QUEST FOR OIL

Hokitika Guardian, 30 April 1930, Page 5

QUEST FOR OIL

OMATA VENTURE,

NEW PLYMOUTH, April 2(5

Boring for oil uu a new site at Omata lias been commenced by a new company, which claims that the special methods adopted have been such as to eliminate to the fullest possible degree the elements of chance in obtaining oil

The new venture will be opened officially some time in May by the Minister of Mines (Hon. W. A. Veitch). The chairman of the head office board, Senator J. I). Milieu, will visit New Plymouth from Sydney for the occasion.

Blind boring, carried out for so many years on the Moturoa and Taranaki Melds, has been superseded by the modern yet now world-wide method of geophysical exploration after a geological survey. The manager of the company describes the method as an X-ray of the earth. The company has been over three years investigating through this means for the most promising site, and considers that, it has found that site. The scientists engaged have issued a drilling chart, considered to be very imporant in subsequent development work, while oil accumulations in America have been definitely boated by the use of two or three methods.

The accumulations at Omata have been subjected to five methods of investigation, to probe as far as can be done the probabilities of winning oil in commercial quantities,

The plant is capable of drilling to a depth of 8000 feet if required. The existence of a strata of agglomerates on top of the oil rendered it advisable to insta.l a special plant to cope with the resistances of that, formation. Three shifts will be worked each day, each shift in charge of an expert from overseas.