OIL BORING TO COMMENCE

Taranaki Daily News, 9 July 1929, Page 8

OIL BORING TO COMMENCE

SURVEY OF OMATA DISTRICT \ DRILLING PLANT HERE ON FRIDAY EXPERT ARRIVES FROM MEXICO. Oil-boring in the area at Oinata geophysically surveyed by the Elbof group of scientists will commence very shortly. Mr. Tynan arrived in New Plymouth some days ago from Tampico, Mexico, to take charge of drilling operations on behalf of Coal Oil (New Zealand) Ltd., and the first of the drilling plant is due by the Ngapuhi on Friday. It is now in Auckland, and the agents ! have had instructions to clear it through I the Customs immediately. “As soon as the plant arrives its erection will be started and drilling will go on continuously day and night for seven days a week,” said Mr. A. A. Mitchell, in the course of a statement to a Daily News reporter yesterday. He is a director of Coal Oil (New Zealand), Ltd., and is New Zealand representative of the company. He explained that the plant would not be allowed to remain idle throughout the 24 hours, as shifts of men would be employed. The plant to be used is the F. K. Sullivan steam-driven type, he eaid. It is similar to the rotary form of driller, though slightly different in principle. It can drill much more quickly-and can use either diamond or fish-tail bits. A steel derrick 130 feet high is to be erected.

Mr. Mitchell said there appeared to be a rumour that shares had been given a premium and that none were available. He pointed out, however, that they were still available, though it was possible they might be withdrawn later. An enthusiastic report wa« issued some time ago with reference to the results of the geophysical investigations in the Omata area. It said that there were clear indications 'of large unbroken oil accumulations.

The geophysical Elbof survey, stated the report, had so far resulted in locating about 400 acres containing extensive commercial crude oil accumulations westerly and in the neighbourhood of Paritutu, which had been recommended for detailed geophysical investigation by the Swiss petrologist, Doctor Leon Bossard. As the whole area is covered several hundred feet deep by volcanic agglomerates on the top of strong andesite outcrops from Paritutu layers, it was necessary to define first the completely hidden tectonic structures by combined application of magnetic, gravimetric, seismic and radioactivity survey methods. After establishing this essential teetonio information, giving exact knowledge, of underlying strata, a most exhaustive geoelectrical conductivity investigation clearly indicated large unbroken oil accumulations. The original seat was in tertiary layers, from where the oil has worked its way by volcanic movements and earth pressure to secondary layers at a convenient depth, also known through the survey. Here large'unbroken accumulations will be encountered. Weaker oil horizons will probably be met in higher strata. The Elbof survey was conducted by a combined research group of German and Austrian experts under the leadership of a geophysicist mining engineer, Mr. Norbert Modriniak.

Mt. Mitchell said the large East Coast holdings at Waipatiki and in the Gis« borne district geologically surveyed by Dr. Bossard were now being surveyed by the geophysical group.

ROTARY BORE AT NEW PLYMOUTH.

SOME INTERESTING PROSPECTING At the rotary oil boro which is situated about 200 yards from the Blenheim well, very interesting operations have been in progress for some time. A pilot string of piping has been lowered for a t-Eird of a mile inside the eightinch casing. The pilot string has also an interior string of smaller piping. By means of a compressor the set can be operated to deliver gas at will. From the work accomplished it is calculated that a commercially payable quantity can be produced by using a four-inch eduction string. Although there is practically no flow of water from the bore naturally it can be worked so as to discharge water and gas from the interior pipe at a height of 20 feet above ground. The oil scums, flocculences, and oil silts produced from the pilot string form most interesting comparisons with bansa from Whangamomona, forty miles east of New Plymouth. That bore is expected to tap the oil at its source at one-quarter the depth of the source at New Plymouth, as the strata has a steady westerly dip. v The payable horizons at the latter place are considered to be derived from the Mokau series.

The best oil horizon in the rotary bore is at" 2200 feet. The well was noted, for the quantity of gas produced during its boring operations, while on one occasion it produced 80 barrels of oil in 40 minutes and 25 barrels in short time bn another. The gas is of good calorific value*, and the oil, in common with those of other Taranaki wells, is considered authoritatively to be three times the value of many Arne* , rican oils. The work at the well having proved satsifactory, a heavier plant is being installed.