Notes

Abstract

THE inauguration of the first boring for petroleum in this country, which took place at Hardstoft, near Chesterfield, on October 15, was an event of more than economic interest by reason of the confirmation it may afford of the speculations of competent oilfield geologists of the existence of oil in this country. Forty American drillers are engaged on the first boring, but provision of the necessary plant for drilling ten wells has been made; seven of these drillings are to be made in the vicinity of Chesterfield. Each of the wells will be fully equipped for a maximum depth of 4000 ft., and the principal occurrence of oil is expected to lie between 2000 ft. and this maximum. Lord Cowdray, to whom the nation is so much indebted for the assistance he has rendered in this pioneer work, claimed that althougti in America such experimental drilling woufd be known as “wild-catting,” yet it was more than justified by to-day's knowledge, but was not a case for exaggerated hopes. Such a word of caution was very necessary, for it is so customary to think of oil-wells as yielding prodigious quantities that the low average of some five tons a day per well throughout the world is not realised. Last year the importation of oil into this country was valued at more than 36,000,000L. Even if all the ten wells yielded the above average, the contribution to our national requirements would be very little, and the present enterprise must be regarded more as exploratory than as likely to furnish any adequate proportion of our requirements.