THE OIL FIELDS.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XL, Issue 13170, 2 September 1913, Page 3

THE OIL FIELDS.

PROSPECTS IN TARANAKI

A BIG BOOM POSSIBLE

Mr C. M. Ollivier, who has returned tp Christchurch from a visit to the Taranaki oil fields expressed an opinion m an interview that during the next few months probably the fields would bo the scene of pne of the biggest booms experienced m New Zealand. He said that to bring about the boom it was only necessary for one of the many companies ■ operating on the field to strike a good flow. The greatest difficulty m the past had been shutting out the 'water. The best producing well at present was No. 5 belonging to the Oil Wells Company, which sent out between twenty-three and twenty-seven barrels a day by natural flow from a stratum at a depth of 2400 feet. No. 5 would not be called a commercial well, as the casing that pentrated the oil stratum was ■only four inches. It was obvious that if the same oil stratum was pentrated by a nine inch or ten inch casing, and if the water were completely shut off. the flo**v would be greatly increased. If artificial means of exploiting the oil measure were adopted, the flow would be still further increased.

At present, the commercial wells were being sunk m the Motoroa fields, or m close proximity to them. It was there that tlie present flowing wells were situated. The Blenheim core, which was down about 1400 ft., was about 150 yards from No. 5. It was expected that m a few days a big gas blow-out would be | met in* that bore at 1500 ft ., where a small blow-out was met with m No. 5. I The rotary plant of the Oil Wells Company was boring m another direction, and now was down 750 feet. About 150 yards from tlie rotary plant the Phoenix Company /was boring, and t'hs pipe was down more than 600 feet. A quarter of a mile nearer New Plymouth, the Bonithon Company, with a rotary plant, was boring at a great rate, and had drilled to over 11C0 feet m one month. At Bellblock, which was four or five miles from JSe^v, Plymouth, the Oil Wells Company was drilling two/ bores, one of which was down 27G0 feet and the other 2400 feet. About two, weeks ago the gas pressure < m one of those! wells was so strong that for fifteen hours it was impossible to get the tools down the well. The Huiaroa bore, about forty miles from New Plymouth, was down 200 feet, and already very strong gas has been met with. In about a month, the United Oil Company would begin drilling out Waitara way. The plant, rig and derrick at present were stored m New Plymouth. The Phoenix, Blenheim, United, and Huiaroa bores were under the supervision of Mr J. Hitter Von F"3doronica, who had Galican drillers working under him. The refinery was now being tuned up, and was producing the refined products m small quantities. Some idea of the value pf oil property might be obtained from the fact that if oil was struck on the Phoenix claim, which was only six acres m area, five wells could be drilled without interfering with one another. The paraffin wax produced was of very fine quality, and was the most valuable of the refined products. A shipment of fifty cases of benzine was ready, con signed to the Rink Taxi Company of this city. As the petrol had not been separated from the benzine, the latter would be of very high grade. Unfortunately foi* motorists, the crude oil contained only 7 per cent, of benzine, but from the refining companies' point f f iview that was compensated for by the [quanttiy and value of the paraffin wax. The crude oil itself was stated to be the I most valuable m the world.