QUEST FOR OIL

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Volume 58, Issue 205, 30 September 1929, Page 10

QUEST FOR OIL

IN M0RE11E AND KOTUKU DISTRICTS. NEW EQUIPMENT ARRIYES IN NEW ZEALAND. Taranaki (New Zealand) Oil Eields, is installing new driiling equipment on its Gisborne No. 2 well on tlie iMan.naone Ktrncture near Morere. Mr A. H. P. MoJine, general manager of tlie company, wiien seen by a representative of tbe Post in Wellington, stated tbat tbe first sbipment of material bad reaebed New Zealand, and it was txpeeted tliat tbe balance would arrive in tie for drilling to be resunied early in November. Tlie experience gained in drilling Gi.sborne No. 1 and 2 wells to 3000 feet bad demonstrated tbat some torm of rotary eciuipment was required to overeonie tbe difficultv presented by the caving ground met witb. There were also indications in botli wells of tbe existenee of gas at very liigh pressure, and while thi.s featurc could be regarded as favourable as regards production, it presented an additional drilling problem. Alr Aloline stated that tbe type of equijiment selected bad proved itself capable of drilling through soft, caving material, such as bad been found at Morere and Mangaone. It embodies the most recent improvements botli in design and material, and this applies particularly to the deviees for eoring. Great advanees bad been made in this respeet within tbe last year or two, and rotary equipment ean now be utilised with confidenee for drilling new and unproved territory. Before efficient coring equipment came into general use, eonsiderable risk existed of rotary equipment failing to demonstrate tbe existenee of an oil sand wbieh might be penetrated by tbe drill. Mr Aloline, wlio recently returned from a visit to a numljer of oil fields in U.S.A. and Canada, is accompanied by Nlr S. P. Hart, wlio will be in eharge of drilling opcrations for tbe company. Mr Hart has bad wide experienoe in U.S.A., Mexico, Venezuela, and Triuidad with all types of oil well drilling equipment. Special equipment for tbe eontrol of tbe big pressure gas is being supplied to Mr Hart's designs. By means of simitar gas-control equipment, wells bave recently been brougbt in under eontrol of pressures substantiall.v exeeeding tbat anticipated on any of tbe eompany's leases. It is proposed to deepen the existing wells to a deptb — if sueh proves to be necessary — of snv 5000 feet, and the equipment is capable — if required — of drilling from surface to a depth of at least 7000 feet. "A NOTABLE SUMMER." Mr Moline remarked that tbe coming Summer was likely to be a notable one. In addition to> deepening Gisborne No. 1 and 2 wells, the company was carrying out some interesting strueture drilling a few miles north of tlie Kotuku seepages in Westland. There were very promising indications of oil at shallow deptlis. and it was quite possible tbat sometbing important migbt develop in a comparatively sbort time. In addition to his own eompany's nctivities, Mr Moline referred to tbe well about to be drilled by Coal Oil (New Zealand) Limited, at Omata, near New Plymoutli. Tbe existenee or n high spot in the tertiary rocks of this distriet bad been suspected for manv years and by means of geopbysieal metbods the possibility bad been confirmed. Even disregarding tbe results of tbe eleetrial prospecting, Mr Moline exprqssed tbe opinion that a high spot within such a comparatively short distance of New Plymoutli where oil had heen produced in at least semicommercial quantity constituted a very j promising prospect. |