Ja n u a r y 1 9 4 0 .
A B S T R A C T S .
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 ... .... ... ... 1a
G eop hysics and G eochem ical P rosp ectin g ... ... * 5 A D rilling ... ... ... ... G a
P rod u ction ... ... ... 6 a Oilfield D ev elo p m en t ... ... 1 1a Re f i n e r y Op e r a t i o n s.
R efineries a n d A u xiliary R e finery P la n t ... ... 1 5a
D istilla tio n ... ... . . 1 6a
C ra ck in g ... ... ... ... 1 6a
Chem ical and P h y sica l R efining 1 8a
S p ecial P rocesses ... ... 1 9a
Pr o d u c t s.
C hem istry and P h ysics A n alysis and T estin g ...
- L ubricants
B itu m en , A sp h alt and Tar Special H ydrocarbon P rod ucts D erived Chem ical Prod ucts M iscellaneous P rod ucts En g i n e s a n d
Eq u i p m e n t . . .
Mi s c e l l a n e o u s . . .
Bo o k s Re c e i v e d . . .
Au t o m o t i v e p a g e
1 9 a
20 a 20 a 2 1 a 21 A 22 a 2 4 a
26 a 2 7 a
2 8 a
A U T H O R I N D E X .
T he num bers refer to tho A b stract N um ber.
A therton, F . It., 74 Bnrnes, K. B., 24 Barnes, S., 81 B arrett, 1). 0 ., 32 Beach, F. K., 50 Beard more, H ., -11 Benedict, M., 64 Bridgwater, it. M., 70 Burch, J . G., 34 Burrell, It. W., 82, 83 Cashell, J ., 37 Oody, M. 0., 15 Decgan, C. J ., 3, 41, 47 Dconier, C. C., 82, S3 Dickey, L. W., 7G Egloff, G., G7
Euwcr, M. L., 30 Foster, A. L., 71 Galstaum, L. S., 09 Gibbon, A., 33 Gibson, D. T., 73 Griflitbs, R. II., 72 Henry, R ., 7G Hill, W. B., 4 Jackson, F . G.-, 55 Jackson, J . S., 79, 80 Jenny, W. P., 18 Jones, H. A., 82 Jones, P. J ., 25-31 Knipling, E. F., 82 Kunkel, J . H., 97 Langley, K. J ., 51
Livingstone, J . W., 92 Logan, K. II., G1 Luetkemeyer, H ., 90 Lyon, R. B., 37
Maple, J. D., 81 Matthysse, J . G., 85 McTee, A. It., 19 MiUikan, C. V., 41 Mills, It. N., 40 Muth, E. J ., 00 Nelson, W. L., 63, G5 Norman, II. S., 46 O’Dette, It. E., 90 O’Dette, S. It., 90 Oliveira, A. I. de, 17 Openshaw, 11. T., 74
Pugh, W., 77 Richardson, C. H ., 88 Rubin, L. C., 64 Sheldon, R., *12 Short, E. II., 20, 23 Snapp, O. I., 89 Sneddon, R ., 39 Steinitz, E. W., 78 Stuart, A. H ., 62 Taylor, J ., 95 Todd, A. It., 71 Townend, D. T. A., 75 T uttle, It. C., 1 Waikden, H . II., 88 Williams, N., 21, 22, Wisecup, C. B., 83 Wright, J . It., 38
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.
Geology.
1. Theory oi Diastrophic M ovem ent. R . C. T u ttle. O il W k ly, 3.9.45, 119 (1), 42.—
T h e earth is an ob late spheroid. I f th e polar diam eter were increased b y on ly 4 m l, this w ou ld p u t th e p oles 2 m l in th e air, g ivin g an accu m ulation o f ice and snow . There w ou ld th e n be a largo land area high enough ab ove sea-level and in tho frigid zone for g laciation to start.
W h en a w a x-coated rubber sphere w as com pressed slig h tly along its axis o f rotation th e w a x coatin g d evelop ed cracks running N .W .-S .E . and N .E .-S .W . T he earth sh ow s folds and fau lts along sim ilar lines. W hile th e sphere w as in th is ob late co n d ition it w as again coated w ith w a x , and thicker coats b u ilt up in areas corresponding w ith th e con tin en ts. W hile rotatin g it w as allow ed to return to its norm al form, and th e cen tral p arts o f th e con tin en tal m asses collapsed and buckled, w h ile their edges curled aw ay from tho ball, and th e parts corresponding w ith th e ocean beds buckled upw ards. B o th th e collapsin g and bulging w ere elon gated in polew ard directions.
T he raisin g o f th e con tin en tal platform s above sea-level w ou ld lead to erosion o f stream channels or to can yon s through th em (cf. subm arine canyons). T he A tlan tic sh ow s a general n o r th -so u th central ridge.
B
ABSTRACTS.
Tho ea rth ’s cen trifugal and cen trip etal forces are essen tia lly balanced, but th is balan ce m igh t be u p set i f tho tid a l influences o f th e su n and m o o n were in p h ase, and i f th is were com bined w ith th e near approach o f a star. T his m igh t cause th e earth to becom e oblate, leading to enorm ous equatorial tid es w h ich w ou ld brako th e earth.
T ogether w ith other factors th is m igh t allow a return to sp h ericity, causing a fall in sea-level in th e equ atorial regions, sp reading.w aters in to n ew ly form ed ep i-con tin en tal seas, and elev a tin g tho polar land s. I f such a p u lsatin g action recurs in geological tim e there could bo accentu ation , m odification, or eradication o f tho effects o f earlier p u lsation s. T ectogenes m ig h t d evelop during th e p u lsation s from sphere to ob late spheroid.
W hen tho earth had a m uch thinn er sed im entary cover, shrinkage, b y cooling, to th e ex ten t o f th e thickness o f a sh eet of pap er each year w ould g iv e 2G4 ft shrinkage in diam eter in 2,000,000 years, causing a loss in area o f 5000 sq m l, and a volum etric change o f 10,000,000 cu m l. T his w ould accou nt for q u ite a num ber o f m ou n tain
m asses. G. D . H .
2. Exploration in Pacific N orthw est Draws In terest. A n on. O il Gas J ., 11.8.45, 44 (14), 82.— M echanical difficulties h a v e caused th e aban don m en t o f a third te s t near A berdeen, G ray’s H arbor C ounty, W ashington.
G eop hysical w ork is b ein g carried o u t in th e W illam ette V a lley o f Oregon. The T ex a s Co. 1 C latskanie is b eing drilled in C olum bia C ounty, Oregon. G. D . H . 3. Seeligson Field Outstanding on Several Counts, Especially its Multiple P ay-Z ones.
C. J . D eegan . O il and Gas J ., 11.8.45, 4 4 (14), 74.— T he Seeligson field on th e Jim W ells-K leb erg C ou nty lin e lias teritatively sh ow n som e 40 separate oil a n d gas reser
voirs in th e Frio and V icksburg, dow n to 6800 ft. Tho p resent proven area is 14,000 acres, w ith recoverable reserves e stim a ted a t 3 2 5 -5 0 0 m illion barrels, w ith 1000-1500 th ou san d m illion cu. ft. o f gas.
T he early w ells wore drilled on reflection seism ograph and g r a v ity d a ta , and in 1933 th e W est F rem on t field w as foun d. A n ew geoph ysical su rv ey sh ow ed th e m ain structure to lie tho east, and in 1937 th e real discovery w ell o f tho Seeligson field w as com p leted , flow ing 912 brl o f 36° g r a v ity oil from th e V icksburg a t 6585 -6 5 9 5 ft. The field is an anticline on th e V icksburg F lexu re trend. ' T he an ticlin al fold is form ed b y closure on tho dow nth row n side o f a regional fault-zone. There are tw o highs. T he lenticular producing sand zones cover a section ranging 4 3 0 0 -6 8 0 0 ft deep. 21 o f th e p a y s g iv e oil and g a s ; th e others m a y ev en tu a lly g iv e g as and con d en sate. T he average w ell finds four gas-zones a n d three or four oil-zones. T he san d d evelop m en t seem s b etter in th e sou th.
D ev elo p m en t m a y ev en tu a lly bo on a 20-acro sp acing w ith dual oil com pletions, w ith o n ly one w ell to 40 acres for a n y oil-zone.
R eservoir pressures are norm al in th e shallow er zones, bu t th e gas-zones a t ab ou t 6250 ft are as m u ch as 500 lb /sq in ab ove norm al. A verage p orosity o f good oil-sand is 25% , w ith vertical and lateral p erm eab ilities ranging 0 -1 2 0 0 m d. T here is no p o sitiv e evid en ce y e t o f w ater-drive. P rod u ction h as been ab ou t 50,000 b r l/lb /sq in pressure drop.
I n casin g 1000 ft o f surface pip e is se t, w ith a 51-in or 7-in oil-string a t 6000 ft.
C ontract drilling prices are ab ou t $ 3 ’0 0 /ft. E a ch w ell requires ab ou t $10 0 0 w orth o f sp ecial m uds.
P la n s are being m ade for u n itiza tio n o f th e g as and con d en sate zones. T here is a p ossib ility o f recycling gas to th e lenticular oil-zones. G. D . H . 4. North Carolina becom es F ocal P oin t of Oil Search after 20-Y ear Interval. W . B . H ill.
O il W k ly, 17.9.45, 119 (3), 50.— Su ccessfu l w ild cats in M ississippi, A labam a, and F lorida have led to leasin g on th e A tlan tic C oast from F lorida to M aryland and D ela w are. A te s t near H a v elo ck in N o r th Carolina h i 1924 w as aban don ed in granite a t 2415 ft.
I n th e extrem e ea st o f th e S ta te ab ou t 2,700,000 acres aro under lease. N ear N orth M orehead C ity, Carteret C ounty, a secon d te s t h as b een drilled. I t w as aban don ed in granite a t 4044 ft. T he Trend Marl M iocene w as to p p ed a t 3 3 5 -3 7 4 ft, th e to p o f the C retaceous p o ssib ly a t 1398 ft or higher, and th e T uscaloosa or youn ger a t 2 2 6 2 - 367S ft.
A B STRA C TS.
Only th e eastern area o f N orth Carolina is now considered favourable for oil produc
tio n . G ranites and stron gly m etam orphosed sedim ents outcrop w estw ards from W ilson. Tw o te sts have found M iocene, E ocen e, U pper and Lower Cretaceous, the la tter form ation b ein g d eem ed m o st favourable for oil production. The P en n sylvan ian and M ississippian m a y also bo favourable. T he lik ely structures are fault-traps, shore-line traps, and arches, over granite ridges especially.
A m ap sh ow s th e m ain areas leased. G. D . H .
5. W ildcat Completions D ecline. A n on. O il W kly, 1.10.45, 119 (5), 49.— D uring A u g u st U .S . exploratory com pletions averaged 85 per w e e k ; the J u ly figure w as 90 per w eek . T he average for th e first eigh t m onth s o f 1945 w as 82-8 per w eek, a figure w hich is only 2-8% above th a t for th e corresponding period o f 1944.
T he A u gu st w ildcat com pletion results are sum m arized b y S tates and d is tr ic ts ; com parablo figures .are giv en for tho first eigh t m on th s o f 1945. T he ty p e s o f discoveries are analysed for J u ly and A u gust, and for tho first eigh t m onth s o f 1945 a n d 1944. The A u gust discoveries aro listed w ith p ertin en t data. G. D . H . 6. R atio of W ildcatting Success Betters E ight-Y ear Average. A n on. O il W kly, 30.7.45, 118 (9), 47.— 11-6% o f th e strict w ildcats drilled in U .S .A . in th e first h a lf o f 1945 wero successful. T his is slig h tly b etter th an tho 11% average for th e preceding eigh t years. In th e first h a lf o f 1945 strict w ildcats represented 15-0% o f all wells.
T he corresponding average for 1937 -4 4 w as 11%. The proportion o f w ildcats and th o # degree o f su ccess varied in different states.
N o un u su ally large fields aro am ong th e 1945 finds. W est T exas has 13 oil discoveries, 3 being in th e D ev o n ia n . Som e o f tho strikes give high -gravity sw eet crudes.
B rief n o tes aro giv en on tho results o f w ild cattin g in th e various sectors o f U .S.A . during tho first h a lf o f 1945, and a tab le sum m arizes th e results and giv es com parative
figures for th e period 1937-44. G. D . H .
7. W ildcat Completions D ecline in R ate of Increase. A non. O il W kly, 27.8.45, 118 (15), 49.— I n th e first seven m on th s o f 1944 U .S . exploratory com pletions totalled 2468 ; in tho corresponding period o f 1944 th e figuro w as 2422. I t is dou btfu l w hether th e P .A .W . goal o f 5000 w ildcats in 1945 w ill bo reached. 464 produ ctive tests havo resulted from tho 1945 w ild cattin g. There has been a gain o f 125% in new p ay discoveries and a gain o f 157% in d istilla te discoveries as com pared w ith th e first seven m onth s o f 1944.
I n 1943 the average co st o f drilling a well w as ab ou t 837,000 ; in 1940 S27,1S2 and in 1937 S26,183. In 1944 ab ou t 7 ou t o f 10 com pletions w ere d r y ; in 1937-41 the dry-holo ratio w as one to every four or fivo w ells drilled.
There were 390 exploratory com pletions in Ju n e 1945 and 355 in Ju ly .
T ables sum m arize th e w ild cat com pletion results in J u ly and in th e first sev en m onth s o f 1945. T otals aro given for different ty p es o f w ild cat and o f discovery, and th e J u ly
d iscoveries are listed w ith som e details. G. D . H .
8. Exploratory D rilling Record to he Near P .A .W . Goal for 1945. A non. Oil W kly, 30.7.45, 118 (9), 53.— In th e first h a lf o f 1945 exploratory w ell com pletions averaged 81-5/w eek , and in th e first h a lf o f 1944 75-7/w eek. I f con tin u ed a t th e sam e rate, 4600 exploratory w ells should bo com pleted in 1945, 400 below th e P .A .W . goa}.
18-7% o f th e w ells h a v e been productive.
Ju n o exploratory com pletions average 96-3/w eek, 15-6% being successful. Tables sum m arize th e exploratory drilling results in Ju n e and during th e first h a lf o f 1945 b y d istricts, and classify tho overall figures according as th e y are exten sion s, and oil, gas, or d istilla te field or p a y discoveries. The J u n e discoveries are tab u lated w ith som e
details. G. D . H .
9. W ho is Drilling the W ildcats P A non. O il W kly, 3 0 .7 .4 5 ,1 1 8 (9), 51.— A n analysis o f th e to ta l and exp loratory drilling results in U .S .A . for th e first h a lf o f 1945 show s th a t th e larger and sm aller com panies are finding new oil-fields in ab ou t th e sam e ratio as th a t o f their to ta l drilling, b u t tho la tter h a v e a relatively lower su ccess ratio (16-3% a g a in st 24% for tho larger com panies). O f th e to ta l w ells drilled b y 32 large
ABSTRA CTS.
com panies, 13-7% were strict w ildcats, w h ile th e fignro for the rest o f th e in d u stry w as 1G'5%. A m on g th e large com panies results and figures vary w idely. T he d ata
are tab u lated in d etail. G. D . H .
10. E nglish Test F ails. A n on. O il W k ly, 24.9.45, 119 (4), 79.— A t N o rth Creake, 7 m l n orth w est o f F ak en h am , N orfolk, a te s t w ell failed to sh ow oil, and w as
abandoned in Pre-C am brian a t 2032 ft. G. D . II.
11. B ritish Columbia Reports Show ings of Oil and Gas. A n on. O il W kly, 15.10.45, 119 (7), 70.— T he discovery o f natu ral gas and evid en ces o f p etroleu m in th e B oun dary B a y region o f B ritish Colum bia has been reported. G. D . H . 12. M exican W ildcat Producer W akens Sleeping Industry. A n on . O il Gas J ., S.9.43, 44 (18), SO.— 1 Soledad has been com plotcd b y “ P em ex ” as a 50-brl w ild ca t 25 m l w est o f th e G olden L ane. T h e well reached 6480 ft a nd fou n d 4 0 -g ra v ity oil in th e sam e san d as is p resent in th e fields o f th e Tam pico area.
1 M ission has opened a now gas-field near R ey n o sa , o n ly 300 y d from th e T exas border. The in itial o u tp u t w as 6,000,000 cu ft and 45 brl o f d istillate.
E xp loration is under w a y in six u n tested zones : Coahuila, Chihuahu, and N u ovo L eon, in northern M e x ic o ; T am aulipas, betw een tho San Carlos m ou n tain s and th e G ulf C o a s t; parts o f V era Jlruz, Chiapas, and tho Y u ca ta n P oninsula, so u th w est M e x ic o ; O axaca and Guerrero, sou thern M e x ic o ; N a y a r it nnd Sinaloa, w e st coast
and sou thern Lower California. G. D . H .
13. Casabe P ay Proven under Tropical’s D e Mares P ool. A n on. O il G a s J ., 11.8.45, 44 (14), 78.— 1 G alan on th e e a st ban k o f th e M agdalena is reported to h a v e sh ow n ab ou t 1000 ft o f oil-pay section in an electrical survey, w ith assurance o f production.
G. D . H . 14. Sixth D iflcil W ell Sets Production Record. A n on. O il Gas J ., 25.8.45, 44 (16), 102.— 6 D ificil lies 1000 m w est and 500 m sou th o f 1 Dificil. ' I t gave 1200 b rl/d ay o f 42° A .P .I. g r a v ity oil on a |- i n choke. T he D ificil field, ly in g 90 m l from th o port o f L a Gaira, h as 5 producers w ith a com bined p o te n tia l o f 2750 b rl/d a y . G. D . H . 15. V enezuelan Exploration Covers E xtensive Area. M. C. Cody. O il G a s J ., 11.8.45, 44 (14), 76.— Creole has m ade a discovery, 1 Capacho, 30 km so u th w est o f M ulata.
S ou th A m erica’s deepest w ell h as reached a d ep th o f 13,033 ft, in th e heart o f tho old Cabim as field on th e ea st shore o f L ake M aracaibo. A n o u tp o st is b ein g drilled in th e n ew ly discovered Mara field w h ich h as o n ly ono producer and lies 25 km n orth w est o f M aracaibo. 25 k m ea st o f L agun illas, th e 1 B a llen a to w ild cat is drilling a t 8350 ft.
Tho V enezu ela A tlan tic R efining Co. is drilling 2 w ild cats, 1 M oricliito and 1 P u n ta G orda, north o f th e S an ta B arbara-Jusepin produ cing area. On th e D e lta Am acuro concession th o T ex a s P etroleum Co. is drilling a third te st. T he first w ell w as dry and
th e secon d a producer. G. D . H .
16. New V enezuelan Field D iscovered by Creole. A non. O il Gas J ., 28.7.45, 4 4 (12), 112.— 1 Capacho h as open ed a n ew field in A n zoategu i, 30 m l so u th w est o f M ulata.
T he produ ction is 150 b rl/d a y o f 23“ oil from 4 4 1 0 -4 4 7 0 ft. G. D . H . 17. B razil has Four Oilfields w ith 25 Producing W ells. A . I . do Oliveira. W orld P etrol., S ep t. 1945, 16 (10), 74.— E a rly geological stu d ies in d ica ted favourable stru c
tures for oil near L a B a h ia do T od os os S an tos. T his region h a s a graben w ith Cre
taceou s, Jurassic, and p o ssib ly older beds dow n -fau lted again st Archajan. T here is folding roughly parallel w ith tho faults. G eop hysical w ork w as un d ertak en . Soveral d ry holes were drilled in A lagoas, b u t tw o h ad oil-show ings. I n B ah ia, th o L obato, Candeias, A ratu, a nd Itap arica oilfields w ere found. L ob ato is a r ela tiv ely steep w esterly-d ip p in g m onoclin e w ith a m ajor fa u lt on th e east, and su bsid iary fa u lts break
in g it in to blocks. S even producing w ells h a v e been com pleted, oil b ein g fou n d in a san d a t ab ou t 650 ft. T ho b ig g est w ell, a n SO-brl pum per, h as y ield ed th e bu lk o f th e 65,000 brl o f o il obtain ed sin ce 1940. 15 m l north o f Salvad or is th e A ratu field, on an
ABSTRA C TS.
elon gated dom e. Oil is obtained a t 1500-1G00 ft, and gas 500 ft deeper. The oil is in a s ilty san dstono len s a t th e sou thern end o f th e dom e, tlio lens covering 3 0 -4 0 acres.
Thrco oil-producing w ells have a to ta l p o ten tia l o f ab ou t 100 b rl/d ay. Tho gas-sand m a y cover 1000 acres. E ig h t gas-w ells h ave p otentials ranging 1-8 m illion cu ft/d a y . 15 m l to th e n orthw est is th e Candeias field, on a n asym m etrical anticline w ith steep easterly- dips. T ho field has 11 producers a t depth s o f 2000 -4 0 0 0 ft. Oil is found in a 100-ft section o f hard, coarse grit or sand. Tho proved area on this structure covers 1000 acres, and is lim ited on th e north and w est b y w ed gin g out o f tho sand. Tho present p o ten tia l is ab ou t 1200 brl/day.
T he Itap arica field produces gas from tho w estern end o f a lens and oil from tho eastern end. There is a deeper oil-sand w ith oil in tho top m ost 30 ft. The to ta l p o ten tia l o f th o w ells in tho upper zone is 500 brl/day, and th a t o f th e w ells in the lower zone 300 brl/d ay.
T w o w ildcats w ith in 50 m l o f Salvador have had oil-show ings. Two w ild cats near Mnceio foun d th ick section s o f depleted oil-sand3 at depth s o f 2500-5000 ft.
G. D . If.
G eophysics and G eochem ical Prospecting.
18. Structural Interpretation of M icrom agnetic and Other D ata. W . P . J en n y . O il W kly, 8.10.45, 119 (6), 40.— Tho interpretation o f m icrom agnetic surveys a t R avenna (M ichigan), Cum berland (O klahom a), G anada, Pinohurst, Odem (T exas), and E gan (L ouisiana) is discussed, all tho su rveys havin g been m ade prior to discovery o f tho structure. A few w ells h ad b een drilled before tho su rveys w ere m ade a t H aw kin s (Texas).
G enerally m icrom agnetic local p o sitiv e anom alies ind icate structural high s under certain regional m agnetic conditions, and structural low s under others. H ow ever, in regions where p o sitiv o anom alies in d icate structural highs a sa lt u p lift m a y be represented b y a local n egative anom aly. F a u ltin g m a y bring in a strongly m agnetic bed. I n areas where tho local m icrom agnetic anom alies are duo to beds in th e se d i
m en ta ry colum n, th ese anom alies are essen tia lly produced b y th e sh allow est m agnetic ' b ed w h ich is su fficien tly displaced from its norm al p o sitio n b y th e local structural
conditions. G. D . H .
19. The W ar’s Influence on Geophysics. A . R . M cTeo. O il W kly, 10.9.45, 119 (2), 59.— I t is generally believed th a t no revolutionary or basic change or im provem ent in geop hysical m eth od s or equip m ent can bo exp ected from tho war. H ow ever, eq u ip m en t w ill bo lighter, b etter controlled, and w ill probab ly h a v e greater sen sitiv ity — im provem ents w hich are part o f tho norm al grow th o f geophysics.
W ar-tim e d evelop m en ts in electronics m a y show up in tho con stru ction o f electronic geop h ysical equip m ent. M agnetic su rveying instrum ents for u se in aircraft are lik ely
■ to bo develop ed soon . I t m a y bo possible th a t radar can bo used as a correlating m ed iu m betw een geoch em istry and geophysics, for it has n o w been estab lish ed th a t tho soil character is affected b y dep osits o f oil beneath.
A erial su rveyin g m a y m ak e w id e use o f colour ph otograp h y as an aid in correlation.
A portable g ravity-m eter w h ich togeth er w ith batteries w eigh s on ly 45 lb has been constructed .
G eop hysical prosp ecting practice m ay bo changed b y w ar-tim e d evelop m en ts such as im proved transp ortation * air t ransport o f h e a v y equipm ent w ith its possibilities for iso la ted regions, tho use o f ligh t m etals in auxiliary equip m ent, im provem ents in exp lo siv es and th e m eth od s o f handling th em , and advan ces in com m u nication eq u ip m en t and procedures.
Tho com fort o f geophysical crews m ay bo increased b y w ar-tim o d evelop m en ts in cloth in g, eq u ip m ent, insecticides, etc.
E x p erim en ts are being m ado on tho G ulf Coast b y burying therm om eters and n o tin g differences in soil tem peratures, as a m eans o f locating structures. The id ea is based on differences in therm al co n d u ctiv ity . D uo to tho high co n d u ctiv ity o f sa lt, tho soil above salt-d om es h as a tem perature several degrees above th a t o f m ore rem ote soil.
D u rin g tho w ar there h as been a great advance in the use o f a g ravity-m eter for
operation s in w ater-subm erged areas. G. D . H .
A B STRA CTS.
D rilling.
20. D irectional D rilling U sed as Exploratory Tool in Gulf Coast W ell. E . H . Short, Jr.
O il Q a s J ., 8.9.45, 44 (18), 111.— T h is article describes a recen t ap p lication o f directional drilling as a m eans o f subsurface oxploration. A lth ou gh th e produ ctivo horizon sou ght w as pen etrated on th e secon d a ttem p t, th is p articu lar case illu strates th e possibilities in th is ty p o o f work. The su ccess o f th e bit-control m eth od em ployed in th e d irection al drilling o f th is w ell is b est ind icated b y th e fa c t th a t it w a s necessary to run th e direction al tool on ly five tim es during th e com p lete drilling procedure o f th e final hole. D u ring th is job, w h en greater in clination w as needed, th e drill-collar assem b ly w as shortened and drilling operation s con d u cted w ith m ore w eig h t u p on th e b it. I f less inclination were desired, th e drill-collar assem b ly w as increased t o a len gth slig h tly greater th a n 00 ft and less w eig h t w as carried on th e b it. In th e first case th e drill-pipe ten d ed to bend, and in th e second case it w as stiffen ed and h ad a ten d en cy to run straigh t. D u ring th e final stages o f drilling th e inclination o f tho hole reached an anglo o f alm ost 10°, w h ich w ould h ave throw n tho courso off th e target. W hile ap p roxim ately 500 ft a b o v e th e target th e drag-bit w as rep laced w ith a rock -bit and tho drill-collar assem b ly len gth en ed. A fter tho in stallation o f th is eq u ip m en t tho angle o f inclin ation dropped ste a d ily from ap p roxim ately 10 ° to app roxim ately Io, a t th e p oin t whore drilling operation s were sto p p ed in tho p a y section . A . H . N . 21. Special M echanical Safeguards Installed on Deep D rilling R ig. N . W illiam s.
O il Gas J ., 8.9.45, 4 4 (IS), 86.— S afety m easures in use on th is large steam -pow ered rig inclu d e dual in stallation s for m ain operatin g u n its. A m on g th ese are an au xiliary and sta n d b y draw-w orks an d engine, a spare rotary, an ex tra sw iv el, a n d d u p licate m ain m ud -circu lating lin es, as w ell as ste a m lin es in som e cases. S team power, for th e rig is su pp lied b y five 125-hp 350 -psi w orking-pressure boilers, equip ped w ith au tom atic
w ater level, fuel-feed, and blow er controls. A . H . N .
22. Substructure-D esign Innovations Feature Modern D iesel-P ow ered R ig. N . W illiam s. O il Gas J ., 20.10.45, 44 (24), 125.— T he devices a n d practices a d op ted for controlling and p rotectin g w ells during drilling b y m ean s o f tw o diesel-pow ered rigs
aro described in som e d etail. A. H . N .
23. R ow an In itiates P ost-w ar D iesel-E lectric R ig Layout. E . H . Short, Jr. O il Gas J ., 13.10.44, 44 (23), 100.— T he rig is designed for d eep drilling in lo ca lities w here w ater and gas are scarce. Tho paper is photograp hically illu strated . A . H . N . 24. Two 24-Cylinder, 2-Cycle Quad D iesel U nits Drilled O klahom a’s D eepest W ell.
K . B . B arnes. O il G a s J ., 15.9.45, 4 4 (19), 103.— D eta ils o f th e drilling engines, a n d o f
their controls and m ainten an ce aro given . A . H . N .
Production.
25. The Optimum R ate of Production of Oil, Condensate, and Natural Gas. P a rt 1.
P . J . Jon es. O il Gas J ., 1.9.45, 4 4 (17), 5 0 -5 2 .— The op tim u m r ate o f prod u ction from reservoirs depend s on several factors. T he reserve is prob ab ly tho m o st im portant.
A reserve varies w ith producing and op eratin g m eth od s, b u t it m a y also depend on th e rate o f product ion. R eservoirs for w h ich reserves va ry w ith th e r ate o f produ ction are said to h a v e a m axim um efficient rate or H E R . T h e H E R m a y influence optim um rates o f p rod u ction through th e size o f reserve, operatin g exp en se, and required in vestm en ts. Tho rate o f produ ction for w h ich th e p resent v a lu e o f a reserve a fter ta x e s, r o y a lty , operatin g exp en ses, and in v estm en t is a m axim u m defines th e optim um rate o f produ ction. T he in v estm en t in reservoirs, .required in order to produce a t op tim u m rates, depends on th e ratio o f an n u a l/w ell produ cin g rate to /w e ll in v estm en t.
T his ratio and th e in com e/th ou san d cu ft, or barrel, o f gross produ ction after ta x es, r o y a lty , and operating ex p en se fix th e optim um rate o f prod u ction for a reserve recoverable a t d eclining rates o f production is higher th a n for a reserve recoverable at uniform rates o f produ ction. T h e in itial rate o f produ ction corresponding to optim um con d ition s ranges from ab ou t 5 up to ab ou t 11 % per y ea r o f a n in itial reserve. Som e o f th e elem en ts o f o ptim um producing rates are illu strated . A. H . N .
ABSTRA C TS.
26. The Optimum R ate of Production. P art 2. P. J . Jon es. Oil Qas 8.9.45, 44 (18), 103.— T he optim um rate o f produ ction from reservoirs u su a lly does n ot exceed th e m axim um efficient rate o f production, th e H E R . Other things equal, th e M ER varies w ith th e distrib u tion o f reserve in reservoirs. The initial M ER dopends on the in itia l distribu tion o f reserve. The M ER corresponding to, say, 50% o f th e initial reserve d epend s on th e distribu tion o f reserve after 50% o f th e in itial reserve is re
covered. T he M E R m a y vary w ith tim e. I t dopends on th e variation w ith tim e o f reserve distribu tion . The d istribu tion o f reserve in a reservoir a t a given tim e m ay v a ry areally and section ally. Areal and section al variation o f roserve depends on tho direction o f ad van cem en t in reservoirs. T he d irection o f m ost interest to producers is tho one parallel to dip. A decrease o f productive a rea /ft o f updip advan cem ent represents areal convergence o f reserve. I t also represents areal divergence in th e dow ndip direction. A decrease o f p a y th ick n ess/ft o f dow ndip ad van cem en t w ould represent section al convergence o f reserve. I t w ould also represent section al d iver
gence for tho up dip direction. R eservoirs m a y be classified according to th e shqpe o f their p rod u ctive area as linear or radial. Linear reservoirs have no areal convergence.
R ad ial reservoirs h ave areal convergence o f reserve in th e up dip direction. B oth ty p es o f reservoirs usu a lly h a v e a variable p a y thickness— th a t is, section al convergence is com m on ly in th o dow ndip direction. Tho effect o f areal and section al convergence on tho distrib u tion o f rcsorvo is illustrated b y exam ples. ' A. H . N . 27. The Optimum R ate of Production. P art 3. P . J . Jonos. O il Gas J ., 15.9.45, 44 (19), 81.— Tho op tim u m rate o f production from reservoirs usually does n o t exceed th o m axim u m efficient rate, tho M ER . Tho M E R for disp lacem en t o f oil b y w ater m a y be variou sly expressed. B u t tho rate o f advan cem en t o f o il-w a ter interface parallel to bedd ing probab ly has m ore app lications th a n an y other m eth od. F ield experien ces w ith disp lacem en t o f oil b y w ater under variou s conditions indicato th a t 200 ft/y ea r parallel to bedding is abou t tho m axim um rate o f interface advancem ent for m ost reservoirs. H ow ever, a n excep tion ally cavornous lim eston e reservoir and a h om ogeneous san d ston e reservoir, i f one wore discovered, could h ave a faster rate o f w ater a d van cem en t w ith o u t byp assin g oil. T he rate o f oil production, th e M ER , corresponding to a 200-ft/year rate o f interface advancem ent dopends prim arily on areal and section al convergence o f reserve. T he M E R m a y influence tho size o f an in itial oil reserve and w ell-producing cap acity. T he latter, in turn, influences in v e st
m en ts in reservoirs and operatin g expenses. F or th ese reasons, tho M ER is a sig n i
fican t elem en t in producing som e reservoirs a t optim um rates. T his article is lim ited to disp lacem en t o f oil b y w ater a t reservoir pressures w hich are higher th an th e satu ra
tio n pressure for oil. Tho corresponding M E R for linear and radial reservoirs is
illu strated b y exam ples. A. H . N .
28. The Optimum R ate of Production. P art 4. P . J . Jon es. O il Oas J ., 22.9.45, 44 (20), 317.— T he M E R for disp lacem en t o f o il b y gas m a y b e variou sly expressed.
B u t tho rate o f a d van cem en t o f g a s-o il interface parallel to b edd ing probab ly h a s m ore app lication s th a n a n y other m eth od. G ravity m a y displace oil relative to gas provided th e dow ndip rate o f g a s-o il interface advan cem en t is n o t too fast. Tho rate o f oil d isp lacem en t b y g ra v ity relative to g as is h igh est a t no free g as satu ration. A fter a g a s-o il interface in vad es a giv en section o f p ay, tho rate o f oil disp lacem en t b y gravity from th a t section decreases rapidly. G ravity does n o t increase oil recovery. I t reduces th e v olum e o f gas required to achieve a desired oil recovery, provided g a s-o il interfaces advan ce dow ndip and th e rate o f ad van cem ent is n ot too fast. Field experien ces w ith disp lacem en t o f oil b y g as under v iscous conditions in d icate th a t 200 ft/y ea r parallel to bedding is about tho lower lim it o f interface advancem ent for m o st reservoirs. I f g ra v ity Is n o t effective a t 2 00-ft/year rate, it is n o t lik ely to be sign ifican tly m ore effective a t a slow er rate. In reservoirs havin g a com p aratively high p erm eab ility or a steep dip, g ra v ity m a y be effective a t rates o f interface a d van ce
m en t faster th a n 200 ft/y ea r is included. T he M ER corresponding to 200-ft/y ea r is illu strated b y exam p les. T he M E R varies w ith th e in itial p o sitio n o f a g as cap. The M E R for disp lacem en t o f oil b y gas m a y influence op tim u m rates o f produ ction through size o f reserve, required in v estm en ts, or operating expenses. A. H . N . 29. The O ptim um R ate oî Production. P art 5. P. J . Jon es. O il Gas J ., 29.9.45, 4 4 (21), 111.— O ptim um rates o f production v a ry w ith in v estm en ts. Other things
A BSTRA C TS.
equal, in v estm en ts in reser%’oirs depend on w ell-producing cap acity. The w ell-p ro
du cin g ca p a city for a reservoir declines w ith a decrease in th e num ber o f producing w ells and w ith a decrease in por-well producing cap acity. T he relation sh ip s betw een w ell-producing ca p a city and reserve are characterized b y rescrvo raised to som o p ow er p . C ycling and pressure m ain tenan ce p rojects m a y be defined b y sm all valu es o f p . P rod u ction o f oil b y e v o lv e d solution g as m a y bo defined b y valu es o f p w hich are large com pared to th ose for cy clin g operations. Tho relationship b etw een well- producing c a p a city and th e reserve for a g iv en reservoir d epend s prim arily on producing and operatin g m eth ods. I f w ells arc produced a t capacity, th e relationship betw een w ell-producing ca p a city and tim o m a y bo obtained from th a t reserve and w ell-p ro
du cin g ca p a city . Som e o f th e relationsh ip s fou n d in practice are illu strated
graphically. A . H . N .
30. The R eserve for D isplacem ent of Oil by Gas at D eclining Pressures. P a rt 7. P . J . J on es. O il Gas J ., 13.10.44, 44 (23), 119.— T he reservo for disp lacem en t o f oil b y gas a t d eclining pressures m a y range from as low as 15% o f th e o il in itia lly in place up to ab ou t 45% o f tho oil in itia lly in place. T his possible threefold range o f oil recovery b y gas disp lacem en t a t d eclining pressures results from th e w ide variation foun d in th e field as to tho properties o f fluids, characteristics o f reservoirs, a n d produ cin g and operatin g practices. T his article review s tho effects o f g a s-o il ratios, pressures, and loca tio n o f w ells on o il recovery b y g as disp lacem en t. F rom th e view p o in t o f th e o ptim um rate o f production, th e effect o f d istan ce from th e source o f gas to producing w ells sh ould be em phasized. Other th in g s equal, th e v olu m e o f g as required in order to ach ieve a desired oil recovery m a y b e reduced sign ifican tly b y providing sufficient d istan ce betw een th e source o f gas and producing w ells. Tho required d istan ce can be p rovided under co-operative or u n it operations. A . H . N . 31. The Optimum R ate oi Production. P a rt 8. P. J . Jon es. O il Gas J ., 20.10.45, 44 (24), 147.— T he in itial reservo for d isp lacem en t o f oil b y w ater a t declining pressures m a y increase w ith free gas satu ration up to ab ou t 10% o f porosity. On th e other hand, a d ecline in reservoir pressure is accom p anied b y a decrease o f w ell-producing ca p a city . C on sequ en tly, if w ells are produced a t cap acity, th e increase in recovery from som o reservoirs m a y n o t offset th e increase o f in v estm en t n ecessita ted b y tho declined w ell-producing ca p a city . B u t, if per-w ell produ cin g rates are lim ited to , sa y , 2 0% o f their in itial producing capacity, it m ay be advan tageou s to decline reservoir pressure dow n to a v a lu e a t w hich enough solu tio n gas ev o lv es to occu p y ab ou t 1 0 % o f porosity, p rovided th e resu ltin g rate o f w ater ad van cem ent does n o t ex ceed ab ou t 200 ft per year parallel to bedd ing. T he possib le v ariation s o f in itia l reserve for disp lacem en t o f oil b y w ater a t declined pressures are review ed . A . H . N . 32. Peak-Torque M ethod o i R ating Oilfield B elting. D . O. B arrett. O il W k ly , 8.10.45, 119 (6), 52 -5 3 .— In a w ell pum p in w hich W = w ell load, lb ; C B — counter
balance, lb ; o = d istan ce o f centre o f g r a v ity o f b eam counterbalance from fulcrum o f beam , f t ; A — distan ce o f load from fulcrum , f t ; r — radius o f crnnk-throw , in ; R = radius o f bandw hecl, in ; K — b elt w id th , in ; S T — sta tic te n sio n /in w id th o f b elt = (usually) 125 l b ; M R = m anu factu rer’s ratin g o f b e lt lo a d in g /in w id th , lb ; th en :—
N e t C B effect = - i 1-1.-* a = N C B ; P eak torque = (IK — N C B ) X r = F T ; N e t b elt pu ll = ~ = N B P ;
A' TIP
N e t b elt p u ll/in W id th = = P 1 W ; A
and T otal b elt lo a d /in W id th = P I W + S T = T B L .
L oads sh ould be su ch th a t T B L = M R , w h ere M R is based o n 100 m illion sh ock loads, w h ich corresponds to a life o f 5 years a t 20 strok es/m in on a beam pum ping-w ell.
A. H . N . 33. Marble Torpedoes Prove their W orth. A . G ibbon. O il W kly, 8.10.45, 119 (6), 3 6 -3 9 .— A lth ou gh prim ary in terest in th e m arble torpedo w as its a b ility to clean
A BSTRACTS.
thorou gh ly th e face o f th e well-bore b y rem oving congested solids and perm itting th e w ell so treated to respond to its full cap acity, n ew uses and rather surprising results have been reported during tlio p a st year. Som e o f the b e st rosults have been obtained in old fields w here w ells h a v e been producing for 30 or ev en 40 years. One sm all woll near Caney, K an sas, had been producing for years a t tho rate o f 1 brl o f oil d aily, b u t after a m arble sh o t it increased to 8 brl /day, and the owner is now preparing to treat ad d ition al w ells. N ear D rum right, O klahom a, w as a w oll th a t had been producing for a num ber o f years an d w h ich ten years p reviou sly had been giv en a h e a v y sh ot o f liq uid e x p lo siv e w h ich increased production a t th e tim e to 25 b rl/d ay, and later declined to 2 brl w ith tho im m ed iate field o f vacuum . I t w as giv en a “ m arble sh ot ” som e m on th s ago, im m ed iately increasing tho production to 50 b rl/d ay, w h ich has sinco se ttle d to 31 brl/d ay. In N e w Y ork S tato a 40-year-old gas-w ell m aking 10,000 cu f t o f g as d a ily increased production to 83,000 ft o f g as d aily, after it w as g iv en a 5-ft “ m arble sh o t.” Tho m arbles torpedo has proved equaly effectivo in soft, m ud dy w ash. A w ash-w ell in th e B ow ers p ool in tho P anhan dle area, w hich is also a low- pressurcd m ud area, becam o congested and paraffined and w as ab ou t to be abandoned.
W hen tu b in g w as pu lled th e com plote liner w as found to bo cem ented w ith salt and gy p , and w as pu lled up w ith th e tubin g. The paraffin and salt-m ade it im possible to distin gu ish eith er th e collars or perforations in th e liner. W hen th e w ell w as cleaned there w as on ly a slig h t increase o f seepage from th e congested w alls. Tho w ell w as treated w ith 80 ft o f m arbles and cleaned ou t w ith o u t tho difficulty exp ected in con tin u ou s cavin g as from a con ven tion al sh o t. Tho well has averaged 132 brl o f oil daily for several m onth s. Tho th eory and operation o f th e torpedoes aro given .
A. H . N . 34. Glass Marble Torpedo U sed to Shoot W ells. J . Gordon Burch. Petrol. E ngr, Sept. 1945, 16 (13), 216.— Tho cleaning o f w ells b y sh ootin g w ith m arble-packed torpedoes is described in detail. Tho develop m en t o f tho schem e is given . In the first experim en t, in 1944, ordinary glass m arbles w ere used. A hole 14-in in diam eter was du g in black to p soil, and th e first “ agate ” torpedo w as exploded. Tho w alls o f tho hole, other th an show ing a regular p a ttern o f h its, w ere n o t disturbed. A fter carefully peeling back th e bank for several feet, tho m arbles w ere found still round, but disin tegrated to w h ite sand b y tho h ea t o f penetration . T h ey had n o t changed in size, and retained a gloss coatin g, b u t th e y could be pu lverized easily b y squeezing th em w ith tho fingei'S. F rom m an y experim ents m uch w as learned abou t marbles. Com
m on g lass has a m uch greater crushing stren g th th a n a n y oil-producing form ations, and it is v e ry elastic. A glass m arble w as throw n again st season ed concrete w ith o u t breaking. T hen th e sh o t in a sh ot-gun sh ell w as replaced w ith a m arble, and a t distan ces o f 15-25 ft it w as fired again st seasoned concrete, and in no case did th e m arblo break. Chips o f cem ent th e size o f a saucer were knocked off, b u t th e m arble w as unharm ed. I n a w ell where tho m arbles tvero propelled b y nitroglycerin, how ever, th e m arbles reach th e w all o f th e w ell w ith such high v e lo c ity th a t th e y p en etrate ev en th e h ard est form ation to som e e x ten t. W hen th e resistance o f th e form ation checks th e sp eed o f th e m arbles, th e y disin tegrate v io le n tly w ith a blastin g effect tow ards th e centre o f th e w ell-bore. The m arbles break up in to particles o f glass ab ou t th e size o f a pin head. E v en ly -sized h eat-treated glass m arbles are n ow b ein g used to lace around th e ex p lo siv e container to avoid tho sligh test overlapping.
I n sh ootin g in shallow , large-diam eter cem en t v a ts, w here tho exp losive gases could escape readily, th e m arbles alone d estroy th e surface o f th e solid cem en t to a d ep th o f 2 in. Tho destru ctive force o f th e m arble is ev en greater where th e exp losive gases are retained, as in a well. Tho m eth od o f running tho torpedoes and deton atin g it are
given . A . H . N .
35. Salt-W ater Disposal in E ast Texas. A non. Petrol. E ngr, Sept. 1945, 16 (13), 86.— A discussion o f centrifugal pum p characteristics, working w ith w ater, is given.
In sta lla tio n and m aintenance o f pum ps and primo m overs are discussed. A . H . N . 36. Salt-W ater In jection for Pressure-M aintenance in E ast Hackberry Field, Louisiana.
M. L . Euw er. Oil G a s J ., 29.9.45, 44 (21), 100-102.— A co-operative project o f w ater in jection for pressure m ain ten an ce undertaken jo in tly b y three concerns ¡^ described.
T he d evelop m en t o f th e field is review ed together w ith its production h istory and
m eth od s. A. H . N .
A B STRA C TS.
37. W ater Injection in the Chatham Field, Medina County, Ohio. R . B . L y o n and J . Cashell. O il G a s J ., 1.9.45, 44 (17), 58.— T he Chatham field is rela tiv ely sm all, th e san d conditions aro far from uniform , and th e injection o f w ator under pressure for secondary recovery has been carried on for only 5 years. B ased on cab le-tool and diam ond -core'an alyses, th e avorage con d itions w arrant tho u se o f w ater in jection for tho d evelop m en t o f th is field. T he un u su ally erratic occurrence o f th e san d, w ide range o f perm oabilities, had great v a riation in satu rations result in a w id e range o f in p u t volum es o f w ater w h ich m u st be regu lated an n u ally a t th e in d ivid u al w ell-head.
The varied sources o f w ater su p p ly requiro chem ical trea tm en t and san d filtration.
I t is foun d th a t w ater pressures on tho sand face o f 1 psi /ft o f overburden can be u sed in flooding th e B erea sand in th e C hatham p ool if there is n o chann ellin g action . S a tis
fa cto ry results are ob tain ed b y using a sh o t in all w ells o f 1 q t o f nitroglycerin/ft o f sands. S elective sh ootin g h as n o t d efin itely proved a sa tisfactory equalizer o f vertica l san d characteristics, and does n o t control th e flood-front to an effective degreo. A brine-disposal problem w ill a lw ays e x is t ; therefore, filtration and treatm en t equip m ent m ust be sot up to ta k e care o f this wator, so th a t it can bo used as a pressure m edium in th e B erea san d b y recycling. W hen brine is u sed as a pressure m edium , corrosion is present, and m u st b e reduced to a m inim um if water-pressure sy stem s are to continue to operato throu gh ou t tho life o f th e field. Corrosion can bo p reven ted b y trea tin g tho w ater w ith lim e a t tho filtration p lan t and d eo-oxygen ization . T h e low price received for oil in th is field m akes certain portions o f th e field unfioodable.
A . H . N . 38. Periodic T ests Insure Injection-W ater Quality. J . R . W righ t. O il G a s J ., 15.9.45, 44 (19), 7 8 -7 9 .— I t is w id ely know n th a t a p erfectly clear w ater m a y n o t be en tirely su itab le for in jection purposes. H ow ever, th e ex a ct natu re o f reaction s w h ich occur du e to injection and m inglin g o f w aters is n o t w ell understood. A p plication o f sta b ility - in d ex calcu lation sh ow s th e ch aracteristics o f a stab le w ater a t form ation tem perature, and p rovides a definite control for q u a lity o f in jected w ater. Som e exam p les are sh ow n w hich illu strate in a p ractical m anner th e results o f in jectin g u n stab le w ater and th e use o f sta b ility in d ex calcu lation s for corrective and p rev en tiv e m easures.
A . H . N . 39. Secondary R ecovery in California. R . Sneddon. P etrol E ngr, S ep t. 1945, 16 (13), 66.— A n experim ental project o f w ater-flooding th e Chapm an Zone o f R ichfield in California is described and a num ber o f conclu sions, based on experien ce to d ate, aro reached. F irst, it is seen th a t oil in th e Chapm an zon e a t R ichfield can be displaced w ith w ater, and th a t w ater-flooding is an effective m edium for secondary recovery in th a t sectio n o f th e reservoir. Second, it has b een dem on strated th a t w ater injection can bo su stained over a considerable tim e if fiocculable m aterial is first rem oved. N o report h as y e t b een forth com in g on th e econ om ics o f th e process— and it is therefore im possib le to sa y w h eth er or n o t th e experim en t as cond u cted on a sm all scale can bo
profitably cond u cted on a large scale. A . H . N .
40. Som e Factors E ntering into Pum ping U n it W alking B eam Selection. R . N . Mills.
P etrol E n gr, S ep t. 1 9 4 5 ,1 6 (13), 112.— V elo city and acceleration diagram s and d a ta on torque an d peak loads for different la y o u ts o f a p u m ping u n it are p resented and analyzed . T h e peak torque va lu es obtained in d icate th a t for th e con d ition s in v e sti
g a ted th e beam -w orking centres h a v e little effect on torq u e valu es, as th e ind icated resu lt is a red uction in th e p eak torque load. A s th is in v estig a tio n did n o t inclu d e all ty p e s o f u n it geom etry, definite dim ensional lim itation s can n ot bo drawn, b u t it should be n oted th a t rela tiv ely long p itm a n s w ere u sed o n a ll m achines in v estig a ted . T hese lon g p itm an s w ere u sed b ecause it is b elieved th a t th e len g th o f th e p itm a n is one o f th e predom inating factors affecting th e operation o f th e p u m p in g u n it. T his b elie f is based on th e fa c t th a t th e m o tio n o f th e upper end o f th e p itm a n w ou ld b e sim ple harm onic i f th e p itm a n len g th w ere infinite.
A lthou gh th e lo w est acceleration rate w as foun d o n geom etric la y o u ts w ith long w orking cen tres, th e difference b etw een th e v alu es o f th e acceleration factors is sm all.
T he effect o f acceleration on w ell load is n o t a definite q u a n tity . A ccording to th e b est th eory, p olish ed rod acceleration is un im p ortan t, because its con trib u tion to th e to ta l w ell lo a d is v e ry sm all. T he o n ly d isa d v a n ta g e o f th e sh ort-b eam long-stroke
A BSTRA CTS.
pu m ping un it is th e fa ct th a t it is lim ited to w ire-lin e-typ e beam hangers. The w ire
lin e-typ o beam hangors w ill n o t g iv e satisfactory service if th e well load becom es zero a t a n y p o in t in th e p um ping cycle. T his fa ct places a definite lim itation on th e pu m p ing sp eed, because w hen an oil-w ell is pu m ped a t a sp eed exceed in g ab ou t 2 6 -3 0 spm, th e w ell load w ill be zero a t som e p oin t in th e stroke, and wire-line failures w ill occur.
I f a pu m ping u n it w ith a short w alkin g beam is applied to th e problem o f pum ping an oil-w ell a t a slow sp eed w ith a lon g stroke, how ever, th is disad vantage w ill n o t exist.
A. H . N . 41. Significance oi D eclining Productivity Index. C. V. M illikan and H . Beardmore.
O il O a s J ., 29.9.45, 44 (21), 123. See A b stract N o. 1295 (1945). A. H . N .
Oilfield D evelopm en t.
42. W orld’s Oil P osition as the W ar Ends. R . Sheldon. W orld Petrol., Sept. 1945, 16 (10), 52.— A tab le g iv es th e production to dato, th e present proven reserves, th e probablo ultim ato resources, and the division o f th e ownership o f tho oil in U .S .A ., th e Caribbean B asin, th e rest o f Sou th Am erica, Canada, Alaska, R ussia; rest o f Europe, M iddle E a st, Africa, S ou th w est Pacific, and tho rest o f Asia.
Tho w orld production to dato exceed s 46,600 m illion b r l; proven reserves to ta l 63,000 m illion brl, 32% o f w hich aro in U .S .A ., 42% in tho Middle E a st, 9% in R ussia, and 13% in tho Caribbean B asin . U .S .A . ow ns 57-7% o f tho w orld’s reserves, R ussia 9% , and th e B ritish and D u tch togeth er 28-7% . G. D . H . 43. A verage W ell Depth Greatest in History. A non. O il W kly, 3 0 .7 .4 5 ,1 1 8 (9), 50.—
I n th e first' h a lf o f 1945 th e average depth o f th e 12,142 U .S . com pletions w as 3568 ft com pared w ith 3314 ft for th e w h ole o f 1944. Sharply increased develop m en t in California, and in T exas and other S ta te s in th e sou th w est is m ain ly responsible f j r the increased average footage per w ell in 1945 and 1944.
322 w ells com pleted in Sou th L ouisiana in tho first h a lf o f 1945 averaged 4385 ft each. Tho U p per G ulf Coast o f T exas had an average o f 7277 ft/w ell.
D a ta on com pletions, footago, and averago depth s are tab u lated b y S ta tes and d istricts, and U .S . over-all figures are giv en from 1925 onwards. G. D . II.
44. Production Increases 56,440,000 Brl. C. J . D eegan. Oil O a s ./., 28.7.45, 44 (12), 124.— In th e first h a lf o f 1945, T exas, California, O klahom a, and W yom in g show ed su b stan tial increases, w hile Illin ois, K ansas, and P en n sy lv a n ia show ed declines in ou tp u t.
T ables g iv e th e production b y S tates in th e years 1940-44 and in th e first h a lv es o f 1944 and 1945; tho m on th ly outp u ts o f th e D istricts o f T exas in th e first h alves o f 1944 and 1945; and a list o f th e T exas fields w hich h a v e show n su b stan tial rises in
produ ction. G. D . H .
45. Completions Near P .A .W . Schedule of 27,000. A non. O il W kly, 30.7.45, 118 (9), 58.— I n th e first h a lf o f 1945 com pletions averaged 4 6 7 /w eek, 12-4% more th a n in th e first h a lf o f 1944. T he num ber o f rigs in action h a s been con sisten tly higher th an in 1941, b u t w orn rigs, less efficient labour, greater depth s, etc., have giv en a lower com p letion rate. Compared w ith 1944, com pletion rates have risen in T exas (26% ), L ouisian a (40% ), Colorado (11% ), California (11% ), and M ichigan (26% ).
T ab les g iv e th e w eek ly average rate o f com pleting w ells and th e num bers o f active rigs in U .S .A . m on th ly from 1941 onw ards, and com pletion-details in J u n e 1945 and
during th e first h a lf o f 1945. G. D . II.
46. More W ells Proposed by Industry in Second Six M onths. II. S. N orm an. Oil O a s J ., 28.7.45, 44 (12), 118.— There are indications th a t 15,000 w ells w ill be drilled in U .S .A . in th e secon d h a lf o f 1945, th u s givin g a to ta l for tho year in excess o f th e 27,000 proposed b y P .A .W . Over 2500 w ildcats are exp ected to be drilled, com pared w ith 2055 in th e first h a lf o f 1945.
D a ta on com p letion ty p e s in th e first h a lf o f 1945 are given b y S tates and districts,
w ith predicted figures for th e second half. G. D . H .
A B STRA C TS.
47. W ell Completions Increase 12-9 Per Cent First H alf of 1945. C. J . D eegan . O il Gas J ., 28.7.45, 44 (12), 121.— 12,820 w ells w ere com p leted in U .S .A . in th e first h a lf o f 1945. T he figuro for th e first h a lf o f 1944 w as 11,350. W ild cats totnllod 2055.
T exas h ad 3551 com p letions, 35-6% m ore th a n in th o first h a lf o f 194 4 ; California had 1147 com p letions a n d O klahom a had 1272.
A new pool w as opened 2 m l w est o f K ovin -Su nbu rst. T he R a n g ely field o f Colorado w as exten d ed , p o ssib ly b y 10,000 acres. E lk H ills and B u en a V ista H ills w ere th e m o st a c tiv e areas in California. O il-pools w ere op en ed a t H a ls ey C anyon, L a H abra H ills, and R am on a, and gas-p ools a t K irb y H ills and N orth R io V ista. E ocen e produ ction w as develop ed a t C apitan, S an ta Barbara C ounty.
10 new fields, 7 n ew p ays, and 13 im portant e x ten sio n s wero m ad e in W est T exas.
S o u th ea st N ow M exico had 5 oil and 1 gas-striko. The H u b , L angsdalo, and Sosa fields w ere opened in M ississippi, and th e F alls C ity gas-field w as discovered in O kla
hom a. T here woro 10 now p o o ls in Illin ois.
M adison produ ction has been obtained in tho Princess-S tovevillo area o f Canada.
Tho w ell-com p letion results in tho first h a lf o f 1945 aro sum m arized b y S ta tes and districts, and sim ilar d a ta are g iv en for w ild ca t com pletions. T h e'co m p letio n results are com pared w ith th ose o f th e first h a lf o f 1944 for 9 o f th e lead in g States.
G. D . H . 48. Sum m ary of Ju ly Completions. A n on. O il Gas J ., 25.8.45, 4 4 (1G), 173.— 2312 w ells wore com p leted in U .S .A . during J u ly , 1233 findin g oil a n d 251 gas. T he co m p letio n results are su m m arized b y S ta te s and districts, and d a ta are g iv en on rigs, footage, and th e num bers o f w ells in different d epth ranges. G. D . H . 49. A u gust R ate of Completions Very L ittle Above L ast Year. A n on. O il W h ly, 17.9.45, 119 (3), G7.— T he w ell-com pletion rate in U .S .A . in A u gu st w as 504 per w eek , 54 per w eek less th a n in J u ly . T he A u gu st 1944 figure w a s 498. 16,916 w ells w ere com jfleted in th e first eig h t m on th s o f 1945, 10-2% m ore th a n in th e corresponding
period o f 1944. ,
In th e first w eek o f Septem ber th e production fell to 4,530,000 b rl/d a y ; th e all-tim e peak in m id -J u ly w as 4,944,000 brl/d ay.
A ta b le su m m arizes U .S . w ell c om p letion results in A u g u st a n d during th e first eigh t m on th s o f 1945, b y S ta tes and districts. G. D . H . 50. W eek ly W ell Completions.
44 (19), 135; 22.9.45, 44 (20), 13.10.45, 44 (23), 161.
W eek E n d ed
A n on. O il Gas J ., 8.9.45, 3 3 7 ; 29.9.45, 44 (21), 157;
A ll W olls
44 (18), 129; 15.9.45, 6.10.45, 44 (22), 133;
W ild cats G as and
1945 Oil Gas T o ta l Oil D istilla te T otal
S ep t. 1 258 56 476 7 5 61
„ 8
. .
284 5G 557 16 2 91„ 1 5 . . 303 54 536 10 4 76
22 308 67 596 8 5 90
„ 2 9 . . 323 5S 583 15 1 88
O ct. 6 283 57 552 10 2 92
51. South Am erican Exploration A ctivity in F ull Sw ing. K . J . L an gley. O il Gas J ., 15.9.45, 44 (19), 60.— Colom bia produces 65 ,0 0 0 -7 0 ,0 0 0 b rl/d a y from ab ou t 1400 w ells in three areas. B arco g iv es 17,000, an d D e M ares a n d Casabe, in th e M iddle M agdalena V a lley , 45,000 and 8500 brl, resp ectively. 16 w ild cats are drilling, a n d a t E l D ificil h ig h -g ra v ity oil h a s b een foun d. 2 San M artin is reported to h a v e stru ck oil ea st o f th o A n des.
V enezuela produces ab ou t 960,000 b rl/d ay, one-third o f th is from E astern V enezu ela.
D rilling 9 -1 2 m l o u t in L ako M aracaibo is n ot considered im possible. T hree n ew refinery projects o f 4 0 ,0 0 0 -5 0 ,0 0 0 brl each h a v e been announced.
T rin id ad yield s a b ou t 60,000 b r l/d a y from som e 7000 w ells. T here are tw o im portant refining u n its w ith a com bined ca p a city o f 75,000 b rl/d ay.
F ou r fields in th e S ta te o f B ah ia, B razil, produce a b o u t 800 b rl/d a y . T here are 5 sm all refineries, h a v in g a to ta l throu gh pu t under 2000 b rl/d a y . U ru gu ay p ossesses
