TARANAKI PETROLEUM.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XXXIV, Issue 10881, 26 January 1907, Page 2

TARANAKI PETROLEUM.

• — ■ ♦ : — — . , A HOPEFUL OUTLOOK. The possibilities of the Taranaki oil fields are admittedly great, and 'operations are everywhere proceeding apace. The New Plymouth Petroleum Company, for instance, lias just advanced a big stage in -its initial work in 'that an order lius,quite recently [■. been placed in America ibi; an expensive and up-to-date oil boring, plant, and that.a head-diiller and expert lias been engaged to manage the company's .works. Mr James Nelson, the promoter of >, the New Plymouth Petroleum Company, was in October Jast commissioned ny the company to proceed to America to' secure the necessary, .plant, engage ah expert, and ut, the same time report on the oil flelds/bf California. Mr Nelson has just ! returned from. America, and in course of;i conversation with a representative •of the Otago Daily- Times made some, interesting comparisons between the Californian oil .fields and the Taranaki neldsj+comparißons '.' which are vastly in favor ;pf the latter. While in California Mr Nelson visited all the principal oil fields— such as Oolinga, Bakersfield, Los Angelos, ai\d Santa Barbara. In these fields are hundreds of wells down to a depth of 3000ft, while a great number exceed that depth. On the Colihga field alone there ' are some 13 different companies operating and as niaity a» 280 webs working. While recognising the extehsivehess; of the fields there, Mr Njelsqn nowhere; -saw any well with a flow, of oil that could compare with the flows that are to be found in: Taranaki. The fame>of the Taranaki oil fields has already reached America,. Tne pil obtained over the Californian field is what is known as^asphaltum-base, a crude "class of oil, .which, hi' the majority of cases, is only used for -purposes of fuel. In Taranaki the oil is what is known as paraffin-base-r-a :very much . superior oil. The Galiforniaii'; oil is only worth 19 cents (9id) per 'barrel at the bore's mouth, whereas the Taranaki, oil is worth £1 per barrel at the bore's mouth. Notwitlffitaiiding this great difference in price, the Californian companies pay immense dividends, and the companies are all very profitable concerns. The best How seen on /any of , the : fields was at Colinga, where 700 barrels were "being obtained in 24 hours. The flow from the 280 wells in the Oolinga field averages from 50 to 100; barrels per day* This is the latest exploited field, and wells are /still being put down there iliu all directions. - As regards strata and! tlie configuration of the country," the Colinga field is a facsimile of the Taranaki iield, but as regards oil both in the matter Of , quantity and quality there is ho comparison wluitever. The pressure; is nothing like' what it is in Taranaki.- ,, The |Tarunaki Oil- Company, fpr instance, has; a ''gusher'? with a pressure of 1401b to t|ie square incli. Nothing can approach that in- tho Western States, where the oil is pumped Up in most :cases slowly and laboriously. •Mr Nelson succeeded in obtaining tho services of a Mr Bunger, the head-driller for the Associated Oil Wells Company. Mr Bunger has the credit of sinking tho deepest well in America, and has had a long experience in oil-boring. The ex-, port and machinery should arrive in tho colony within a month from date. Everything* should be ill readiness for starting boring within six weeks from now, and the first well should be down four mouths from the time of storting boring. Mr Nelson is confident that tne various companies .on the Taranaki oil field have"' a very big future before them.