2980FT. REACHED

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 19882, 8 March 1939, Page 4

2980 FT. REACHED

TOTANGI OIL BORE STILL IN MUDSTONE In the latest bulletin issued in connection with the effort to locate oil at the Totangi Dome, New Zealand Petroleum, Limited, state: — “Totangi No. 1 has reached a depth of 2980 ft., 'in mudstone formation. The deviation, at 2 degrees, is unchanged.” Drilling at Totangi Dome started on October 12, and for some hundreds of fee't the drill passed through sandstone, later breaking irito strata of tuffaceous mudstone, in which operations have continued to the present. By November 30 the drill had penetrated 2070 ft.. and in the following week this was increased to 2410 ft., but at this stage difficulties occurred through the hole leaving the vertical line. Until the middle of February no real progress was made 'below the 2000 ft. level, but latterly the correction measures adopted by the company’s staff have borne fruit, and the well has been re-bored from the 1300 ft. level down K nearly 3000 ft.

Though the company’s experts have not disclosed their plans in connection with the Totangi Dome, it is 'believed that the objective horizons fixed foi the immediate future lie between 6000 ft. and 8000 ft. With the imple ments now at the service of the company, both for registering and checkap, any further deviation from the vei :- cal, .there should be no more trouble in getting down to these levels. Dnlbrn, is proceeding cautiously, howevei, i e steep inclination of the strata . V.L ‘ tendency to throw the well out o