THE GISBORNE OIL WELLS.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume V, Issue 1477, 8 February 1887, Page 3

THE GISBORNE OIL WELLS.

We are afraid there must be some mistake about the announcement which we copied from an exchange the other day as to a splendid flow of oil, reaching 50 barrels a day, having been obtained at Gisborne. We should have rejoiced to find the statement confirmed, art only for the sake of the shareholders m the South Pacific Petroleum Company, but for the sake of New Zealand, as a rich yield of mineral oil would have not only enabled us to keep m the colony the large sum now annually seat out of it for the purchase of that article, but would also have added an important item to the list of our exports, thus bringing into the colony a considerable revenue from without. But the following letter from a shareholder, addressed to the Poverty Bay Herald^ seems to indicate not only that there is no such thing at prestat as a 50-barrel flow, but that it is highly improbable that there ever will be. He writes : — " Six months ago we were told officially that a torty-barrel a day well had been struck. On receipt of this welcome news various gentlemen proceeded to the scene of operations to

convince themselves of the genuineness, or otherwise, of the report, and all that was visible was a little mud partially impregnated with oil. This failed to convince, buc the community at large were told that m order to thoroughly test the bore it was necessary to obtain pumping gear, etc., from America. After a reasonable length of time had elapsed the plant commenced to arrive m driblets, and this continued ; so the other company engaged m oil-prospect-ing offered a loan of a plant required to thoroughly test the bore. On the arrival at the works of all necessary plant the tanks were carefully stowed away unopened^ and a $ l / 2 inch pipe was let down the bore, the workmen managing to work the long hours of eight per diem at this critical period. Just as the pipes were close to the bottom of the shaft a pulley broke, which necessitated a delay of nearly a fortnight. On the pulley again being put to rights our noble borer cannot proceed unless the pipes remaining to go down are cut into shorter lengths. Again we have a week's delay, and then comes the final test, as everybody expects. The borer, accompanied by another professional gentleman (to whom he proposes to show wonders) and some other gentlemen, proceeded to, the works, and after a week's work of nearly seven hours a day a quantity of mud is disclosed slightly impregnated with oil, but to obtain which the shorter lengths of pipes have not been placed m the bore. As fha last delay was occasioned to allow of the .pipes being cut, a rational man would conclude that they would have been used. This short narrative bring us up to the present date, and our indefatigable and tireless borer has again returned to town, this lime ostensibly to get some j more pipes cut, which really is nothing but a straight-out acknowledgment that the bore is an arrant, failure, and that there is no more oil to be got there than on the surface m any part of the Bay." Referring to the foregoing the Napier Daily Telegraph says : — " The result of years of labor is that a pipe has been sunk so many hundred feet, and by the aid of pumping some ' mud partially saturated with oil ' can be brought up. This result 'is neither one thing nor the other as regards the satisfactory solution of a question over which so much money has been spent. , , . . Whether too much

was expected from the 'indications' on account of which an absurdly large sum was expended m machinery and labor, or whether the right man has yet to be put m the right place to bring matters to an issue, we do not know, but we do think that with efficient management, and ordinary energy, the question of oil or no oil should have been settled before this." So evidently think the shareholders, and we begin to fear lhat when the solution of- the problem is arrived at — if it is ever going to be solved at all — it will be solved m the negative.