NEW ZEALAND OILFIELDS.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVI, Issue 2259, 3 August 1908, Page 2

NEW ZEALAND OILFIELDS.

AN EXPERT’S OPINIONS.

Before Captain Harry Andrews loft for Auckland oil Saturday, a “Times” reporter had .a cluit wit'll him on the future prospects of the oilfields in Now Zealand. Captain Andrews, it may he stated, has had considerable experience of boring for oil in Ohio, and other American States, where the geological conditions arc similar to those of the Dominion, and has inspected the oilfields of the Taranaki district, and the West Coast of the South Island. . . Asked as to what were l lie principal faults that hive attended the oilholing operations in lliii pil'd, Captain Andrews said that in liis opinion no boring would prove •successful until tlio well-sinkers succeeded in shutting off the ivator, for unless t hat w ins done no well 'would produce oil in payable quantities. “I bold,” he wont on to siy, “that the (tret essential in oi'lboring is to shut off (he water as soon as the lmro is below the surface of the water, and then the water cannot ho shut, off too quickly, for the deeper tlie here goes Ihe greater the pressure f know of one well in the Taranaki district that is down 3000 ft, but no effort whatever has been 'made to shut the (low of water off, and I am given to understand that a contract has boon let to liore lor another 1000 ft, making 4000 ft in all, which, in mv experience, is a waste of money, for at that depth it is impossible to stop the water flow when the bore is below the water surface.”

In reply to a question whether ho thought oil could ho obtained ;in New Zealand in payable quantities, Captain Andrews said lie bad not the slightest doubt tint, it could. "I ain satisfied,” lie continued, “that, with judicious prospecting, payable oil could he found, both in Hie Poverty Bay district and near Greymouth. I have not seen the oilfields in this district. but from what J have been told I believe they are likely to prove a valuable asset in the future.” “Do you consider the geologist and the operator should work together?” asked the press man. “In lily opinion,” said Captain Andrews, “the geologist is practical'!}’ useless without the experienced operator, ns the geologist is not capable of locating a well. The geologist certainly 'has liis uses, blit. I would sooner take tho opinion of an experienced and practical operator than that of a man who was only a geologist; hid the ‘best plan would undoubtedly bo for tlio two to prospect together and work in unison.”

“What is tbo origin of petroleum?” the reporter next inquired. “There are many divisions of opinion among geologists and scientists as to the origin of oil deposits and natural gas, and there are three chief theories for their existence. Tho first is that petroleum originates frtJin the decomposition of organic matter: the second is that oil bas a chemical origin by the natural distillation of inorganic matter: and the third is tho theory of volcanic origin. T think the second theory applies to tho deposits in the Poverty Bay district. That theory, briefly stated, is this: That both petroleum and natural "as aro tho result of the natural distillation of the hydro-c irbons in the rooks by slow, spontaneous heat, caused by the reaction of one mineral upon another, as, for example, when sea avater. 'percolating downwards through the fissures of rocks, reaches the heated interior nml comes into contact with iron pyrites combined with carbon. These produce hydrocarbons, which, under condensation, are forced back at a high pressure into tlio stratum in the fo-m of petroleum. tho natural gas being a vapor thrown off from it. Tims, it is claimed that oil and gas arc in a constant aarocess o/f formation. Two chemists Brvnsson in 1871 and Arpiullejeff in 4877. produced oil in their .laboratories bv a similar aarocess, and Bertbelot. tlie famous French scientist, supports this theory.” Captain Andrews avent on to state that ho had 'been corresponding with Afr. AV. .E. .Aikroyd upon the oil fields of the district for over two years, and from ;n number of conversations with Mr. Akroyd. during his stav in Gisborne. he avns able to see that Afr. Alcrovd hid a .practical knowledge of the fields, and of the best methods of shutting off the water, for it must always be remembered that, it was Impossible to get a flow of oil until Hie avater had boon shut off. THE AVAIADATA DEPOSITS.

'Air. Marshall, of AYliakaroa, Was in town on Saturday, and speaking to a “Times” reporter, said that the AA’aimata mud geysers wore still active, and were playing to a height of about six feet. ‘.“The mud that has ooen thrown up must total nearly 150.000 tons, for it 'lias covered some six or seven acres of tho bush, filled up a creek, and is lying 40ft deep in places. One of the residents lighted the .gas coming from the geyser one day hist- week, and it 'burnt with a volume of flame for hours. AVlieri the hole blew up, the report could be heard -for miles, and a big column of blue-colored .maid was sent into the air. There is a large quantity of gas being sent- off from the spring, and it could be easily lighted by a taper tied to a stick.”