PETROLEUM NEWS.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIII, Issue 222, 13 January 1911, Page 8

PETROLEUM NEWS.

ENQUIRY FROM THE ADMIRALTY. Evidently the 25 barrels of oil shipped front New Plymouth to the British Admiralty have reached their destination, for a cablegram has been received from the Admiralty enquiring the flash point of the oil. The chairman of directors, in his reply, referred the enquirer to Messrs. Craig, of Paisley, who made an analysis of the oil, and who would thus be able to give full information. AT THE BORES. The number of visitors to the Taranaki Petroleum Company's bores is still increasing, and as a result the success of the operations at No. 2 bore are now more widely believed in. Scores ot people who have lived in New Plymouth for years have only now learned, by actual inspection, that the company has a flowing bore, and that something definite has been achieved. There arc many hundreds of local people who have not seen the oil flowing yet, and they should undoubtedly do so, if only to be able to tell visitors what an interesting thing a flowing bore is. At No. 2 bore the oil' was flowing strong as'cver yesterday. At No. 3 excellent progress is being made, and the oil is still flowing well. At No. 5 drilling is going on well, the boulder formation having been passed, and the drill is now pentrating papa country. Work at No. 1 is proceeding satisfactorily. The company is still receiving numerous applications for the new preference shares.

A representative of the Woodvillc paper has been on a visit to the oil wells at Moturoa. Inter alia, ho says:—"lt has been known for a long time past that it was supposed that petroleum oil, was to be found in New Plymouth, and it has also been known that some of the New Plymouth people were very sanguine about the prospects in regard to the production of oil as a payable venture, and the establishment of a real live industry in the district. Outside New Plymouth, it must be admitted, a good many people were inclined to discount tlie various reports as being—first, Now Plymouth blow; second, .as being companyj-pronroters' 'skite'; and third, with ma>ny folk, as being something they had not thought possible in New Zealand, something they had not heard of before, something that was altogether strange to them, and therefore as something not to bo believed in. But the New Plymouth people were not discouraged by cold water douches from other parts of the country, and persevered with their explorations. It is true that money has been sunk —much, money, we believe. We have been told that one of the, original prospectors spent about £7OOO in sinking, and then failed to 'strike ile,' but others stuck to the hope and experiments, and now they are confident that they have got beyond the sta'ge of 'may be,' and that they can look forward with confidence to a just recompense of reward." The writer goes on to speak in glowing terms of what he saw, the prospects of the industry, and the courtesy extended to him at the bores.