OIL OR GAS?

Taranaki Daily News, 19 March 1919, Page 7

OIL OR GAS?

SENSATION AT KAIKOURA. The outburst of petroleum oil or gas from an artesian bore at Kaikoura on Tuesday was a sensational incident. The bore had been driven sixty feet when, without any warning other than that a smell like that of kerosene had been notieed, a fierce blow-out occurred, shingle being thrown up over the derrick 80 feet high. Flames immediately followed, reaching almost to the top of the derrick,! whieh was set on fire and practically wrecked. An effort was made to suppress the fire, sacking and earth being thrown: over the head of the pile whieh had been driven. In a short time the superimposed matter became impregnated, :witlr "the inflammable exudation (oil or gas), and burnt strongly/with an increase in the .volume of flame. * iThe: earth ajid, sacking were raked off ■.wifjh long iron rods, and soon there was 8 fierce whistling noise, then a roar like that of a locomotive thundering along, the blast of air being in'the nature of an "oil gusher." The flames;il)ooamc clarified, and for several feet.abbve the outlet there was an opaque va'pour (hot. air) with light, orange-colored'tongues of fire to a height, of about twenty feet. The exudation continued to, burn fiercely nn- i ■ til about seven o'clock, when the workmen succeeded, with difficulty, in plug- , ging the pipe. It is assumed that the Ignition was caused by a boring rod striking a stone occasioning a spark. tSemi-expert opinions vary between petroleum gas and mineral oil. Indications of petroleum have been noticed In various parts of the district. Mr. R. Speight, curator of Canterbury Museum, stated that the structure of the country east of the Kaikonraß. was frfrurable to the existence of deposits of petroleum, though it did not necessarily follow that petroleum was there. Indications had been reported from various parts of the north-eastern part of the island south of Cape Campbell. In the nbsenre of a personal inspection Mr. Speight was unable to say anything definite regarding the occurrence at Kaikoura. Tt might he a blow-out of marsh gas, or it might be a leakage from a petroleum deposit. The matter Was one that could only be settled- by investigation. :