TARANAKI OIL FIELD.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 44, 21 February 1914, Page 4

TARANAKI OIL FIELD.

HIGHLY SATISFACTORY TEST. -Mr P. 0. -Morgan, Director of Geological Survey, visited the rotary bore of the Taranaki (N.Z.) Oil Wells, Ltd., to investigate the charges made that water from the company’s Nos. 1 and . 2 bores was flooding the Blenheim well of the Taranaki Oil Lands Acquisition and Development Company. About nine o’clock yesterday morning the J sand pump was lowered at the rotary 1 well, and when lifted a short time afterwards .was. found to contain a small quantity of blackish water. This bore, it should he noted, lias, not yet reached oil, but the management expect to strike it in about a week’s 1 time. The six-inch casing, which is inside the other piping, was worked ' up and down for the benefit of Mr ’ Morgan, so as to show that this casing 1 was not shutting out the water. The bore was then capped and a seal put on the top. At two o’clock yesterday af- / ternoon. in the presence of Messrs C. Carter (of the directorate), H. Okey, M.P., Keith (manager), and Millar (manager of refinery), A. L. Muir (pro--1 prietor of the Poverty Bay Herald), and other press representatives, the seal was broken by Mr Morgan and the sand pump lowered to the bottom of the bore, duly lifted and found to contain about a bucketfull of decidedly mineral water. Air Morgan at once expressed the opinion that lie was perfectly satisfied that the well was dry. While unable to say a great deal on the question of successfully coping with the flooding problem on the field, more especially with regard to abandoned I bores, he thought the difficulty was i not insuperable with the knowledge ! and experience now obtainable. He was j of opinion that thoroughly satisfactory j results might' he looked for in the near future. Mr Okey kindly took a few j visitors to the Company’s well on the I opposite side of the road, and those present were much impressed with the excellent flow of oil.