POVERTY BAY OIL SPRINGS.

Poverty Bay Standard, Volume X, Issue 1122, 14 August 1882, Page 2

POVERTY BAY OIL SPRINGS.

(From the Thames Evening Star). A Thames gentleman received tho following interesting letter from Mr G. P. Hilton, who left here a few weeks ago as engineer of the Oil Springs, and has kindly consented to its publication : —

I arrived at my destination a few weeks ago ; it is about 95 miles from Gisborne along the sea coast, and 20 miles inland. It lias been rather a tedious passage, all through swamps, and swimming horses across two wide rivers. The place whore the Company’s works are situated is upon a line of “ oil belt ” extending north and south for miles. The paraffin is a very rich deposit, and found all over the Company’s block, which . consists of 2000 acres. It is a beautiful place, and the land rich, and is impregnated with this valuable deposit almost pure. Nearly all over the ground gas bubbles up, which is easily ignited upon a match being applied, and on pools “ oil heads ” show freely. I was astonished at the amount of machinery here for prospecting purposes, viz., winding engines, fan machinery, and all kinds of large boring apparatus of the most approved description to bore 2000 feet or more, and other appliances for the working of paraffin. There is a large amount of paraffin wax spread to various depths over the surface, It is dug out like turf. When you leave the Coast ranges and journey inland you pass through valleys and table lands in splendid cultivation

and altogether a magnificent country, We are surrounded bv Maoris who are peaceable, and anxious tor the suocess of our works, and who do all in their power to help us, making the roads and keeping them in repair for the transport of our heavy materials in bullook drays. I was received by all the chiefs, who wished me welcome, and all earns with the natives from the pahs, and wo had a large korero, and complimented one another ad lib, They informed me that there are coal seams and minerals over the country, and, when the weather dears up, I intend to have a run I

along the “ oil belt,” to take observations and find “ outcrops ” and permeable stratus to tract the oil flow, and then I will be better able to judge of tharespuroes of this portion of the country, The cool, they say, is splendid, free from sulphur, cokes well, and is contiguous to the sea coast. The Maoris hero are in favor of progressive works tq open up and improve the place, We are sinking a shaft, and the output is saturated with petro- ■ leum, Gas bubbles up from the bottom, ' but it is not in the slightest degree injurious ; to tho health j none of the mon ooiqplaiu • about it. We use Davy’s lamps, not that they » are requisite, but only in the event of an out* i burst of gas, which occasionally happens when ; wo pick a small oil vein j this might ignite, I being rich in hydro-carbons. Ono good thing, ! working in this ground (if wot) prevents you from having rheumatism, on account of the ; petroleum. Altogether there is a little science ' in the whole affair, and keeps you thinking 1 occasionally, and general knowledge helps .you . a groat deal. If I strike oil here in quantities ' there will be a pile made out of it, and there ■ is every indication of success. To give you , an idea an expert, a professional analytical chemist who camo over from Melbourne on behalf of Australian speculators, altited that

iii Gallicia, where the paraffin wax was, with such prospects in the latter place the land would be worth £2OOO per acre ; the paraffin wax was worth £5 per cubic yard. He offered to erect suitable plant, if the Company would supply material, for 25 per cent, of the net profits arising from their sale, and would have no hesitation in investing £20,000 in the ground. And to demonstrate the value, 9821b5. of surface, taken promiscuously was sent to Melbourne in November last, where it was tested thoroughly, and conducted under the supervision of two directors of the Company and three outsiders appointed by the Australian speculators, who reported they were satisfied as to the value of the crude material, and the expert’s treatment. The products extracted were as follows :— Light oils, viz . Petroleum, tether, gasoline, mineral turpentine 541bs. Kerosene 132 „ Lubricating oil 40 „ Paraffin 304 „ Having a value of £ls Bs. per ton of raw material. The material sent over was of inferior quality, containing a large percentage of roots, stones, loam, &e. Upon the expert’s visit paraffin butter much superior at a depth of four to five feet, from the surface, in treating deeper layers, yielded 75 per cent, on raw material—valued at £37 5s per ton commercial! v.