TO BOWELS OF THE EARTH

Taranaki Daily News, 18 April 1932, Page 5

TO BOWELS OF THE EARTH

DRILLING FOR OIL AS A HOBBY. -

TWO BOYS WITH MODEL PLANTS.

“No, we have not struck oil yet,” said the driller, aged 11, to a reporter at Moturoa on Saturday. “And how far down are you?” “Well, the casing in this hole is down 40 feet, but we have gone five feet further than that. We are having trouble with the sand in the last five feet.”

The driller was Don McGregor, Whiteley Street, a son of Sergeant T. I. McGregor. He was conducting the reporter on an inspection of the model oil field and plant constructed and operated by Newton Inch, aged 18, a son of Mr." Herbert Inch. Young as he is, Don had every technical detail at his fingertips and explained the machinery as confidently and lucidly—perhaps even more lucidly—than an expert of far great* er experience. The derrick, built solidly of wood and measuring sft 3iu in height, is a replica of the steel derrick used by the Moturoa Company; it scales three-quarters of an inch to a foot. As far as a layman may judge, it is complete in every detail. A heavy “walking beam” for percussion drilling is driven by a Stewart and Turner verticle engine, to whiaa steam is supplied by an upright boiler fired by a primus stove, or crude petroleum.

Herbert Inch, who works in a motorengineering shop, constructed the engine himself from rough castings. lit fact, he has made everything that it i» possible . for him to make. There ara weird-looking fishing tools for recovering lost instruments, an “impression tool” for discovering how things are in th* bottom of the well, heavy drills and light driUs, long drills and short drills, drills for rock and drils for sand and clay, bailers of various lengths for cleaning out the bore. The derrick is lighted by electricity obtained from a motor* car battery.

At present the plant is dismantled for adjustments, but it will very soon be working again above the boro in the back garden; started with a diameter of three inches for several feet this has been carried on with three-quarter inch cast-iron casing, fitted and threaded by Herbert Inch himself.

Soon he hopes to have his rotary drills in operation, for he is now constructing the necessary gearing and shafting. Another improvement shortly to be installed is a double block and tackle and elevators for lifting heavy casing by steam power. ( Dan McGregor, who lives next door, is an expert amateur, too. His derrick, constructed by Herbert Inch of Meccano parts and wood, was exhibited at the last winter show at New Plymouth. It is 4ft Gin high and, though not quite so elaborately equipped as the later model, it has supported the tools necessary to drill a hole 16ft deep/ This has a diameter of sin to a depth of about sft, 3in for the next four feet and 2in for the remainder of the distance. Th* hole is cased for three feet. A Meccano winch and pulleys of various sizes provide for drilling by .the percussion method, or bailing either by hand or steam. Here, too, there is an inspiring equipment, including fishing tools with clusters of wire antennae, .hooks, or other contrivances used to obtain a grip OB missing articles, and heavy drills, ami 7-ft long, that require a chain to hold them.