TARANAKI OIL FIELD.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVI, Issue 200, 21 February 1914, Page 4

TARANAKI OIL FIELD.

VISIT OF GOVERNMENT GEOLOGIST INVESTIGATIONS TO DATE. NO SERIOUS LEAKAGE. As • a rc.-ult of the representations niiiiU' by the deputation which waited upon the Minister for Mines recently, Mr 1\ G. Morgan, Director of Geological Survey, arrived in New Plymouth on Wednesday evening for the purpose of making inquiry into the allegations of the deputation regarding the flooding of the held by leakage from the bores of the old company. ~ Since arrival Mr Morgan has been busy with his work of investigation, lie visited bores Xos. 2, :i, ,">, and also the ini.iry bore of the Ta aueki (NJS.) Oil Wells, Co., Ltd. Yesterday some tests were made at the rotary bore. The sand pump was sent down at It a.m, and on removal was found to, contain three or four gallons of salt-water. A\ a further test the pninp was again sent down and the well sealed by Mr Morgan until 2 p.m. When the pump was once more brought to tl.c surface it wr.s found to contain only a small quantity i-.( salt-water, which was .handed round for inspection by the 'jeasnien nud other visitors prcseit. A Daily News representative had t'ne privilege of n conversation with Mr. Morgan yesterday evening, hot as a Government official Mr Morgan found it necessary to be more or less reticent. That is to say, he did not feel disposed to commit himself to any definite statement. Nevertheless, ho said that he was fairly well satisfied from his investigations so iar that leakage was not taking place to nnj great extent. He was collecting information with regard to the flow of oil and water, and a full report would be olaced before the Government later on. A CHEERING PROSPECT. At the present juncture Mr Morgan said he did not wish to make any definite statement, but he went so far us to say that there was every indication that Moturoa would develop into a successfill oilfield. Though deep, the oil should he found in good quantity. In such oilfields suit-water was generally met with, hut it was not sea-water. ' The saltwater there appeared to be above the oil, hut in other cases it happenod that the water was in a stratum below, -It all depended upon the different beds. But if there was u lot of water, salt or fresh, and it got into the oil-bearing sand, it sometimes caused ruin. DIFFICULT BUT NOT IMPOSSIBLE. Mr Morgan was then closely questioned as to the possibility, of 'successfully copinjr with the flooding problem, fie admitted the task was a difficult one, but the obstacle was uof. insuperable, as oil men had acquired so much skill and knew how to go about their work. Speaking generally, it is possible to say that thoroughly satisfactory results are looked for in the very near future. Further teds by the Government expert will be ti. en Intrr on.