OIL DRILLING

Wairarapa Times-Age, 14 June 1938, Page 6

OIL DRILLING

* PLANS OF AMERICAN PARTY MODERN DISCOVERY METHODS (By Telegraph—Press Association.) AUCKLAND, June 13. After spending an average of 25 years each in an almost world-wide search for oil, five American experts who had been suddenly switched from far-off Persia and Syria arrived at Auckland by the Niagara from Sydney to set up an £BO,OOO derrick and the most modern boring equipment at Totangi, near Gisborne. It seemed characteristic that, after a hurried consultation with officials of the Vacuum Oil Co. Proprietary, Ltd., they should leave for the field less than six hours after they arrived and that they should talk very little of themselves.

The party is in charge of Mr Hobart L. La Mar, drilling superintendent, who, in the past 15 years, has had similar charges in different parts of the United States and in many of the central American States as well. He admitted he had had many adventures in the jungles of Venezuela, Nicaragua and Mexico, but what they were and how they happened he would not say, although he agreed he had been associated with several ’major oil discoveries, notably the discovery of a well at Santa Barbara, California, in 1929, which produced enormous quantities of petroleum. On the subject o'f oil itself and the exact scientific methods followed nowadays to detect its presence several thousand feet below the surface of the ground, Mr La Mar was more expansive. In spite of prophecies that the world supply of oil was rapidly dwindling, he said there was no theory with a scientific base for the belief that such was a fact. The use of the seismograph and the amazing developments in drilling technique in recent years have completely altered the face of the oil industry. Science and restrictive legislation .upon chicanery and sharp practices have taken oil from the province of juggling and prophesy into the more substantial one of hard work and accurate knowledge, he said. At one time shareholders were at the mercy of promoters, who invited them to take long chances. Today it was possible for experts to say with amazing accuracy whether seemingly likely fields were dry areas and bores could be sunk at different angles to depths of 15,000 ft.

If oil was present in Poverty Bay he had no doubt it would be located. The men with him were veteran drillers whose experience had carried them to some of the world’s largest oilfields.