BONITHON FREEHOLD.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1815, 30 July 1913, Page 10

BONITHON FREEHOLD.

DRILLING IN FULL SWING,

OIL INDICATIONS,

A PLUCKY LITTLE COMPANY.

One of the prettiest little spots scenically in the immediate vicinity of New Plymouth is the 12-J-acre block owned by the Bonithon I'reehold Petroleum Company, Extended, Ltd.; situated between the Breakwater Road anil Devon Street, and within fifteen minutes' walk of the Post Office. It is a splendid block of green paddocks, which slope gently down to a stream,, into which any passers-by along Breakwater Road could drop a Pibble did they feel disposed to be so energetic. And there are orange and lemon trees in full fruit on the estate, which looks full of goodness if it does not produce a gallon of oil. But there appear to bo good grounds for the hops that the Mock will not be needed-any more lor tlio culturo of green grass anil citrus fruits. The reason for this has a foundation of solid fact. Oil Saturday last when the big rotary drill was grindill? its way through some immense boulders which barred the way, somo 50ft. below the surface, a good quantity of oil mixed with wiiter was thrown up, indicating that there is oil on the mock. The original Bonithon Company was established about seven years ago—at the time of the big "boom" in Taranaki oil scrip. Its capital was .£25,000 (5000 shares of .£5 each), of which a total' of souio £11,000 was paid up. Somo drilling machinery was secured from New South Wales, and a well was sunk 3001 ft. Good indications of oil and gas (the latter sometimes giving a pressure of 5A11). to the inch) occurred at .several stages of the drilling. But all the available capital had been used up, so after paying all its debts honourably, it died out. Phoe-nix-like, out of its ashes rose the Bonithon Freehold Petroleum Company Extension, Ltd. (with a similar capital to the first company). This company resolved to do the right thing from the outset with respect to plant. " No sooner had they got sufficient capital in hand for the purpose than they dispatched the seerotary (Mr. Wm. M'Lcan, of Wellington) to America to visit the various oii-fi»Ms, select tho very finest boring-plant available, and men to work it. Mr. M'Lean. lost no time. Within a few weeks ho was gaining a first-hand acquaintance with the whole business in California, Texas, and Utah, visiting tho oil-fields of Maricopa, Toft, Yellowstone, Santa •Fo, and M'Kittrick—places where there are hundreds of miles of oil-well derricks as thick as trees in tho forest. He gained a mass of information in a. minimum of time, and having decided on what ho considered the best plant for Bonithon wasted no time, but went straight east, and ordered it—a 20-inch Parker rotary— which Mr. M'Lcan states is tho best and heaviest plant of its kind on the field. With it came a serviceable Michigan boiler cap.ible of generating a 1251b. head of steam, anil .well above the requirements of the plant. This boiler, however, did not meet with the approval of the Government inspector, and tho company was mulcted in another JJBOO for a larger boiler (1501b.), which has been well and truly built by Messrs. David ltobertson and Co. (the Phoenix Foundry), of Wellington, and is now being installed on the ground. Tho trouble in respect to boilers is that the English standard is higher than the-American, and the New Zealand standard is even higher than the English. Still, the regulations had to be obeyed, and the little mistake cost the company .£BO9. Tho company, however, now .has tho satisfaction of knowing that'it has a plant second to none on the whole field, and doublo the boiler power that will ever be required. Tho drill has been working nicely since tho opening on Thursday last. Unfortunately it;,got. into bad . ground .'when, only 15ft. .below tlio.surface, and up till' now (70ft. down) it has been grinding its way through blue-stone boulders and rock ever since, pulverising them gradually with the enormous power." So far no casing has been used, but- a little later upset-enil drill pipes (401b, to the foot) are to bo used to keep the bore clean. Asked when ho considered they would tap oil, Mr./ M'Lean said that if they had the luck to get through tho boulders, they would bo down between 800 ft. and 000 ft. in another month, but they did not expected to get a flow of oil until they were down over 2000 ft. . . Parker Drill "Opened." Tho official opening of tho now Parker Rotary Drill on Thursday last was of avery informal character. Some thirty interested peoplo were present, including Messrs. M'Lean (secretary to tho company), Edmonds (Christchurch), and Freeman (Wellington 1 ), and Mrs. Pringle (Christchurch), wlio was one of the original Bonithon syndicate. Mr. M'Lean first apologised for tho absence of Mr. W. P. Barber, chairman of directors, who was unavoidably detained by pressure of public business. He also thanked Mrs. Pringle, of Christchurch, for coming to tho opening. This lady,''he said, was one of the original members of tho company, and h6r pluck and perseverance in faithfully sticking to it deserved its reward, Reierring to the plant, ho remarked that it looked simple to see it placed in position, but when they understood that it consisted of 350 tons,, some of which had como over 10,000 miles, they would see it was not so simple. He thought ho could safely say that this was the strongest and best-equipped rotary plant that had ever left the United States tor any other country, and ho was perfectly satisfied that it would perforin tho work it was called upon to do. To run the plant ho had brought from America liien with the highest qualifications, viz., Messrs. J. T. Robertson, from the Southern States of California, and H. 11. Carney, from the Texan side, where only rotary plants wero used. It had, lie said, b--sn constantly uinned liuo his ears that rotary plants Wero no use here. Well, one swallow did not make a summer, nor did one failure necessarily mean a lot of failures. In concluding, he remarked on the faithful manner in which all contracts let locally had been carried out, and also on tho kindness and consideration shown them by tho press. lie then called on Mrs. Pringle to set the apparatus in motion, which.die promptly did, and the machinery working smoothly, the-massive drill, which is attached to tho boring-rod by a collar weighing •IGOlb., commenced its descent into the bowels of tho earth. After a few modest remarks by Mr. Robertson, the manager, Mr. N. K. MacDiarmid, wished the company every success. They had, .lie said, the courage of their convictions, and had sent the secretary to America to bring out machinery anil men. A good start had now apparently been made, and if energy deserved success this company should achieve it, as they certainly had a most energetic secretary. Perhaps it is only fair to mention that neither the secretary nor any of the directors have ever accepted a penny piece for their work in this company. All concerned aro enthusiastic over tho venture, and are apparently only too delighted to do something to help along tho industry. Tlioy dessrve to ''strike oil."