South Pacific Petroleum Co.

Poverty Bay Independent, Volume I, Issue 87, 17 December 1885, Page 2

South Pacific Petroleum Co.

(COMMUNICATED.) O?.' Tuesday last (Bth inst) a party of gentlemen proceeded to the South Pacific Petroleum Co s. grounds, for the purpose of inspecting the Works.

Ihe party was in every sense a repreone,—Messrs Smith, Chrisp and repiesen’.'r.-. C<' ; npany, and Mr accredit , d as »r preser.-'-g the shai i ’i ;\'er reprt sc ; ? l. ristc h u i ch , an d MH:?- _As ;c rests afccting this depended cr. a j-.v-.-v/e report. of the party I give an exstatement cd the work done by Mr at their request, in order to beyond dispute the correctness W of Mr weavers report respecting the indications and condition of the bore. As Mr Weaver’s accomodation would have - been too severely taxed to accommodate the whole party, Messrs Chrisp. Isles, and Stubbs accepted the hospitality of Mr Foster for the night, and the remainder of the party proceeded to the works. The ' whole of the party having assembled at the Derrick next morning the driving-cap was unscrewed, and on the hole being uncovered a strong smell of oil and gas was at once apparent. The tools were let | down and drilling started, after working or upwards of an hour, the tools were withdrawn and the depth measured as they the measure gave 920 feet, which shewed that about 9 feet of caving I had taken place since the contractor had I ■* stopped drilling. The hole was then sand I pumped out, oil shewieg freely with each I sand-pumpful of mud. Drilling and sand I pumping went on until dinner time, with I same results so far as the shew of oil. I The bottom having been reached the hole I " was again carefully measured, this time I shewing 928 feet. In the afternoon, it I being essential to clean out the hole ready I for pipe driving, a light spring reamer I was put down, which would on leaving I the pipe below spring out and increase I the size of the hole to a diameter equal to that of the outside of the pipe. There4< no doubt that the present looseness of the pipe is attributable to these precautions. The riming having gone on for some time, the tools were again taken out, and pumping resumed ; and a harder streak of rocks having been met with, the spring-reamer jwas exchanged for a solid reamer, and the nools again let down. Riming and sand pumping alternately went on until the evening, when the hole was carefully covered over until the next morning. At 8 a.m. on Thursday work was resumed, the riming and sand pumping continuing until the hole had been rimed a sufficient depth to allow the pipe to go down freely. The drilling rope was then unwound from the shaft, the maul-rope substituted, and the maul raised into position. The pipe to be inserted was carefully measured, cleaned, and screwed on, the guides put up, and driving commenced. The pipe started down at 9 blows to the foot, then II blows, and so on until down. The whole pipe was driven down within 25 minutes, no heavy blows were given. The maul was then put away, the drillingcable removed on shaft, the reamer taken off, the bit substituted, and drilling resumed. During the afternoon some 4 feet was bored beyond the previous depth into new ground. Water was repeatedly poured down the hole and sand-pumped out again in order to clean the walls of the bore, and take out any oil which might be adhering. It was at the same time resolved so have the bore cleaned to the bottom and shut down until following morning to allow oil, if in the rock to percolate into the hole during the night. This wes done, the hole carefully covered over, and tools stood on top. It may here be stated that during the whole of the two previous days work, petroleum had shewed itself in quantity in every’ sand pumpful of mud, necessarily less towards the end of the second day, as the constant working of the tools would have the effect of so intimately mixing up the oil and mud, that the former could not again readily separate itself; that it did so shews the quantity which must be constantly coming in. It has been computed by experts that when tools are goingnight and day, a five barrel well would hardly shew any’ oil, nearly the whole of it being absorbed by the drillings, and taken up. On Friday morning the hole was uncovered in the presence of the party ; a bucket of water poured down at Mr Stubbs’ suggestion to give the oil a chance to seperate from the bottom, and rise sufficiently high to allow the sand pump to take it up. The sand pump was let down, again drawn up, and the contents poured into a bucket, when the oil at once seperated and came to the surface of the water. The whole party were both surprised and delighted, as they had not anticipated seeing so much oil. The whole of the test as previously described, shewed conclusively that the oil was coming from the rock : as the rjarty never left the works, it was impossible that the hole could have beei\ tamwith, and any’ doubt thrown on the ffena Jides of the previous reports were effectually set at rest. The toois were then let down for the last time, the bore again measured, this time shewing 932 feet. The whole of the party having expressed themselves as fully satisfied, and requiring no further test, the works were shut down. Mr Weaver did everything he could to carry out their wishes, and they are well satisfied with the present shew of oil. The party returned to town the same evening.