Gas May Be Taken At Mangahewa

Press, Volume C, Issue 29513, 15 May 1961, Page 12

Gas May Be Taken At Mangahewa

(New Zealand Press Association)

NEW PLYMOUTH, May 14. Gas may be produced from the Mangahewa No. 1 oil exploration well at Tikorangi, near Waitara, according to an announcement by Sheli-8.P.-Todd Oil Services, Ltd., tonight. But the extent of the gas will not be known until testing is done. It will begin in a few days. Evidence available so far indicates that there is a possibility of gas being produced from some of the intervals to be examined, the company statement said. "If this proves to be the ease, a situation could develop rather like that at Kapuni No. 1 (the first well sunk by the company in Taranaki two years ago) and It will be necessary for any gas thus produced to be flared.” it said “The fact that gas is flowing and is being flared, however, would not necessarily be an indication of a successful test, since a certain amount of gas would normally be expected from the types of formation to be examined." So far seven-inch casing has been run to a depth of about 13.000 ft in the well, where drilling ceased a month ago. The casing programme will soon be completed by the addition or 4Jin liner down to about 13,400 ft.

Other items of essential work have been pushed ahead and all necessary facilities are being assembled on the site for testing, which will probably extend over two months.

“At some time during the course of the tests it will be possible to decide whether to drill another well on the same structure or to drill on the site now being prepared at Kapuni.” the statement said. Explaining what is involved in the testing, the announcement said: “The testing of a well starts at the lowest interval to be examined. In the event of gas appearing, the flow is measured and the gas is passed through separators which extract any condensate present in it. “If condensate is present, its rate of production is also measured In addition, pressures at the producing interval and at the well head are recorded.” It was usual to allow the flow to continue without interruption for two or three days so that any variations in pressure over Hie period could be detected. “The interval is then cemented off and a similar series of tests made at the next interval above," the report explained. “The cycle then continues until all interesting layers have shown what they contain, if anything.”