THE OIL INDUSTRY.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 173, 25 August 1909, Page 3

THE OIL INDUSTRY.

YESTERDAY AT TrUi BOUES. The manager ot Hie Taranaki Company, having tleaieu the ume oi obstructions Uu .iiolluuy t'.ulli.ig, ie-co,.i-luenccd operation;, justeruay morning, and throughout liio day conunued, .... means oi two sand-pumps, luting i..i out oi the well. During me suu.\ ui..,; ■X operations were suspeuuea last week l j ;V. secure the lost rope and tools, mc Cij :i- in the well rose abuut 1500 ieet.io «iiu- • in a thousand feet oi me u.p. tue result oi yesuruay s wurs no miueticn ■y pi We depm oi oil in u.e bore u.ia made, '.there is a certain amount oi water niixeu with the on in the web, the pump occasionally snowing aoout two-thiros oil of uiaguiheeui quality and one-third water. While it is unlikely that water m any appreciate quantity is hudiug its way into me bore, it is impossiole to say doimiWiy until the welt has been pumipeu nry and a thorough test made. Lmortunately there is no pump available, tile only one the company possesses being in use at Xo. i bore. It is also douUtivu whether there is in the dominion u unwell pump of the aimensious required, but telegraphic inquiries to Australia tod likely firms' in New Zealand, are now being made. The fact that the developments already warrant the directors installing an up-to-date pumping t ...inc at the bore to, raise the on speaks eloquently of the company's faith in the ueiv deep ievei oil seam. Of the oil raised j can-may by the tedious sand-pump process, over lour barrels of apparently the richest quality oil ever secured on the Held was barreled. The oil is extremely rich in paraffin wax, eongealing to the consistency of vaseline immediately it reaches' the surface. It is of a rich brown color, as distinguished from the chocolategreen of the other bore. Operations will be continued with the saud-punip until pumping, machinery can be installed. Steps are also being taken to provide additional storage accomodation. The sand-pump yesterday worked at depths varying from ,joO to 2300 feet. Sometimes the contents of the pump were pure oil, at others perhaps 1 up to one-third of water was present. At ordinary times the.water would naturally be found below the oil, not mixed with it. The explanation apparently is that the great pressure of gas in the well is throwing the water up the bore, and as the oil in the higher levels congeals rapidly the water cannot get back. Accordingly it is found that a few feet of water alternates with varying depths of oil in the casing. This was panicu- ; larly noticeable yesterday morning, when water was the first iluid struck on the pump being sent down. Water apparently floating on oil is certainly an unusual circumstance, but is explained as pointed out in the foregoing. As a matter of fact, so far as was demonstrated yesterday, there is much less water at the lower depths' than higher up in the bore.

The pressure of gas at the bore is very great, and the work of the stair rendered very trying thereby. The strong fumes quickly incapacitate the nuen engaged in the immediate vicinity, and after each withdrawal of the sand-pump an adjournment has to be made to the open-air. Arrangements are being made to alternately spell the hands engaged in the work.

At the No. 2 bore, which wae latterly producing aji average of about la barrels daily when active operations ceased to allow M.r. Berry to test the well in terms) of his offer to produce a minimum of 20\ barrels daily, everything is almost in readiness for a start. The pump was refitted yesterday and pumping commenced in the afternoon, oil being pumped steadily until the evening. The well is practically full of oil, which it will take some time to exhaust. Meanwhile the new underground tank for storing the oil is hardly ready, and the (Jest proper will not begin until early next week. The prospects'at both bores arc of the brightest, and certainly at no time in the history of the industry has such a supply of oil been in sight.

TARANAKI OIL' AND FREEHOLD BORE. The /earning out of the bore to the larger dimensions is proceeding satisfactorily at the Vogeltown bore. Some delay was caused by the parting of the cable, but this will be re-instated to- , day. The indications of oil are good, in fact, better than ever. INGLEWOOD OIL BORING AND PROSPECTING COMPANY. An extraordinary general meeting of the Inglewood OH Boring and Prospecting Company was held at the Town Hall, New Plymouth, last evening. Mr. T. Furlong, chairman of directors, presided, and stated that the object of the meeting was to give effect to the proposals recommended by the directors at last week's meeting of the shareholders. He explained that two inquiries had been received 'regarding the purchasing of the company's plant, one from Gisborne and the other from Dunedin. Prospects just now were particularly good, however, and he was averse to disposing of the plant. As to the question of the company going into liquidation, such an idea should not be entertained. It was resolved, on the motion of Messrs. Furlong and Ramson, that owing to toe necessary capital not having been subscribed the Mokau scheme be abandoned. On the motion of the chairman, sec-

onded by_ Mr. Raipson, it was resolved ' that the' company's plant' be stored pending further developments. It was resolved that the secretary write to Mr. Stubbs, of Waitara, thanking him for his liberal offer Te the Mokau scheme. Also that a letter of; thanks be sent to Mr. W. T. Jennings, M.P. for his good offices in bringing before Parliament the question of subsidising the company for securing oil in that district, the result of which efforts had resulted in a bonus of threepence per gallon being offered by the Government to all .companies prospecting for oil A - of thanks was also passed to Mr. Ogle for his offer of a reduction in freight in snipping the company's plant Jo Mokau. The customary vote to the chairman terciinated the proceedings.