No v e m b e r, 1947.
ABSTRACTS.
Oi l f i e l d Ex p l o r a t i o n a n d Ex p l o i t a t i o n.
G eology ...
G eophysics and Geochemical P rospecting ...
D rilling ... ... ... i..
Production
Oilfield D evelop m en t ... v . Tr a n s p o r t a n d St o r a g e Re f i n e r y Op e r a t i o n s.
Refineries and A uxiliary R e finery P lan t ...
385 a 394 a 395 a 397 a 399 a 407 a
407 a Chemical and P hysical Refining 408 a
Special Processes R efining P aten ts Pr o d u c t s.
C hem istry and P h ysics A n alysis and T esting ..
Gas Lubricants
Mi s c e l l a n e o u s . Bo o k s Re c e i v e d
p a g e 408 a 408 a
411 A 414 A 415 a 415 A
En g i n e s a n d Au t o m o t i v e E q u i p m e n t . . . . . . . . . 4 1 6a
417 a 419 a
A U T H O R I N D E X .
The num bers refer to A bstract Numbers.
A bbey, A ., 1689 A b ern ath y , J . H ., 1593 A nderson, B. T ., 1689 A rnold, 0 ., 1689 A rnold, J . 0 ., 1689 B acon, T . S., 1609 B arnes, K . B., 1571,1660,
1661, 1664, 1670, 1671 B axter, A. D ., 1716 B loch, H . S., 1689 — B runer, F . H ., 1689 B o lt, J . A., 1705 B ondi, A., 1693, 1699 Bowers, E. F ., 1615 B ra tta in , R . R ., 1694,
1695 Breese, J . L., 1689 B ruce, W. A., 1616 B ruckshaw , J . M., 1585,
1586
B urns, W . W., 1623 Cam pbell, 0 . E ., 1590 C arpenter, G. B ., 1696 Chaney, P . E ., 1607 C larke, L. A ., 1689 C leveland, F . J ., 1689 Cohee, G. V ., 1.548 C ohen, 0 . A., 1689 Cole, R. M., 1689 Cook, W. H ., 1597 Deegan, C. J ., 1543,1556,
1612, 1642, 1648 D reyfees, H ., 1689 Ellis, S. R. M., 1689
F lax m an , M. T ., 1689 Fohs, F. J ., 1575 F o ster, A. L ., 1686 F o ster, F . K ., 1551 F o x , R . E ., 1701 G alt, J . K ., 1704 Gibbon, A», 1592 . Gonzalez, R . J ., 1644 G oulding, H . G., 1717 G ount, J . G., 1689 G ray, G. R ., 1603 G unning, H . E ., 1697,
1698 G urney, C., 1703 H alb o u ty , M. T ., 1553 H alford, R . S., 1696 H am b let, C. IT., 1689 H am il, A. B., 1589 H an fo rd , W . E ., 1689 H ard in , G. C., 1553 H a tc h , G. B ., 1689 H ay te r, B ., 1689 H eller, W ., 1702 H ene, E ., 1689 H ill, W. B., 1621 H ippie, J . A., 1701 H o b a rt, H . P ., 1689 H o lt, B. M., 1689 H oskings, H . A., 1618 H u n ter, B. F ., 1689 H y a tt, D. L., 1550 K atz , D . L . V ., 1689 K aye, J ., 1715 K eenan, J . H ., 1715 K inley, M. M., 1608 Klevens, H . B., 1700,
1702
L a ig ret, J ., 1690 Lankelm a, H . P ., 1689 L in n ett, J . W., 1691 Lyle, H . N ., 1606 McAlevy, A ., 1689 McCaslin, L. S., J r ., 1591,
1651
M cIntosh, A. J ., 1719 M artens, J . H . C., 1559 M arty, P ., 1605 Moore, P . H ., 1706 M usselman, J . M., 1689 Nelson, W . L., 1684,1685,
1708
N owlan, H . H ., 1546 Oxanne, H ., 1576 P ellam , J . R ., 1704 Perkins, H . W., 1607 P evere, E. F ., 1689 Poore, J . N ., 1602 P o u n d , G. S., 1689 Price, P . H ., 1559 Q uarendon, R ., 1707 R asm ussen, R . S., 1694,
1695 R a v itz , L., 1573 R eed, H . C., 1689 R eger, D. B ., 1558 R enfro, H ., 1615 R obinson, R ., 1692 Salnikov, I . S., 1600 Sandoz, T . H ., 1595
Schm erling, L ., 1689 Sem enido, E. G., 1710 Shabaker, H . A», 1689 S h o rt, E . H ., J r ., 1554,
1596, 1601, 1614 Sims, J . J ., 1689 S pain, H . H ., 1617 Steacie, E . W . R ., 1697,
1698
StirtoD, R . I., 1689 S tovall, W. S., J r ., 1613 Swenson, R . A., 1689
T ay lo r, R . C., 1689 Tow nsend, A. A ., 1620 Triggs, W . W., 1689 Tucker, R . C,, 1559 W ard, J . 0 ., J r ., 1689 W arrick, H . R ., 1689 W eber, G., 1547, 1599,
1619
Welge, H . J ., 1616 Wheeler, R . R ., 1552 Williams, J . W., 1689 Williams, N ., 1549, 1598,
1611, 1645, 1646 W illibrand, F. H ., 1550 W illson, O .O ., 1560,1561, Wolf, A ., 1709 W oodw ard, S. W ., 1588 W rightsm an, G. G., 1617
Z aba, J ., 1594 Z ajac, T . S., 1610 Zobell, C. E ., 1532 Zueco, P . S., 1695
Oi l f i e l d Ex p l o r a t i o n a n d Ex p l o i t a t i o n.
» G e o lo g y .
1532. Bacterial Release of Oil from the Sedimentary Materials. C. E. Zobell. Oil O a s J ., 2.8.47, 46 (13), 62.— Laboratory work shows th a t bacteria can liberate oil from oil-bearing sedim ents b y several m echanism s. Solution o f calcareous m atter m ay be
G G
a m ost im portant m echanism . H ydrocarbons m ay be liberated from organic m atter.
B acteria m ay decom pose sulphate minerals.
Carbon dioxide, m ethane, and hydrogen produced bacterially m ay prom ote oil flow. Bacterially-form ed detergents can aid in liberating oil from sedim ents, and bacterial grow th on solid surface m ay displace oil.
Oil in sm all am ounts has been released from sam ples o f A thabaska tar sand in the laboratory.
Sulphate-reducing bacteria seem to be th e m ost versatile oil-releasing organisms, b u t m ethane, hydrogen-producing, and other anaerobic bacteria m ay be more effective i f th ey can be injected into oil-bearing form ations along w ith appropriate nutrients.
More research is needed on th ese problem s. G. D . H.-
1533. November Exploration Exceeds 1945 Period. Anon. O il W k ly, 30.12.46, 124 (5), 49.— 419 exploratory w ells were com pleted in U .S .A . in N ovem ber 1946 to give a to ta l o f 4035 w ells for th e first 11 m onths. 70 o f the N ovem ber te sts w ere producers, 37 discovering oil. 11 oilfields were exten ded. A new W eber sand field, E lk Springs, was opened in Colorado.
The results o f the N ovem ber exploratory com pletions are sum m arized b y S tates and districts. A table lists th e 1946 d iscovery w ell w ith som e pertin en t data.
G. D . H . 1534. U.S.A . Crude Reserves. O il W kly, 20.1.47, 124 (8), 48.— A t th e end o f 1945 32 U .S.A . com panies held 16,979,400,000 brl o f reserves, 81-5% o f th e to ta l U .S.
reserves. Standard Oil Com pany (N .J.) held 3,500,000,000 brl o f reserves ; th e T exas Com pany held 1,500,000,000 brl. A table show s th e dom estic and foreign reserves o f the com panies, bu t data on foreign reserves are incom plete. F iv e o f th e com panies together hold 15,470,000,000 brl o f foreign reserves. G. D . H . 1535. 4831 Exploratory W ells Were Completed in 1946. Anon. Oil W kly, 27.1.47, 124 (9), 50.— 432 exploratory w ells were com pleted in U .S.A . in D ecem ber, m aking the 1946 to ta l 4831. 17 1% o f th e Decem ber w ells were su ccessful, and for th e w hole year 19-4% were productive. 1946 had 515 oil discoveries o f w hich 310 w ere new fields; there were 104 gas discoveries, 75 being new fields, and 72 d istilla te finds, including 30 new fields.
A table sum m arizes b y S tates and d istricts th e exploratory w ell results in D ecem ber and throughout 1946 ; a second table groups th e discoveries according as th ey are oil, gas, or d istillate discoveries, new fields or new p ays, and exten sions.
The new oil, d istillate, and gas fields, and new p ays discovered in U .S .A . in Decem ber 1946 are listed w ith the salien t p oin ts noted. G. D . H . 1536. W ildcat D rilling at New Peak. Anon. O il W kly, 10.2.47, 124 (11), 130.—
During 1946, 4830 exploratory te sts were drilled in U .S .A . (the 1945 figure w as 4510).
The 1946 tests yielded 935 discoveries, o f w hich 687 were n ew oil, d istilla te, or gas fields, or sands, and 248 were exten sions. 513 new oilfields or p a y s were found, 308 being new fields. 1946 gas discoveries num bered 103, including 74 new gas fields.
T exas yielded 118 new oilfields and Illin ois 30.
A table gives yearly from 1937 th e num bers o f new fields and p ays discovered, w ith a breakdown into oil, gas, and d istillate fields and pays. Further tabu lation s b y S tates giv e th e num bers o f oil, distillate, and gas fields, p a y s and exten sion s opened in 1946, w ith the footage o f th e w ells, and an analysis o f th e dry te sts according as th ey were w ildcats, new p a y te sts, or outp osts. (j. j y j j. 1537. W ildcatting Success Below Average Ratio. Anon. O il W kly, 1 0 .2 .4 7 ,124 (11), 136.— During 1946, 9-8% o f th e strict w ildcats drilled in U .S .A . were successful. The percentage success for th e 10 years 1937-1946 w as 10-8.
A table gives b y S tates and districts for 1946 and 1937-1946 th e num bers o f strict w ildcats and productive w ildcats, and th e to ta l num bers o f w ells com pleted in U .S .A .
G. D . h! 1538. U.S. Crude Reserves Reach A ll-tim e Peak. Anon. O il W kly, 10.2.47, 124 (11), 139.— U .S . oil reserves were estim ated to be 21,287,673,000 brl on Jan u ary 1, 1947'
ABSTRACTS. 387 a
A t th e beginning o f 1946, the figure was 20,826,813,000 brl. D uring 1946 new reserves proved am ounted to 2,192,749,000 brl.
Tables g ive th e proved' reserves at th e end o f each year from 1936, w ith th e ratio o f reserves to annual production for each year, the new reserves proved and the production during each year from 1937, the proved reserves at the beginning and end o f 1946, and th e 1946 production b y States and districts. G. D. H . 1539. Salient Data on Productive Exploratory W ells Completed in U.S.A. in 1946.
Anon. O il W kly, 10.2.47, 124 (11), 200.— The U .S. 1946 productive exploratory com pletions are listed b y S tates w ith th e follow ing inform ation : nam e, County, field, com pany, location, date com pleted, to ta l depth, com pletion depth, nam e, character, and age o f producing form ation, initial production, choke, and oil gravity.
G. D . H . 1540. January Exploratory Drilling Rate H igh. Anon. Oil W kly, 24.2.47, 124 (13), 61.— 414 exploratory w ells were com pleted in U .S .A . in January 1947, and 71 were successful. 52 discovered new sources o f oil and 5 extended production. The m ain discovery appeared to be Howard 1, in Garvin County, Oklahoma. This w ell, lying in th e Anadarko basin, is reported to have flowed 1000-2000 brl/hour before being checked.
A table summarizes th e results o f th e January exploratory com pletions, b y States and districts. A further table compares th e overall results w ith those for January and Decem ber, 1946, w hile the January 1947 discoveries are listed w ith som e details.
G. D . H . 1541. A .P.I. and A.G.A. Oil-Gas Figures. Anon. O il W kly, 10.3.47, 125 (2), 38.—
The A .P .I. estim ated U .S.A . crude reserves to be 20,873,560,000 brl, in addition to 3,321,027,000 brl o f natural gas liquids.
Tables summarize the A .P .I. reserve estim ates for each year since 1937, givin g the production, reserves added through revision and extensions, and through new pools for each year, in addition to th e to ta l reserves. Sim ilar data for 1946 are given b y States.
G. D . H . 1542. Peak W ildcatting Gain Despite Shortages. Anon. Oil W kly, 31.3.47, 125 (5), 58.— 369 w ildcats were com pleted in U .S.A . in February, and 76 were productive.
Oil discoveries numbered 47, gas discoveries 6, and d istillate discoveries 9. E xten sion s were m ade to 14 fields.
The Concord Central field, W h ite County, Illin ois, m ay be Illin o is’ b est find in February.
Tables summarize the results o f F ebruary’s w ildcat com pletions, b oth b y S tates and b y typ es. The February discoveries are listed w ith • inform ation on outstand in g
points. G. D . H .
1543. Five Major Fields Needed to Maintain Reserves. C. J . D eegan. Oil Gas J ., 26.7.47, 46 (12), 187.— A bout 15,000 oilfields are believed to have been found in U .S.A ., but those w ith reserves exceeding 100,000,000 brl to ta l only 105. These major fields have 63% o f the proven reserves and accounted for over 50% o f th e ou tp u t in the first h alf o f 1947. O m itting E a st T exas, the average size o f a m ajor field is about 250,000,000 brl.
The m aintenance o f reserves requires th e discovery o f about 2,000,000,000 brl o f oil in 1947, and i f 60% o f the past production has com e from th e m ajor fields, new discoveries o f the latter ty p e should have reserves o f 1,200,000,000 brl— the equivalent o f five average m ajor fields.
A b out 5000 exploratory tests are planned, but o f these 1500 m ay be exten sion tests.
In 1945-46 15% o f the new field te sts succeeded, and hence i f the sam e success ratio holds, 525 fields o f all sizes should be found in 1947. I f 1% o f these are m ajor fields, there is th e prospect o f obtaining the requisite 5 m ajor fields.
A s th e oil requirem ents rise major discoveries w ill be needed.
38 m ajor fields (reserves exceeding 100,000,000 brl) were found in 1921 ; and in succeeding 5-year periods up to 1940 the figures were respectively 13, 21, 12, and 16, A table lists th e major fields w ith the date o f discovery, estim ated ultim ate output,
cum ulative production, rem aining reserve, production in first h alves o f 1946 and 1947,
and age o f producing horizon. G. D . H .
1544. Light Oil Strike Near Santa Maria. Anon. O il Gas J ., 28.6.47, 46 (8), 163.—
A w ell in 4-8n-33w , in th e Santa Maria district o f Santa Barbara C ounty, California, has flowed 314 brl o f 36 6° A .P .I. oil from th e M iocene a t 4805-4830 ft. A cluster o f fields round th is strike produce lower g r a v ity oil. The w ell is 1^ m iles sou th east of
O rcutt. G. D . H .
1545. Pem ex Producer. A non. O il W kly, 17.3.47, 125 (3), 29.— There are indications th a t a w ell com pleted in a new area in th e northern part o f th e S ta te o f Veracruz w ill
be a satisfactory producer. ■ G. D . H .
1546. Indiana’s Output. H . H . N ow lan. O il Gas J ., 6.9.47, 46 (18), 66.— The so u th w estern part o f In diana lies in th e Illin ois basin. Ten p a y horizons are present and w ells cost 8 5000-125,000. Num erous w ells drilled 30 years ago s till produce 5 -1 0 brl/d ay, at depth s less th an 1500 ft. A t M ount Vernon 24 w ells have averaged
119,000 brl each since 1941, w hile a t N ew H arm ony 33 w ells have averaged 105,000 brl each from eigh t pays.
The pools in th is area are sm all and th e sands are com m on ly lenticular. Oil is obtained from P en nsylvan ian , M ississippian, and D evon ian beds.
A m ap show s th e producing areas, and a com posite electric log section ind icates the producing horizons. A table lists th e more recently discovered pools, w ith th e number o f w ells and p a y zones, daily, cum ulative, and estim ated u ltim ate production.
G. D . H . 1547. D elhi— Biggest Stratigraphic Trap Since East Texas. G. W eber. O il Gas J ., 14.6.47, 46 (6), 108.— The D e lh i-B ig Creek production has passed 10,000,000 brl in 2£ years. The field is in Louisiana on th e southern edge o f th e Monroe u p lift. The discovery w ell was drilled in 1944 and found oil production in th e H o lt sand o f the P a lu x y a t 3280-3290 ft. A series o f producing sands were found in a b elt som e
18 m iles long. 331 w ells have been drilled. D a ily production is 2 5 ,0 00-30,000 brl.
The up lift o f the Monroe U p lift-S h ark ey P latform began a t th e end o f th e Lower Cretaoeous and continued in to early Tertiary tim es. The basal T uscaloosa, P alu xy, and Upper Glen R ose beds were truncated and th e im pervious Monroe w as laid on them . The Barrier sand connects various truncated P a lu x y beds. In general, pro
d uction is lim ited to th e north b y truncation, to th e south and ea st b y w ater, and to th e sou thw est and w est b y lensing. A ctiv e w ater-drive e x is ts in th e H olt—Bryan.
U ltim ate recovery m ay be 200,000,000 brl.
D ata are given on drilling costs and on th e characteristics o f th e m ain reservoirs.
G. D . H . 1548. Lithology and Thickness of the Traverse Group in M ichigan B asin. G. V. Cohee.
Oil G a s J ., 5.7.47, 46 (9), 90.— M ost o f th e oil produced in sou th w est M ichigan has com e from th e Traverse group, and som e Traverse production has been obtained elsew here, especially in th e central basin area.
T he Traverse group is th ick est in th e area o f Saginaw B a y , being abou t 875 ft.
■Southwards.it th ins to less than 100 ft in southw estern Berrien C ounty. P art o f this thinn ing is due to th e absence o f th e B ell sh ale and Squaw B a y lim eston e.
There is thinn ing over m ajor anticlines, suggestin g m ovem en t in Traverse tim es.
T he centre o f th e basin is 3500 f t lower th an th e Traverse outcrop ; th e average dip being 38 ft/m ile. The Traverse structure conforms w ith th a t o f th e D u n d ee-R ogers C ity, and m th e centre o f th e basin are dom inant n orth w est-sou th east folds. In th e southw est there are-also n o rth -so u th and n orth east-sou th w est folds. T he m ajority h a v e over 100 ft o f closure w ith oil only in th e upper 4 0 -6 0 ft.
Production ijj sou thw est M ichigan is from porous dolom ite overlying or associated w ith th e upperm ost chert layer in the upperm ost part o f th e Traverse lim eston e. The thickness is 3 -8 ft. In som e areas there is a second slig h tly deeper producing horizon.
A m ap gives stratum contours on th e top o f th e Traverse. The T raverse producing fields are noted and oil and gas possibilities are discussed. Q. D . H .
ABSTRACTS. 389 a
1549. Brookhaven Field. N . W illiam s. Oil Gas J „ 14.6.47, 46 (6), 94.— The Brook - haven field o f Lincoln County, M ississippi, now exten ds over an area 6 m iles from north to sou th and 2—3 m iles from east to w est. There is a central “ bald ” area o f 1000—1200 acres. The field is n ot y e t fully defined..
66 producing w ells and 13 dry holes have been drilled. U p to May 1947 th e pro
d uction w as 2,512,650 brl. In January production exceeded 14,000 brl/d ay.
There is an elongated anticline, possibly over a deep sa lt sw ell. Som e faulting is present. Production is from the lower part o f th e Tuscaloosa a t depths o f 10,138- 10,541 ft. Closure is 429-517 ft. There are three m ain producing zones, bu t sands wedge out frequently. E ffective sand thickness averages 30-35 ft. Perm eability ranges 0-2700 m , and is irregular. Original reservoir pressure is estim ated to have been 4600 p.s.i. and th e bubble point is 2200 p .s.i. The abandonm ent pressure m ay b e 320 p.s.i. The recoverable reserve m ay be 45,415,000 brl. Gas injection m ay be undertaken to enhance recovery b y m aintaining pressure above 2200 p.s.i. Gas m ight be purchased from G w inville, 35 m iles to the northeast. Pressure m aintenance m ight give a recovery o f 64,212,000 brl.
B rief notes on th e early developm ent and inform ation on drilling are given.
G. D . H . 1550. Sohio’s 1 Howard. F . H . W illibrand and D. L. H y a tt. Oil Gas J ., 12.7.47, 46 (10), 67.— 1 Howard was spudded in Novem ber 1945 and com pleted at a to ta l depth o f 10,234 ft in January 1947. I t is on th e E ola structure, a minor fold adjacent to th e Arbuckle M ountain front in Oklahoma, and is narrow. Perm ian to Ordovician beds were penetrated. Low -gravity oil was n oted in th e P on totoc, a fair show was seen in th e H unton. 4 oil sands were m et in the Bromide member o f th e Sim pson Group. On a l |- i n choke production at th e rate o f 100 brl/hr was obtained from the Bromide, w ith a G.O.R. o f 1000 cu. ft/b rl. The oil gra v ity was 40° A .P .I.
D etails o f drill-stem tests and notes on th e drilling are given. G. D . H . 1551. Carthage Gas Field Developm ent. F. K . Foster. Oil W kty, 23.12.46, 124 (4), 33.— The Carthage field o f Panola County, Texas, was opened in 1936. The discovery well was com pleted in th e H ill zone at 4880-4890 ft. Succeeding w ells obtained gas in th e Lower P e ttit and Travis Peak. In 1943 a w ell gave 112,000 M.c.f. from the Upper P e ttit and 79,000 M .c.f. from th e Lower P e ttit.
The beds penetrated range W ilcox (Eocene) to Sm ackover (Jurassic). The form a
tions are described. There is an elongated dome. The four producing horizons are a t depths of 4800 to 6440 ft, th e Upper and Lower P e ttit being m ost prolific.
The H ill zone produces over 16,000 acres and has a fairly even perm eability. The U pper P ettit is more variable and shows variation at different levels, and th e sam e is true o f th e Lower P ettit. B oth are oolitic. The Travis P eak is sand w ith som e silt, and as m any as 8 separate producing sands have been noted.
The field exten ds over 300,000 acres, bu t is n ot fully defined on th e east. P erm ea
b ilities are generally low and it is doubtful whether 1 w ell to 640 acres w ill give adequate drainage. I t is considered to be th e largest g a s condensate reserve in U .S.A . A few w ells have produced som e oil, b u t o il w ells seem un lik ely to occur. Several w ells on th e w est have found w ater directly below th e gas. One w ell has found salt.
Structure and isopachyte m aps are included, and all the wells are listed w ith depths,
initial outputs, etc. G. D . H .
1552. W estern Delaware Basin Oil Possibilities. R . R . W heeler. O il W kly, 24.3.47, 125 (4), 22.— Surface structures in th e Delaware basin o f W est T exas and southw est N ew M exico are at tim es non-tectonic in origin, but due to solution or secondary d is
tortion in the Perm ian evaporite series. Moreover, th e evaporites have m ade seismic work difficult. Closed structures are rare and poor recoveries have been obtained from th e Delaware sand section.
T he w est flank o f th e Delaware basin has in the east an area obscured b y L a te Perm ian evaporites, and in th e w est outcrops o f the Delaware M ountain group. The
■latter is easily m apped, but th e former is difficult, and only gravity or m agnetic work seem suitable for locating structure.
T he Delaware M ountain group consists o f sandstones o f variable porosity, inter- bedded w ith rich organic shales and lim estones. There m ay also be pre-Permian oil
*
objectives in th is area, including th e Sim pson and Ellenburger. T he Low er D elaw are tends to be coarser than th e U pper. Source rocks are plentiful.
M apping has revealed little b u t an ticlin al noses, a t tim es closed b y cross-faults.
There m ay be a large structure on th e projection o f th e H uap ach e Arch arch.
The Perm ian rests on bevelled Ordovician to P en n sylvan ian rocks, and th e later Perm ian lies on tilte d and locally truncated early Perm ian.
The H uapache flexure show s signs o f renew ed m ovem ent. R ep ea ted eastw ard tiltin g is indicated. Lensing and stratigraphic trap possibilities are in d icated in th e Delaw are sequence, and th ese m ay lie in th e basinward flank o f th e continuation o f th e H uapache trend. Closed folds m ay e x ist in pre-Perm ian oil objectives.
Oil seeps occur along Delaw are Creek. G. D . H .
1553. Trends in Petroleum Geology o£ the Gulf Coast. M. T. H a lb o u ty and G. C.
H ardin. O il Gas J ., 31.5.47, 46 (4), 136.— D uring 5 years follow ing th e discovery o f Spindletop 29 dom es were discovered in th e G ulf Coast area, and up to 1924 there were 47 discoveries. From 1924 to 1933, 74 dom al structures were found b y geophysics.
The earlier discoveries were associated w ith shallow piercem ent-typ e sa lt m a s s e s ; th e later discoveries were over deep-seated sa lt intrusions. In th e p a st 10 years fields connected w ith faults have been m ore prom inent.
The area has been v e ry thoroughly explored geoph ysically, and practically all shallow geological and geophysical prospects h a v e been drilled. A prolific source of relatively shallow production is th e flanks o f p iercem ent-typ e salt dom es where pinch- ou ts and unconform ities provide traps.
D eeper drilling w ill be necessary to open m an y future discoveries in th e G ulf Coast area. There are ind ication s th a t w hile th e cost o f drilling exploration te sts has risen, th e chances o f discovering new fields have decreased. M any o f th e deeper discoveries o f recent years have n o t been o f m ajor im portance. M ost o f th em had sm all proven areas and high g a s/o il ratios.
The deep Frio and H ackberry trends offer considerable possib ilities for finding new fields. A tten tio n is also being paid to th e W ilco x -Y eg u a trend.
S alt dom es are lik ely to occur offshore. G. D . H . 1554. Offshore Developm ent in Gulf Coast Prom ises to be W ell Under W ay by End of 1947. E . H . Short. Oil G a s J ., 31.5.47, 46 (4), 228.— A steel-d rilling platform is now being b u ilt 29 m iles offshore in th e G ulf o f M exico. A b out 10 years have elapsed since th e first w ell w as drilled in th e G ulf proper, b u t a t low tid e th e w ater w as only 13 ft deep. 10 w ells were drilled from one platform to giv e th e Creole field.
E arly geophysical work in th e G ulf did not e x ten d more than 3 m iles offshore, but in 1944 work w as carried ou t to 26 m iles, and now over 50 m iles has been reached.
A ll leases taken so far are w ell on th e shore side o f th e 10-fathom line.
The S ta te o f T exas w ill offer 5760-acre blocks beyond th e 3-m iles lim it to 27 m iles
out. G. D . H .
1555. Another East Texas County Produces. A non. O il G a s J ., 21.6.47, 46 (7), 139.—
A w ell in San A ugustine C ounty, 3J m iles north o f San A u gustin e and 1 m ile w est of B land Lake, has found oil in the P e ttit zone o f th e Glenrose. 42° oil is produced at th e rate o f 8 5 -100 b rl/d ay on a & -in choke from 8130-8160 ft. A cidization im proved
th e production rate. j ) j j
1556. Unusual Geology with Multiplicity of Pay Zones, Features South Haldeman Field. C. J . Deegan. O il Gas J ., 23.8.47, 46 (16), 91.— Sou th H ald em an field, Jim W ells C ounty, T exas, w as opened in F ebruary 1947. I t is w est o f Seeligson and associated w ith th e regional Sam F ord yce-V an d erbilt fau lt zone. South H ald em an is a horst. The producing sands are more or less lenticular as a t Seeligson, and are in th e Frio and Vicksburg at depths o f 4200-5600 ft. O utputs in the 4 w ells com pleted range 54-216 b rl/d ay, and th e oil gravities are 4 0-48° A .P .I. Gas /oil ratios range 338 to 912 cu. ft./b rl. The proven reserve is estim ated a t 10,000,000 brl.
A m ap and reduced electric log3 are included. G. D . H . 1557. Union Oil Plans Large Programme of Exploration in W ashington State. Anon.
O il G a s J ., 3.8.47, 46 (17), 64.— U n ion Oil Phoebe Parker et a l w as com pleted a t 1912 ft
ABSTRACTS. 391 a in a bad ly faulted formation, and w as dry. A second te st is under w ay at O yehut, Grays Harbor County, £ m ile from th e Pacific.
U nion has leased 200,000 acres in W . W ashington. The area has Oligocene and Lower Miocene organic shales, and som e high-gravity oil has been produced from Miocene and Oligocene beds on H oh River, on the w estern side o f Olympic Peninsula.
There are odours o f gas at m any points from Gray’s Harbor to near Cape F lattery.
Ten tests are planned. Two in O yehut area w ill be 2000 ft and 3000 ft deep.
G. D. H . 1558. Expanding Frontiers of Natural Gas in W est Virginia. D. B. Reger. Oil W kly, 20.1.47, 124 (8), 36.— Oil and gas were first found in W est Virginia in salt borings near Charleston in 1808 ,at a depth o f 58 ft. The subsequent history o f natural gas produc
tion in th is State is described briefly. In 1917 the output reached a peak o f 308,617,101 M.c.f. Production was largely from the sands o f th e P ottsville, Pocono, and Catskill series, as well as from Chemung. The output fell and was 100,540,000 M.c.f. in 1932.
In 1933 and 1934 oil and gas were obtained from the Oriskany northeast o f Charleston a t depths o f about 5000 ft. This led to renewed a ctiv ity and the com pletion of a few big w ells on sharply folded m ountain anticlines.
The Newberg sand o f the Silurian has given som e gas in western W ayne County and northern Boone County. A well in western Roane County reached the top o f the Trenton at about 9000 ft.
Gas production reached a new peak o f 223,787,000 M.c.f. }fi 1943. The lateral expansion o f production since 1930 and the prospects o f deeper developm ents are discussed.
A m ap shows the oil and gas areas, and a table gives th e stratigraphic sequence w ith
the thickness and producing sands. G. D. H .
1559. Future of Oil in W . Virginia. P . H . Price, R. C. Tucker, and J. H . C. Martens.
Oil Gas J ., 16.8.47, 46 (15), 104.— Oil w as first produced in W. V irginia in 1860 and the peak year’s outp ut o f 14,000,000 brl was reached in 1901. Production has been obtained from more than 20 sands, th e m ost im portant being o f Upper D evonian and Lower M ississippian age, but there has been Pennsylvanian production. The fields are in the northern and w estern part o f th e State. Proved reserves at th e end o f 1946 were estim ated at 35,655,000 brl and cum ulative production was 432,706,000 brl.
Further oil should be recoverable b y water-flooding, and this is n ot included in th e above estim ate.
A lm ost all production has been shallower than 4000 ft. Deeper horizons cannot be considered to have been adequately tested , and these offer possibilities. The prospects o f certain horizons and areas are discussed. G. D . H . 1560. Full-Scale Exploration Under W ay by Navy in Alaska. C. O. W illson. Oil Gas J ., 9.8.47, 46 (14), 62.— D uring June 2 w ildcats were spudded in N aval R eserve No. 4, one a t U m iat and one at Cape Sim pson. 1 U m iat, com pleted in 1946 and drilled to 6005 ft, had show ings o f oil at five depths. The second U m ia t w ell is 5 m iles east of th e first, and structurally higher. A nearby shallow core hole has given a little oil.
Four geological crews and tw o seism ograph parties are operating.
The history o f operations in th is area is given. G. D . H.
1561. Seeking Arctic Oil. C. O. W illson. O il Gas J ., 23.8.47, 46 (16), 78.— Many o f the latest exploratory techniques are being em ployed in searching for oil in n aval Petroleum Reserve, N o. 4, in Alaska. Maps show th e areas explored b y surface geology, aerial photography, airborne m agnetom eter and gravity m eter, surface gravity m eter, and seism ic work, and the fold trends and seepages. The area has 10,000-15,000 ft of Upper Cretaceous beds. The geology is briefly described, and there are brief notes on th e geophysical work. A sum m ary o f form ation te st data on 1
U m iat, and the electrical log are given. G. D . H .
1562. Liquid Bitum en Reserve Found. Anon. Oil W kly, 20.1.47, 124 (8), 29.— A liquid bitum en reserve o f 400-500 m illion brl is reported to have been found on the w est side o f th e M ildred-R uth Lakes area, 20 m iles north o f F ort McMurray, Canada.
G. D . H.
ABSTRACTS.
1563. Imperial Leduc 1 is W est Canada's Best Producer Outside Turner V alley. A non.
O il W kly, 24.2.47, 124 (13), 24.— Leduc 1, a w ildcat 16 m iles sou thw est o f E d m on ton , had an in itial flow o f 9000 brl/d ay o f 36-7-gravity oil. A te st o f th e Lower Cretaceous a t about 4300 ft gave 6000 M .c.f./d ay o f gas w ith a good show o f ligh t oil. A t 5029 ft in the D evonian a porous lim eston e w as m et, and th is gave oil and gas. T his is th e producing horizon ; its g a s/o il ratio is low . Leduc 2 is being drilled 11 m iles dow n th e flank to th e sou thw est.
32 m iles sou theast o f Leduc 1, W etaskiw in 1 is drilling below 5700 ft. G. D . H .
#- 1564. Sinclair Panam a Starts Colon Island W ildcat. Anon. O il Gas J ., 23.8.47, 46 (16), 61.— A w ildcat has been spudded on Colon Islan d, off B ocas del Toro, Panam a.
G. D . H . 1565. Spring H ill 4 Test Runs Low. A non. O il W kly, 3 1 .1 .4 7 ,124 (7), 31.— Spring H ill 4 in Chile is reported to be 6 5 -7 0 ft lower structurally th an N o. 1. G. D . H . 1566. Chile’s Spring H ill 4 Abandoned ; No. 5 Planned. A non. O il W k ly, 10.2.47, 124 (11), 262.— Spring H ill 4 was abandoned a t 7479 ft, h avin g reported show s, but h avin g given no oil in drill-stern te sts. Spring H ill 5 w ill be drilled 1100 ft southw est
o f N o. 3. G. D . H .
1567. Chile’s Sixth Spring H ill W ell Comes in a Producer. Anon. O il Gas J ., 28.6.47, 46 (8), 80.— The S ix th Spring H ill w ell is a producer, and th e area is now estim ated to
h ave a production o f 1600 b rl/d ay. G. D . H .
1568. Seventh Test Completed in Spring H ill Field. A non. O il Gas J ., 6.9.47, 46 (18), 45.— Spring H ill 7. (Chile) has been com pleted, bu t no flow te s t has been m ade. N o. 8
is about 5000 ft deep. G. D . H .
1569. Tibu Cretaceous Production Enlarged by Colombian Test. A non. O il W kly, 23.12.46, 124 (4), 30.— K -12 on th e sou thw est side o f th e T ibu field w as drilled to 10,875 ft, and had show ings ju st above th e basem ent. The w ell w as com pleted at 8732-8882 ft for 914 b rl/d ay o f 39-gravity oil on a f-in choke. T his w ell is several m iles from th e nearest production. K -28 on th e northeast flank has been drilled to
10,327 ft, and is testin g several horizons higher in th e hole. G. D . H . 1570. Tibu Cretaceous Testing Continues in W ell K -28. A non. O il W kly, 10.2.47, 124 (11), 262.— K -28 has been drilled to 10,327 ft, and th e Cretaceous lim eston e is being tested , so far w ithou t very encouraging results because o f tig h t form ations. A t several points flows o f 40-gravity oil at th e rate o f 3 0 -4 0 b rl/d ay have been obtained K-21 on th e sou th w est side o f th e T ibu field has flowed 43-gravity oil a t 650-1500 b rl/d ay. B est results have been obtained a t 8600-8800 ft. K -21, drilled to 10,876 ft
w as Colom bia’s deepest te st. G. D . H .
1571. Exploration in Colombia Extends from Caribbean to Llanos. K . B . Barnes.
O il G a s J ., 12.7.47, 46 (10), 44.— E xpend iture on exploration work in Columbia d in in g th e p ast few years h a v e probably exceed ed $100,000,000.
The E l D ificil field, 50 m iles sou theast o f Barranquilla, produces from an Upper Oligocene lim estone a t about 5800 ft. The present p oten tial o f th e field is about 2500 b rl/d ay. H igh-pressure gas has been encountered in th e P in to area. A t E l Tablon a w ell has found gas.
A tig h tly folded anticline has been outlined b y nine shallow te sts a t F loresanto.
Two 75-brl 40-gravity producers have been obtained in th e M iddle Miocene. One is a t 650 ft, th e other a t 1200 ft. The deep oil possibilities are being explored.
L a Salina 1 w as com pleted in E ocen e sands a t 1770-2230 ft for 75 b rl/d a y o f 21°
A .P .I. oil. H igh ly fractured beds occur a t Cantagallo where 3 fair and 2 sm all p ro
ducers have been com pleted in addition to 2 gas w ells and 5 dry holes. 1 V elasquez on th e T eran-G uaquaqui property is reported to have a production o f 421 b rl/d a y from 6954-7120 ft. Other structures have been tested , and n otes on th ese are given .
G. D .’ H .
ABSTRACTS. 393 a 1572. Second Union Company Test is Commenced in Paraguay. Anon. O il W kly, 10.3.47, 124 (2), 39.— T he first U n ion te st w as abandoned at 7579 ft in January, and a
second te st w ill soon begin. G. D- H .
1573. Peruvian Montana. L. R a v itz. Oil W kly, 3 .3 .4 7 ,125 (1), 22 (International Sec
tion).— Three m ajor oil com panies are exploring th e Peruvian M ontana, bu t so far only one has found production. The seventh w ell a t Ganzo A zul w as com pleted in 1946 and flowed 3700 b rl/d ay on te st.
The activ ities in eastern P eru are briefly described. The P eruvian G overnm ent is preparing to drill at Santa Clara near Orellana on th e U cayali, w hile th e Cia Puerana de Petroleo E l Oriente is preparing to drill a t Puerto Oriente, near Contamana.
G. D . H . 1574. Pelayo Concession W ell Completed as Producer. A non. O il W kly, 23.12.46, 124 (4), 30.— Tucupido 1, on th e Pelayo concession, Venezuela, has produced 257 brl/d ay o f 40-8-gravity oil on a £-in choke from 7473—7488 ft. G. D . H . 1575. Vast Area in Middle E ast Awaiting Exploration and Developm ent. F . J. Fohs.
O il Oas J ., 19.7.47, 46 (11), 46.— Im portant o il deposits occur in northeast Iraq, extrem e w estern Iran, and eastern Arabia, and w ill extend sligh tly in to Turkey and Syria. Folds to th e w est in Syria, Lebanon, Trans-Jordan, and P alestin e are princi
p ally in lim estone beds w ithou t adequate cap-rock in m ost areas.
I n Saudi Arabia i s a prim ary oil reserve area o f 221,000 square m iles. The beds dip eastward from th e Arabian foreland. B etw een th e Zagros and Elbruz m ountains in th e northeast are less im portant basins. These are in northern Iran and southw est A fghanistan. D om es exposing Cretaceous beds are present, and th e area m ay yield pools o f th e R ocky M ountain typ e. Other basins occur to th e sou th in Iran and to the east in central B aluchistan.
16,000,000,00$ brl o f proven reserves e x ist in th e Persian G ulf basin, and there is an indicated reserve o f 26,500,000,000 brl. E xp ectation s m ay be as high as 100,000- 150.000 m illion brl.
The first-grade areas to ta l 649,000 square m ile s ; second-grade areas 131,000 square m iles, and third-grade areas 195,000 square m iles. There are 20 Middle E ast fields w ith 150 wells, and 3 pools in E g y p t. D uring 1946 the daily production o f the Middle E a st averaged 729,040 brl.
R ussia has im portant oil reserves in sedim entary basins to th e north. Including Sakhalin R ussia’s 1946 outp ut averaged 454,794 brl/d ay. R u ssia controlled a further 120,289 brl/day. R u ssia’s reserves m ay be 10,000,000,000 brl and th e ultim ate ex p ec
ta tio n m ay be 100,000,000,000 brl. . G. D . H .
1576. Egyptian Exploration Programme Most Intense. H . Ozanne. Oil W kly, 3.3.47, 125 (1), 10; 7.4.47, 125 (6), 3 (International Section).— The h istory o f oil developm ent in E g y p t since 1880 is briefly described. Currently, production is about 30.000 b rl/d ay from R as Gharib and Hurghada. The former has produced 60,000,000 brl and the latter 28,000,000 brl.
A t present concession term s are th e subject o f individual com pany negotiation s. A short description o f th e activities o f A nglo-E gypt ian Oilfields, L td., is given , including notes on th e Sudr discovery.
Socony-V acuum ’s work in E g y p t is described, together w ith th a t o f Standard Oil Co. o f E gyp t. L ists o f th e w ildcats drilled b y th e various com panies are given.
G. D . H . 1577. H aiti W ildcat. Anon. O il W kly, 3.3.47, 125 (1), 28 (International Section).—
A w ildcat in H a iti has reached 6500 ft. G. D . H .
-J
1578. Billion and H alf of Reserves Added by Completion of Abqaiq No. 10. Anon.
Oil W kly, 3.3.47, 125 (1), 26.— Abqaiq N o. 10 is over 2 m iles w est o f previous pro
duction. I t reported 220 ft o f lim estone w ith a porosity o f 22% and flowed 11,000 b rl/d a y on te st. Saudi Arabia reserves are now estim ated as Abqaiq 5,000,000,000 brl, D am m am 600,000,000 brl, Q atif 50,000,000 brl, and Abu H adriya 140,000,000 brl.
G. D . H .
ABSTRACTS.
1579. Hungary Plans to Exploit G a sO il Field Near Lispe. Anon. Oil W kly, 17.3.47, 125 (3), 29.— In 1946 oil and gas were discovered in th e region o f Igal, near K aposvar, sou thw est H ungary. This area is to be in v estig a ted further.
A 7000 M.c.f. gas w ell has been com pleted at U judvari in th e Lispe area.
G. D . H . 1580. Gulf Affiliate to Test Salt D om e in Jutland. A non. O il Gas J ., 19.7.47, 46 (11), 49.— An exploratory w ell is to be drilled near H olstebro, J u tla n d to te st a deep salt dom e. A w ildcat in sou thw est Sw eden show ed som e oil satu ration, b u t w as com pleted
in a salt-w ater sand. G. D . H .
1581. Sm all Show in Spain. A non. O il W kly, 2 3 .1 2 .4 6 ,124 (4), 30.— A w ell in Burgos Province encountered a sm all show o f oil at 750 ft. G. D . H . 1582. Swedish Oil Discovery Official. A non. O il W kly, 31.1.47, 124 (7), 31.—-Traces o f oil have been found in a w ell drilled to 6230 f t a t H oellvik en , Sw eden. G. D . H . 1583. Victoria, Australia. Anon. O il W kly, 3 .3 .4 7 ,125 (1), 16 (In ternational Section).
— In 1924 a te st at the head o f Lake B unga struck a w ater flow w ith traces o f oil and som e m ethane a t 1070 ft. M etamorphics were m et a t 1200 ft. In 1926 a w ell 2 m iles to th e w est found em ulsified oil in glauconitic rock occurring a t 1210-1272 ft. These were th e first w ells drilled in th e Lakes E ntrance area, where som e 50 te sts h a v e been sunk, and m ost have had som e oil shows. T otal production is abou t a few thousand brl. The oil is in an U pper Oligocene glauconitic series, and in a len s som e 10 m iles b y 2 m iles, and appears n o t to have m igrated. A lm ost all th e o il produced has been em ulsified, The deepest w ell w as 3400 ft.
21 tests have been drilled in th e B engw orden area, th e depths ranging 1000-4000 ft, b u t none had showings. 40 tests h a v e been drilled in th e Longford area, 50 m iles southw est o f Lakes E ntrance. N on e w as deeper than 1500 ft. N o sh ow s were found in shallow tests drilled in th e D artm oor district. A 7305-ft. te s t near G lenelg had no shows.
Tables sum m arize th e oil drilling carried out in V ictoria. A m ap show s th e areas in
w hich drilling has tak en place. G. D . H .
1584. Oil Discovery Reported in Test on Cebu in Philippines. Anon. O il Gas J ., 19.7.47, 46 (11), 44.— R eports have been m ade o f th e d iscovery o f oil in northern Cebu.
Oil show s have been found at about 1600 ft and 8200 ft, b u t com mercial p ossibilities are undeterm ined. The te st is said to be over a fair-sized sa lt dome.
L ate in 1941 an 8300-ft te st apparently discovered oil sands, bu t th e hole h ad to be
plugged before a test could be m ade. G. D . H .
G eophysics and G eochem ical P rosp ectin g .
1585. Geophysical Prospecting and Petroleum D iscovery. J. McG. B ruckshaw . P etro
leum, M ay 1947, 10, 98.— This is th e first o f a series o f six articles describing the various techniques em ployed in th e geophysical exploration for petroleum .
F . W . H . M.
1586. Magnetic Method oi Geophysical Prospecting. J. McG. Bruckshaw . Petroleum , Jun e 1947, 10, 122.— This second article in th e series describes th e use o f th e m agnetic
m ethod. F . W. H . M.
1587. Geophysical and Core Drilling Activity During 1946. Anon. O il W kly, 10.2.47, 124 (11), 240.— 419 geophysical and core-drilling crews were a ctiv e in U .S .A . at th e end o f 1946. 369 were geophysical crews, and o f th ese 251 were seism ic, and 95 gra v ity m eter. ^
A table gives b y States th e num bers o f each ty p e o f crew a ctiv e on Jan u ary 31,
Jun e 30, and D ecem ber 31, 1946. G. D . H .
1588. Unique Tripod Speeds W ater Gravimetric Survey. S. W. W oodw ard. Oil W kly, 3.3.47, 125 (1), 50.— The tripod is a welded, braced, three-legged structure,
ABSTRACTS. 395 a w ith a p late on one side near th e bottom , th is plate causing th e tripod to rise in th e w ater when tow ed b y th e top. The height is about 17 ft, and it can be used norm ally w ith w inds o f 15 m .p .h. Trials have been m ade w ith a 26-ft tripod.
W ith stations 2600-3000 f t apart and good conditions gravity-m eter readings can be m ade at 9-10-m in intervals. Under ty p ica l B aham as conditions th e average tim e was 12 m in m ade up as follow s : o j m in, travel betw een s ta tio n s ; settin g up tripod 1 m in ; depth reading, settin g up, and reading m eter 3£ m in ; rem oving m eter and preparing to m ove to n e x t station 2 min.
Towing th e tripod does n ot seriously reduce th e b o a t’s speed, and th e tripod draws less w ater th an th e boat.
Photographs show th e tripod in use. The tripod has been em ployed so far only
where th e sea floor is firm. G. D . H .
1589. Portable Equipment Expedites Inland Marine Seismic Surveys. A. B. H am il.
Oil Oaa J 31.5.47, 46 (4), 146.— P ortab ility o f all equipm ent is essential in areas difficult o f access. A brief description is given to th e entire seism ic recording equip
m ent, including geophones and cables, w hich weighs only 250 lb and is easily carried b y five m en. A portable drilling un it is described. E quipm ent for drilling 50 holes, including fuel, tools, and bits, can be carried and operated b y four men. Shooting and recording equipm ent is m ounted in or on trucks in such a m anner th a t it can quickly
be rem oved w hen it has to be carried. G. D . H .
1590. Principal Uses oi Fluorologs. . 0 . E . Campbell. O il W kly, 30.12.46, 124 (51), 41.— Fluorologs are designed to determ ine th e presence or absence o f com mercial oil accum ulations ahead o f the drill, or laterally from th e w e ll; to detect, and evalu ate oil or gas shows in the w ell, and to perm it th e correlation o f th e rocks. I t is con sidered th a t rocks overlying an oil accum ulation show higher fluorescence intensities than those in barren territory. These higher intensities arise w ith in 2000 ft o f the surface.
Cuttings and cores are used in com piling fluorologs. The fluorescence in ten sity is measured photom etrically. W ells w hich produce show fluorescence intensities o f at least 0-25 ferg w ithin 2000 ft o f the surface. A value o f 1-25 fergs indicates a definitely commercial zone. O bservations are m ade on com posite sam ples exten ding over 200 ft u n til a significant value is noted, and then th e different parts are exam ined separately for detail.
Minute leakages o f oil and gas are believed to cause th e fluorescence.
In a m ultiple-sand field the fluorescence in ten sity increases again after a decrease below each sand. D ry w ells ju st outside fields show high values on th e free fluor
escence curves (free fluorescence is due to free oil and gas in sam ples, fixed fluorescence is th a t associated w ith th e rock).
The use and features o f fluorologs are described and ideal core-hole fluorolog profiles are shown.
Sam ples taken at 30-ft intervals are suitable, and cuttings should be taken from the
m ud stream. 1-oz sam ples are suitable. G. D . H .
D rilling.
1591. New Drilling Method. L. S. McCaslin, Jr. O il Gas J ., 21.6.47, 46 (7), 108.—
A description is given o f a new typ e o f drilling u n it termed, th e Electrodrill which consists essentially o f an electric m otor which is geared to a circulation pum p and a drill-drive shaft to which is attached a conventional ty p e drilling b it, together w ith a bailer, a set o f friction dogs, a junk basket and a sw ivel. The whole un it is lowered into th e w ell on th e power cable and is to ta lly im m ersed in drilling fluid w hen drilling is in progress. The friction dogs b ite into the sides o f the hole and prevent rotation of th e un it as a whole. The pum p circulates fluid round th e b it, w hich cuts in the con ventional manner, w h ilst th e fluid lifts th e cuttings and dumps them in the bailer.
The adap tability o f th is typ e o f u n it is discussed : one o f th e m ain disadvantages is th e difficulty in preventing th e sloughing o f some formations into th e hole owing to the absence o f conventional m ud circulation. The am ount o f hole th a t can be m ade w ithou t pulling th e un it depends upon b it wear and th e capacity o f the bailer. The am ount o f sloughing is indicated b y the am ount o f m aterial in the junk basket.
ABSTRACTS.
A brief description is also given o f a side-drilling u n it, s i m i l a r in operation to th e
Electrodrill. R . B . S.
1592. New Drilling Technique. A. Gibbon. W orld O il, 7.7.47, 126 (6), 37.— See A bstract N o. 1591 (1947).
1593. M odem Practices in Deep Contract Drilling. J . H . A bernath y. O il Oas J ., 24.5.47, 46 (3), '87. (P a p er presented before M id-C on tin en t D istric t, D iv isio n of P r o duction, A .P .I ., A m a rillo , T exas, Spring 1947.)— Trends in equip m ent developm ents and operating practices are discussed. The various equip m ent develop m en ts re
view ed app ly to : (1) derricks ; (2) prim e m overs and pum ps ; (3) draw works ; (4) transm ission, com pounding, and clutches ; (5) drill-pipe ; and (6) m iscellaneous rig equipm ent (blocks, hooks, sw ivels, rotary tables, and drilling lin es). The operating practices discussed are : (1) pum p pressures ; (2) hole size and table r.p.m . ; (3) drilling w eights and drilling collars ; and (4) drilling m ud. A sum m ary o f rig and b it per
formance com piled from data on several holes drilled to app roxim ately 10,000 ft is also
presented. R . B . S.
1594. M odem Rotary Drilling. Parts 2 1 -3 0 . J . Zaba. O il Gas J ., 24.5.47, 46 (3), 111; 31.5.47, 46 (4), 2 7 1 ; 7.6.47, 46 (5), 9 9 ; 14.6.47, 46 (6), 129; 21.6.47, 46 (7), 117; 28.6.47, 46 (8), 147; 5.7.47, 46 (9), 103 ; 12.7.47, 46 (10), 103 ; 1 9 .7 .4 7 ,4 6 (11), 95 ; 26.7.47, 46 (12), 289.— The su b -titles o f P arts 2 1 -3 0 o f th is series o f b rief articles on trends and developm ents in m od em drilling practice are as follow s : (21) M echanical T ransm ission; (22) H ydraulic T ransm ission; (23) H ydraulic Torque Converter finds Increasing A pplication ; (24) E lectrical Pow er T ransm ission ; (25) D evelop m en ts in E lectric Pow er ; (26) Proper Control o f R a te o f F eed -off o f D rillin g L ine ; (27) Many Factors Affect Life o f Wire L ines on D rilling R igs ; (28) Construction M ethods o f Wire R ope in Process o f E volu tion ; (29) D eeper D rilling R esu ltin g in U se o f H eavier-D u ty W ire L ines ; and (30) M ethods o f E valu atin g Service E x p ecta n c y o f W ire Lines.
R . B . S.
1595. D rilling Difficulties Encountered in Olive Field. T. H . Sandoz. O il Gas J ., 31.5.47, 46 (4), 177.— T he m eth ods used in the O live F ield o f H ardin C ounty, T exas, in order to com bat w ell kicking and th ie f form ations are described. R . B . S.
1596. Giant Barge Drilling Rig. E. H . Short, Jr. O il Gas J ., 31.5.47, 46 (4), 220.—
A description is given o f a un itized barge drilling rig in use in th e G u lf C oast area.
R . B. S.' 1597. Directional Drilling. W . H . Cook. O il Gas J ., 31.5.47, 46 (4), 232.— R ecen t trends in directional drilling on th e G ulf Coast are briefly review ed. R . B . S.
1598. South Texas’ Deepest Test. N . W illiam s. O il Gas J ., 7.6.47, 46 (5), 73.— A description is given o f th e conditions encountered in drilling th e T exas Com pany’s 16,006 f t w ell in W illacy C ounty, South T exas. R . B.13.
1599. Speed, Efficiency, and Safety in W est Texas Rig. G. W eber. O il Gas J ., 5 J AT, 46 (9), 76.— The new features o f a h ea v y rig recen tly placed in operation in th e P erm ian
B asin are described. R . B . S.
1600. Trends in Drilling Equipment and Costs. I. S. Salnikov. O il Gas J ., 26.7.47, 46 (12), 220.— The trends in drilling m ethods and equip m ent, and in th e costs o f w ell drilling are discussed, and an analysis o f th e opinions o f various contractors, etc.,
regarding future trends, is also presented. R . B . S.
1601. Holding Up the Offshore Drilling Rig. E . H . Short, Jr. O il Gas J ., 28.6.47, 46 (8), 112.— The author discusses th e various m ethods proposed for su pp orting off
shore drilling rigs, as opposed to th e pilin g platform s m ain ly used a t th e present tim e.
The econom ies o f offshore drilling operations are also considered. R . B . S.
ABSTRACTS. 397 a
1602. A.C. Auxiliaries for D iesel-Electric Drilling Rigs. J. N . Poore. Oil Oaa J ., 12.7.47, 46 (10), 81.— The author discusses th e econom ics and operation o f both A.C.
and D.C. auxiliary equipm ent, and suggests th a t there are several auxiliaries, such as blowers, pum ps, and ligh ts, which do n ot require the flexibility o f D.C. power : in these cases som e advantage m ay be gained b y using A.C. power. R . B . S.
1603. Troublesome Drilling Problems Solved by Special Muds. G. R. Gray. O il Oas J ., 31.5.47, 46 (4), 142.— The use of a specially treated starch add itive for drilling in the
G ulf Coast area is discussed. R . B. S.
1604. Mud Pump Piston Lubrication. Anon. W orld Oil, 7.7.47, 126 (6), 35.— The lubrication o f m ud pum p piston s is briefly described. R. B. S.
1605. Drilling Patent. P. M arty. B .P . 590,098, 23.7.47. Boring tool holders w ith
m icrom etric adjustm ent. G. R . N.
Production.
1606. Some Factors Affecting Success of South Texas Workovers. H . N. Lyle. Oil Oas J ., 31.5.47, 46 (4), 130.— The need o f accurate production and geological data in planning workover jobs is em phasized. The operating and econom ic practicability o f workover jobs is th en discussed under th e follow ing headings : (1) workovers w ithin th e producing reservoir; (2) workovers in reservoirs penetrated b y th e w ell and eased -off; and (3) workovers in deeper reservoirs w ithin th e practicable lim its o f deepening operations through an oil string o f casing. R . B . S.
1607. An Investigation of Errors in Bottom -H ole Pressure Measurement. H . W . Perkins and P . E . Chaney. O il Oas J ., 14.6.47, 46 (6), 102.— The m eth od o f analysing
• data obtained b y tests on bottom -hole pressure m easuring instrum ents is described, and exam ples of calculations are shown. Two references are appended. R. B. S.
1608. Explosives Find Many Uses in Oil Production. M. M. K in ley and J. K in ley.
Oil O a s J ., 7.6.47, 46 (5), 83.— Tile m any applications o f explosives in th e oil producing Industry are discussed, and th e follow ing conclusions are reached : (1) m osf'explosives m ust be protected from pressure since no explosive operates as w ell under an initial p ressu re; (2) th e tem peratures lik ely to be encountered are im portant— spontaneous detonation tem peratures vary for different explosives, w h ilst th ey become more and more sensitive to shock as their spontaneous detonation temperatures are approached ; (3) m ost explosives m ust be protected from m oisture ; (4) gun perforators m ust be so designed and constructed th a t they w ill not b u r s t; (5) debris left by shooting operations m ust n ot be such as to interfere w ith subsequent operations in th e w e ll; (6) atten tion m u st be paid to lowering th e shot through dense and viscous m ud ; and (7) atten tion m u st be paid to constrictions, etc., in the hole insofar as the m axim um diam eter of
th e shot is concerned. * R . B . S.
1609. Gas Condensate W ell Corrosion. T. S. Bacon. Oil Oas J ., 26.7.47, 46 (12), 257.
(P aper presented before N a tion al Gasoline Association of Am erica, D allas, T exas.)— The research work sponsored b y the N ational Gasoline A ssoc’n o f America is reviewed.
Foqr references are appended. R . B. S.
1610. Corrosion in High-Pressure Gas Condensate W ells. T. S. Zajac. Oil Gas J ., 21.6.47, 46 (7), 102 ; 28.6.47, 46 (8), 127.— The causes and characteristics o f corrosion in gas condensate w ells are discussed in th e first part, w hilst th e detection and pre
ven tion o f corrosion are discussed in th e second part.
The m ost lik ely causes o f gas condensate corrosion are carbonic acids, lower fa tty acids, or both. Am ong other factors, the velo city o f flow seems to have an appreciable effect upon the rate o f corrosion ; th e latter increasing w ith rate o f flow. D etection of corrosion can be accom plished b y regular inspection o f Christmas trees, tubing caliper surveys, coupon exposures, and effluent water studies. Prevention o f corrosion can be accom plished b y th e use o f various chem ical treatm ents and the use o f corrosion- resistant m aterials. The present sta te o f knowledge in these fields is review ed and som e im provem ents are suggested. T w enty references are appended. R . B. S.
