Developments in North Louisiana and South Arkansas in 1942

Abstract

During the year 1942, 26,474,610 barrels of oil and distillate were produced in South Arkansas and 32,491,304 barrels in North Louisiana. In December, 1942, there were 3,041 oil and distillate producing wells in South Arkansas and 4,494 wells in North Louisiana. Two hundred fourteen wells were drilled in South Arkansas during 1942 with the total footage of 1,094,223 feet. In North Louisiana, 527 wells were drilled with the total footage of 2,257,530 feet. The average depth of wells drilled in South Arkansas during 1942 was 5,113 feet compared with 4,121 feet during the year of 1941; for North Louisiana, the average depth for 1942 was 4,280 compared with 2,952 feet for the year of 1941. Of the total of 741 wells drilled in South Arkansas and North Louisiana, 400 were oil wells, 81 were gas and gas-distillate wells, 125 were dry holes in fields, and 135 were wildcat dry holes. The major discovery in South Arkansas during 1942 was the Midway field in Lafayette County, producing oil from the Smackover limestone. Smackover limestone gas-distillate production was discovered in the Columbia field in Columbia County, and in the Texarkana field in Miller County. The New London field in Union County, a 1942 discovery, produces oil from several sands in the lower Cotton Valley section. Cotton Valley sand production was also discovered in three Smackover limestone producing fields: oil in the McKamie field, Lafayette County, and gas-distillate in the Dorcheat and Macedonia fields in Columbia County. In North Louisiana during 1942, three Wilcox sand oil fields were discovered in La Salle Parish, and the Lake St. John Wilcox sand field in Concordia Parish. The latter field also produced gas-distillate in the basal Tuscaloosa (Upper Cretaceous) sand in the deep discovery well. A Sparta sand gas well was completed in the Lake St. John field, a Sparta sand oil well in Catahoula Parish, and two Cockfield sand oil wells in the Nebo field. A Paluxy sand gas-distillate producer was discovered in Winn Parish. A small oil well was completed in a Cotton Valley sand northeast of the Monroe gas field in Morehouse Parish. A new Pettit limestone field was discovered near the Louisiana-Arkansas state line in the North Cartersville area.