Taranaki Herald. (DAILY EVENING.) MONDAY, DECEMBER 18, 1911. TARANAKI OIL FIELDS.

Taranaki Herald, Volume LIX, Issue 143673, 18 December 1911, Page 2

Taranaki Herald. (DAILY EVENING.) MONDAY, DECEMBER 18, 1911. TARANAKI OIL FIELDS.

Since writing on Saturday on the subject of the petroleum industry there have come under our notice two teports on the properties of the Taranaki (til Wills, Ltd., hy .Mr, . I). Henry and Hr. .1. M , Dell. Mr. Henry, in his report, comments upon the excellent gi ((graphical position of the properties as regards approach from the sea and toi the distribution rtf traffic over the railways of the North Island. There is every facility of access for plant ami machinery, and the company will be able to pipe its oil either into- lank waggons on its property, or, hy means of a short pipe line, into steamers lying at the wharves. ~ Developments on the Motmba plots prove, in Mr. Henry's opinion, that (he oil deposits can be commercially worked if modern methods of cxjdoitation and financial organisation are introduced. While there is ground for controversy as to the direction in which the Held will be found to extend, there is not a word to be said about the abundantly proved existence of an oil field at Moturoa, and thi,-, to Mr. Henry’s mind, makes a

splendid starting- point for future operations. Surface iiulirritions lead him to believe the field will extend as far east as Waitnra, and as far south as a line running; Horn tinii or five miles south of J I’.;:!e wood, thi'OU'M Merman Hill, to the coast. At both of these points the company has properties, carefully .-elected by the late Mr. George Fair, and it may bo here noted that Hr. Dell practically endorses these opinions. Emanations of natural gas, he savs, are widespread throughout a quadrilateral area extending southward eleven miles and eastward sixteen miles from Moturoa, many of them being apparently of deep-seated origin. The unexplored “ Okey ” and “ Merman Hill ” blacks, lie further says, ale on the line of some of the most persistent gaseous emanations in the district, and these occurrences, in the absence of outcropping strata and exudations of oil, may be regarded as the best

surface imlicatious of llie existence -ot -subterranean pools of pehoieum. Tiie AVaiUira block, lie thinks, may he considered shallower ground Ilian Moturoa. Here, then, we have three, authorities agreeing substantially as to the probable area under which petroleum will be found to exist, and Mr. Jl. J. Brown, who must also be regarded as an authority, endorses those opinions with respect to tho*e parts of the field he has up to the present been aide to visit. In answer to objections raised by authorities who have never visited the district, Mr. Henry espressos the opinion ilia I the lower levels are not seriously faulted; below a certain depth the strata have been proved to be extremely well bedded, and show no signs of disturbance by surface tremors. He believes, however, that better results will be obtained away from Moiuroa, which he regards as on the? edge of the oil belt and to some extent faulted by volcanic agency. Incidentally he refers to the ironsand deposits, which may become valuable with abundant cheap fuel, such as oil would furnish, for smelting purposes. Summing up. he says the company s property possesses, in a more con-

spk-uous degree than any other of which he has a knowledge in the colonies, the primary essentials of an oilfield in which one can with confidence recommend an investment of capital. He likes (he couiiiry in the direction of Herman Hill even hotter than at Moturoa. though the results already attained here justify the erectioit of a refinery. -Dr. Dell, in Ins report. speculates as to the origin of the petroleum found here. The most reasonable inleience. he -ays, is that it is a distillation produet oi organ ie remains eontained in the eoalineasure .strata, which outcrop at. Mokau and evidently underlie the Taranaki field.fine can only speculate as to the depth :d w hich these Pels may exist at Moturoa and in neighbouring country, hut it is proha lay nearer .VM)O (eel than :j()()0 feet, and Dr. Dell holds the opinion that still lower horizons than those vet reached present ven greater possibilities than those penetrated. He therefore advises boring below the known oil-sands. His eonelusion.s are just its favourable as those ol -Mr. Heavy. Tit*’ geological structure of tie- district, he .-ays, to-gethi-r xv l lhi the results ahead* attained. indicates the existence oi an important oil liv'd. Ihe ptoi.erlies covered by his report are of prime importance, and "at lord a most promising enterprise lor the investment ol capital. Doth Mr. Henry ami Dr. Dell speak of the exceptionally high quality of the oil, ami this Is placed beyond question by -a report tarnished by Messrs. A. F. Craig. Hid., who sav it is a crude petroleum ol most excellent quality, both as regaids the market value ol the products obtained from it and Die purin and character ol these products themselves. In purity it closely resembles the old pure Pennsylvanian petroleum, but greatly excels if in the extraordinarily high proportion of solid paraffin wax which it yields. Hi fact Messrs, Craig say they are aware of no natural petroleum which has been found to be so rich in tins valuable product.