TARANAKI OIL BORES.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 702, 30 December 1909, Page 8

TARANAKI OIL BORES.

'■,'REPORT BY DB. BELL. >/A preliminary.report of the Taranaki oilfield by Dr. 8011, Director of the. Geo*, logical Survey, was'! laid on the table of • the,-House yesterday. ~..,. .Dr. Bell says that from'.'the.known surface ■ indications, it. is thought, the field may-'be,found to/extend vat/lea'st/'as ; far . east as Waitara. 1 and-.as. ifar /south,'as a line runnin'g..To'ughly,'fouri'or'gfiTO'.'miles south '-of .Ingle\Veod.,:to.Uhe'.•coast'^^vi'h6 , black .sand iiiear!;.thb,se& coast', 1 --! which amounts to thousands, of tons,'..will ulti- ' mately be.of economic'value.-' Up to the present time success can hardly bo said ;to have been attained on the field; and the question arises:/ What are the chances of the future? , A 'fairly definite reason can be given for the failures at Moturoa. Away_from Moturoa drilling'can scarcely be said to have-yet been; prosecuted sufbV ciently-to. test the field.. There can be no doubt that there are abundant indications."; -.." !; '"': .•-'. /.Natural.!gas. is widespread, and, where ever. it-< occurs ".in., quantity.'there .is a strong probability that petroleum! can be obtained! As mineral .1 uters nearly always accompany ;. petroleum, mineral springs ..and the " evidence of former springs are to' a --limited- extent favourable indications. It is thought that most - of ,the/'sihall.; pools' so, far'."encountered "■■ 'are;oitlwrVih''fissures : ;in.both.sandstones ■1 and-cl/iy '.'stone's /'or t are .'-very ."minor.' im- ; '. pregnatjons: porous:'of..:the; sandstone ,(.beds; < and /' thatStho .'oil;" bas arisenVthrqugh:).fault "planes/ 'which-' are widespread/ from '.reservoirs .more-/deep- , sealed;" than, .those! i» Jar/pierced. Jy. tho '. various,bores.• ■.He/suggests that, one .hole " be .chosen'at'!Mbtufoa,, preferably '/N0.,, 3, and; pushed.'down-.uritii the porous- stra-. cum; seen'■ on'•; the Mokau/"' is 'encountered. j It;..would 1 / be.,,quite ib...tho ; .present/state/of ...a-.goblogfeal 'survey 'of' , the; oilfield''to/say/at'./wnat depth," this stratum," will;be.reached, but it.-is/hoped . .to obtain'.more definite knowledge on the i»int. ! befbrß' , itheir;'.work' in' the'locality ; is; complete."; '■! v :'"' " ■:"!/ v; ' : '•'■'-.":" ..-*• Meanwhile. the'eiploratbry/bore; should be' proceeding. _ -Ih". the eastern part, of the/area .'drilling "would /probably '.not 'necessarily/hayo to be prbsecuted"to such ■ .depths;as;near Moturoa,' since there is a 1. 'general', rise of ; the,." strata, -.towards/the oastward ajxi northward...'.Even with the greatest' attention' given; to! all geological ;. details;-befpre -.'selecting a./borefiole; site, :' .there.' is' dinger that;'the,lower .'part, of tho'petroliferous strata'encountered miy; contain;water.instead-,of gas /and;-oil,:or, : may bo; calcified br'silicified. instead'- of being,- bitumenized,;or .that- water has, : ' entered the.- outcrop ; .of/the ;:strata'-at;V ahigher'level than..the: borehole isite, 'and ; ascended! through' the! formation. -floating the "oil! to;ibe';surface, and ;carrying; tho . same'to/ the: other v , dip. of !tbe' 'anticline ; than"-;,that) on 1 .which; the, drill Jiolo;.is . proceeding./ '',/. ."/'/,!",'./ ''.'■ " "■','!"''■'. " . '/i.lt is/ unfortirnately!itrue;/.that,■-.theory ; and;obsorvatibns;cannot'be '.perfect,'".but '• they!' are''immeasurably•."bettor/than; the " ;mere guessing,- which • alono' can be said ■ to /have:aocounted;.fbr!;thesites of/.many- , iof tho. 'Taranaki :.boreholes. /In the writer's-p'pinioir the/chances, for oil v in i Taranaki may,in'general.,be said' to bo as good as in. any'.imperfectly tried-field, / and it'is'hoped, that, after\the;obsswa- ■' this survey/are.complete the ,- ihdnstry'will;be;pushed.as. vigorously as ~ surface 'indications "certainly .seem to' .warrant.:// /,!"/:'; ;V:'/ .'•' The Hudson and Erie (Canada) Canal climbs over hills 690 ft. high by a series of ; 83 locks and 18 aqueducts. These cost .£1,800,000. ' .;" •/; The average depth of the Pacifio is 2500 fathoms, of .the! Atlantic, 2200, ■ ! Our-National Debt originated in the 1 reign' of -'William 111, whose, first loaa was obtained in 1691. 'I