De c e m b e b, 1 9 4 7 . 4 Ü Í A
ABSTRACTS.
Oil f ie l d Ex pl o r a tio n andE x plo it a t io n.
Geology ... ... ... 422 a G eophysics and Geochemical
Prospecting ... ... ... 438 a Drilling ... ... ... ... 440 A Production ... ... ... 4 4 1a Oilfield D evelopm ent ... ... 444 a Tr a n spo r ta nd Storage ... 448 a Re f in e r y Op e r a t io n s.
Refineries and A uxiliary R e finery P la n t ... ... ... 448 a Cracking ... ... 449 a Polym erization ... ... 450 a Chemical and Physical Refining 450 A Special Processes ... ... 451 A'
Metering and Control ...
Pro d u c ts.
Chemistry and P hysics A nalysis and Testing^...
E ngine F uels ...
Lubricants
D erived Chemical Products Coal, Shale, and P ea t ...
M iscellaneous Products En g in e s and
Eq u ipm en t . Mis c e ll a n eo u s . Book Re v ie w ..
Books Re c e iv e d
Auto m o tiv e
A U T H O R I N D E X .
The num bers refer to A bstract Num bers.
AllisoD, A. P ., 1754 Ascher, E ., 1781 B allande, H . M., 1844 B arber, C. R ., 1895 B arn e tt, B ., 1867, 1868 B atchelder, C. D ., 1858 B ates, R . L., 1747 Bell, A. H ., 1737 Bell, E . A., 1850 B ender, P ., 1897 Benson, S. W ., 1891 Bernstein, H . J ., 1877 Binder, R . C., 1916 Birch, S. F ., 1883 B lackburn, M. A ., 1797 Boss, R . L ., 1755 Brockw ay, L. O., 1904 Brown, A. F ., 1876
; B uchan, R . C., 1816 B urch, J . G., 1812 ' Burgess, S. G ., 1893
Burwell, J . T ., 1914 Byers, A ., 1886 Caesar, C. H ., 1866 Calhoun, J . C., 1819 C arabasse, J ., 1908 Cash, T. C., 1750 Chien, Jen -Y u an , 1897 Chiesa, P ., 1912 Chronic, C. J ., 1766 Claypool, C. B ., 1754 Coffin, R . C., 1792 Cole, V. B., 1736 Coles, K . F ., 1885 Crawford, B. L ., J r ., 1898 Critz, J . S., 1758 Cullen, R . J ., 1739 D avid, H ., 1801, 1826 D eegan, C. J-, 1900 Deflour, J . G., 1863 D obbin, C. E ., 1730 Doll, H . G., 1808 Doshier, A. W., 1752 D unaw ay, W . H ., 1902 D yson, G. M., 1884 E b y , J . B ., 1779 E d m u n d s,-F . H ., 1764 Egloff, G ., 1872 Esarey, A. E ., 1737
I I
F erry , L . F ., 1924 Fobs, F . J ., 1780 F o rrest, J ., 1925 F orunier, F . L ., 17.f>0 F o ster, H . L ., 1729 G arner, F . H ., 1892 G ibbon, A ., 1740 Gibbs, J . F ., 1751 G ilm artin, T . H ., 1873 G oldstein, R . F . , 1906 G ordon, K ., 1871 Gordy, W ., 1880 Gouin, F ., 1742, G ran t, P . A., 1752 G ray, G. R ., 1809 G reenland, K. M., 1875 Grim, R . E ., 1721 H alb o u ty , M. T ., 1756 H all, A. S., J r ., 1916 H all, C. 0 ., 1870 H all, T . A ., 1864 H ardenberg, H . J ., 1738 H ard in , C., 1756 H arris, S., 1798 H a rt, M., 1803 H asselm ann, K . H ., 1799 H a u p t, H . W ., 1805 H ick in b o tto m , W. J .,
1886
H ild eb ran d , J . H ., 1887 Hilseweck, W. J ., 1755 H odges, C. E ., 1905 H orw itz, W ., 1898 H o u g h to n , J . L., 1894 H uxley, T . F ., 1909 Irelan d , H . A ., 1725 Irw in , J . L ., 1833 Ives, G. O., 1770, 1834,
1837 Jacini, G., 1912 Jillson, W. R ., 1745 Jo n es, W. B ., 1759 K arle, J ., 1904 Kem ler, E . N ., 1824 K oester, E . A., 1736 K ronberger, H ., 1876 Lahee, F . H ., 1726
L aird , W. M., 1732 Lang, W. B., 1748 L audon, L. R ., 1766 Leam on, G. F ., 1859 LeG rand, J . C., 1808 Lloyd, E . R ., 1813 Loetterle, G. J ., 1750 Logan, L. J ., 1727 Lom ax, E . L., 1840 Low er, E . S., 1913 Lundberg, H ., 1795 L y n to n , E . D ., 1777 M cBain, J . W ., 1910 McCaslin, L . S., 1821 McCaslin, L . S., J r ., •
1823
McGaba, S. W ., 1800 M cGlamery, W., 1759 M cReynolds, L . A., 1902 M asters, R . W., 1814 M attix , E. D., 1874 Miller, B. R ., 1806 Minne Van D er, J . L .,
1882
M oody, G. B., 1728, 1731 Moore, C. A., 1741 Moore, P . H ., 1865
" ' s , K . J ., 1899 Nichols, E. A.# 1793 Nickle, C. O., 1761, 1762 Nissan, A. H ., 1892 Oberg, C. H ., 1814 Olcott, P ., 1830 Oldham , J . W ., 1883 P ark er, B. H ., 1724 Pearse, B. H ., 1746 Pom eroy, H . H ., 1899 Price, W. A ., 1749 Price, W. C., 1888 R adford, H . E ., 1810 Rasm uss, J . E ., 1835 .Reeves, F ., 1789 R eiter, W. A., 1723 Rice, O. K ., 1890 R ichards, H . G., 1743 R igam onti, R ., 1911 Rockwell, R . A ., 1858
P A G E
451 A
452 a
455 a
457 a
458 a
459 A
459 a
460 a
460 a
462 a
463 a
464 a
Rogers, D. T., 1905 R ym er, T. B., 1896 Scherbatskoy, S. A ., 1873 Scrafford, B ., 1753 Shepherd, G. F ., 1757 Sh o rt, E. H ., J r ., 1802 Shreve, C. W ., 1899 Sloss, L. L., 1732 Sm ith, C. D ., 1751 Sm ith, S. L ., 1870 S tach , L. W ., 1787 Steingr, H ., 1869 S tra tto n , E. F ., 1808 Streets, R . E ., 1901 S u tto n , A. M., 1836 Swift, G., 1873 Szwarc, M., 1881 Taso, P . H ., 1864 Taylor, H ., 1734 Taylor, W. G., 1822 Thom pson, B. F ., 1860 T h o m to n , O. F ., 1820 Tiratsoo, E . N ., 1774,
1784, 1785, 1786 Trim ble, H . M., 1902 Tripp, R . M., 1791 Tuyl V an, F . M., 1724 V aughan, W. E ., 1867,
1868
W alker, J . M., 1800 W alsh, A. D ., 1888, 1889 W alters, R . F ., 1735 W alton, P . T ., 1733 W eber, G., 1804 Weelden V an, A ., 1790 W illiams, C. G., 1903 W illiams, N ., 1815 W illiams, V. Z., 1878,
1879
W ilson, G. M., 1765, 1811
W ilson, W . H ., 1796 W oods, W . H ., 1817,
1818
W orking, E . B ., 1910 Zobell, C. E ., 1720 Zunino, J . J ., 1722
4 2 2 a 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 e o lo g y .
1720. Bacterial Release of Oil-Bearing Materials. C. E . Zobell. W orld O il, 25.8.47, 126 (13), 36 ; O il O a s J ., 2.8.47, 46 (13), 62.— In experim ental work bacteria h a v e been observed to release m ineral oil from sea sand and other solids on w hich th e o il had been adsorbed. Oil has also been released from A th abask a tar sands covered w ith nutrient solution supporting sulphate-reducing bacteria. Som e a t least o f th e oil released from the A thabaska tar sands w as less dense than the original tar. In som e cases th e oil was emulsified, and there is evidence o f its m odification or destruction.
These effects were stronger w ith m ixed cultures.
B acteria has been found to release oil from o ily shales. There is no evidence, h ow ever, to show th a t bacteria can convert th e bitum inous m atter o f oil shale to crude.
N o oil was released from natural rock asphalt. Oil has been released bacterially from oil-sand cores.
Many bacterial species dissolve carbonates b y producing organic acids. This m ay aid in freeing oil. T iny bubbles o f C 0 2 have a b u oyan t effect on oil droplets. B ac
terially produced m ethane or hydrogen would act sim ilarly. Som e bacteria have strong affinity for solids and are able to push off films o f oil or grease. B acteria m ay produce surface tension depressants, and surface-active substances m ay p lay a part in liberating o il from solids.
Bacterial decay m ay set free oil from organic tissu e. B acteria m ay also synthesize or destroy oil.
The characteristics o f sulphate-reducing bacteria are described, and th e possibility o f introducing bacteria into form ations in order to liberate oil is discussed briefly. It is noted th a t further in vestigation o f th is p oin t is required. G. D . H . 1721. Relation of Clay Mineralogy to Origin and Recovery of Petroleum. R . E . Grim.
B u ll. Am er. A ss. Petrol. Oeol., 1947, 31, 1491-1499.— The clay-m ineral concep t o f the nature o f clays and shales is briefly discussed in its relation to problem s o f th e origin and recovery o f oil and gas. Clay m inerals that m ake up a sedim ent are to a con
siderable degree th e result o f diagenetic changes in th e environm ent o f accum ulation.
D iagenetic changes suggested b y present available data are considered. The relations o f various clay m inerals in certain conditions are th e k ey factor in th e transition of organic m atter to petroleum .
The properties o f clay m inerals are considered as a basis for analysin g th e effect of w ater w ith dissolved electrolytes, m oving through a sand, on a clay in th e sand. The characteristics o f the clay m inerals are believed to be significant factors in th e recovery
o f oil. E . N . T.
1722. Evaluation of Oil Exploratory Methods. J. J. Zunino. W orld Oil, 7.7.47, 126 (6), 13 (International Section).— In searching for oil it is desirable to determ ine whether (a) sedim entary rocks are p r e se n t; (6) porous and perm eable rocks are w ith in reach o f the d r ill; (c) a cap rock exists ; (d) source rocks are p r e se n t; (e) m etam orphism has n ot destroyed th e o i l ; (/) there is a suitable trapping structure ; (g) an accum ulation has been subjected to flushing b y circulating waters. The significance o f each o f the above p oin ts is discussed, and the m eans whereby each poin t can be answered are
described. G. D . H .
1723. Contouring Fault Planes. W. A. R eiter. W orld Oil, 14.7:47, 126 (7), 34.—A fault plane can be defined b y a system o f contours w hich w ill disp lay its form. The gap in a form ation broken b y an included fault can be show n w hen fau lt contours are used, and altogether th ey provide a fuller picture than sections. G. D . H.
1724. Oil ; Its Origin, Accumulation. F. M. V an T uyl and B. H . Parker. W orld Oil, 14.7.47, 126 (7), 39 ; 21.7.47, 126 (8), 4 8 .^ T h e oil source beds in m ost pools are not know n w ith a reasonable measure o f certainty. Marine shales are believed to be th e com m onest source, but at tim es a profusion o f sk eletal m aterial in lim eston e and th e presence o f much organic m atter m ay clearly point to th e rock h avin g been a source
^ „ „ A C T S . 4 2 3 a rock. The close relationship of the Chattanooga and Cherokee dark shales to some oil reservoirs seem s significant, but not all black shales are potential source rocks. In som e cases the oil m ay be indigenous tf> the reservoir rock, and some reef and delta deposits m ay be o f th is type. Some o f the oil and gas pools in the W asatch in the R ocky M ountain area have been formed in lakes. Oil in lenses is b est explained b y a local source. M ultiple sand accum ulations m ay or m ay not have derived from a single source, depending on conditions.
O ily substances and w axy m aterials containing hydrocarbons occur in organisms and in m odern sedim ents, b u t no undoubted petroleum has been found. A ncestral crude m ight be thick like a residuum.
Tight beds round o il reservoirs m ay have suffered post-accum ulation cem entation.
Late accum ulation does not necessarily m ean late generation o f oil. Concentration at more than one epoch seem s possible.
Faulting allow s readjustm ent and even dissipation o f oil accum ulations. Oil in fractured shales as at Florence seeftns lik ely to have been generated after the initial com paction required to perm it fracturing.
Expensive lateral or vertical m igration is not necessarily needed to form oil accum ula
tions. Most lateral m ovem ent is along permeable beds, and is possibly tow ards the borders o f basins. The characteristics o f barren and productive structures should be compared. In som e cases barren structures have greater thicknesses o f beds.
In the R ocky M ountain area barren structures on th e borders of basins have less saline waters than those producing deeper in the basins.
A sphalt m ay be washed out to sea and deposited in near-shore sands or lim estones.
G. D . H .
1725. Terminology for Insoluble Residues. H . A. Ireland and others. B u ll. Am er.
Ass. Petrol. Beol., 1947, 31, 1479-1490.— The developm ent o f the use o f insoluble residues for correlation since 1940 has resulted in a diverse term inology which needs standardization. A group of geologists familiar w ith residue \*ork have agreed upon term inology and definitions, and developed the outline included in th is article. The contents o f the outline are based on description rather than on genesis, since the genesis o f m any constituents o f residues is n ot known or is controversial. The outline and its contents are su bm itted as a guide to new workers and as a com mon source o f agreem ent among those m ost fam iliar w ith correlation and identification using insoluble
residues. E . N . T.
1726. Exploratory Drilling in 1946. F . H. Lahee. B u ll. Am er. A ss. Petrol. Geol., 1947, 31, 917-930.— D uring 1946, 5752 exploratory holes were drilled in the U n ited States. Of these 3125 were new-field wildcats, 1270 were new-pool tests (including new-pool w ildcats, deeper-pool tests, and shallower-pool tests), and 1357 were outposts.
Am ong the new-field w ildcats, 333 were su ccessfu l; am ong the new-pool tests, 380 were su ccessfu l; and am ong th e outp osts, 424 were successful.
The to ta l exploratory footage drilled was 22,167,561 ft in the 5752 holes, or 3854 ft per hole. These figures are comparable w ith 23,030,266 ft drilled in 5613 exploratory holes, w ith an average depth o f 4103 ft, in 1945. E. N . T.
1727. Independents’ Role in Finding Reserves. L. J. Logan. Oil W kly, 23.6.47, 126 (4), 54.— D uring 1946 two-thirds o f the successful exploratory wells in the U .S.A . were drilled b y th e sm aller com panies and independents. R elatively th ey had more failures than the m ajors and m iddle-sized concerns. The results were generally similar in 1945. It should be noted th a t through co-operation in financing the majors actually m ake possible m any discoveries w hich are attributed to independents, and even tually the former acquire ownership o f a relatively large proportion o f the proven reserves.
Thus at th e beginning of 1946, 32 com panies held 81-5% o f the proven U .S. reserves.
Tables summarize th e exploratory well results o f 37 large U .S. companies, and of all other com panies in th e U .S. in 1946. G. D . H . 1728. Developments in California in 1946. G. B. Moody. B u ll. Am er. A ss. Petrol.
Geol., 1947, 31, 931—946.— 366 exploratory w ells were com pleted in 1946, a to ta l exploratory distance o f 1,584,647 ft or 300 m iles. The to ta l number o f com pletions,
4 2 4 A ABSTRACTS.
to ta l footage, and percentage o f success for the different ty p es o f exploratory w ells were as follow s :
N o. o f w ells.
F ootage.
Percentage w ells successful.
P ercen tage footage successfu l.
N ew -field w ildcats 211 950,855 8-5 I l l
N ew -pool w ildcats 47 230,720 27-7 26-8
D eeper-pool te st . 29 78,695 10-3 6-8
Shallow er-pool tests 4 19,585 75-0 78-3
O utposts . . . . 75 304,792 4 4 0 38-6
AH exploratory w ells were 1 9 1 % successful as to num ber and 19-4% successful as to footage; the analogous figures for 1945 were 21-0% successful as to number of wells and 17-5% successful as to footage.
30 oil pools and fields and 7 gas pools and fields were discovered in 1946. N ew pools, new fields, and successful ou tp ost w ells added about 132,000,000 brl to oil reserves and about 110,000,000 M.c.f. to dry gas-field gas reserves. N on e o f th e new pools or fields can be rated as major discoveries. Production in 1946 w as approxim ately 317.500.000 brl (including condensate) and 528,000,000 M .c.f. o f gas. There were 57 active exploratory w ells a t th e close o f 1946. E . N . T.
1729. Palaeozoic and Mesozoic Stratigraphy of Northern Gros Ventre Mountains and Mount Leidy Highlands, Teton County, Wyoming. H . L. F oster. B u ll. A m er. A ss.
Petrol. Geol., 1947, 31, 1537-1593.— This area w as a sh elf zone bordering a deeper part o f the R ocky M ountain geosyncline during th e Palaeozoic and M esozoic eras. Sedi
m ents deposited are relatively th in as com pared w ith those on th e w est and southw est o f th e northern Gros V entre M ountains and M ount L eid y H igh lan ds. T he rocks range from pre-Cambrian to Tertiary in age, w ith all o f th e system s present, excepting th e Silurian. The Palaeozoic strata are about 3500 ft thick, and th e Mesoic about
12.000 ft. E . N . T.
1730. Geological Features of the Rocky Mountain Oil Region. C. E . D obbin. O il W kly, 3.2.47, 124 (10), 22.— Oil has been produced in M ississippian to Oligocene beds in th e R ocky M ountain region, and there are pre-M ississippian show s. The old oils tend to be heavier than young oils. A lm ost all th e traps were formed in th e Laramide revolution, and the Sw eetgrass Arch' is th e only im portant area w ith oil and gas directly related to pre-Laramide folding. A bout 57% o f th e oil and gas is associated w ith dom es and anticlines w ith little faulting ; 14% occurs on terraces and monoclines, and 26% is connected w ith structures w ith im portant faults.
There are m any prom ising structures w hich contain non-com m ercial am ounts of oil and gas, and those which produce are rarely filled to the lim it. I t is believed that there has been exten sive flushing, and oil has been preserved only in th e more favourably placed traps.
The discussion covers th e origin o f th e oil- E;nd gas-traps, th e age and character of the producing zones and ty p es o f traps. A number o f structural m aps are included.
There are considerable accum ulations o f gas rich in carbon dioxide. A num ber of gases yield helium (up to 7%) and nitrogen (up to 81% ). E x ten siv e deposits o f oil shale occur, and it is estim ated th a t if 60% o f th e to ta l shale in n orthw est Colorado in beds o f 3 ft or more thick, and giving at least 15 gal o f oil per ton on distillation, was retorted th e crude shale oil would am ount to 40,640,000,000 brl. G. D . H.
1731. Upper Montana Group, Golden Area, Jefferson County, Colorado. J . D . M oody.
B u ll. A m er. A ss. Petrol. Geol., 1947, 31, 1454-1471.— E xam in ation o f th e M ontana group in the v icin ity o f Golden and Morrison, Jefferson C ounty, has revealed a series o f Jjeds more than 1200 ft thick containing a w ell developed and varied F o x H ills fauna. The base o f the F ox H ills sandstone, as restricted b y the U .S . G eological -Su rvey, lies more than 1000 ft above the typ ical F o x H ills fauna in th e section.
The basal m embers o f th e overlying Laram ie form ation rest on different zones o f
ABSTRACTS. 4 2 5 A th e upper M ontana at different localities w ithin the area. The M ontana shales below the restricted F o x H ills are readily divisible into upper, m iddle, and lower Pierre, as
has been established in Colorado. E . N . T.
1732. Devonian System in Central and Northwestern Montana. L. L. Sloss and W . M.
Laird. B u ll. Am er. A ss. Petrol. Geol., 1947, 31, 1404-1430.— The D evonian strata o f central and northw estern M ontana are confined to an Upper D evonian age. In central Montana these rocks are divided, in order o f increasing age, into the Three Forks formation, predom inantly s h a le ; th e Jefferson formation, com posed o f an upper dolom ite member and unnam ed basal un it o f shale and shaly dolom ite which bears a transgressive relationship to" the underlying Ordovician and Cambrian. In north
western M ontana these term s are not applicable and the D evonian is divided in descend
ing order, into arbitrary un its, A, B, and C. U n it A is dolom ite and anhydrite, or evaporite-solution breccia, un it B is dense lim estone, and u n it C is a red shale and shaly dolom ite sequence resting on the channelled surface o f the Upper Cambrian.
Oil is produced from the D evonian o f south-central A lberta and gas has been found in it in Montana. Petroleum possibilities appear to be confined to the dolom ite of the Jefferson form ation and un it A, and it is suggested that these possibilities m ay have been enhanced b y favourable depositional environm ents and post-depositional effects.
E. N . T.
1733. Oregon Basin Field, Park County, Wyoming. P . T. W alton. B u ll. Am er. A ss.
Petrol. Geol., 1947, 31, 1431-1452.— The Oregon B asin oil and gas field is in north- central W yom ing on the western m argin o f the B ig Horn basin, a closed Tertiary-filled structural basin. Adjacent to th e synclinal axis o f the asym m etrical B ig Horn basin, the Oregon B asin is a large anticline having 1600 ft of closure. Transverse tensional and shear faulting is present along th e axis, both in th e surface and subsurface strata.
The oil and gas accum ulation is present prim arily because o f this structural trap.
The m ost h ighly developed and im portant production is black, 20-22°-gravity oil from the Perm ian Em bar lim estone and the Pennsylvanian Tensleep sandstone* This productive area occupies only 40% o f the to ta l area w ithin th e closing contour.
Black, 18°-gravity oil is also produced from the M ississippian M adison lim estone.
Commercial am ounts o f gas occur in the Cretaceous Frontier and Cloverly sandstones and the Triassic Chugwater sandstones, and both separately and in association w ith the oil in th e Em bar lim estone. The Oregon B asin is one o f th e more im portant reserves .of black oil in W yom ing, having an estim ated ultim ate production in excess of
150,000,000 brl.
A non-com m ercial showing o f light paraffin-base oil was found in the basal Cambrian
F lath ead sandstone. E . N . T.
1734. Upper Ordivician Shales in Central Kansas. H . Taylor. B u ll. Am er. A ss.
Petrol. Geol., 1947, 31, 1594—1607.— Shales approxim ately equivalent in age to Maquo- keta beds in Iow a and to Sylvan strata in Oklahoma form the topm ost Ordovician over m ost o f Central K ansas. T hey eonsist o f tw o members : (1) an upper dolom itic gray shale, which is siliceous and cherty in some areas, and (2) a lower soft flaky shale.
These beds are thickest in th e central part o f the Salina basin and also in a belt ex ten d ing n orth -sou th through w estern H arvey County. T hey disappear on the flanks of the Nem aha arch and o f the Central K ansas up lift, probably because o f truncation, and also thin and disappear in the region o f northern Sedgwick County, probably because o f non-deposition in places, coupled also w ith som e truncation. Possible sources o f th e sh aly m aterial include th e Central K ansas up lift, Ozarck dom e, and volcanic dust dropped b y w inds into the m uddy upper Ordovician seas.
E. N . T.
1735. Buried Pre-Cambrian Hills in Central Kansas. R . F . W alters. W orld Oil, 4.8.47, 126 (10), 28.— See A bstract No. 20 (1947).
1736. Developments in North Mid-Continent in 1946. E. A. K oester and V. B. Cole.
B u ll. A m er. A ss. Petrol. Geol., 1947, 31, 999-1005.— W ild cat discoveries located in K ingm an, Barber, H arvey, and E llis counties o f K ansas promise prolific production or ind icate a pool o f more than average size.
4 2 6 a ABSTRACTS.
K ansas produced 98,193,272 brl o f crude oil and casing-head gasoline in 1946, sligh tly less th a n th e production for 1945. Gas production am oun ted to 122,600,000,000 cu. ft. D evelopm en t o f the huge H ugoton gas field in th e southw estern part o f th e S ta te continues, bu t the increased runs from th a t field have n o t m ade up for declines elsewhere.
Return to closer spacing in th e developm ent o f K ansas fields is show n b y th e dry- hole percentage o f 32-2% com pared w ith th e figure o f 41-5% for 1945 and 50-5% for 1944, w hen nearly all w ells were located on a 40-acre basis. E . N . T.
1737. Developments in Illinois and Indiana in 1946. A. H . B ell and R . E . E sarey.
B u ll. Am er. A ss. Petrol. Geol., 1947, 31, 979-987.— D rilling in Illin ois and Indiana increased by 42% in 1946 as com pared w ith 1945 and production increased b y 2J%.
There w as little deep testin g and nearly all o f th e new w ells produced from sandstones and lim eston es o f th e M ississippian system .
The rate o f drilling in 1947 w ill probably decline from the high lev el o f 1946, but be higher than th a t o f 1945. D rilling is anticip ated in th e pre-M ississippian strata, especially o f th e Silurian in th e w estern m arginal area o f the Illin ois basin.
E . N . T.
1738. Developments in Michigan in 1946. H . J. H ardenberg. B u ll. Am er. Ass.
Petrol. Geol., 1947, 31, 988-998.— Of th e 259 w ildcats drilled during 1946, 26 were com pleted as producing w ells. 12 oilfields and 6 gas fields were discovered, 5 oilfields and 2 gas fields were exten d ed and a new p a y zone w as found in one field. W ell com pletions totalled 822 com pared w ith th e 801 o f th e previous year. 45% o f the w ells were productive at an average rate o f 651 brl per w ell and an average initial production o f gas w ells w as 7,371,000 cu. ft. per w ell. T otal footage drilled was
1,705,694 ft, approxim ately 15% less th an In 1945. W ild cat footage w as 608,839 ft.
Oil production declined approxim ately 1% to a rate o f 17,074,518 brl. Gas produc
tion showed an increase o f 2% at a rate o f 23,774,495,000 cu. ft.
Perm its were issued for 186 geological tests, o f which 60% were used in western Michigan. Two secondary recovery projects were started in M ichigan in 1946.
E . N . T.
1739. Developments in Oklahoma in 1946. R . J. Cullen. B u ll. A m er. A ss. Petrol.
Geol., 1947, 31, 1006-1014.— Oklahom a produced 136,807,000 brl o f crude oil in 1946, a decline o f 2,420,000 brl from 1945. R eserves reported are 898,186,000 brl, or 8,347,000 above last year. More than 3000 w ells were drilled. E xp loration accounted for 588 w ells, discovering 71 oil pools, 22 gas pools, 18 exten sions, and 3 n ew producing form ations in old pools.
The m ost prom ising discovery was the Sou thw est A ntioch pool in Garvin County, discovered b y G lobe-V ickers’ Gibson N o. 1. E . N . T.
1740. Shoreline Trend May Develop Oklahoma Golden Horse-Shoe. A. Gibbon. Oil W kly, 19.5.47, 125 (12), 39.— There is a p otential shoreline reservoir along th e western arc o f the Pauls V alley u p lift in McClain and G arvin counties, Oklahom a. The production is from th e Pen nsylvan ian , and m ay cover a strip 20 m iles long and about 2 m iles wide, w ith reserves o f 50-100 m illion brl. The D eese and G ibson sands prob
ably wedge out on th e w estern flank o f th e u p lift along an arc g ivin g continuous production. The H u n ton and Brom ide also produce.
The pools are N orth and E a st L indsay (P ennsylvanian, H u n ton , and Brom ide production), Southw est W ayne (P ennsylvanian and H un ton ), S ou th w est M aysville (Bromide), Southw est A ntioch (Pennsylvanian), N orth east Elm ore and K a tie (P en n
sylvanian ), and E ola (Bromide). E a st L indsay has folding and fau ltin g p ossib ly lyin g on the exten sion o f the Pauls V alley uplift. Eola is a further structural prospect.
Seismic work has shown th e form o f th e Ordovician. The d evelop m en t o f th e pools belonging to th is stratigraphic trap b elt is briefly described. P roducing d ep th s exceed 6000 ft. W ells cost $90,000-8360,000 each.
A m ap and cross-section are included. G. D . H .
1741. Coring in Burgess Sandstone. C. A. Moore. O il W kly, 16.6.47, 126 (3), 38.__
The South Moore pool o f Cleveland County, Oklahoma, was opened in 1944', w ith
ABSTRACTS. 4 2 7 a production from the second W ilcox (Bromide sandstone) at 8833 ft. A later well was com pleted in the Burgess sand at 7742-7772 ft. The Burgess sandstone (Lower Pennsylvanian) is about 400 ft below the Oswego and 150 ft above the M ayes (Missis- sippian) lim estone. The -same form ation is productive at W est Moore. Burgess sandstone zone sam ples show hard quartzitic sandstones, often cherty, w ith alternating detrital lim estones and hard shales. There are very few porous sands. W ire-line coring gave good recoveries, and loose sand beds were found in the upper p a r t ; these give th e m ain producing zone, and liein the topm ost 30 ft w ith a 10-ftcap o f hard quartzitic sandstone.
Below occur lim estone, sandstone, and shale w ith staining, further lim estone, underlain b y shale and quartzitic, oil-streaked sandy lim estone, siliceous lim estone and sandy shale w ith lim estone. Gamma-ray and neutron logs have been m ade through the cored section as w ell as electric logs, and comparisons have been m ade w ith the cores.
The detailed core descriptions and th e various typ es o f logs are included.
G. D. H.
1742. Southern Oklahoma Oil. F. Gouin. O il W k ly, 23.6.47, 126 (4), 34.— The Wheeler field o f southern Oklahoma was opened in 1904, followed possibly by the Cruce gas field in 1912. H ealdton was discovered in 1913, and thence forward a succession o f finds were made.
Southern Oklahoma was part o f a geosynclinal trough u n til early Pennsylvanian tim e, and there is a good developm ent o f Cambrian to Lower Pennsylvanian beds.
At the end o f the Lower Pennsylvanian th e m ain W ichita up lift occurred and created northw est-south east folds in addition to the W ichita m ountains. The Arbuckle uplift took place at the end o f the P ennsylvanian, and was followed b y much denuda
tion on the highs. The Perm ian was marked by R ed bed deposition. E levation in Triassic and Jurassic tim es was followed b y Cretaceous submergence. The formations are briefly described and producing horizons are noted.
The Perm ian rocks tend to be arched over old highs, and m ost fields in southern Oklahoma have been discovered by some form o f geological work. Seeps are im portant.
The oil and gas fields are grouped in a tabulation, according to age o f producing horizons, and these range Perm ian to Cambrian. B rief notes are given on production.
The fields are long-lived. Proved reserves m ay be 715,000,000 brl in post-M ississippian beds.
A m ap and section are included. G. D . H.
1743. Developments in Atlantic Coast States between New Jersey and North Carolina in 1946. H. G. Richards. B u ll. Am er. A ss. Petrol. Geol., 1947, 31, 1106-1108.—
7 wells were drilled during 1946, all dry. A test drilled at Cape H atteras reached a depth o f 10,054 ft, w ith “ basem ent ” at 9878 ft. 5 w ells were drilled near Merrimon, all o f which reached “ basem ent ” at about 4000 ft. Standard also drilled a dry hole near Ocean C ity which was abandoned at 7710 ft in the Cretaceous. The R ose H ill oilfield o f Lee County continued to produce. E. N . T.
1744. Developments in Appalachian Area in 1946. Appalachian Geological Society.
B ull. Amer. A ss. Petrol. Geol., 1947, 31, 9 5 9-978 .— N ew York. In the Oriskany gas area 26 wells were com pleted or drilling in 1946 as compared w ith 36 in 1945. There were no new discoveries. Three producers were drilled in the South A ddison pool w ith a to ta l open flow o f 9927 M.c.f. 15 w ells were drilled to the Medina sand, the producers m aking about 2000 M.c.f. In the oil-producing area com pletions increased from 1349 in 1945 to 1739 in 1946 and the daily average production increased from 4 2 ,4 0 2 brl per day in 1945 to 12,828 brl per day in 1946.
P en nsylvan ia. A decline of 8% occurred in the total number o f wells com pleted in the shallow-sand territory o f western P ennsylvania (Upper D evonian or higher) during 1946, as compared w ith 1945. The greatest drilling a c tiv ity was at the Coryville oil pool in northeastern M cKean County, discovered in 1945. Production increased 4-3% as compared w ith 1945 in the Bradford field. E xtensions were made to the sm all Gordon sand oil pool in N orth Strabane Township, W ashington County. Oil production in th e m iddle and southw estern districts oL Pennsylvania increased 6% as compared w ith 1945. The H askell sand gas pool w as the m ost active. 14 deep wells
were com pleted in 1946. 6 o f these were gas w ells, 1 was drilled for gas storage, and 7 were dry holes. 3 opened new pools. .
Ohio. 1293 w ells were listed in Ohio, o f these 408 or 31£% were dry, 547 were gas w ells, and 338 were oil w ells. 203 w ells te sted the sands above th e B erea, 281 p en e
trated th e Berea, 14 were drilled into the Ohio shale o f D evonian age, 40 were drilled as Oriskany tests, and 695 were drilled through the Clinton sand. 132 w ells were
drilled in the Canton Clinton gas field, w ith an average flow o f 2500 M.c.f.
The Oriskany sand a c tiv ity centred in Columbiana C ounty. Open flows exceeded 2000 M.c.f. w ith rock pressures o f over 1700 lb, th e rapid depletion and th e encroach
m ent o f w ater is discouraging. 18 w ells were drilled in th e Trenton fields in n orth
western Ohio, where 6 oil w ells, 3 gas w ells, and 9 dry holes were com pleted.
There were 5 sub-Trenton te sts drilled in th e S ta te ; 4 were in Lorain County, o f w hich 3 were dry, 1 m aking 67 M .c.f. o f gas from th e St. P eter horizon a t 4125 ft. The other sub-Trenton te st encountered a sm all flow o f gas from dolom ite a t 6558 ft, but drilled w ater at 6704 ft.
W est Virginia. N atural gas developm ent in W yom ing and N icholas counties continues, and a second w ell producing gas in th e H u n tersville chert and Oriskany sand w as com pleted in Tucker County.
R ate o f drilling is som ew hat less than 1945, b u t rate o f abandonm ents o f both oil and gas wells has increased. N o new gas pools h a v e been discovered excep t the single com pletion in Preston County.
K entucky. E xploratory drilling in K en tu ck y in 1946 in volved th e testin g o f beds from Pennsylvanian, to Cambrian. Successful new-field w ild cats were confined to the M ississippian o f w estern K en tuck y and th e Upper and Middle O rdovician o f south- central K en tucky. There were 4 K n ox te sts o f n ote, one o f w hich penetrated the Cambrian and stopped in porphyritie rhyolite. E . N . T.
1745. Thrust Shatter Theory of Oil Accumulation. W . R. Jillson . W orld Oil, 4.8.47, 126 (10), 40.— The Pow ell V alley anticline runs n orth east-sou th w est for 6 5-70 m iles
and has a structural height o f 500-1000 ft. I t is crossed b y th e Cumberland over- thrust block, 125 m iles long and 25 m iles w ide, and bounded on th ejm rth w o st b y the Pine M ountain fault and b y th e St. Paul fault on the sou theast. T he thrustin g took place in late Palseozoic tim e and som e 15,000 ft o f Palseozoic -beds were thrust 7-10 m iles northw est across th e P ow ell V alley anticline on a shear plane cu ttin g across from Cambrian to D evonian. Erosion has rem oved all b u t a few hundred feet of Lower Ordovician and Upper Cambrian beds, and in places stream s cu t through these to expose Silurian and Ordovician. The first drilling at R ose H ill, Lee County, Virginia, was in 1922, and now 50 w ells have been drilled. T his fold w as largely formed before the thrust and there are th ick deposits o f fine fau lt breccia ju st below the thrust.
A t R ose H ill a little oil has been found in th e Clinton sandstone a t shallow depths, b u t th e m ain production is from the Trenton, w ith m inor am ounts deeper in the Ordovician. The paraffin base oil is obtained a t 5 0 -200 b rl/d ay per w ell initially.
The Trenton is o f low porosity, and therefore production is believed to be from fissured zones. The shattering in th e crestal zone o f the P ow ell V alley anticline is considered to be due to th e shearing stresses set up b y th e thrusting o f the overth ru st sh eet across it. In extrem e cases th is shattering m ay exten d 3000-3500 ft below th e thrust, and com m only it is found down to 1200-1700 ft. Sh aly beds still act as seals. I t is thou ght th at the zone o f m ost intense shattering is confined m ain ly to th e truncated
crest o f the subsurface structure. G. D . H .
1746. Virginia Field Confirms Fenster Production. B. H . Pearse. W orld Oil, 8.9.47, 127 (2), 50.— V irginia’s only oilfield, R ose H ill, in Lee C ounty, w as discovered in 1942.
A dozen successful com pletions have been m ade w ith ou tp u ts ranging 5—50 brl/day initially. A ll are in the Trenton at depths o f 1000-2000 ft, and in “ w indow s ” where rocks beneath an overthrust are exposed. The oil is 45°-gravity, am ber-coloured ftnd paraffin-base.
The R ose H ill field is the first field in th e A ppalachian folds. Sim ilar structures occur elsewhere. The first w ell in Lee County w as drilled in 1910, about 8 m iles sou theast o f R ose H ill. Some oil w as found in w ells drilled later, and their findings are described. R ose H ill lies on the P ow ell V alley anticline. G. D . H .
4 2 8 A ABSTRACTS.
ABSTRACTS. 4 2 9 a
1747. Developments in Arizona, Western New Mexico, and Northern New Mexico in 1946. R . L. B ates. B u ll. Am er. A ss. Petrol. Geol., 1947, 31, 1039—1044.— A t th e Barker Creek dom e 2 additional deep gas wells were com pleted and a desulphurizing plan t w as bu ilt. 15 gas w ells com pleted in th e Fulcher B asin field established its con tin u ity w ith the K u tz Canyon field. The E stan cia V alley carbon dioxide field was abandoned, but developm ent in th e Bueyeros area w as started. 2 dry holes were com pleted in Arizona and 10 in northern N ew Mexico o f which 5 reached the pre-
Cambrian. E . N . T.
1748. Occurrence of Comanche Rocks in Black River Valley, New Mexico. W . B. Lang.
B ull. Am er. A ss. P etrol Geol., 1947, 31, 1472-1478.— The discovery o f Comanche fossils in B lack R iver V alley provides a m eans for more accurately defining th e position of the Comanche shorelines in southeastern N ew Mexico. A n explanation is offered for the anom alous occurrence o f these fossils and one which m ay help to clarify previous m isconceptions o f th e geology o f the area. Reference is m ade to related early geologic
explorations in th e region. E . N . T.
1749. Equilibrium of Form and Forces in Tidal Basins of Texas and Louisiana Coast.
W . A. Price. B u ll. Am er. A ss. Petrol. Geol., 1947, 31. 1619-1663.— The stu d y of 31 oval, enclosed tidal basins o f a variety o f sizes in soft sedim ents shows approxim ate dynamic equilibrium, regardless o f basin origin, betw een average w idth and m axim um depth, scour and fill, fetch (width), and w ave basg to th e m axim um observed depth of 16-5 ft. On th e hum id eastern coast, basins are cqpunonly wide, shallow, and directly alluviated b y rivers. The equation o f straight line average -where y = depth' in ft, and x — w idth in m iles, is y = 0-41r -f- 3 0. On th e non-hum id southw estern coast, basins are proportionately narrower ; straight line average is y = x, or a ratio o f J. : 1. Here m ost elongate w ater bodies have become segm ented to oval form b y spits, bars, tid al deltas, and wash-over fans. A llu viation com m only overcom es disposal in inner segm ents entered b y rivers, filling them while leaving outer segm ents in equilibrium.
D epths in tidal channels are not used. W ater bodies for w hich data are incom plete, those w ith very irregular outlines, and unsegm ented parts o f coastal lagoons are excluded.
M aximum departure from average depth during th e record period has been 2 -3 ft, i.e., 30%, essentially w ithin the range o f incidental scour and fill and secular sea-level change. A shallowing o f m ost basins since early surveys b y 0-5—1-5 ft is believed to show m ainly siltin g due to m an’s activities. H eavier siltin g and segm entation are caused b y ship-channel excavation across th e basins. Segm entation, artificial or natural, tends to restore equilibrium, follow ing or being follow ed b y bottom filling.
M odification o f form is m ost evident after great storm s or major engineering works.
In sp ite o f postulated eustatic sea-level rise during the present century, th e tidal basins have m aintained w idth—depth ratios, in some cases actual depths, during equilibrium conditions in the cartographic period. Some bays sank more than 10 ft in recent centuries, bu t now have equilibrium o f form. E . N . T.
1750. Developments in East Texas in 1946. T. C. Cash and G. J. Loetterle. B u ll.
Am er. As«. P etrol. Geol., 1947, 31, 1059-1070.— 8 new oil-producing areas and 4 new gas-producing areas were discovered during 1946. 3 o f th e oil discoveries produce from th e W oodbine form ation ; these are N orth Gallatin and W illiam W ise in Cherokee County and Norm an Paul in W ood County. Oil production in th e sub-Clarksville sand o f the upper E agle Ford also occurs in th e Norm an Paul field. Production in the South F lyn n field in Leon County is considered to be from an undifferentiated W ood- bine—E a g le Ford section.
Two o f th e new oi'l discoveries produce from the P a lu x y fo rm a tio n ; these are B oyn ton and Mt. Sylvan. 2 new fields are in th e Travis P eak formation, i.e., E lysian F ields and Lassater.
4 new gas-producing areas are P in e H ill and South H enderson in R usk County, w hich produce from the Travis P eak ; Flower Acres in Bow ie County, produces from th e Smackover, and H u x ley in the Shelby County produces from th e P e ttit zone o f th e lower Gelen R ose. 6 older fields revealed new producing zones. E . N . T.
1751. Developments in North and West-Central Texas in 1946. J. F. Gibbs and C. D.
Sm ith. B ull. Am er. A ss. Petrol. Geol., 1947, 31, 1045-1051.— 102 discoveries were
4 3 0 a ABSTRACTS.
m ade in th e north and w est-central T exas district in 1946, including 21 ou tp osts, 2 shallower-pool tests, 4 deeper-pool tests, 1 field-developm ent w ell, 28 new -pool w ildcats, and 45 new-field w ildcats. These are com parable w ith a to ta l o f 125 d is coveries in 1945.
3007 w ells were drilled“ o f which 653 were exploratory, comparable w ith 2240 w ells drilled in 1945, including 468 w ild ca ts; increased drilling a c tiv ity being 26%.
57,840,000 brl o f oil were produced during 1946, com pared w ith 54,283,000 in 1945, an increase o f 3,557,000 brl. Other discoveries : (1) the M anning O’Connor, “ Caddo ” lim estone in southw estern Stephens C ou n ty; (2) reflection seism ograph d iscovery of fields in Throckm orton County ; (3) Strawn production in east-central H askell County ; (4) E sk ota field producing from a Canyon reef; (5) explorational a c tiv ity in district
w est o f th e axis o f th e B end Arch. E . N . T.
1752. Developments in Texas Panhandle in 1946. P . A. Grant and A. W . Doshier.
B ull. Am er. A ss. Petrol. Geol., 1947, 31, 1015-1017.— There was a m arked decrease in drilling operations in the T exas Panhandle in 1946 com pared w ith 1945. In all, 317 w ells were drilled : 149 were com pleted as oil w ells, 123 as gas w ells, and 45 as dry holes.
Slightly less than 30 m illion brl o f oil were produced, more th an a m illion less brl than in 1945. More than 881 billion cu. ft. o f gas were produced in 1946 w hich is 85 m illion cu. ft. less than the previous year.
Only one o f th e exploratory holes drilled in the Panhandle in 1946 was successful.
The T exas Com pany’s M.S. B ills N o. 1 in W heeler County, drilled as an exten sion to th e E a st Shamrock pool w as com pleted as a 29-brl pum per. 2 exploratory holes were drilled in the Anadarko basin in 1946. The B ritish Am erican Oil Com pany’s Buzzard No. 1 in Ochiltree County, and O. P. F ly n n ’s H o o v er -P a tto n N o. 1 were both dry and
abandoned. E . N . T.
1753. Developments in South Texas in 1946. B. Scrafford. B u ll. A m er. A ss. Petrol.
Geol., 1947, 31, 1052-1058.— A decline occurred in th e rate o f w ildcat develop m en ts in 1946 as well as a decrease in th e rate o f new discoveries. The 15,384 oil w ells in the South T exas district produced 137,934,170 brl, app roxim ately 5% o f th e w orld’s production, 8% o f the U n ited States production, or 18% o f th e annual oil production o f T exas. The 1085 gas w ells tendered to gas lin es 510,399,785 M .c.f. o f gas during 1946. Over 54% o f all developm ents took place in the Frio—Vicksburg trend which supplies 76% o f the production o f th e district. E . N . T.
1754. Developments in Upper Gulf Coast of Texas in 1946. A. P. A llison and C. B.
Claypool. B u ll. Am er. A ss. Petrol. Geol., 1947, 31, 1071-1077.— In 1946, 679 w ells o f all classifications were drilled in the Upper G ulf Coast o f T exas, o f w hich 320 were exploratory and 359 oilfield developm ent wells. Of th e exploratory w ells, 121 were new-field w ildcats o f w hich 14 were successful and 107 failu res; 112 were new-pool w ildcats o f which 40 were successful and 72 were failures ; 83 were exten sion w ells or outposts, o f w hich 39 were successful and 44 were failures.
679 drilling operations were undertaken, compared w ith 911 during 1945. New- field discoveries decreased from 26 in 1945 to 14 in 1946, w hile new sand discoveries in proved fields increased from 72 in 1945 to 80 in 1946. The new -field d iscovery rate w as 1 out o f 8-6 w ildcat w ells as compared w ith 1 ou t o f 5 in 1945.
Of the 14 fields discovered in 1946, 6 were gas-condensate producers and 8 were oilfields. A t the end o f the year 1 was abandoned and 8 were still in th e 1-well stage.
Production remained at approxim ately 183 m illion brl.
The Edw ards lim estone o f Lower Cretaceous age w as found to be a producing formation, and 2 fields and 1 new pool, all producing gas and condensate were d is
covered., p; *p
1755. Developments in West Texas and Southeastern New Mexico in 1946. R . L.
Boss and W. J. H ilseweck. B u ll. A m er. 'A s s . Petrol. Geol., 1947, 31, 1018-1038.__
There were 2219 wells com pleted in 1946 in the area o f W est T exas and southeastern N ew M ex ico ; 1843 were in W est T exas including 335 exploratory holes o f w hich 123 were successful and 376 were in southeastern N ew M exico including 67 exploratory holes, 15 o f w hich were successful.
Pipeline runs in W est Texas were 191-27 million brl in 1946, an increase o f 9% over 1945. Pipeline runs in southeastern N ew Mexico were 36-34 m illion brl in 1946, a decrease o f 1-5% from 1945.
Oil and gas production was discovered in Pennsylvanian lim estone on th e eastern platform and in th e Midland b a s in ; M ississippian lim estone oil in the Midland basin, and Ellenburger oil on the eastern platform. Oil was also discovered in Lower P er
m ian beds below 10,000 ft in th e Delaware basin
The exploitation o f th e shallow Bowers sand reservoir o f the H obbs field, extensions to th e Paddock and Drinkard Permian Pools, and the steady growth o f the pre-Permian Brunson pool are th e m ost outstanding developm ents. E . N . T.
1756. Unconformities to Play Major Role in Arkansas-North Louisiana Discoveries.
M. T. H alb ou ty and C. Hardin. Oil W kly, 31.3.47, 125 (5), 32; 7.4.47, 125 (6), 42;
14.4.47, 125 (7), 40.— E ast Texas and D elhi are due to truncation and overlap, and fields of this ty p e are likely to be found in Arkansas and N orth Louisiana. The T usca
loosa and P alu xy are truncated on th e south flank o f the Monroe uplift, and th ey are overlapped b y the Clayton gas rock and the M idway shales to give the trap at Delhi and th e associated fields. D elhi was discovered in 1944, and was followed b y W est D elhi and B ig Creek. In the first tw o th e basal Tuscaloosa and the P a lu x y give the main oil. B ig Creek produces from lenses higher in the marine Tuscaloosa. The three have a producing area about 15 m iles long and 2 m iles wide, w ith reserves exceeding 250,000,000 brl. Production is found at depths o f 2900-3300 ft.
The truncated edge o f the Tuscaloosa and P a lu x y runs east from D elhi round the southeast flank o f the Monroe uplift and the Sharkey Platform into Mississippi, and w ildcatting has taken place along th is trend. In th is area truncation is from the Annona chalk down to the top of the Cotton V alley formation. There has also been w ildcatting north and south o f the D elhi area, and lenticular sand production has been found at southw est Delhi, South B ig Creek, and Lamar.
A pproxim ate W oodbine equivalents occur on the southeast flank o f th e Sabine uplift, and truncation m ay have given oil traps.
In Arkansas th e Lower Cretaceous and Jurassic beds have been truncated along northw est-south w est lines and th ey are covered m ainly b y Upper Cretaceous. These deposits change in character to the south and southw est. The Smackover oolites and Cotton V alley sands m ay produce where truncated and possessing lateral closure provided b y nosing. The Smackover has produced south o f a major fault zone in southern Arkansas, and at M idway north o f th e faults. The P alu xy, Rodessa, and Sligo offer possibilities o f commercial oil production in this area o f South Arkansas and North Louisiana.
Much o f the production from th e south and w est o f the Caddo-Pine Island uplift comes from truncated P a lu x y sands. Similar production m ay be found on the north and east flanks.
Maps and cross-sections are.included. G. D . H .
1
1757. Developments in Louisiana Gulf Coast in 1946. G. F. Shepherd. B u ll. Am er.
A ss. Petrol. Geol., 1947, 31, 1078-1083.— The 684 com pletions in 1946 in South Louisiana showed an increase o f 11-54% over 1945. 79 were w ildcats, 15 o f which discovered new fields, including Queen B ess Island, Jefferson Parish. Of the new fields, 8 are oil, 2 are dry gas, and 5 are gas-condensate.
On old producing structures, 513 new w ells were com pleted and 92 old wells were plugged back from other formations or drilled deeper. 75 of th e new w ells were drilled as field wildcats, 22 resulted in the discovery o f new sands or field extensions. 75% of the developm ent w ells were successful, w ith 113 dry and abandoned.
The W eek’s Islan d field was reclassified from a gas-distillate field to an oilfield. A major w estw ard exten sion o f Tuscaloosa sand production resulted from the U nion Producing Company’s Belgard No. 1 com pletion in Big Island field. W orld’s -record for deep production was established in W eek’s Island field through com pletion of
Sm ith No. 1 at 13,763-13,778 ft. E . N . T.
1758. Oil Possibilities on the Gulf Coast Continental Shelf. J. S. Critz. Oil W kly, 6.1.47, 124 (6), 17.— The continental sh elf margin occurs where the depth o f water is about 600 ft, and throughout the world the sh elf area is about 10,000,000 square miles.
ABSTRACTS. 4 3 1 A
%
4 3 2 a ABSTRACTS.
The sh elf area off the G ulf Coast covers 56,000 square m iles and exten d s as m uch as 125 m iles out to sea. The com m onest o f th e G ulf Coast oi£ structures are non-piercing salt domes. Som e 30 structures have been indicated in geophysical stu d ies o f 5000 square m iles o f sh elf w ith less th an 30 ft o f w ater.
The G ulf Coast salt is believed to be o f early Upper Jurassic age. P lu gs m ay occur
■ out as far as th e edge o f th e continental shelf.
The 4 m ain oil-bearing sedim entary groups are th e S p arta-W ilcox (Eocene), Cockfield-Y egua (Eocene), M arginulina-Frio (Oligocene), and th e M iocene. T he m ost productive b elt for each group is generally farther south th e younger th e age. Coast
wards each group' changes from fresh w ater to m arine in facies, and b est conditions for oil occurrence seem to be where fresh w ater and marine beds interfinger.
The Creole field, opened in 1938, is a m ile offshore, and produces from th e Miocene at depths o f 5100 ft in w ater up to 25 ft deep. I t has 7 w ells and w as located by seism ograph. A sa lt dom e has been confirmed b y drilling a t Coon P oin t. Similar .confirm ation was obtained at M cFaddin Beach.
The sm all Sabine P ass field was discovered 9000 ft offshore.
Offshore leasing is discussed. Maps sh o w th e depth o f w ater offshore and the producing areas near th e coast.
A generalized cross-section is given, and a list o f tests drilled in the G ulf o f Mexico.
G. D . H . 1759. Gilbertown : Oil Outpost. W . B. Jones arid W . McGlamery. W orld Oil, 1.9.47, 127 (1), 42.— Gilbertown lies on the northern flank o f th e H atch etigb ee a n ti
cline, and is A labam a’s first oilfield. The field, discovered in 1944, is about 10 miles long and one to three locations wide. E ocene beds occur dow n to 2000 ft, and good sand bodies in the W ilcox group carry water.
The U pper Cretaceous com prises Selm a, E utaw , and Tuscaloosa. The Selma, 1100 ft thick, consists o f chalk and marl. The E u taw is com posed o f 450 ft o f sand
stones and sandy shales. I t m ay be an oil source, ¿md is productive. The 1100 ft o f Tuscaloosa is divided in to U pper Tuscaloosa (sandstones and shales), Marine section (glauconitic shales and sandstones), and M assive sand (sandstone w ith shale breaks).
There are tw o roughly parallel faults along m ost o f th e field, b oth dow nthrown to th e 'north. The non-porous Selm a is throw n against E u ta w sandstones. F aultin g probably w ent on during deposition.
W ells produce from fracture zones in the Selma chalk and from th e E u ta w a t depths o f 2500-3570 ft. The E u taw has a porosity o f about 32% and p erm eab ility o f 100- 178 m D . The oil gra v ity is 17°. W est G ilbertown had produced 560,986 brl to the end o f 1946, th e E a st G ilbertown 58,292 brl. The to ta l ou tp u t o f b o th fields to the end o f May 1947 w as 777,575 brl.
Tables list the w ells in the Gilbertown fields, and contour m aps show th e structure.
G. D . H . 1760. Developments in Canada in 1946. F . L. Fournier. B u ll. A m er. A ss. Petrol.
Geol., 1947, 31, 9 47-958.— The V ik in g -K ia sella gas field w as considerably enlarged during 1946 and 3 new gas fields were discovered at P rovost, E lk P o in t, and Pendant d ’Oreille. The l*!oy(iminster heavy-oil field w as considerably exten d ed w ith 3 new pool discoveries. This resulted in Saskatchew an m oving into third place as an oil producer, follow ing A lberta and N orthw est Territories. A new oil pool o f unknown ex ten t was found in th e South Princess area on th e central A lberta plains.
A large area o f sem i-solid bitum en and richly im pregnated bitum in ous sand was discovered in th e M ildred-R uth lakes area o f th e A thabaska d istrict b y the D om inion Governm ent D epartm ent o f Mines and R esources. A new oil and gas field was discovered during the year near W allaceburg, Ontario. E . N . T.
1761. Dominion’s Liquid Bitumen Find of Great Importance. C. O. N ickle.v O il W kly, 3.2.47, 124 (10), 23 (Intern ation al Section).— I t is estim ated th a t 400-5 0 0 m illion brl o f liquid bitum en occur on th e w est sidt5 o f th e M ildred-R uth lakes area in northern A lberta. The overburden is thin. A b out 2 square m iles h ave been explored b y boring on a |th -m ile grid, and a greater area on £-m ile spacing. The thickness o f bitum inous sands ranges up to 220 ft. Interfingering w ith clay and shale occurs.
12-18% o f bitum en is found in th e sands. In terstratified w ith th e sands are beds o f
