Developments in California in 1947

Abstract

Total exploratory footage in 352 exploratory wells completed in 1947 was 1,571,257 (298 miles). Comparable figures for 1946: 366 wells and 1,584,647 feet. Total number of completions, total footage, and percentage of success for the different types of exploratory wells were as follows: new-field wildcats--188 wells, 787,256 feet, wells 4.8 per cent successful, footage 5.9 per cent successful; new-pool wildcats--84 wells, 403,697 feet, wells 26.2 per cent successful, footage 20.1 per cent successful; deeper-pool tests--19 wells, 62,248 feet, wells 47.4 per cent successful, footage 33.1 per cent successful; shallower-pool tests--2 wells, 7,316 feet, wells 50 per cent successful, footage 71.2 per cent successful; outposts--59 wells, 310,740 feet, wells 50.8 per cent successf l, footage 49.2 per cent successful. All exploratory wells were 20.2 per cent successful as to number and 19.5 per cent successful as to footage; analogous figures for 1946 were 19.1 per cent and 19.4 per cent, respectively. The number of new fields and new pools discovered was 35 oil and 6 gas, but none of these can be rated yet as a major discovery. Preliminary estimates indicate that new fields, new pools, and successful extensions added 138,000,000 barrels to oil reserves and 178,000,000 MCF to gas reserves. Production in 1947 was about 336,598,000 barrels (including condensate) and about 583,600,000 MCF of gas; analogous figures for 1946 were 317,482,000 barrels and about 532,454,000 MCF. Basement was reached by 47 unsuccessful exploratory wells that varied in total depth from 416 t 8,232 feet. There were 60 exploratory wells active at the close of 1947.