PETROLEUM.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 213, 14 October 1909, Page 3

PETROLEUM.

THE NO. 2 TEST. INTERESTING CORRESPONDENCE. The following letters relating to Mr. Berry's test at No. 2 bore explain themselves:— New Plymouth, Oct. 9, 1909. The Chairman, Taranaki Petroleum Co., Ltd., New Plymouth. Sir,—My trial of 24 days at No. 2 well of your company expires on the Iltdi inst., and as the result cannot now be altered for the reasons given below, I consider it only fair to at once let

you know the result and the opinions funned by me from the experiences met with. As you are aware, the pressnt manager declined to undertake the withdrawal of the sin. casing, so it was left for me to do tliis, and it was success fully accomplished by August 11, although one length was certainly badly crippled and two other lengths" partlv broken. I then had 28 days to get ready and perforate and replace the sill. cas* ing, and during this time I had the pump put in and tried various experiments with different valves, but none of these, I regret to Kay, were entirely successful, owing greatly to their having to be inserted at a depth of some 2000 feet down the well. During the time given for getting ready the pump threw' very la ILH quantities, some days from forty to fifty barrels, but, unfortunately, it was only water, mud and silt, with perhaps 23 to I

30 per cent, of oil. This quantity steadily decreased from then on to date. On two or more occasions lately the pump stopped throwing anything at all, not even water or silt: and then, after five or six hours, it would commence again and throw perhaps six barrels' o? ■ pure oil, then stop again without anv apiparent cause. This serves to show that the pump was doing its duty all right, so I was reluctantly compelled to the opinion that the well was completely dry, and that the capacity is only from five to six barrels per day.

However, to further test its capacity, I had the pump casing again withdrawn This gave the well 48 hours'' spell, and then file sand pump was tried, with the result that from 9 a.iu. to 12 noon 't filled 10 casks. This seemed very good, especially as the oil was pure, so I decided to see what it would make from then to 7 a.m. on Monday, some 43 hours. It made only 230 feet, or about 4% barrels; this 4 was drawn with the sand pump, but the next pumpful contained so much water that it was useless. These experiments convinced me (to my great disappointment, I must confess) that tiie well, as' it stands at its present depth, will not yield more than five or six barrels per day. I have had the advice of the best pumping engineers in the dominion, and tried many experiments, but it was impossible to bring to the surface what was not in the well. Although you may insist that I lose my deposit, yet I cannot blame myself, and trust that I have done some little good. The bore is in a better condition than at any time during tihe last two years; the sand difficulty is a thing of the past; the sin. casing is truly straight and round; it is free, and can be lilted easily at any time; and last, but not least, I flatter myself that I have put some little life iuto a concern that, i regret to say, was troubled with sleeping sickness or something similar.

A'ow, there is a remedy, and that is to sink this bore down about 270 feet deeper, and so get on to the main stratum, 'l'lie drillr and men now on this well are as good as can be got, Ji would riot wish for better, and they are quite competent to carry on the work better than | anyone else, and, although it would be somewhat of a loss to me, I would undertake to supervise the operations lor, say, four days a week, free of charge to the company, and I venture to say then would be few, if any, of the accidents of the part. Before concluding, I would like to mention that the pump casing is about ' done. It was bought, I understand, second hand; it saw a good deal ot service at No. 1, and backward and forward to No. 3, besides constant use at No. 2; and consequently, in &pite of all care in examining every length lietore it goes down, it frequently cuts through below the collar#, being so thin. Each time this occurs the pump rods and casing have to be taken out, and the removal and replacement of the rods spoils four days. This lost me nearly half the time of my trial. New casing of 3in. internal diameter (as loss decreases the size of tdie valves, and consequent capacity) should be obtained during the deepening of the bore, in order that it may be ready when required. The pump-rod pins' and boxes, which are made of ordinary iron, should be -e----newed with Lownioor at onie, as the cost will soon be saved in fishing expenses. The rods themselves are cumbersome and unwieldy, but the renewal of these can be avoided for some time. By taking away of such men as the driller, wrenehman, and engineer to load up oil, when perhaps they are taking up or lowering casing, etc., is to be deprecated; surely a couple of laborer could be got by telephoning to No. 3, where'lhere are eight or ten of them. Finally, I would like to point out that , my trial has cost the company nothing; on the contrary, I venture to think that, , upon measuring up, you will find that the value of the oil obtained covers fcho outlay from two to four times over. Also, being at the bore each day, and having time £o spare, I designed and have nearly finished an oblong concreted tank, capably of holding 25,57f) gallons, at an agreed price of £52 76 od, while the next-lowest tender was about £67 10s and the highest about £l2O, so thd Company ?aves money, although I get barely the cost, owing to bad weathei, etc, I merely mention these , matters to.sbow that all my efforts have been for the benefit of the company. Although I have written "finally," yet It must not close without giving a meed of praise to all the men under my supervision. It was no question f hours, or having done enough; it was only for me to express a wish to have a tiling done, and it was carried out cheerfully and well, and my only hoipe is that my health will permit of our being again associated in some similar, bniataere suaessful, undertaking. WT . I am, Sir, * I : Yours faithfullv, D. BERRY. [We have excised two libellous pasgages from the letter. —Ed.]

New Plymouth, Oct. 11, 1909. D. Berry, Esq., New Plymouth. Dear Sir,—Your letter of the 9th inst. \ras coii-iicred by the directors tli.s afternoon and the information as to the unsuccessful result of your test was received with much regret. Relative to your verbal suggestion to the directors this afternoon for an extension of time for two or three weeks to enable you to continue the test, the directors' co.isiiler that tl'ev would not he serving the shar:'' ■>%! -V interests in prolonging testing <>«• rtt!.-•.* the present depth, for, as nd-il'H V- yourself, it is evident that the '"in supply of oil is to to found 't r!r --i'i:e lower depth as m No. 3. The-: have, therefore, after careful consideration of your suggestion, decided to reply that they cannot accede to your request for an extension of time. As already verbally notified ;<• you, Mr. Sladden will be at No. 2 hore to-morrow (Tuesday) morning at 7.3(1 for the purpose of measuring up the oil. When this has been done the directors v 'II resume possession of the bore in tci i of vnur agreement. Yours faithfully, C. E. BELLRINGER, Deputy Chairman.