PETROLEUM.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVII, Issue 8159, 18 July 1906, Page 2

PETROLEUM.

CAKEINGTON EOAD INDICATIONS. " Well, Mr Pair, how do you like itP" asked our representative of the Taranaki Potroloum Company's manager on liiejdi'.y, on learning that he had Just returned from a careful ex. amination of the "judications" reported from Mr Petph's farm on the Carrington road, about six miles from New Plymouth. A property oyer wuch the Company has boring rights. "It looks well -it looks splendid'" I he answered.

" Is the gas still coming up t" " Yes, plenty of it. We went out fhjs morning, and put down three holes to test the tiau. The first was sunk to a depth of Jve feet. ZIZ sw amp, I was surprised to find, was only a t<U, face one, and at three feet wg got into pumice, or volcanic ash. After going down four feet we met with gas, which lighted easily, and gave off a strong flame, to about three feet in height. On letting water in, we just got a slight colour of oil.

" The second hole was put down to a depth of throe feet only, at a distance of about seven feet from number one, and due south from it. The sinking was again in pumice. Here we got the colours much more strongly, though the pressure of gas was a little less •' Then we tried another hole. In number three ire struck the pumice at a depth of 18 inches. All these holes, I might say, were absolutely dry, and free from wator," ho remarked parenthetically. '■ On close examination of number three, several jets of gas were found oozing through small fissures, and by applying a match six or seven of these could be seen burning. On letting the wa'e: in, there appeared to be an enormous pressure of gas, which burned freely." "Any smell of oil?''

"No. That is easily explained. The gas, in pasung through this belt, or strataof pumice, has been thunmghly purified, just as the oil itself cjuld be passed through it, and hardly retain its smell afterwards. I feel quite confident that wlieii we bore through tho pumice, we will get as gqod inductions as on the sen bnieli nt Moturoa/-'

Naturally ea mjti, oar re,) >rter iskedl Mr Fair if ho would recommend the Cjmpiny to put down a bore at this spot, The answer was a prompt affirmative. He would adyise the directors to sink a bore here as soon as they l could get a plant on the ground, as he was very favourably impressed with tho country. He had not previously paid vory much attention to it, confining his efforts to the Moturoa locality. Mr Fair's last words were that he was well pleased with the indications, and lie intended making yet another ciamination of this portion of the Taranaki Petroleum Company's oilfields.