PETROLEUM.

Taranaki Daily News, 16 January 1919, Page 6

PETROLEUM.

SALE OF HUIKOA BORE,

A Stratford resident, who has been closely connected with the operations in connection with the Huiroa bore, was approached by a representative of the Post for information relative to the sale of the plant of the Huiroa bore on foehalf of the debenture-holders. IJe said he did not feel inclined to express his full opinion in view of the meagre and surprising facta disclosed. For instance he questioned the figures as to the purchase money, as at the price, £2BOO, it was a veritable "snip." The boiler, engine, pulleys, dynamo, and gear of all descriptions, were alone worth more than that sum, while it should ibe remembered that there wfcs £IO,OOO worth of casing in the bore. Headers will doubtless recall the fact that the bore was the property, of the Consolidated Oilfields Limited, which prosecuted the search for oil with an energy and completeness worthy of greater success. From the opinion submitted <by leading New Zealand scientists, the country at Huiroa is "absolutely pretoliferous," and the most sanguine hopes were held for the success of the boring operations, ' The plant was thoroughly up to date in every particular, and the bore was recognised to be unequalled in the Dominion. Six-inch casing was put down to a depth of over 4900 a»d it was at this stage in May, of 1917, that, boring was suspended owing to the impossibility of securing the necessary five-inch casing to proceed with the work. There is only one deeper bore in the Dominion, namely the Blenheim at New Plymouth, which is down to a depth of 52C0 feet, and it is the contention of our informant that if the Blenheim strikes oil it is an evtn-money gamble that success will attend the Huiroa bore. As a close student of the industry, and a thorough believer in its ultimate sucess, he has nothing but praise for the pioneers in their unlimited faith as shown by the substantial outlay and persistence for years past. They deserved hotter luck. There is also something wrong, he concluded, when the Government can vote £SOOO to one Taranaki bore, and leave another filone, the suraceie of which would prove the Taranaki field as a whole.