PETROLEUM NEWS.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume L, Issue 60, 1 July 1907, Page 2

PETROLEUM NEWS.

IXTEUVJEW WITII MB SIMPSON. POSITION AT THE BOKES. Mr AV- A. Simpson, Cue oil well drilling cXjh.ti recently engaged through tho Governments of New Zealand and Canada, li is been in charge of the TaraJiiiki Petroleum Company's works at Moturoa during the past week or Bo as manager lor Hie company. As in Wellington, so locally, he has steadfastly declined to be interviewed or to give any information to the Press men who I have sought to "draw" him on tile subject of oil in Taranaki and tile prospeels of (lie boring operations. J>li* Simp-am took up the stand that until In- had made himself thoroughly ?c----ipiaintcd with local conditions and liecome possessed of information as to the progie-.-i of the boring already done by liic company, it would be distinctly unwise for him to m ike any statement, or to hold out any promise of success. 11l this course tile directors of the Taranaki Petroleum Company concurred. Shareholders locally and in different parts of the colony, however, hearing no news concerning the developments lately seemed to have concluded that there was something wrong, and the directors gave Mr Simpson authority to give any information. This a Daily -News reporter learned from the gentleman himself in a chat with him on Saturday afternoon. Asked as to his experience as a driller, Air Simpson showed letters and testimonials all pointing out that he bad been for very many, years a most successful driller of bores for natural gas, water, and petroleum in Petrofia, Ontario, and various other parts of Canada, "lie has peculiar adaptation to deep-well drilling," wrote one. Anoiher (inn, for whom lie hail undertaken successfully a great number of wells, wrote: "lie is one ol' the few drillisrs here that is capable of going into outside territory and sinking wells successfully."

How long have I boon engaged in the business? WelJ, I've never done anything else, and it's all I'm any good at." ■'in that ease yon will be able to give us Home opinion of tile value of the Xaramiki oilfield, so far as you have seen it, and some idea of the prospects lot-ally," suggested the reporter, Jlr Simpson replied that as far as the prospects were concerned he did not wish 1o express an opinion, and fortius reason, that it would be premature. ''You see," he added, "I don't want *o express an opinion until I can give a candid opinion. Hut there's one tiling that you can say, and it's this: That when 1 give a report it will be an unbiassed report, and one that the shareholders and the public can absolutely depend upon. J wont mislead, and 1 won't enter into any collusion with any shareholder or shareholders for the purpose of booming the well as is very often done in America. 1 don't believe in that sort of thing. But as far as drilling for oil and the managing el petroleum oil wells are concerned J think I can claim to be thorough in that, line of business."

"Can't you give us'any idea at all ol the field?"

"Yus; 1 flan assure you that there is every indication here of a good iiold, provided we overcome the difficulty that you have been endeavoring unsuccessfully to overcome from the commencement of oil-boring in New Zealand. J mean the water dittieulty, shutting oil the water from the bore. X have my own opinion as to why they haven't done it, and in a very short time file correctness or otherwise of that opinion will be demonstrated. But that is for another time."

*'i suppose you have bored under somewhat similar conditions before, in regard to water," suggested the importer.

"Oh, yes. Wc luive liad to content with tills water trouble in difl'ercn parts, and have overcome it, to<|. Some times it was hard, sometimes not rev; hard. Jt all depends on the formation JJut the water niusC be shut oil". Tha is absolutely essential to the success o the wells"

Air Simpson to s:iy anything concerning the formation o£ lliis territory, except that indications are gojd. As yet he has not put down a bore himself, and he may have something to »ay when boring is resumed. At present ail energies are being directed on the matter of shutting out the water. "What do you think of the Birthday well?"

"That I will tell you when I come to it. You see I didn't see the well bored, ami I don't know what sediment there may be in the pipe. But I'll find nil tyiat. out when we clean her out." A linal ijuestion: "Do yon think you can overcome the difficulties presented.'" was answered in a cheerful affirmative, but lie declined to give any further information just yet, except that he quite agreed with the particulars given ijy Mr i). Berry, chairman of directors. Mr Berry says that at number one (the Birthday) well, oil still flows freely when turned on. It is probable tint the work of cleaning out this bore will be taken in band shortly, and for that purpose the oil now in the tanks will be casked and tho tanks cleaned out to take the new oil. At number two the week has been spent in endeavors to shut oil' tho water. Up to Friday night streak after streak had been tried without suecesfe, but then it was thought the difficulty had been overcome. This will not be delinitely known, however, until next week. Until this difficulty has been overcome Sir Simpson willu"t drill the few remaining feet to the oil seam. Number three is ill the suae position. The depth at No. 4 011 Thursday. night was 14!):} feel, and everything is proceeding satisfactorily. At the fifth well, on the seaward side of the railway line, the engine is in position and work is to be vigorously proeeevTod with. "011 the whole, I 'f eoneluded the chairman, "tile position is good. Shareholders pan depend 011 gitting a true and reliable report from Mr Simpson, when lie is prepared to report fully on his observations and working.