Analyses of Waters of the Salt Creek Field Applied to Underground Problems

Abstract

Oil-field waters enter into many underground problems with which thepetroleum engineer has to deal. Whether the problem is one of infiltration ornatural encroachment, it is always desirable to determine the source of thewater before commencing repair or remedial work. The usual mechanical tests fordetermining the source of extraneous water in wells are slow and expensive. Anexcellent means for the identification of oil-field waters may be afforded bytheir chemical characteristics when the chemical character of waters from thevarious sands has been established by careful sampling and analysis cautiouslyinterpreted. In the Salt Creek field, Wyoming, a fairly high degree of efficiency hasbeen attained in the control of field operations by utilizing the informationafforded by the analysis. All of the operating companies appreciate this meansof identifying waters, with the result that water-sampling has become generalpractice. Most of the chemical work dealing with Salt Creek waters has beendone since the laboratories of the Midwest Refining Co. and the U. S.Geological Survey, were established in the field; the former in 1922, thelatter in 1924. A spirit of cooperation has existed between the company and thegovernment personnel by which many of the data for this paper were madeavailable. Sands of the Salt Creek Field The principal sand horizons in the Salt Creek field are the Shannon, First, Second, and Third Wall Creeks, Dakota, Lakota, Sundance and Tensleep. Of thesethe important oil producers are the First Wall Creek, Second Wall Creek, Lakotaand the Sundance. The Third Wall Creek is lenticular and is productive in onlya few wells in the southern end of the field. There are also a number of shalewells, but they do not produce water in any appreciable amount.