Southern Cross Petroleum Company.

Poverty Bay Standard, Volume X, Issue 1103, 22 July 1882, Page 2

Southern Cross Petroleum Company.

From the report of Mr Hilton, engineer at the Southern Cross Petroleum Company’s works, we take the following- The ground in the shaft still consists of stiff papa clay interspersed with shaley boulders of 5 to 6 inches diameter, moderately hard, with traces of sparse portions of the pupa clay, and dark streaks with a strong odour of petroleum. The manager took out length of No. 2 pipe on the 3rd of July. Oil showing “beady” on the surface. On the sth, took out last length length of No. 1 tube, the lower portion of the steel shot gapped not being strong enough to cut its wav. Bth July. A large boulder of papa, moderately hard, about 2ft, 9in. in diameter, was raised to the surface ; on exposure to the atmosphere it separated in fragments. Same day drew length of No. 3 tube, the lower coupling of which was found broken in vicinity of boulder j stiffer country coming in, but will not continue. Sinking shaft continued to 13th inst., when men employed taking down walking beam and making alterations for winding rope, putting in air pipes, etc, Some days the ground at the bottom of the shaft has been of a very swelling nature ; for instance if 3 feet is sunk the preceding night, the next morning it is filled up to nearly the original height and the sinking to the previous depth has to be performed once again. On the 14th July, the shaft had reached 92 feet from surface’ The whole of the winding and blowing machinery was started upon the 13th inst., and worked smoothly with trifling exceptions.