of oil. The hard rock that was exipected to be met with would not only contain oil also, but was anticipated to release a. store of gas that, might possibly -be the means of raising the column of oil m the pipes to tho surface. These anticipations have noAV been realised. The oidy necessity there was to drill further was with the view of increasing the supply of gas Avhich the rock was known to contain. A single foot further might do this. So it was not unexpected when rumors were heard m town last Friday morning that the pipe was full of oil. OAvinff to these rumors a party consisting of Messrs C. Smith, W. Maude, A. 0. and F. Arthur, Captain Winter, J. H. Stmbbs, Fyson, and A. R. Mudr proceeded to the Avorks. On approaching the site an unusual quantity of smoke Avas observed, but the works being hidden by a clump of bush on tlie river bank, the Avreck that fire had caused was not seen xwitil tlie spot was reached. Messrs W. and F. Weaver were at work among the ruins. . . . An inspection of the oil m the well took ■place ; a bottle Avas put m and filled, and for those who had not seen the oil before this portion avas poured on to the wet grass, and a match being applied, it burned freely. "The South Pacific Company was form ed m the early part of 1880, aud opera- : tions, with a few breaks, had continued ever sinco, tlie total expenditure being about £20,000. Three years ago from yesterday the present well was started, and m the beginning of September hi6t a depth of 1200 ft was readied. . . . . The managing director, before he left, let a contract to Mr Weaver to sink the well another 100 ft. That contract was finished about a fortnight a.go, and MiWeaver telegraphed to the directors m Sydney, advising that a few feet furtlicr be bored into the hard rock. He was advised to bore 15ft further. Mr Weaver felt almost certain tliat the escape of gas from the extra depth would send the oil to the surface. After events proved that he Avas light m his surmise. The petroleum them reached to within 25ft of the surface, thus giving about four and a half tons of oil m the pipe. It was to afford a vent for the gas confined m the .strata underlying the liquid oil that Mr Weaver advised that a further depth be reached. On receiving • the reply from Sydney, he continued drilling until last Wednesday, when 14ft liad been pierced m the hard rock bringing the hull depth up to 1321 ft, with 1295 ft of 4£-ineh pipe. From Wednesday until Friday morning the work Avas at a standstill, Mr Weaver having despatched a messenger to town ' for the secretary to come and verify that he liad fulfilled his contract.- The oil was about 20ft from tlie surface. On Friday morning steam was got up at the works, and Mr Weaver proceeded to measure the depth of the.Avell. When the tools had reached the 'surface they were igain run down, when a stream of, oil he full size of the 44-inch pipe shot tip a distance of 26ft above the ground. .Almost immediately the oil ignited. In an incredibly short time the derrick Avas ablaze, and the light timber Avas soou burned down. The fire took place about 10.30, and tlie oil continued to Aoav and burn until 5.30 m the afternoon. By that time they had succeeded m getting the fire sufficiently under to enable them to approach the pipe, when Avet 6acks were thrown over the mouth, and thc fire from the burning oil was suppressed. Tlie _ fire Avas fed the wliole time by a continuous overflow of oil. It is calculated that £100 will repair the damage, and Mr 'Weaver has cabled- to headquarters for instructions to rebuild at once. There are various speculations as to the origin of the fire. Mr Weaver is of the opinion that it arose through the heat engendered by the friction of the steel brake band on tho wheel. He had previously noticed that thc Avbcel was -particularly hot, and thinks that a spark from a nail-head wa6 the cause of the mischief. It is, however, quite possible that the fire may have originated by a spark from the boiler-house, and MiFrank Weaver, who at the time was standing just inside the engine-shed, is of the opinion .that the ignition was caused by a rush "of gas m the' direction of the boiler-hovce, and that coming m contact with the furnace caused the oil which came simultaneously from the mouth of the pipe to ignite. His reason for this is that he observed a sudden flash to pass from the furnace to the mouth of the pipe. Mr Ewcn, of Mr Foster's station, Avho assisted m, fighting , the flames, states that when he arrived on the ground the burning oil was playing up and .down: like a fountain 26ft high. He Avas on the opposite 6ido of the river on Friday morning, Avhen, he perceived a sudden v burst of flame, Avith dense black smoke. ' He immediately hurried over, arriving on the seen© before the derrick caught fire. The burning oil at that time was bursting distinctly out of the pipe like a fountain, and continued doing so when he left the scene •some three hours after, though not coming out with the 6aime force as it did at first. When our representative left the ground on Satwday morning tho oil avus on v level with the surface. - ' In the same issue was published a letter from tlie manager of the Pacific Oil Company, San, Francisco, to Mr J. 11. Stubus, reporting on a sample, of local oil. which, he said, proved to be exceedingly sweet, easily distilled and treated, furnishing an illuminating oil of fine quality m high fire test, and the largest percentage ot same of any oil he liad ever seen ; m fact, it Avas the very best sample . of crude petroleum, he had ever examined m an experience of 25 years. "Should you obtain the qmlity of oil m payable quantities," ho avtolb, "its fine natural qualities Avould enable yon to refine the same with works of exceedingly inexpensive construction.". This opinion has beep confirmed ou several occasions, and notably, about two years ago, Avhen the late Mr W. Cooper took some samples to America j which excited the most favorable comment from oil experts there. . .