PETROLEUM.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVII, Issue 8105, 9 May 1906, Page 2

PETROLEUM.

HISTORY OF THE BORING. The hislory of boring for petroleum oil in Tarau iki extendi as far back as 1865, when tlie first eff .rts were made. In the two years following three wells were sunk, the maximum depth being 650 feet. Oil was found but not in large quantities, and, the appliances being primitive, operations were dis. continued aud tlie wells abandoned.

There was a L\p«c of about twenty years before anything else of importance was done It was in 1888 that Mr 0. Samuel, of New Plymouth, took the matter in hand, associated with the Hon. Sir Julius Vogel. After some considerable difficulty a company was [formed in England. A plant and drillors were sent to New Plymouth, and a site was chosen at tho root of the breakwater. Tho first bore was put down about 1000 feet before oil was struck.

Unfortunately, owing to the broken nature of the strata and the falling of hard boulders into tho uncased portion of the bore, tho drilling tools often got jambed and broken. It was m 1891 that the English shareholders finally got disgusted and ceased to furnish funds, and as a result the work was again suspended. At the moment of ceasing work the head driller (Mr Booth) was confident of the ultimate success of the project. "It is the most valuable oil I have ever seen yet," he wrote. " Without going any deeper than we are now we could pump about four barrels a day—that is 160 gallons. The success of the company is now certain. It would pay well to pump four such wells and refine the oil, but tho moro wells the botter. I recommend sinking the present bore another 200 feet." For some time the drills were retained on the ground in the hope that capital would be forthcoming from England, but this hope was disappointed, largely on account of the financial I crisis of 1892-3. Tho New Zealand creditors then took proceedings with a view to the sale of the plant. Towards the end of 1893 Mr Samuel visited England, and he succeeded in atranging a loan on the strongth of tho company's assets in New Zealand. The object of this was to pay all the New Zealand debts and secure a respite of six*months in which to raise I further capital. The company found itself unable to | rise to the occasion, and Mr Samuol formed a small syndicate in New Plymouth. Plant was secured and the old works re-opened, but the attempt to clear the old bore failed. Mr Samuel then met Mr R. E. Fair, a member of an Australian firm of arte-sian-well borers, who had succeeded in reaching great depths in America, Europe, and Australia. They agreed, in consideration of receiving an equal share in ttie assets, to bore to a depth of 1000 feet. Mr Fair tpok charge and sank a bore to that depth near the abandoned one. At 905 feet oil was struck, but water was aLo present, and as it rose and fell with the tide it was evident there was a fissure running out to sea. So the bore was plugged down and another site was selected about a mile away in a southerly direction. This bore was worked down to 1534 feet without striking either oil or gas. Mr Fair then started a new bore to the southeast of the first one, and at 905 feet struck oil that yielded at least ten barrols a day. But there was a layer of papa abovo which was continually falling in and stopping the llow of oil.

Early in 1896 a fourth bore was commenced. in face of great difficulties and continuous breaking of tools in tangled strata; the bore was carried down as far as 1976 feet. Oil was struck at 1358, 1392, and 1675 feet, but it was only at the 1976 feet level that any large quantity was struck, and unfortunately thero was difficulty in shutting out the water in the sandstone formation. The venture met with continued misfortune culminating in an explosion and fire, which destroyed the derrick and the works. Mr Fair then returned to Australia, Mr Samuel, the chairman of directors, taking over the management. Efforts were again made to free the bore from water, and as a result so much as eight barrels of oil a day were obtained. But the strata wore too friable and soft, and the bore could not be kept permanently free, In all about 70 barrels were obtained, and t'tis found a ready market at 15s a batrol, the barrels being supplied. The Railway Department and private manufacturers found the crude oil most suitable for their purposes, and orders poured in. In March, 1897, the directors re- | luefcantly abandoned their efforts at this spot. Leaving the bore well cased, they removed the plant to a spot a hundred yards away, and commenced a fifth bore. At 900 and 1000 feet they struck oil, but tho difliculty with the papa appeared again, and they finally iibnndoncd all hope of doing much good at this level. It was in the fourth bore that the persevering promoters first succeeded in shutting out the water at a depth of over 1500 feet. That the oil was quite as good as Mr Booth had declared it to he was evident from the analysis and report of Professor Boverton Kcdwood, He found it to bo of a rich brown colour, and quite free from |any disagreeable oclour, analysis was: — Petroleum spirit Nil. Petroleum oil 48.25 Intermediate and heavy oils, with solid hydrocarbon (paraffin) , 51.25 Coke and loss 0,50

" The crude oil," lie wrote, " must therefore be regarded as of an exceedingly valnablo description, and the commercial importance attached to such a discovery in the locality is undeniably great." Mr A. McKay, Government Geologist, made a coinploto exploration of the field in 1891), and he came to the conclusion that in the vicinity of Now Plymouth the coal stratum would lie at about 5000 feet, that is, if there were no denudation. iThe bare at. Moturoa is now down about half that distance.—N.Z. Times.

The history of recent years is woll known. Two yoars ago tho prosont Mr Pair, brother of Mr Pair mentioned abovo, took charge of the work. Since then there have been many trials and troubles, but reward seems to have come at last and the oil field tapped as it lias never been tapped before. The future operations are sure to bo full of interest, not only to New Plymouth j and Tarannki people, but to the public of New Zealand as a whole.