PETROLEUM NEWS.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 119, 13 October 1914, Page 3

PETROLEUM NEWS.

TAk&NAKI NI;W ZEALAND OIL WELLS. ACTIVITY AT MOTUiROA* TOUR FI/JWING WELLS. For miany wcw;s past the manago.nwnt has been looking forward to the day whe-n they could chronicle the fact that, all the wells under their supervision at •MotuToa. would be producing oil, and while tlhat stage has not been actually reached, it is within a mcasuraMe distance, as the coming week should see the four wells- on oil.

No. 2 Bore.—Drilling ceaecd at <hi» bore on Thursday, and sand-pumping operations wore commenced ani Frid&y, continued thiough Friday night, and eairied on during Saturday morning. This- bore commenced' to flow of 'its own accord, and -lias been flowing ever since. Owuvr to the length of -tfianc this 'borehas been quiescent, it was not anticipated that there could ibe an immediate return to oil. Some three will bo re--quired toi -thoroughly exhaust the b«di of Silt, e*c, before a return to oil takes place. On enquiry last nighit, a .Daily News representative gathered' the information' that the silt and water which were being expcillcd from the bore showed! strong traces of oil. There is every reason to believe that He bore will return again to He, normal flow rucord prior to the silting: taking place. No, 3 here is- still maintaining its flow, with uniform regularity. No. 6 Bore—Since drilling operations ceased at this bore, after being deepened and cased to the bottom, large, quantities of oil have been coming away, hut as the oil has been mixed with silt, which was difficult to separate, the oil ha e -been allowed to pass into the creek The washing process it there received, and the natural precipitation of the sand to the bed of the creek, have bo far proved the best method'of saving the oil which floats on the top of the* stream. The last report about this well is that the oil is increasing and' the eilt diminishing. An interesting feature of this boro is that it is producing: siifficic-n/t gas to heat the boilers at the No. 2 and rotary bores. Thei 'Rotary Bore.—The inserting of smaller tubing in this bore has had the desired effect in regulating tihe flow. The tremendous presure of gas at this ■Jvell, with its many violent outbursts, caused noi bad results, but, with a regulated and controlled pressure, hotter results 'Willi it is expected, be foruheoaßing.

The four boTes were very active yesterday, and the evening week should furnish -some idea of the productiveness of these wells.