PETROLEUM NEWS.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVI, Issue 167, 14 January 1914, Page 4

PETROLEUM NEWS.

j BLENHEIM COMPANY. BRIGHT PROSPECTS. The Blenheim bore, which started pro- • ducing last week, is maintaining it) output of i>o barrels daily. The capacity , of the underground tunic into which tho . oil is flowing is about 500 barrels, and I at tlie present rate of production it will be but a matter of a few days when ; the tank is full. In anticipation of this, 1 the management is conutructiijo a pige ; line to the tanks of the Taranaki Oil j Wells, Ltd., whence it will be pumped | for refining.

Mr J. R. von Fcdorowicz, tha field manager, is very confident regarding the future of the well, the present flow ol which he has no doubt will be maintained. In conversation with a New» representative yesterday, he 6tatod that the well was not yet out of the papa formation, and pos3ibly some distant* from the actual petroliferous sandstone, where the main source of supply was to be obtained. The oil they were getting at present came from Assures or laepages. Whether they would bore deeper | depended upon circumstances. Certainly they would not think of it whilst they I were securing the present satisfactory I flow. They might be obliged to increase the depth from time to time.

Asked i£ the company proposed to put down other bores, Mr E. Griffiths, tha local manager of the cotnpanv, stated hx> was not prepared to say any tiling definite on the point at pre3ent. They had room to put down two move bores on the section they were now boring in, and they had other lamls in the immediate vicinity that would enable them to put down several other bores. He 'a delighted with the results they have already obtained, awl speaks 'in laudatory terms of the good work doneiby Mr. Fcdorowicz and 'his staff, who, he said, are as muclli interested in the operations of the company aa the largest shareholder. lie anticipated the comh pany would meet with success from the first. It had first secured the service* of the best man as field manager that could he secured, and was satisfied With only the best of evervthinir—the most expert drilleis, the best mechanic, the best rig in the world and the best cosing. The manager took absolutely no chances. ITe had put dowjf\a perfect well, quite free from water, and of a diameter sufficient to enable them to operate with freedom and (o obtain all the oil in the vicinity of the bore. Success therefore was certain, given, of course, that the oil measures existed, and of this he and the others associated with the company never had the slightest doubt. The staff were now operating at « disadvantage. They had cabled for casing that should liave been jhere before the liolidavs. This WAS* to have Jteen pufc down to the level whenl the oil is being obtained. The pumpinggear was specially made for the new casing, which hai a smooth, easy surface to permit of the. effi*->nt and fat working of the valves, whilst the ordi* nary, casing has protruding joints that | interfere wjth ami damage the valves, so much so that after a short time tlie [valves have to be renewed. With thl arrival of the new casinj, the work win be reordered much more" en«y *nd cffl •ieit.