PETROLEUM.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVII, Issue 8136, 19 June 1906, Page 2

PETROLEUM.

Professor Easterfield, M.A. PhD., of Victoria University, Wellington, reports as follows on the samples of oil submitted to him" Wellington, June 15th, 1906. I have examined the crude petroleum sent by you on the fitli inst., I and certified as having been drawn in Mr Leary's presence (Messrs Barr, Leary, and Co., Wellington). Crude oil.—The sample was of a greenish color, red by transmitted light, and without offensive smell. It was semi-solid at the ordinary temperature, but completely liquid at 80def. Fahr. Ct cjntains sufficient volatile matter to flash at the ordinary temperature. The specific gravity was "84 at 65dog. Fahr. Tho sample was free from water and grit. Distillation test.—When distilled the oil gave the following products i—--3enzine, distilling between oOdeg. and 150dei>. C. 20 per cent.; burning oil, distilling between 120deg. and 300deg. 0. 40 per oent.; heavy oil for lubricating, 300deg. and 440deg. C. 37 per cent, i pitch, 2 per cent, j loss, 1 per cent.; total 100. Benzine. -The crude benzine has a specific gravity of "764, was oolorless and had a pleasant odour, When redistilled it yielded 66 per cent, of naphtha, boiling between 58 and 120 dog. C.

Burning oil.— The crude burning oil had a slightly yellow color, When redistillod it yielded water, white korosene with only a faint bloom. The oil distilling between 150dcg. and 270deg. had a spcciffc gravity of "82. Treatment of this fraction with sulphuric acid, and alkali scarcely affected the density of tho oil, but removed practically the whole of the bloom. The lead oxide test indicated the absence of sulphur (Compounds. The kerosene is of greater density than "White Rose Oil," and shows a greater tendency to smoke when burnt in American lamps. This defect is aK'O shown by Russian kerosenes, but is largely overcome by the practical manufacturer. Heavy oil and paraffin.—Tho heavy oil sots at the temperature owing to the deposition of solid paraffin The maximum amount of paraffin scale which I obtained was equal to 13 per cent of the crude petroleum. After pressing and re-melting, the scale showed a melting point of IDOdcg Fahr. The yield of paraffin wa\- in a properly arranged distillery, fi'i.jd fir cold Alteration, would bo greater than in a laboratory experiment. The melting point of wax would also he raised by systematic sweating, as carried out by the modern manufacturer. Lubricating Oil. —The heavy oil filtered from the wax yielded, by the usual acid and alkali treatment, a reddish hrown oil of good appearand. The oil is a good lubricant. It w.is tested upon tho crank shaft bearings, and in the high pressure cylinder of a stationary enginery, and gave complete satisfaction." The following report has been received from Mr G. C. Fair, oil expert, who has had great experience in oil boring operations in Cinida, Southern Italy, Galicia, and Roumania: —To the directors of the laranaki Petroleum Company, Limited., NewPlymouth. I bog to forward you my report on the Taranaki Petroleum Company's oil field.

The beds that have been traversed are rich in marine fossils, tr ices of piccids, grey clays, and san.ly sliales, and therefore the oil-bearing strata in my opinion consists of a friable nature. This would lead me to believe that the petroliferous strata of tho Moturoa district arc not in any way of a volcanic nature but rise directly from the lower tertiaries, partly from the miocene and partly from the upper oeocene The great difficulty I have experienced has been in shutting off the water. This difficulty, lam happy to say, I have now overcome, and no further difficulty in this respect is anticipated. At the prosent time the Birthday Well is a payable ono, and from past experience I should say the life of this well will prjbably be from tcu to twclye years, but will not in eessarily bo a flowing well for the whi'lo of that period.