Developments in North Mid-Continent in 1943

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Kansas established another production record in 1943 with a total production of 108,441,648 barrels, over 9,500,000 barrels more than the previous year. The peak daily average production was 319,272 barrels in March, but by December had fallen to 278,229 barrels per day, or the lowest daily average by months of the year. Most Kansas fields are now producing as much oil as should be taken from them according to good production practice. The Kansas exploration program was more fruitful in 1943 than in several recent years, both because of the discovery of pools in non-productive counties and also because some of the new pools developed into areas of more than average productivity. Although 19 of the 57 discoveries may be classified as extensions, many of the other pool-openers are outside the limits of the intensively drilled portion of the Central Kansas uplift. The discovery of the Carmi and Chitwood pools and extension of the Iuka pool sustained interest in Pratt County. It also encouraged development in Barber County on the south where several pools of questionable merit were being developed at the end of the year. The Carmi pool was the most important development of the year in the state. Several townships around the common corners of Rooks, Ellis, Graham, and Trego counties were active in 1944 as the result of the discovery, in 1943, of the Palco, Marcotte, and Kriley pools of Rooks County, and the extension of the Ellis, Morel, and Berry pools. Early in 1944 the Ellis Northwest pool was found in Trego County, and the Hobart and Zurich Townsite pools in Rooks County. If these pools are as large and as prolific as similar Arbuckle dolomite pools on the Central Kansas uplift, important reserves have been found. Commercial oil pools were found for the first time in Saline and Dickinson counties in which exploration has gone on intermittently for 25 years. A small pool in T. 8, R. 26 W., was the first pool to be found in Sheridan County. It encouraged development in northwestern Kansas. Several small fields were found in Stafford County. There were the customary number of extensions in Russell, Barton, and Rice counties. A Mississippi lime discovery started a lease play in Ness and adjacent counties. Outside capital was more willing than established oil companies to assume the risks of wildcatting in 1943. This explains in part the increase in wildcat completions from 333 to 436, and the fact that 38 per cent of all wildcats were drilled without geologic background. Most of the important d scoveries of the year can be attributed to the core drill. Subsurface geology is responsible for the largest number of new pools and extensions. Seismic work assisted in the discovery of more pools than heretofore, but they are of minor importance. As in other states, development of Kansas pools is hampered by war-time restrictions, governmental red tape, shortage of materials and manpower. The dry-hole percentage increased from 40 per cent to 48 per cent due, in part, to the 40-acre spacing ruling. Potential production per well suffered another decline, being 900 barrels per day compared with 1,106 barrels in 1942. There were no important developments in Missouri or Iowa. Twenty-nine dry wildcats were completed in Nebraska, mostly on geophysical information. Inside developments of Nebraska pools had nearly ceased by the end of 1943.