BORING STARTS AT OMATA

Taranaki Daily News, 26 April 1930, Page 12

BORING STARTS AT OMATA

ROTATORY DRILL ON ELBOF SITE.

OPERATIONS BY COAL, OIL, LTD.

Boring for oil at Oinata was commenced on Thursday afternoon on the site on Mr, E. D. Ansford’s property selected after exhaustive tests by the Elbof geophysical survey. The work is being carried out for Coal, Oil (New Zealand) Ltd., and will go on continuously by three shifts in the 24 hours, each being in charge of a drilling expert brought from Mexico. The official opening ceremony will be performed next month by the Hon. W. A. Veitch, Minister of Mines, in the presence of Senator J. D. Millen, chairman of the company, who is to leave Sydney by the Aorangi on May 3. Probably no previous oil venture in New Zealand has created such hopes as this one. Careful scientific investigations by the Elbof scientists confirmed them in the opinion that they had discovered a large petroleum deposit, and this has led the company to import only the latest and most elaborate plant with the object of recovering the oil in commercial quantities. The drill is of a rotary type, and 4s operated beneath a high arid substantially-erected steel derrick. A reservoir capable of holding 250,000 gallons of crude petroleum has been excavated nearby, and the sides have been lined with concrete. All the accessory machinery is of the most modern design and massively constructed. Indeed, it is saithat the plant as-a whole is equal to the largest in the world, being capable of drilling to over 8000 feet, if required. The bore started on Thursday is 21| inches in diameter.

The existence of a covering of agglomerates created the necessity of special plant being obtained from America on the special recommendation of the drill expert. He was not prepared to risk the possibility of trouble occasioned by drilling through the agglomerates with ordinary plant, and the directors pf the company adopted his recommendation which, though meaning delay in the comraen.eme: of operations, was considered absolutely necessary at Omata. The manager of the company, Mr. A. E. Thomas, F.8.A.5., F. 1.1.5., and Mr. Mitchell, a New Zealand director, were present at the boring site on Thursday, together with other officials. There was a small gathering of shareholders and others interested in the venture.

First they watched members of the drilling stuff climb up the derrick under the direction of Mr. Tynan and occupy perilous positions with the utmost sang froid. Then the men made the necessary adjustments between the top of the drill and the heavy tackle above. When everything .was ready to start all present climbed on to the platform under the derrick, where Mr. Thomas explained that the operations to commence that day were the result of 3J years’ scientific investigations by the company of this field and extended areas in New Zealand, The results of the drilling at Omata No. 1 bore were being looked forward to. with interest not only by the people of New Zealand but by those of Australia, continued Mr. Thomas. It was realised that the. recovery of oil in commercial quantities would have a vast ai-.l beneficial influence on the destinies of the two countries.

Mr. Mitchell then offered the toast of the success of the bore, and afterwards the machinery was set in motion and the huge drill compienced to rotate its way into the earth.-